Ruins Above Pisac

After the breakfast portion of the lovely Paz y Luz bed and breakfast, I headed up through the main square, where the market takes place, stopped for a cup of coca tea, and proceeded up the steep 5 kilometer climb to the ruins of Pisac.

The ascent wasn't easy, with a mix of steep trails and hundreds of Incan stone inlaid stairs. As I climbed, the views just kept getting better and better. I could see the whole town of Pisac and the surrounding farmlands, the Urubamba river, and the steep and tall surrounding mountains. Every time I thought I had found a perfect spot for a photo, I climbed a little more and found even better views.

At first, I came across what I thought were the ruins at the top of the first hill. Fortunately, I kept hiking up and around, and found partially reconstructed adobe homes and the remains of a grand temple. Amazingly, the temple still had a working system of aquaducts and fountains. There was a round wall surrounding a large rock, that I think was some kind of clock or calendar.

I was pretty tired by the time I had seen all the ruins, both from the climbing and from the altitude. It was well worth the effort, however, since the weather was beautiful, the views fantastic, and the ruins impressive.