Inca Stairmaster-It’s On

Today we hiked from the top of the mountains (~11,700ft) to the Valley floor of Pisac, almost 2000 feet below. Yes, downhill should be easier and this was an REI “light” day. So all I can really say is that I’m going to load a few pics and hit the sack, because this girl is tired.

I didn’t do a very good job of capturing the stairs (which one of my colleagues says numbered 800+). We walked on some switch backs with various Inca stairs connecting them and along the terrace planting areas. Just imagine if your gym Stairmaster presented you with different height stairs randomly- some small and some twice or more the height of a standard stair. Our guide says this demonstrates the Incas flexibility and willingness to adapt to situations. I call it tricky bordering on treacherous. I couldn’t take many pics of the actual stairs because I was using all my considerable powers not to fall off the mountain. That is my top priority.

All of the group made it, including one guy puking his guts out from altitude sickness. At the bottom of this trek lay the promised market of Pisac. Now, just because my knees were aching, I don’t want anyone to worry that I missed the chance to buy some quality goods. I can now safely discern the difference between baby alpaca (the best), alpaca ( pretty nice) and Maybe alpaca (which is some blend of minuscule amounts of alpaca with synthetics). A worthy skill.

The last stop of the day was to a ceramic artist studio where we got to meet the artistic and look around his workshop/enclave, with lamas, parrots, and some very eclectic sculptures.

Finally, I’ll leave you with a last favorite shot for the day — the view from our hotel deep in the heart of the Sacred Valley. I’m assured by every staff member who saw me outside with my tripod that the sunrise is phenomenal. If I can rally at 5:45 am, I’ll be trying to capture it tomorrow.