Hello all,
Monday was the Ollanta Raymi festival here in Ollantaytambo and the town was abuzz with much excitement. On our way across town, we saw llamas being hauled out of trucks by young boys and scores of women in gorgeous, traditional garb. Many children were dressed up in costumes and make up as part of the festival. We watched hundreds of townspeople running up and down the ruins, dancing, playing music and shouting chants. It was a spectacular event which we were lucky to see!
Yesterday we hiked the old Inca trail to the quarry where rocks were extracted to make the fortress. It was quite a hike and we were all incredibly proud of ourselves when we reached the plateau. . . to think that the Incas did this same hike while carrying heavy stones is absolutely astonishing!
Today we are off to our village and home for the month, Patacancha, to meet our hosts. We are all incredibly excited and can´t wait to get there. Hasta la proxima!
-Hannah and Yaser
