If you had asked me six months ago what Ollantaytambo was I would have been stumped. It was not on my radar. Twenty years ago when I was planning my first trip to Peru I did not have time to look at the broader Sacred Valley. I knew about Machu Picchu and that was it, so that's what we did. But the purpose of this trip was to fill in those big gaps in my personal understanding of the area. Our tour of the archeological site was a big turning point for me where a lot 'clicked', if you will. This is thanks to our guide who did a great job not just taking us through the site itself but also putting it into context of the rest of the valley.
We had arrived after dark the day before so I hadn't really taken in the scenic setting at Hotel Pakaritampu. While it wasn't the same level of luxury property like the ones we'd be seeing later in the day, it is a very nicely maintained, charming and traditional place with simple, beautiful grounds.
I fueled up for the day in their comfortable breakfast room.
Then we made our way toward the center of town and its main attraction. Along the walk you can appreciate some of the town's typical characteristics: slices of natural beauty, elements still a work in progress, and evidence of the hiking groups who utilize porters to handle the heavy lifting of their gear.
There was also a bit of maintenance work going on in the center the day we checked in. Our visit coincided with the start of the off season, so I suppose that is the time to get these things done.
We were out here early, arriving just after 8am, so only a few of the stands within the mercado on the plaza in front of the site had opened. But clearly if you come by a bit later in the day you'll have plenty of opportunity to snag a souvenir or two. For what it's worth, we did confirm that the price of hats appears to be very consistent. I was quoted the same $/25 soles here as they were asking in Machu Picchu Pueblo.
We met our guide and paid for our boletos.
One thing to know about Ollantaytambo and the Incan sites in general is you need to be comfortable with some stairs to check them out. Right out of the gate you're dealing with some of this:
Now the whole site is terraced, so it's a matter of climb, stop, enjoy the view, learn some tidbits about the Incan understanding of astronomy, seasons, etc. Climb some more, repeat the process. So it is by no means a grueling, unrelenting ascent. But you'll need to navigate a lot of steps along the way. Views are worth it.
And they keep getting better as you progress up to the top.
I also snagged a quick video before heading back down.
And there is more to learn about the Incan beliefs, rituals, and how they designed certain aspects of the site to feature/celebrate those rituals. You can look those up or discuss them with your guide when you visit.
Of course, there is the opportunity for some alpaca pics before you leave.
Overall this was a visit that was a very pleasant surprise. Beautiful setting, well preserved. Great reference for learning a lot about the Incan society more broadly. And not at all crowded / overrun with other visitors. We were there early in the morning on a mid-November Tuesday, so if you show up at 11am in July your experience may be different. But for us it was a refreshing visit and 100% worthwhile.
After spending some time in Machu Picchu Pueblo and hiking around Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu, we headed to Ollantaytambo. The next post will cover our visit to the archeological site, while this one focuses on my evening walkabout and casual dinner in the Plaza Principal.
We took a more basic class of train from Inca Rail this time (unlike the Vistadome Obeservatory that we took on the way up. Upon arrival in Ollantaytambo the train drops you off on the south side of town, right near the river. Looks a little like this:
There seem to be three possible scenarios once you disembark.
* You could have a reservation ready for a very nice, very convenient stay at El Albergue. We visited this property the next day and it has all the characteristics of a charming & comfortable place to pass 1-3 nights in Ollantaytambo.
* You could have a 13-minute walk or 3-minute tuk tuk into the center where there are a variety of hostals, hotels, and airbnbs.
* You could be staying at one of the 2 or 3 viable options on that street running between the train and the town center.
We were in the third bucket, staying at Hotel Pakaritampu. Lovely place which I'll expand on more in the next post. For now it was a place to drop my bags before venturing out for a walkabout to see what's what in the town center.
From Pakaritampu it's 750m and about 10 minutes to the center. First couple hundred meters are quiet and dark for the most part. Though there are streetlights.
Then you start seeing murals, restaurants, etc. Signs that you're getting closer to the center.
This next one here is Mawic. If you look closely toward the right side of the pic you can see they have a set up with 3 bar stools pretty much on the sidewalk. Easy to imagine that being a pleasant spot for a late afternoon pint.
Next is Chullpi, which has a pretty rare 4.9/5.0 rating on google.
I was here on at 9pm on a Monday night in early offseason, but there were still some signs of life ...
... including shopping options still available to you, whether you're looking for souvenirs or essentials.
I continued toward the main plaza. Was getting a sense that pizza would be on the menu tonight wherever I ended up.
Street food, tuk tuks, and comfortable stray dogs. Good vibes so far in Ollantaytambo.
After strolling past a number of very similar looking places I landed at Saqra Wislla, where I enjoyed a very Mexican-style pizza (though it is odd to me that the Peruvians call it 'palta' rather than 'aguacate') and some chich morada for roughly $10 USD. Solid.
Took a quick 360 of the plaza before wrapping it up for the evening.
I have already posted about my time generally kicking around Machu Picchu Pueblo, one strong meal I enjoyed at Ponchos, and one disappointing meal I experienced at Museo de la Papa. Now I'll get to the main event, which is the visit to Machu Picchu. I'd been there once before in 2006 with Judy. Look at these kids below way back then:
Seeing it again was great. Mountain hasn't changed much. Looking through those 2006 shots compared to the ones I took this time with my phone, it's clear that photo technology has evolved a bit. Even with my phone that is four generations or more behind the current offering, the pics are so different.
Our whole trip came together without a ton of lead time, so some of the scheduling details were quirky throughout. One of which was that I did circuit 1 of Machu Picchu before doing circuit 3. There are a couple of reasons I'd flip this sequence if I was going to do it again. First, circuit 3 with the Wayna Picchu hike is much more difficult. Lot of steps up and down. Probably best to do that one fresh. Second, it gets warmer as the morning rolls on. Also want to do the harder hike when it's cooler, with some cloud cover. But the way my tickets played out, we did the panoramic 1b I believe, followed by my solo adventure on 3a.
Not a lot I can say that the pictures don't do a better job of showing. First batch here are a few highlights from classic route 1.
Then it was time to deal with Wayna Picchu, which for reference is that taller peak off in the distance of the shot above. First stop is the little check point where you need to sign in. You also sign out when you're done. My entry / exit times were 10:10 and 11:55. Not terrible for a guy wearing jeans and schlepping a messenger bag loaded with some things I didn't need (umbrella, pullover, power bank, and the water which was indeed necessary).
Now a couple of representative shots of the vertical stone staircases that made up most of the hike. Lot of narrow, twisting climbs.
Eventually you get to the top. Yes, it's an impressive view. Personally I'm not 100% sure it's for everyone. Lot of work for a marginally 'better' view of everything. But you do feel a sense of accomplishment when you're done.
Speaking of 'being done' with the hike, it's not a cakewalk on the way out, either. Some tricky descents. And there is also a good amount of up and down. It is by no means just a simple climb up one way and a descent the other way. Up and down, both ways.
After a looong morning at Machu Picchu I cleaned up with a shower and headed out for what I was hoping would be a substantial and tasty meal to refuel. The night before I was strolling along Avenida Pachacutec (the main east/west street on the north side of the river, but not the one that runs right alongside the river) and thought it would be a nice place to eat / drink / people watch. So that's where I pointed myself. I was there around 2pm, which is maybe a tweener kind of time. Late for lunch, early for happy hour. So most places were quiet. I saw that the terraza at El Museo de la Papa was open and planted myself there, anticipating a pleasant lunch al fresco.
Service was not exactly friendly. I think my timing coincided with staff lunch, so I was intruding on their quiet/together time. But soon enough I had a refreshing lemonade in hand. (Side note: Peru knows how to make a good lemonade. Enjoyed many and multiple flavors during this trip).
(Note: deliberately did not crop out the lady wondering why I was getting the low POV on my lemonade shot).
Snapped a couple of shots of their attractive but empty interior while waiting for my food.
Maybe 10 minutes later, my burger arrived. Looked okay, not great. Maybe it's because I know how it tasted, but looking at it again now I can see it's overcooked. But those fries were pretty good with the house salsa.
Looking back at their menu, I see a handful of things that maybe would have turned out better.
Quesadillas. Burritos. Grilled Chicken. All sound better to me right now. But it shouldn't be too much to expect a nice, juicy burger, right? Disappointing. Maybe I just had bad luck or timing. If you want a drink on the terraza where you can people watch, perhaps with some light snacks, I'd say give El Museo de la Papa a try. If you want a good burger after hiking around Machu Picchu for 5 hours, maybe Mary's Burger would be the better choice.
Through a combination of walking around eyeballing places that looked interesting and verifying via Google Maps that any candidates had decent reviews, my colleague and I landed on Ponchos Peruvian Kitchen for an early dinner / very late lunch in Machu Picchu Pueblo. It turned out to be a very good call. Based on our experience they deserve their 4.8/5.0 rating.
You can find them on the north side of the river on the main north / south drag running through the town (Imperio de los Incas). It has a relatively small-ish interior, but it is sharp, well-lit, and comfortable. Floor to ceiling exterior glass wall lets in light and allows you to keep an eye on the outside action if you like.
Service was friendly and attentive. I forgot to snap pics of the menu, but luckily Isamarie Alma uploaded a couple in her google review, so I will borrow hers. They have a solid range of options, but for me the choice was clear: Choclo con Queso.
Was delicious. And while I was disappointed that they were out of the porter listed in their beer menu, the IPA was a fine acompaniment. I was very happy with my order.
My colleague is a more adventurous diner than I am (but then, most people are), and she went for the alpaca skewers.
If I'm being honest I wasn't paying close attention to her order, so I was a little surprised when the server came out and set them on fire.
Fun stuff. And for the record, they met with the approval of my foodie companion.
Toward the end of the meal this fella curled up at the feet of the couple dining next to us. Guessing it wasn't his first time there.
Incredibly, I am 99% certain I saw the same dog the next morning up outside the entrance to Machu Picchu.
To sum up: Ponchos Peruvian Kitchen is worth your time. Would recommend.
