Here I'm lounging out side of the Blue Llama.
I passed one house that had guinea pigs loose in the house, runny around underfoot -- but didn't want to stick my phone into their house. This old door will be the last photo of the town of Pisac -- now off to the ruins of Pisac.
Here is a view of Pisac from the approach road. These ruins seem to play second fiddle to their big brother -- but I ws quite impressed.
I must say though that the elevation is 11.000 feet or so -- and what with a bit of bad planning I thought I was going to die! At one point climbing a trail I stopped and felt my pulse and though "does this feel normal?"
Pisac ruins.
This shot shows about where I just about checked out. This shot was taken about where Jose parked and dropped me off. I walked out to the top of the picture, all away across the top of thre picture (this is where all the ruins are) and met up with some people there. At this point tired and worn out. A guide said to walk down a path ( just out of view to the left of this shot) down to a service road. It's an easier walk and our driver will see us down there and drive down.
Well -- wanting to ensure things work out -- we called from my cell phone to his cell phone. Fives times. No answer -- but also not really sure always if all the calls connect. The guide says go. We go. All the way down. No Jose. Make the decision to hike all the way up the terraced fields to the top road. YIKES!
When we got back, Jose took his phone out of his pocket and noticed the missed calls.
Speaking of which -- how amazing is that? On top of a mountain -- no bathrooms, no electricity, no potable water -- yaking on a cell phone!
Here is some string guides for some restoration work. I am always trying to decide what is original and what is restored. Hard to tell.
This is hard to understand by looking at a photograph -- but that is a straight ass drop big time -- and you are held back by a small wooden pole braced with bailing wire!
Spectacular professional 'through the archway' photograph -- if I don't say so myself.
Looking at the photographs on the iPhone as I type this I see I missed posting some of the Cusco pics taken before this journey to Cusco. Remind me to go back.
I was dismayed to see scotch broom growing at Pisac. Scotch broom is an invasive species that crowds out the native flora and fauna. Scotch broom is all over our California hills -- and so it's in Peru.
Also -- up in the hills virtually all the trees are euculyptus.
This photograph is of the irrigation canals in Pisac. There are a series of stone gutters and troughs that delivered water where needed in Pisac. The guides are fond of pointing out that they are atill working to date!
Pisac water system.
Let me just post several pics of Pisac:
The stone work on a lot of the walls is amazing. The pieces fit together tight -- and all must have been done with stone tools:
OK -- I could go on -- and I will on another post with new ruins -- but enough already here.
The Pisac ruins are a protected park -- but people do still live here. There was a house at the lower end of the lower access road -- and these pigs are grazing on the ruins.
After my life and death struggle up the Path of Doom I came to the upper access road and the end of the tour. Except for one more Herculean task -- navagating The Vendors! I was walking past and one woman had an orange juice booth. She must have hand carried the oranges, table and squeezer up the hill to the road. I asked her how much, and she said S/ 2 -- which is less than $.75! I bought two, one for me and one for a friend. Delicious! I only paid her her asking price. I wish I was aware enough to have given her a tip...
Back to Cosco. It started to rain as we left -- the only time the weather (other than cold nights) was less than perfect!
Next post the Cusco pictures I took before leaving for Pisac, and pictures of Cusco's central market and other sights.
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