Ollyantaytambo

Pronounced oye-ann-tay-TAM-bow.  It's about 60 kilometres from Cusco and is about 9,160 feet above sea level - puff puff puff.  During the Inca Empire, it was the royal estate of the Emperor Pachacuti (patch-a-cootie) who conquered the region, built the town and a ceremonial centre.  It is an important tourist attraction because of its Inca buildings and as one of the most common starting points for the three-day, four-night hike known as the Inca Trail.

We are at Ollyantaytambo

This was the beginning of my problems with high (12-15 inch or so riser) steps.  They are difficult to climb, and they are scary coming down.  Most of the time, there are no hand-railings or anything.  I got only part of the way up and gave in to the fact that I just couldn't go any higher.  It was disappointing.  Still, it was interesting, and we did get a chance to wander on our own while waiting for the rest of the tour to return to the base.  Here are some of the photos:

This blind man was at the entrance to Ollyantaytambo.

The dreaded steps

Ollyantaytambo.  The second group of people from the bottom is as far as I got. :(

Through doorways and window.

Inca dwelling.  It is made of a more rough stone design, with plaster.  The finely crafted and fitted stones were only used for temples, palaces, and buildings of important people.  If you were a "commoner", you got rough stone.

The Inca revered the mountains as gods.  This one had a face ...  just to the left of the middle of the photo.  They also built grain and potato storage on this mountain (left, middle, and right).  There were no obvious trails to these storage facilities so that warring tribes or groups could not find them.