When the Incas arrived in the Urubamba Valley in the 1100’s, they discovered a mild climate and fertile soil, which was conducive for growing fruits and vegetables.  As a result, they settled in the area, their civilization and culture grew, and the valley became their sacred land. 

As we floated down the Urubamba River, we learned about the Incas from our river guide while taking in the views of the surrounding Andes. We could see the terraces the Incas constructed entirely by hand to grow their food—terraces that are still used today.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the opportunity to be on the water brought joy to my heart!  Although we mostly floated, we had the opportunity to do some paddling over what was billed as “Class 1 Rapids.”  That may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but it was still fun!

Our group had split up into three boats, and each guide asked his paddlers to come up with a boat name.  I suggested “Buena Onda” for ours, which translates to “Good Vibes.”  It was the name Andrea, our Argentina & Chile tour leader, gave to our tour group when we traveled with her back in March.  One of the other boats was “Pisco Sour,” named after the favorite regional cocktail, and the other was the “Titanic,”—fitting considering they grounded into some rocks on their way down the river.  Fortunately, they fared better than their namesake; at least they didn’t sink.

Paddling on the river was followed by hiking at the Ollantaytambo Inca Fortress— just my kind of day!  Our entire Peru tour was rated a 4 out of 5 for its “moderately strenuous” level of activity and high altitude, which was perfect for me.  I looked forward to hiking around these and the other ruins we visited throughout our tour, even if the air was thin.  As a competitive swimmer, I was aerobically fit and I had also prepared by walking fast laps and running stairs while wearing a KN95 mask after my swim workouts.  This was a great opportunity to test my fitness.

The spectacular views!  We were fortunate to have another sunny day, and the views from the top of the ruins were beautiful!  There were only a couple of us from our group that ventured up to the top, so we took turns taking a celebratory photo and stood in awe of what surrounded us.

Back at the foot of the ruins and outside the walls of the national park was a craft market, so I spent the remainder of my free time roaming around shooting photos, while Bruce explored the lower area of the ruins with Raul and a few members from our group.

I’m not a shopper at home, but I love to see the native handicrafts in each country I visit, especially the colorful textiles in Central and South America.  They are so photogenic!

Although our day had already been so full of rich culture, history, and excitement, we still had our home-hosted lunch to attend!  This is always a favorite activity on an Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) tour, so we looked forward to it.  Usually, the group is split up to visit three different homes in smaller group settings; however, that wasn’t possible for this tour due to the lack of available hosts.  Instead, we all went to visit the same family at a home with a large enough room to host the entire group. 

After meeting the great grandmother, mother, daughters, and great-grandchildren, we assisted with meal preparation and setting the table.  In their home, the kitchen is used for all meal preparation except for the cooking which is done outdoors.

The salsa was also prepared outdoors the old-fashioned way, using a rock to chop the ingredients.  We took turns giving it a good whack.

Lunch included tasty juice made from black corn, cinnamon, cloves, sugar and key lime.  We also had squash soup, delicious vegetable filled tortillas, and guinea pig.  Bruce and I gladly offered our shares of guinea pig to Raul. He loves the Peruvian delicacy; we preferred the tortillas and everything else.

After we all bid farewell to the family by presenting them with gifts we had each brought from home, we had one more stop to make before returning to the Villa Urubamba Hotel for a rest before our group dinner. 

Another activity OAT includes on each tour is meeting with a local for a presentation and question/ answer period on the designated “Controversial Topic.”  In Peru, it’s the coca leaf industry, which will be the topic of my next post.  Until then, here are scenes photographed on the grounds of the hotel:

Next up:  PERU #9: THE CONTROVERSIAL COCA LEAF INDUSTRY