Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region, built the town and a ceremonial centre. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. The substance of the place is partly situation - at a confluence of the Urubamba and Patakancha rivers, in a stunning setting - and the stonework - the size, position and fitting together of some of the large stones is magical.
The main quarries of Ollantaytambo were located at a site called Kachiqhata, in a ravine across the Urubamba River some 2 miles or so away from the town.
The stones, (some form of rhyolite and porphyry - both igneous in origin), seemingly were rough carved or shaped on site in quarry then somehow rolled or dragged down to the river. To cross the river the Quechuas workers apparently made a diversionary channel.
An inclined plane or ramp was used to haul the stones up … even so it must have been a tremendous effort and involved hundreds of men … remember – no horses or buffalo. You can still see dozens of enormous stones (tired stones) – either they split or were damage or not needed – or indeed as many suspect unused as the temple or fortifications were unfinished as the Spanish invasion happened.
We walked this really impressive site, though Margaret wisely left Hilda and I do the top level, gazed at the store houses on the other hills, (to get up there looked a real effort - though some adventurous types had gone!) and then we descended to spend a little time in the town. We visited a local family's home, which comprised of four small one-storey buildings (two such properties form a unit of the town's grid type layout - a 'kancha' I think the term is), around a roughly uneven cobbled courtyard, cut by small drainage channels. In this yard hens, ducks, a cat and a dog wandered around, quite unconcerned.
In one of the buildings we were invited to enter there was a small stone hearth for the fire (not a fireplace as such - no chimney etc.), presumably both for heat and for cooking. One small window provided an escape for the smoke and some light. The rustic wooden beams supporting the thatched roof carried a smoked joint and some dried maize cobs. There was one old wooden cupboard and little else it seemed.
On the floor there were tens (maybe 35!) of Guinea Pigs (or quwi or jaca in Quechua and in Spanish cuyos) scampered about - seemingly they are often cooked when visitors drop in! (in all the time we were in Peru we were recommended roast Guinea Pig but in truth never had the stomach for the dish ... after all, when Sophie and Rory were at home we had some as family pets). Oddly enough, I have to really try to remember that the term "guinea pig" comes from our use of them in research in Europe!
The next day we headed off to the Citadel of Machu Picchu by rail from the temporary Piscacucho station (Km 82).
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