Huchuy Cusco (little cusco) is high up the hill (4.8km one way, steep) west of the village of Lamay (2930m, s/2.5 bus from Cusco, 11km north of Pisac), across the bridge over the Urubamba River. It took me about 3 hrs up, and 1 hr down. The entire hike was unshaded: dry dirt path lined with bushes barely half as my height. I was dead tired going up. At km 2.0, had to take a nap in the only resting place along the trail: a straw hut. The scotching sun turned to hail while I was dozing off. It later turned to rain, and then quited down. Luckily the sun only came out again when we began our descent, lost all its earlier force. At km 4.0, the slope becomes gentler, and you loose the sight of the bottom of the valley, and gain a glimpse of the adobe+stone walls of the ruin. It's thought to be the hideaway of Inca Wiracocha during the Chanca invasion. There's a community of 128 people, farming in this idyllic land, high above the world, overlooking snow capped mountains. We met a girl who was herding some sheep on the slopes behind the ruins. The three dogs of hers fought for the bread crumbs in my hand.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
2006.6.25 - Two weeks in Cusco, Peru - day 14.
Huchuy Cusco (little cusco) is high up the hill (4.8km one way, steep) west of the village of Lamay (2930m, s/2.5 bus from Cusco, 11km north of Pisac), across the bridge over the Urubamba River. It took me about 3 hrs up, and 1 hr down. The entire hike was unshaded: dry dirt path lined with bushes barely half as my height. I was dead tired going up. At km 2.0, had to take a nap in the only resting place along the trail: a straw hut. The scotching sun turned to hail while I was dozing off. It later turned to rain, and then quited down. Luckily the sun only came out again when we began our descent, lost all its earlier force. At km 4.0, the slope becomes gentler, and you loose the sight of the bottom of the valley, and gain a glimpse of the adobe+stone walls of the ruin. It's thought to be the hideaway of Inca Wiracocha during the Chanca invasion. There's a community of 128 people, farming in this idyllic land, high above the world, overlooking snow capped mountains. We met a girl who was herding some sheep on the slopes behind the ruins. The three dogs of hers fought for the bread crumbs in my hand.
