[Travel Diary] Chinchero, Moray, Maras (Peru)

I’m happy that last time we didn’t visit the entire Sacred Valley; there are still quite a few famous places we can visit this time, so it’s a bit of a change. From Cusco, we take a one-day guided tour to Chinchero, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo, and Pisac.

Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Journal

I remember last time when I saw Ollantaytambo, I was extremely jealous of the people who could spend the night there, and I saw tourists from the guided tour finish their tour at Ollantaytambo and this time, I’ll do the same. The tour will go from Cusco to Chinchero, Moray, Maras, Ollantaytambo, and Pisac, before returning to Cusco. But I’ve already visited Pisac last time, so I can simply get off at Ollantaytambo and stay there for a week.

Everything goes well for us; JB spots an agency on the internet (machupicchubest). After making the reservation on Whatsapp ($27/person), we pack our bags. A van picks us up early in the morning. We pay in cash, and we need to add 70 soles/person for entrance tickets. And then it’s drama. A group gets into the car and we understand that they think they’ve booked a private van, and they’re unhappy to be with other tourists (us). The tension is palpable; the lady behind us complains non-stop, but our guide handles the situation very well. I stuff myself with coca candies because we’re going to pass at 3800 meters shortly.

Chinchero

Our first stop is Chinchero, a village where they dye alpaca wool with natural ingredients. Remember, we use natural ingredients for dyeing, but then you have to fix the color, and nothing beats chemicals 😀 I learned about dyeing in Mexico, so I know.

The weaving is clearly done by machine, you can tell, but I’m happy to buy a pair of wool gloves, whose finishing is still done by hand. Not sure it’s wool though; it’s too soft.

We visit the archaeological site of Chinchero which we hadn’t seen last time. It’s quite a climb, we struggle due to lack of oxygen, but we make it anyway. The view is breathtaking. Our guide is nice, but what he says is of little interest. I vaguely remember that it’s a site whose construction is unfinished, that all Inca sites are linked, there are paths in the mountains to get from one city to another. And that we all mispronounce “Macchu Picchu”. Picchu has two ‘c’s, you have to pronounce them correctly.

Moray

Then we visit Moray, which is considered a farmers’ laboratory. The soil composition of each level is different, as is the temperature; it allows seeing which plant prefers which temperature and what type of soil. There is one very large circle and two smaller ones, but we didn’t have time to visit them all.

Maras

Then we visit Maras, where a salt water spring flows. The spring water is channeled to the small squares, where it dries to give us salt. We’re in the rainy season, so nobody is working there. The salt pans are only exploited 6 months a year, during the dry season. However, you can buy all types of salt at the souvenir shop, for 2 or 3 soles.

Each small square can yield 100kg of salt (in how many days, I don’t remember ahaha)

We make a stop at Ururamba for lunch at a restaurant with a “buffet”, but not “all you can eat” because some dishes are served in very limited quantities by the staff, especially the ceviche. I, who don’t eat much, was still hungry, which is very rare. I had to go for seconds, standing in the long line again. Anyway, adopt a warrior attitude, reserve a table right away and fill your plate to the brim; you won’t get a second chance.

We finally arrive at Ollantaytambo, my beloved town, and we say goodbye to the other tourists. They reply “hasta la vista baby” on the guide’s ill-advised suggestion. Since the entrance ticket for the Sacred Valley is valid for two days, we’ll visit the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo ourselves early the next day, instead of doing it with the guide (and lots of tourists). The guide himself thinks it’s a good idea, because Ollantaytambo deserves more than the 40 minutes planned in the itinerary. Two other tourists will also get off at Ollantaytambo after the guided tour, as they plan to take the train to Macchu Picchu.

Our 7 days at Ollantaytambo !

Part 2: Practical Tips

• Guided tour: $27/person (about 100 soles) + 70 soles for the entrance ticket/person, valid 2 days
• Bring some change for the toilets and souvenirs