DESCRIPTION
We will pick you up at your hotel and start our journey with
our first stop at Pisaq. This picturesque town with a blend of
mestizo and colonial architecture belong to the province of Calca
at the entrance to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, 32Km down a
modern highway from the city of Cusco.
Founded during the reign of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo, the
town has both Western and native features that make it an original
and typical town of the region. Here merchants offer for sale
all sorts of handicrafts, the most important of which are the
textiles and ceramic goods such as ceremonial goblets called "Q'eros",
plates, ashtrays, necklace and replicas of pre-Hispanic pottery.
There are also ponchos, sweaters and bag The handicrafts fairs
are held every Thursday and Sunday in the main square o Pisaq,
as well as the Indian market, which is visited by inhabitants
from the various native communities to stock up on supplies or
sell their products. 0n Sundays, there is also the traditional
Mass held in Quechua, which is attended by the Varayoc or village
leaders from the surrounding communities. In the upper part there
are the remains of this re-Columbian settlement located a few
kilometers from the mestizo town. It takes up an entire mountain
made up of different neighborhood or squares, the main one being
Intiwatana, which is admired for the architectural skill with
which its constructions were built. At the same time, the pre-Hispani
cemetery is also of great interest as it is the largest found
in this part of the continent. There are thousands of tombs, some
of them looted. The complex is also famous for the colossal terraces
that circle the mountains and the fabulous watch towers which were
used as observation points as well as for control and military
defense.
We them pass through the town of Calca. This area has a beautiful
landscape, surrounded by the Pitusiray and Sawasiray snow-capped
mountains. The archaeological complex of Huchuy Qosqo is located
in this province, as well as the medicinal hot mineral baths of
Machacancha (sulfurous hot water) and Minasmoqo (cold bubbling
mineral water) And after on to Yucay.
A historic area, Yucay is a pretty valley inhabited by the Ruinas
of the Tahuantinsuyo who built impressive works of agricultural
engineering. This area is important for the palace of the Inca
Sairy Tupac 11, a construction made of stone and adobe mud brick
with haute- and bas-relief decorations. It was a center of agricultural
production for the Incas because of its mild climate, fertile
land, abundant water and vegetation, especially fruit trees.
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