May 5 2024.

The Google review said “Australian style coffee” and that it was open at 7am. I figured this gave me just enough time to get to Jack’s Cafe and back before our departure to Ollantaytambo via Umasbamba. 

It’s always interesting being up and about as a city is awakening for the day. People going about their usual activities while us tourists were still getting going.

Never had take out coffee presented to me in such style before.

Today continued our acclimatization both vertically and culturally. I have to admit to mixed feelings about these kind of cultural visits. While it was fascinating to learn about the traditional uses of local plants and animals for clothing and food and it is incredibly generous of the locals to take time to show us and involve us, I do still feel a bit privileged and uncomfortable at the ”dressing up for the gringos” experience. 

And gringos can’t dance.

The incredible colours derived from the various plants were beautiful. Who knew that the dye from prickly pear was a) harvestable and b) considered so rare (and apparently expensive). The soap derived from sacta root used to clean the alpaca wool was biochemically fascinating. Not greasy like most animal fat soaps.

And for those who had been asking, yes we did have the guinea pig for lunch. It was like eating rabbit: lots of work getting what little meat there was from the bones.

We then continued on to the Inca fort town of Ollantaytambo, historically known for the only time that the Incas were able to defeat the Spanish in battle. But only temporarily.

Lots of very nice walls to appreciate.

And the local llamas