Ollantaytambo and Chincheras Don't put anything here Don't put anything here Page Content Page Name (for URL) Page Title Breadcrumb Text On the way back from Machu Picchu we stopped to explore Ollantaytambo, one of the few Inca fortress where the Incas actually fought battles with the Spanish and the only one where they won. (Manco Inca Yupanqui who became an Inca with Pizarro's blessing soon after the murder of Atahualpa, eventually got tired of being a puppet and rebelled against the Spanish. He faught them at Sacsayhuaman near Cusco, then retreated to Ollantaytambo, held it over a few battles, then retreated to Vilcabamba down in the jungles, past Machu Picchu.) Unlike Machu Picchu, which is very pretty but didn't impress me as a fortress, Ollantaytambo actually feels like a place where one could defend oneself. <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_008_0815 Looking up at the upper level 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_005_3477 The gate at the ground level 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_016_3608 Stones with handles 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_018_9057 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_017_2925 Polygonal masonry of Ollantaytambo 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_015_9414 Huge stones with handles 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_030_2092 Looking down at the terraces ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_019_1355 The rougher stonework 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_046_7002 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_055_3559 "Seats" by a fountain ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_026_2437 An Andean Cross on a stone 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_037_0714 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_064_1646 An inca fountain 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_047_7393 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Another interesting thing about Ollantaytambo was that the current town (village?) still preserves much of the original Inca architecture. One after another, you pass doorways made of massive stones that are merely people's houses, supposedly built back during the Inca time. It is strange to see people living in buildings parts of which are more than 500 years old. <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_070_2643 A residential street of Ollantaytambo 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_072_3281 2005-12-20-b-ollanta/20051220_073_5369 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> After Ollantaytambo we headed back to Cusco by bus, stopping on the way at Chinchero. Chinchero had more ruins and a cathedral, but we were tired by then, so we only looked briefly and got back on the bus for Cusco. <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2005-12-20-c-chinchero/20051220_076_6917 Countryside need Chinchero 2005-12-20-c-chinchero/20051220_085_2650 Ruins at Chinchero 2005-12-20-c-chinchero/20051220_088_2919 The cathedral in Chinchero ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Advanced Fields Category 2002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014E. AsiaE. EuropeL's FamilyL's FriendsN. AmericaN. EuropeS. AmericaS. AsiaW. EuropeY & LY's FamilyY's Friends Prototype Redirect Permissions0 Actions Config Markup Module HTML/Meta/Keywords HTML/Meta/Description Save Hook HTML Fields Main Head Body Header Menu Logo Content Template Page Sidebar Footer Tags Allowed for XSSFilter HTTP Fields Cache-Control Expires Guru Fields Templates Translations Fields Edit UI Admin Edit UI Don't put anything here A summary of your changes Don't put anything here Edit Summary Don't put anything here Don't put anything here save preview cancel
