Through the Sacred Valley and down towards the Amazon Basin

Close to Cusco, the Sacred Valley hosts a lot of historic sites from Inca and Pre-Inca times. Looking at infrastructure features like terrassed mountain slopes, irrigation systems, settlements high up in the mountains, etc., I found it amazing to think that the hight of the Incas' power only lasted for about 100 years.

Also, I often asked myself what made them settle in the cold highlands rather than in the lush tropical regions or at least in parts that are a bit lower and thus warmer and easier to live and work in (constructing and working on terrasses in almost 4000 m altitude is really hard!). A traveller I met said that maybe, the Inca wanted to be close to the stars.

From the Sacred Valley, I continued to travel on a scenic road that crosses a 4000 m pass before descending towards the tropical lowlands.

Originally, I had intended to get off the bus in the town of Santa Maria and then make my way up to Machu Picchu. However, I enjoyed travelling this road so much that I stayed on board and continued driving all the way down to the city of Quillabamba where the tarmac road ends.

Following the Urubamba River further down the next day, the temperature got warmer and the land greener and greener.

Although the road continues a few km further, the last major stop of busses and taxis collectivos is the small town of Ivochote. From here, onward travel is by boat.

Ivochote has particular significance as the place from which vital supplies are delivered to the settlements downstream.