After a couple awesome days in Cusco City, it was time to head to the Sacred Valley to
actually see all those jaw dropping sights we learned about in the museums we visited.
So we had a car pick us up mid morning and traded in the urban streets of Cusco for the
rural landscapes of Urubamba.
Now the drive alone to the Sacred Valley was a full day by itself because of all the stops
we made along the way. The scenery was so beautiful. Rolling hills, lush valleys, I
just couldn’t stop staring at all the raw beauty of Peru’s sweeping landscapes.
Now, after a couple stops here and there admiring the scenery, we found ourselves at Ccochahuasi
Animal Sanctuary. And guys, you know how I feel about animal tourist attractions. Always
make sure you do your research before visiting any kind of attraction with animals and make
sure it’s reputable. Ccochahuasi is a legit animal sanctuary that’s actually dedicated
to rescuing wild animals from poachers, cruel owners, you name it. They rescue them, they
care for them, and when possible, release them back into the wild.
“Hola!”
Now one animal in particular they educated us on was the Andean Condor, which is dangerously
at risk of extinction, largely due to poachers wanting to sell their feathers to tourists
like us. So please do not support this trade. Don’t purchase any feathers from this endangered
species.
After leaving the sanctuary, just a short 15-minute drive brought us to Pisac, a small
traditional Andean village in the Sacred Valley, surrounded by Incan ruins. Now, if you didn’t
get a chance to do any shopping in the markets of Cusco City, you have plenty of chances
here. The artisan market is filled with all kinds of colorful handicrafts—knitted scarves,
trinkets, jewelry, clothing, ceramics—it can be overwhelming! And it made me like…really
hungry. So we grabbed lunch and hit the road.
So after all that, it was time to check into our Airbnb, and y’all I was not prepared
for how amazing this place was.
“So we left Cusco City yesterday and came to the Sacred Valley and we checked into this
amazing airbnb. Look at this place you guys, it is paradise!”
So, when I retire one day, I want to live on a property like this. Once we finished
gushing over our little garden cottage, we went to a restaurant recommended by our host
and we devoured our last meal for the night.
The next morning, we got a late start to our day, because well, we loved our Airbnb and
didn’t want to leave. It was so cozy. We got up and we went to this all glass yoga
room in the middle of the lawn. It was peaceful…there were mountains in the background, birds were
chirping, a stream was flowing. My friends got their yoga on—I would have too, but
I hate yoga…so I did an ab workout instead.
“For anybody who wants a zen-like experience in the middle of the Sacred Valley, leave
Cusco City, after you finish exploring Cusco, come to the Sacred Valley, and stay in this
Airbnb. I mean, the place is amazing; the property manager is so nice. I’m really
enjoying my experience here.“
Had our time not been limited, I literally could have stayed there all day.
But the clock was ticking, so off we went to our excursions for the day.
We arrived at the Incan ruins of Moray, located in a very remote area of the Sacred Valley.
It’s speculated that these circular terraces were used by the Incas as an agricultural
laboratory.
“Beautiful Moray. It’s gorgeous.”
“We are driving back from Moray. Scenic view.”
Later on, we arrived in Salineras, the salt mines of the Sacred Valley. I have never seen
so much salt in my life! I guess back then the Incas hadn’t yet figured out that that
much salt causes high blood pressure. What they did know—was that salt is delicious
so they made a LOT of it.
“This is Salineras, which are the salt mines. And I bought some salt straight from Salienras.”
Now, instead of catching a ride back to our cottage, we put our legs to work and we hiked
back.
“We are hiking all the way down from the salt mines. All the way back to our airbnb.
It’s quite the hike but it’s so worth it for all this beautiful scenery.”
“Ok, this bridge is so rickety. Oooh. Oh my God.” “Hola!”
“So at this point we’ve been hiking for about an hour and a half now. It’s almost
sunset and again we’ve seen nothing but beautiful scenery. I’m really glad we decided
to hike back to the airbnb as opposed to taking a car back. It was a really good idea.”
After that hike, we deserved a good meal. So our host recommended another amazing restaurant
for us to check out.
“I’m very uncomfortable.”
On the next episode, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. We depart the Sacred Valley
and go to the world famous Machu Picchu. So keep up with the adventure by connecting with
me on social media, and come on y’all hit that thumbs up button and subscribe!