The next day we toured the Sacred Valley. We went first to Pisaq. We visited the beautiful ruins at the top of the mountain and then came down to do some shopping at the most enjoyable Pisaq handicraft market. Alberto ran into his colleague Anu. What are the odds of two professors from the DC area running into each other in the Pisaq market in Cusco?
From Pisaq we went to Ollantaytambo to visit the spectacular ruins there (Alberto's favorite).
Unfortunately it was Sunday so the ruins were overcrowded, which made it less enjoyable, but we still had a great time. We climbed to the top of the ruins, huffing and puffing, not an easy feat at 3000 meters above sea level. We elbowed our way through the crowds and were able to see the whole ruins. On our way back, we got stuck in traffic again. The narrow 2-way streets are hard to navigate by the big buses and trucks creating serious traffic jams. Avoid Ollantaytambo on Sundays at all costs. We learned this the hard way, only to discover that some tour books already mentioned this. We guess we should have read the book more carefully. But you'll thank us for this tip.
We finally cleared traffic and made it in time for our dinner at the
3 Keros restaurant in Urubamba. We all had lomo saltado, which was superb. The owner will greet you personally and by the time you leave he will feel like an old time friend. Their lomo saltado is highly rated and it was most delicious. We also ordered avocado with asparagus salad, which was very tasty. Overall, highly recommended.
The next day we toured the Sacred Valley. We went first to Pisaq. We visited the beautiful ruins at the top of the mountain and then came down to do some shopping at the most enjoyable Pisaq handicraft market. Alberto ran into his colleague Anu. What are the odds of two professors from the DC area running into each other in the Pisaq market in Cusco?
From Pisaq we went to Ollantaytambo to visit the spectacular ruins there (Alberto's favorite). 
Unfortunately it was Sunday so the ruins were overcrowded, which made it less enjoyable, but we still had a great time. We climbed to the top of the ruins, huffing and puffing, not an easy feat at 3000 meters above sea level. We elbowed our way through the crowds and were able to see the whole ruins. On our way back, we got stuck in traffic again. The narrow 2-way streets are hard to navigate by the big buses and trucks creating serious traffic jams. Avoid Ollantaytambo on Sundays at all costs. We learned this the hard way, only to discover that some tour books already mentioned this. We guess we should have read the book more carefully. But you'll thank us for this tip.
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