Places
The hills are alive with the sound of pan flute
“Where’s. That. Music. Coming. From?” I ask Todd as we pause our up up uphill hike to the ruins over Pisac, Peru. “Do you. See. Anyone?”
“Nope.”
“Wait. Is that, pan flute? It is. Ugh, pan flute!”
Pisac ruins from afar
Pisac ruins waterfall
Despite the pestering sound, the hike to and through Pisac‘s old Incan ruins is blissful. On high, the air is surprisingly clear of tour bus fumes. The view from the top of the terraced mountains requires a full spin to take it all in, leaving me Julie Andrews dizzy.
Fear of heights at Pisac ruins
Two women wait to tout
To think that most people come to Pisac, buy some junk from the market, and hustle back to Cusco without seeing these ruins is as aggravating as the pan flute tunes.
Battlements and vista
Gravity defying flower
Although, to be fair, the ruins hike is not easy. Todd and I thought we were being ever so smart and budget-conscious, deciding to skip the taxi ride to the far trailhead.
Incan merlons and crenels at the Pisac ruins
Incan window through an Incan door
So instead of an easy hike descending from the trail’s highest point, we’ve ascended over 1,000 feet by Incan staircase and washed out sheep trails, wishing we’d brought more water. Our main consolation is that we’ve already adjusted to the site’s 11,000-foot altitude so there’s no puking or migraines.
Mysterious Incan wall nipple
One Incan brick is not like the other
We meet people going the other, supposedly easier direction who are far worse off than us. We cross paths with a thick-around-the-middle, middle aged American woman. She’s catching her breath on a minimalist wood bench someone has thoughtfully set up next to the trail. Unprompted, she tells us she’s resting because the downhill hike has turned her legs into jelly.
Flowers on receding wall
Intihuatana doorway silhouette
“But I’m okay with the pain. It’s all been worth it. Ya’see, this is a karmic path for me,” she explains as she wipes her forehead on her tye-dyed shirt sleeve.
“I fell at one point, right on my ass. And when I put my hands down on the ground to push myself back up, I touched this rock.”
Pueblo Antiguo and Quechua walkers
Purple flowers and battlement
She holds out a flat gray stone that has a 90-degree corner and two asymmetrical curves.
“It’s a heart!” she shouts. “I’m here in Peru to get over heartbreak and the universe gives me this sign. Can you believe it?”
Flower gatherer
A shepherdess and flock on the Pisac ruin terraces
Much practiced with handling exuberant, heartfelt ravings, Todd and I “mmm” and “aah” appropriately during her story and sidle off quickly.
“A heart?!” I say to Todd once we’re out of hearing range, “I thought it looked like a stubby little penis.”
Terraces wrap the hills
Hiking a baby down the Pisac ruins
Have you ever felt you were meant to be somewhere? What sign did you receive?
Stephanie BlakemanMay 29, 2012
Julie Andrews and “stubby little penis” in the same post. Oh my! Did you pose with the classic arms sweep of Sister Maria? I’ve done of few of those. Of course they were done a little more locally, like at home in Planting Fields.
LaurenMay 29, 2012Author
I was dizzy enough from my fear-of-heights-induced vertigo. Spinning around enough times for Todd to get a photo — he’s not the fastest draw at photo taking — would have put me over the top!
Heather ThorkelsonMay 29, 2012
Great post! I love Pisac and that part of the Sacred Valley. I’m running an Adventure Reboot retreat there next April (just to show you I mean it when I say I love it) :) Are you guys in Peru now?
LaurenMay 29, 2012Author
We finished up in Peru a little over a month ago. It’s amazing how many posts, stories, and photos we have been able to share from just a 3 week trip to Peru! Pisac was one of the biggest surprises. I hadn’t expected to like the town so much since the market is such a tourist magnet. But it rocked!
Audrey | That BackpackerMay 30, 2012
I remember walking through the Sacred Valley and seeing a little boy walking down a dirt road playing his pan flute. It really takes you back in time! It was extraordinary! :D
LaurenMay 30, 2012Author
That’s an awesome visual Audrey. The pan flute sounds definitely made it impossible to forget we were in Peru during the hike.