Exploring the Living Inca City of Ollantaytambo

Unless you are a backpacker or hiker, you normally don’t get to see much of places like this, let alone stay in them. Places that are off the beaten path. Places that are centuries old. Places that haven’t changed much since they were founded. Places like Ollantaytambo.

Our itinerary had us visiting this ancient settlement in the land of the Inca. Some of the streets we walked down and buildings we passed by were around when Ollantaytambo was first established. From a visit to a private home, to walking through military strongholds, to passing by restaurants and other shops, to observing temple ruins, we would be coming face to face with the past and present of this remarkable Incan town.

Our tour group crowded together in a narrow passageway. Angel, our guide, led us down a cobblestone street and explained we’d be visiting the home of one of the town’s residents.

Along the way, I took a few photos of signs, structures, and buildings. At one point I trained my lens on an old, weathered, fading, nondescript wooden door. It was framed by stone blocks on its sides, and smaller stones and mortar above a wooden beam on top. A simple latch with a cord on it served as a locking mechanism. The only distinguishing characteristic was a 5×7-ish metal placard above the door with the street number on it. I thought it led to an uninhabited house. Imagine my surprise when an instant after taking a series of photos, the door swung open and out walked two ladies on their way to the store.

Inside the home of an Ollantaytambo resident

We arrived at our destination at the end of the street. We needed to be mindful and respectful that we were guests in someone’s home; people live there. It was a very small house, similar in size to those tiny one-room apartments you see in old movies. But instead of walls of wood and plaster, this home was made from stone and mortar.

Entering the home, we found ourselves in a small, one-room structure. There was a small loft accessible by a ladder made from wooden poles. On the ground was a pen for guinea pigs, or cuy. Soot covered the walls from where countless meals were prepared, and from where candles were burned for religious purposes. We saw corn and meat hung up to dry. Cooking was done in a wood/coal-fired stove built into the wall. Pots and pans and a kettle were sitting on tree stumps that doubled as chairs to sit on while tending to the meal being prepared. Skeletons of small animals hung on one wall. A trio of skulls were displayed in an alcove cut into the stone.

It appeared the only modern convenience was electricity; relatively dim light was provided by a couple of fluorescent tubes hanging from the ceiling.

The Ekeko

On the floor, on the side of the home that I can only describe as a shrine, there was an Ekeko. An Ekeko is a small statuette. On it, you place items you have need of. For example, money for more money; agricultural products for a good harvest; sweet treats for more sweetness in your life. Not sure why some of them have cigarettes in their mouths, unless that’s what the owners want more of. Some Ekekos also have bags of corn, toy cars or trucks, bags of candy, and other items hanging on them or on the shelf/ground next to them. One even had a miniature television set next to it.

We saw a handful of these during our time in Perú. It all made sense when we were told the Ekeko is a symbol of abundance and prosperity. It is also said to bring good luck, and foster good existing or potential relationships.

The one in the house we visited was loaded down with items, flanked by two smaller Ekekos also with items attached to them. The larger one wore a multi-colored Peruvian hat and had a pencil mustache. It was adorned with several types of corn, some different candies (I think), a cigarette in its mouth, and a few bags of different items which I could not identify. What was unmistakable, though, was the money in a tiny pot, and the toy car. I hope our hosts will be blessed with the abundance for which they petition through the Ekeko.

Ollantaytambo National Archaeological Park

Saying goodbye to our hosts, we walked back down the alleyway and into the plaza. The plaza is just outside of the Ollantaytambo National Archaeological Park (Parque Arqueologico Nacional Ollantaytambo).

Ollantaytambo — both the town and the archaeological park — sits at 2,792 meters (9,160 feet) above sea level. I’ve seen a few different sources concerning the meaning of the name Ollantaytambo. According to the Ticket Machu Picchu site, the name Ollantaytambo comes from the Quechua word Ulla-nta-wi, meaning “place to see down”. The Tambo part is also Quechua and means “city that provides accommodation, food, or comfort for travelers”. If the full name Ollantaytambo is too difficult to pronounce (oh-yan-tai-TAM-bo), its nickname is “Ollanta”.

The town of Ollantaytambo has quite a history. At the direction of Pachacutec (Pachacuteq), Ollantaytambo was constructed sometime around the mid-15^th century during the time the Inca empire was expanding. Settlements from the Huari civilization, which was around from 600-1000 A.D., pre-date the Inca construction of the town. Research has shown the area also has structures that were built by the Aymara before the Inca arrived.

Throughout its existence, Ollantaytambo kept its original Inca model. It currently holds the distinction of being the only town in Perú to be continuously inhabited since Incan times, thus it is called the Living Inca City. According to the 2017 National Census, there are more than 10,000 residents living there.

Being that it is situated between Cusco and Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo is of extreme importance to the Sacred Valley. To get to Machu Picchu, you have to go through the Valley. And to get into the Valley, you have to go through Ollantaytambo. Angel told us about there being only one way into the town and the Sacred Valley. A sentry posted up in the mountains would have an excellent view of the Valley, and anyone, friend or foe, attempting to enter. If you climb up to the Temple of the Sun and look back toward the Valley, you can get a sense of this. (See the image near the end of this post.)

It was here in 1536 that the Manco Inca fought against the Spanish forces led by Hernando Pizzaro. There were a series of bloody and destructive battles, but the Inca were able to beat back Pizzaro and his men. Unfortunately, the Spanish eventually overcame the Inca army. Even though many buildings were destroyed and religious sites plundered, quite a few remain to this day. Ultimately, the Inca prevailed and the Spanish were driven out.

In addition to it being a town with major agricultural, religious, and military significance, Ollantaytambo is an amazing architectural marvel. The skill of the Inca is on full display. Massive stone blocks, smoothly and perfectly cut from a quarry 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) away were used to build a fortress.  Which explains why Ollantaytambo is often called an Inca stronghold. Though you wouldn’t know it from looking at the area, there was an aqueduct system underground that is still functional today.

There are four circuits of varying lengths — short, medium, complete, and scenic — which you can take to see some or all of the Archeological Park. A map near the entrance details the routes, and some of the places of interest you’ll encounter on each one.

Up the platforms to the Temple of the Sun

Angel asked if anyone wanted to climb the platforms to the Temple of the Sun. Half the group agreed to make the ascent. Using the steps to the left of the platforms, we hiked up to the Temple. Those are some high steps. A lot of high steps. Word is there are 200 of them. One member of the group literally crawled up the steps on her hands and knees. Not sure why. Acrophobia, maybe? I admired her determination. Despite having to crawl, she made it to the top — and back down again — on her own.

The Temple of the Sun (Templo del Sol) is one of the highest areas in the town. The Temple is pretty much in ruin now (or unfinished depending on your source), save six enormous rectangular stone blocks. It is believed the only reason those monoliths remain up there is because they are too large, too heavy, and so well fitted together that they could not be removed. How did the Inca do it?

The Temple is believed to have served astronomical purposes like guiding the creation of a calendar, and determining seasons for planting and harvesting. The stone monoliths were precisely positioned to correspond to the position of the sun at certain times of the year.

Once we reached the top, we had a commanding view of the valley below. There are many structures up there. You get a real sense of why Ollantaytambo was an administrative center of the Inca empire in its day. Next to the Temple of the Sun are the Ten Niches (Diez Nornacinas). These were constructed to store mummies, or mallquis, of the ancestors, usually royalty. Nearby is the Control or Military Zone (Zona Militar), which functioned as housing for guards and as a lookout. While we were up there, Angel pointed out the colcas (qolqas), barn-shaped structures built into the side of the mountain opposite us. These were used to store food and other necessities. If you look closely, you can barely make out the Inca face just to the left of the colcas.

Ollantaytambo Plaza

After descending back down the steps, we explored a bit of Ollantaytambo Plaza (Plaza de Armas de Ollantaytambo). The plaza is ringed by shops, restaurants, and hotels. For a Tuesday morning, there seemed to be a fair amount of activity in the area.

My attention turned to the day-to-day aspect of life in Ollantaytambo:  A man leading his oxen through the plaza. A dog barking at the oxen and one ox slightly turning his head towards it, and just as casually turning it back as if to say, “you’re not even worth the effort.” Shopkeepers with their colorful wares outside. A couple sitting on a bench in the center of the plaza. A young woman walking through the plaza with her toddler strapped to her back. Teams of porters preparing their gear for the eager Inca Trail trekkers that would soon arrive. Men and women just going about their daily lives.

As I mentioned earlier, Ollantaytambo was of strategic importance to Machu Picchu. Today, its significance includes the fact that almost all journeys to Machu Picchu, 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) away, begin in Ollantaytambo. Ours was no exception. If you’re hiking the Inca Trail, you will most likely meet your team and pick up your equipment in Ollantaytambo. If you are taking the train to Machu Picchu, your trip begins in Ollantaytambo. So you can see why Ollantaytambo is known as the gateway to Machu Picchu.

You had one job!

As we left the area, I thought about what Angel told us about there being only one way into the Valley. My mind shifted into creative gear and the following scenario developed in my head: What would’ve happened if our friend, the sentry, blew his assignment?

Let’s say our sentry was at his post, as he had been every day for the last couple of years. He knows nothing ever happens up there, and no attack has ever taken place below. He begins to get bored.

One fateful day, while on his watch, he either dozes off, has too much chicha de jora, decides to take a long walk on the other side of his post, starts checking his social media feed (yeah, I know, no cell phones back then. Just work with me here.), or pays too much attention to the girl he brought up there to impress with the immense responsibility the Incas have entrusted him with. And the unthinkable happens…

An invading army advances through the pass, unnoticed and unchallenged, and descends upon the town. After a mercifully short skirmish, the entire village is captured, including our sentry friend.

The village’s inhabitants are then marched off to whatever fate awaits them. At some point, the sentry is brought before the chief. Head lowered, the realization sets in that this is not going to end well for him.

Imagine what the chief would say. I bet it would be a very short conversation. Livid, seething, he’d be staring daggers at the hapless sentry. And in a voice forceful enough to reduce the surrounding mountains to rubble, he’d thunder, “YOU HAD ONE JOB!”

Ollantaytambo is a culturally important town, with considerable agricultural, architectural, military, and religious meaning. A short walk around the Archeological Park will reveal all of this. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a backpacker or a hiker, or get too far off the beaten path to experience this amazing living Inca city yourself. We did. And it was most certainly an inspiring and memorable visit.

Photo credit: Inside the resident’s home – My wife

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