Our train to Machu Picchu  left at 4:30pm train from a small town called Ollantaytambo which is about a 2 hour bus ride from Cusco.  We decided to take advantage of the day tour the Sacred Valley on the way there. 

Friends on the bus
We embarked on our journey to the Sacred Valley in a small bus mostly full of Peruvians save another American, a couple from South Africa, and a few folks from France.  We sat right behind the American girl who is originally from Iran but has lived in the US since she was 12.  She was young - maybe 20 -and had graduated college early and was about to start medical school this summer. She  was in Peru with a medical volunteer program in Cusco for about a month where she worked at a local clinic.  She said the most common ailments in the area were water-borne parasites like tapeworm (especially in children) and, sadly, injuries from domestic violence, which is apparently common and largely ignored.  She was recently engaged and picked out a ring for her fiance at the sliver shop we visited en route!  She told us that Peru was very similar to Iran - both in terms of its landscape and people.  She said that while people in Iran are more conservative, they are very friendly and willing to help visitors, like the Peruvians. She also drew similarities between the significant religious presence in each country - Catholicism in Peru and Islam in Iran.  It was very interesting to hear the perspective of a young dual citizen of the USA and Iran. 

Bus Music: Oxygen Radio 
The bus driver tuned into Radio Oxigeno (GREAT name for a radio station in the Andes) which played the most random mix of music of all time. Every time I travel to Latin America, the radio stations manage to find the most obscure tunes from the last 30 years and play them alongside classics, local hits and global pop songs.  Puerto Rico is particularly excels in this area. At one point Radio Oxigeno played Take That's Back For Good right after a pan flute song from a Peruvian band Alborada call Relampago Caballo, or Lightning Horse in English. If you watch the music video, fast forward to 1:30 but be careful - Relampago Caballo is a catchy tune.  Chris and I find ourselves singing  Re-lam-pa-go Ca-ba-llo - la-la-la-la-la-la-la all the time. 

Sacred Valley Stops: Pisac & Ollantaytambo 
Our first stop was Pisac, one of the most important Inca cities. In Pisac, we saw familiar Inca design - terraced hills, Inca crosses and stone structures. The landscape was stunning! 

Our guide also gave us some more insight into the terraced system the Incas used to farm. Not only did terraces give them more area to farm on these large mountains, but they also allowed them to cultivate a large variety of crops.  First of all, the climate at the top of the mountain was much cooler and drier than at the bottom which was warmer and more humid. They also changed the soil on each level to control drainage, so the top levels were drier making it good land for grains like quinoa, while the bottom levels were more moist allowing them to grow things like coca, and the middle was larger and perfect for their 2 most important crops - potatoes and maize.  

In Pisac, the nobles, priests and scholars lived at the highest points of the village - mainly for protection and to be closer to the heavens (in the case of the priest). They had quite the view!

After Pisac, we stopped for lunch (which included a ridiculously good dessert selection).  Then we went to Ollantaytambo to see the ruins before catching our train. Ollaytatambo is a really amazing little town. Most of the buildings in use in town are original Incan structures. The only things on the exterior that have changed are the tops of the walls and the roofs. It's supposedly the village that most closely represents what a tradtional Incan town would have looked like. 

In order to catch our train to Aguas Calientes, we had to cut our tour short. However the train ride was fantastic! I'll write more about that and Machu Picchu in the next post. 

We are still shocked by the tragedy that occurred at the Boston Marathon on Monday.  While our family & friends were physically unharmed, we are all devastated about those who were killed or injured.  Boston may be a major US city, but it's a tight knit community where everyone takes pride in their town and its long-standing traditions.  Patriots Day/Marathon Monday is a day of celebration and accomplishments, not just for Bostonians, but for people around the world who come here to fulfill a lifetime goal. Knowing the fierce spirit of Bostonians, we will not only heal, but we will become stronger.

It's so nice to hear Sweet Caroline playing across the country for Boston.  Music often has the power to communicate more sentiment than words and watching Americans around the country sing along to this Fenway staple is comforting.  There are so many great songs about this city and many talented musicians hail from Beantown. Here are few of my favorites:

Dirty Water - The Standells
Shipping Up to Boston- Dropkick Murphys
For Boston - Dropkick Murphys 
This entire album - Boston
Dream On - Aerosmith
Boston (Ladies of Cambridge) - Vampire Weekend
Sleepyhead - Passion Pit 
Sail into the Sun - Gentlemen Hall
Rachel - Buffalo Tom
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend
Airport Song - Guster 
The General - Dispatch 
Tonight - New Kids on the Block

Check out our Boston page to learn more about this wicked fun city.