Submitted by Meredith O’Neal on the 2017 summer session program in Peru sponsored by the School of Nursing…
Wednesday, June 21, 2017 was the Peruvian winter solstice, and we traveled forty-five minutes from where we are staying in the Sacred Valley to another town called Ollantaytambo. We arrived by 6:15 am and started climbing the ruins of Inca pyramids to watch the sun rise over the mountain. Along the side of the mountain is the profile of an Inca god, as well as the face of Vita Coacha, who the Incas believed was the god who created the first humans on earth. Vita Coacha has a stern face looking over the Inca town below the mountain and was thought to be a reminder for the town’s citizens to follow the rules and behave. The Incas used the rising of the sun over the mountain to determine which part of the year it was, as the calendar was very important to the Incas so they could properly tend to their crops. Unfortunately, the clouds blocked the view of the sun rising over the mountain, but it was still an incredible view! After exploring the ruins, we hiked for a bit along the Inca trail carved into the mountainside before descending hundreds of steps back to the base of the pyramid.
We spent a few hours exploring the Inca city of Ollantaytambo, with its cobble-stoned streets lined with vendors selling amazing handmade products.
One experience of the day that gave me major culture shock was when the sliding door completely fell off of a minivan driving down the street. In Peru, the cars and vans are typically packed with as many people can fit in, often not using seat belts. This is very different from the United States, where seat belt laws are strictly enforced. The van stuck its door back on and drove off down the road, as if it had never happened! We ended the day at a pizza restaurant in Urubamba, the next town over, before heading back home for an early night’s sleep.