~ Ollantaytambo, Peru ~ 

The Internet takes a person wherever she wants to go.  Today, I visited Ollantaytambo, Peru, with the help of the Internet.  Ollantaytambo is an amazing place that few people know about and even fewer people visit.  Many people only pass through Ollantaytambo on their way to Cuzco by train.  A visit to Ollantaytambo, however, is like visiting a place long forgotten by the rest of the world.

I learned that over five hundred years ago, the Incas ruled Ollantaytambo.  Today, their influence is still obvious.  From the original street plan to the Incan ruins, the town continues to preserve a part of its past.  The town remains an agrarian community and lacks tourism.  Thus, it is not like many modern day cities.  Ollantaytambo does not have a large industrial community.  Instead, many residents work on the land just as the Incas did hundreds of years ago (Light).

Ollantaytambo is a compound word that comes from "Ollanta" which is a personal name, and "Tambo," meaning a place that offered lodging and food for travelers.  Many streets within the town have Incan names.  As a fortified city, Ollantaytambo had certain protective duties.  More importantly, however, the town had an urban sector, which housed nobles, and many religious temples.  Residents continue to live in homes that were once the homes of nobles in Incan society ("Ollantaytambo"). 

Ruins of Incan architecture found in Ollantaytambo today remind me of an old battleground.  They have been eroded and only pieces remain as time takes its toll on them.  One of the most famous sites in the town is a place called The Fortress.  The Fortress, contrary to its name, did not have warlike duties.  Rather, it was a religious complex that housed many temples.  These temples were places for the Incas to worship their various gods, a number of whom represented forces of nature and were thought to oversee the agricultural prosperity of the town (Light).  

Leading up to The Fortress is a set of sixteen immense terrace steps.  The terraces were, most likely, used for the production of corn for ceremonial purposes (Light).  To me, the terraces look like a scene from a nightmare, as an impossible obstacle in the way of escape.  Beyond these impressive terraces is the Temple of Ten Niches.  This temple served as a funeral chamber where mummies were worshipped.  Not far from this temple lies the Temple of the Sun.  The Temple of the Sun is formed from six blocks of pink granite that make a wall.  Like other Incan temples, the wall runs from east to west.  In the Patakancha Valley, which lies below The Fortress, is the Baño do la Ñusta, meaning "Bath of the Princess."  It is a waterfall carved from granite by the Incas.  By bathing in it, the Incas worshipped the water (Light).

Photo courtesy of <http://iaehv.nl/users/kvzon/gallery/peru/ollantaytambo.html>

The ruins of Ollantaytambo preserve impressive Incan architecture remarkably well.  Even more remarkable is the fact that current residents of Ollantaytambo surround themselves with Incan influence.  As I was reading articles about Ollantaytambo, I thought of the fact that America once tried to strip American Indians of their culture by forcing them to either move to reservations or accept "American ways."  Much of American Indian culture was lost due to this.  Today many Americans integrate little culture into their lives.  The residents of Ollantaytambo, however, have found a way to preserve a part of the past.  They support themselves as the Incas did, by working the same land, and they continue to live in the same homes.  Ollantaytambo, after all these years, has not become industrialized (Light).  Some may say that it is a primitive community, but I believe that it is an extraordinary tribute to the memory of the Incas who once inhabited Ollantaytambo.

In a world caught up with politics and money, Ollantaytambo, Peru, remains deeply rooted in tradition.  The pictures I viewed of Ollantaytambo are majestic and beautiful.  I am shocked that so few people ever visit the town.  It is refreshing, however, that a place so wondrous and full of Incan heritage avoided becoming a city of yuppies.  Unlike many of the world's tourist attractions, such as National Parks, the modern world has not overwhelmingly affected Ollantaytambo.  Even within National Parks, damage, such as littering, occurs as a result of tourism.  This damage can never be undone.  Although many people miss its beauty by overlooking the town, this oversight allows Ollantaytambo to survive as a place of the past, full of history. 

Photo courtesy of <http://www.civila.com/peruanisimo/xcinca1.html>

Works Cited 

Light, Stephen.  "Ollantaytambo: A Living Past."  24 Feb. 2001 <http://cuzcoguide.com/CuzcoTravel/tripshikes/ollantaytambo.html>. 

"Ollantaytambo."  Qosqo.  24 Feb. 2001  <http://www.bestweb.net/~goyzueta/qosqo/ollanta.htm>.