We crossed the Urubamab River for the first time on Urb. Virgin de Lourdes (street). Today, there is a new suspension bridge a hundred feet or so upstream of this crossing that still exists. Urubamba, Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Urubamba District, Peru
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Where we crossed the river at Urubamba the valley was wide compared to our route to Ollantaytambo and the train station there. Route 28B, the yellow ribbon in the following image from GoogleMaps, passed over the shoulder of a ridge and into a narrowing of the Sacred Valley.
Enroute to Machu Picchu and the PeruRail Ollantaytambo station. Peru, Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, Ollantaytambo District
“Ollantaytambo is a town and an Inca archaeological site in southern Peru some 72 km (45 mi) by road northwest of the city of Cusco. It is located at an altitude of 2,792 m (9,160 ft) above sea level in the district of Ollantaytambo, province of Urubamba, Cusco region. During the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti, who conquered the region, and built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru, it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance. Located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, it is now an important tourist attraction on account of its Inca ruins and its location enroute to one of the most common starting points for the four-day, three-night hike known as the Inca Trail.“
“Ollantaytambo dates from the late 15th century and has some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in South America. Its layout and buildings have been altered to different degrees by later constructions; for instance, on the southern edge of the town, an Inca esplanade with the original entrance to the town was rebuilt as a Plaza de Armas surrounded by colonial and republican buildings. The plaza at the center of the town also disappeared, as several buildings were built over it in colonial times.”
Reference: Wikipedia, “Ollantaytambo.”
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 