Greetings from Pisac, Peru, population 11,607 at last count. I find myself here because I was trying to decide where to hang out before the group part of my trip began and a friend who will be on the trip recommended Pisac.
Pisac is in the Sacred Valley, a sheltered land favored by the ancient Inca for its beauty and spiritual energy. This is home to Machu Picchu and many other amazing sites built or utilized during the Incan empire. As I rode here from Cusco airport, my cab driver, who didn’t speak english, nor I Spanish, often pointed out the name of another sitio arqueológico. As much exquisite ruins are here, more are being explored.
Anyway, I’m not here to give you a sales pitch for Pisac. For now, it seems the most amazing place. You can google it if you want more details. It’s more the location I’m calling home that I want to share. Welcome to Wolf Totem Guesthouse, an interesting blend between hostel and hotel. I found it thru AirBnb and chose it because of the price and its uniqueness.
I love staying somewhere interesting. If you drop me in a regular hotel with 100 rooms that all look just alike, windows that don’t open and no kitchen, I’m sad. Usually when i travel, I can rent a whole small, simple house for less than a “normal” hotel and it just feels so much more like home. Here at Wolf Totem, I’m in one of their studios, which means a room with a lockable door and a private bath. Because of their hostel setup, there is also a community kitchen and a sort of community living room that doubles as a restaurant during breakfast and suppertime.
It’s fun here. It’s a quirky place built by Ivan, who bought the property 5 years ago and just started building. He re-used a lot of piece parts- wood, doors, windows so the effect is sort of boho-chic. He’s busy now building a pool and once it’s done, expects he’ll expand the restaurant. He settled in Pisaq after years of traveling the world on his motorcycle. Yes, there’s got to be a book in all this somewhere. I hope someone writes it someday.
I’ve been cooking my meals but did dine in the restaurant last night. Had an amazing omelet, with cabbage, miso, and a long list of ingredients I don’t remember. It tasted out of this world, sort of a potato pancake texture just filled with savory flavor.
I will give it a high recommendation when I leave even though things are a little rough around the edges. I feel like home when things are a bit mis-matched and unfinished. however, most of you will not want to come here. Why? It’s the climb to get to it.
When the cab pulled up I thought it was a joke. There was nothing but stone stairs. I could see no lodge, no “welcome to check-in”. I will be forever grateful to Rudolpho, my driver. He looked around, scratched his head, then took off his hat, locked his car and shouldered my 40 pound suitcase, sherpa style and off we went, up, up, up. Well, he was off. I was panting in short order. He came back down to check on my progress once, offering to take my back pack, while still balancing the suitcase on his back. What a great guy. Yes, I tipped him, an unexpected gesture in Peru unless someone has really gone above and beyond.
We climbed and climbed… well beyond the point I could have imagined. I still saw no lodge. Then eventually a building came in site, but to the side of it, more stairs with a handmade sign, Reception. Rudolpho had deposited my bag way up there but came down to try to make sure I really did want to stay. I nodded , bowed, said muchas gracias repeatedly and he was off, back down the hill
I’ll drop some photos of the hill below and maybe a video of me climbing, if the internet can handle it.
My point is, when you travel to somewhere new, consider experiencing all the new you can find. I was chatting with a fellow-traveler today who talked about people who travel the world but only want to find a place that looks like the U.S. I want to find what’s out there. I try to live like the locals live. This stop, I’ve opted for a step above that but I needed some incentive to climb the side of that huge hill.
Keep dreaming your dreams!
Sending light and love to us all.
suni
