A day in horse back riding (Brayan Coraza Morveli)
The City of Cusco affords us different ways of spending a beautiful day while visiting different places, enjoying sports, and trying our traditional food at the same time we meet and interact with the people of this great place. Machu Picchu is one of the alternatives, of course. But there are also other standard routes such as the City Tour, the Sacred Valley Tour and many others.
If you do not have a set tour and have a day free a great opportunity is to do a tour by horseback. The trip takes you through the scenery of the Yuncaypata Valley, close to Tambo Machay and Saqsayhuaman whose scenes are spectacular. They offer impressice views of mountains towards the Sacred Valley. You can also visit the important archeological sites of Cusilluchayoc, the Temple of the Moon, Zone X (Lanlayoc), and the Devil’s Balcony, also known as Chacan.
A few days ago I took a two-hour tour by horseback. Of course I remembered the last time I had climbed up on a horse. It was when I was a child. I was nervous then when I climbed into the saddle. This time my companion for the trip was named Pisco. He liked to eat a lot and from time to time would stretch his head down to grab some barley or grass.
There were also other horses named Tatoo, Galán, Cometa, etc. Each of them had a quality that distinguished them, besides their color. Some were calm and let themselves be easily guided while others were quick and headstrong. They had to be kept back in order to not break the line. One was a bit bossy and did not want any other to pass him. If one tried he would complain or kick.
The day was sunny and clear. The trail to the Temple of the Moon was flat and calm. After we got down from our horses we went to this place and our guide, Fidelu, showed it to us and explained the place. Here you can appreciate a great quantity of flora and fauna, including plants such as ichu, ñuqchu, cantuñ zapatitos amarillos, and more. We also saw insects such as butterflies, grasshoppers and spiders.
After the explanation we returned to our horses and remembered their names. We began our return. Of course I loved riding one of these beautiful animals and enjoying the trek but I wanted more action and so I now chose the three-hour tour towards the Devil’s Balcony. This time Galán was my companion and we crossed the highway and began climbing up a hill that was a bit muddy because it had rained not long before. The trail was easy though we had to climb and then go down hill in order to cross some streams. The nit was flat and the view was amazing. In the distance we could see fields of potatoes and oats.
We arrived at the Devil’s Balcony and it was impressive. For a few minutes we just stood there to appreciate all that the place held before returning to our point of departure. Suddenly the sky turned black and lightning began to flash and thunder to be heard. In the distance we say some enormous discharges of electricity.
As is said here “You should never trust a dog’s limping, a woman’s tears, or the highland sky.” The weather in Cusco can fluctuate and at any moment when it is the season a rain shower can let loose. No matter, this last trek on horseback was the best and is very recommendable for those who want to get out of the commonplace and enter a bit more in contact with nature.
