OLLANTAYTAMBO, Peru -- Ancient peoples did not build with the accident-prone in mind. Their temples and fortresses aimed to impress and defend against attackers. As a wobbly-kneed klutz, I stick to a few principles when scaling monoliths such as the Inca´s Ollantaytambo, with its impenetrable walls that held back Pizarro hundreds of years ago during his assault on the Sacred Valley.
1. Stay a full body length away from the edge. That way, errant winds and rocks, or a misstep, result not in tragedy but only in a scraped knee or sprained ankle.
2. Before you back up to fit the snow-capped mountain and Temple of the Sun in the photograph, look behind you. Outside the litigious United States, you won´t find too many guardrails or warning signs.
3. You´ve reached the top. Now, how do you get back to the bottom? This is not the time for pride. Just moments ago, Ollantaytambo became the fourth major ruin I have descended in sliding fashion, on my behind (and the first Inca site, as the rest were built by the Maya: Tikal, Uxmal, Ek Balam). As a bonus, this gives your traveling companions a good laugh and photo opportunity.
http://www.catcco.org/en/index.php
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