I got scammed. Blitzkrieg hustled. But I grew up in a third world country, so I’m aware of all the scams directed towards tourists. I take extreme precautions in my travels, and rarely if ever fall victim to any scams.
I lie low and blend in.
Don’t wear a fanny pack.
Don’t stand out in the crowd like Kim Kardashian in a room full of Nobel Laureates.
Never tried to look like an ignorant tourist, so I rarely get targeted.
But, maybe all the years living in the United States has dulled my senses because…
I got scammed
Sacsayhuaman Ruins And Cusco
I wanted to explore the Inca ruin, Sacsayhuaman (pronounced Sexy Woman), in Cusco before I embark on my Macchu Picchu trek. It piqued my interested because most travelers I’ve talked to in Cusco has never even heard of it. Sacsayhuaman is the most prominent archeological find in Peru, and nobody’s heard of it?
I had to explore it
I will say this here now for your reference and benefit. You can buy a tourist ticket or “boleto turistico” general for $130 soles that will allow you entry into multiple archeological sites.
Namely, Sacsayhuaman, Q´enqo, Pukapukara, Tambomachay, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chincheros, and several other ruins whose names I simply can’t pronounce.
The ticket costs around $45 U.S. Undoubtedly, there are better ways to go about exploring Sacsayhuaman – You can go on Half-day city tour of Cusco and get a better deal out of it.
Rooftops Of Cusco
Just so you’re aware. Peru and Bolivia are full of hustlers, scammers, hawkers, and peddlers from all shapes, sizes, and ages. They are aggressive and persistent that they become annoying. Upon arriving at the entrance, a dude holding brochures for horseback riding through the ruins approached me. For 70 Soles, I can explore Sacsayhuaman on horseback!
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I shook my head in disagreement and avoided eye contact. This guy followed me all the way to the ticket booth yelling that the horses are the best way to explore the ruins. Some signs say no horses are allowed on the trail, what does he take me for? A sucker? I asked one of the ranger’s how much the entrance ticket costs, said was 130 soles, that’s like 40 bucks man.
Damn the horses
Curious, I talked to the hawker again asking why the prices are lower on horseback than just hiking the trail. I also asked how I can explore the ruins if no horses were allowed.
His English was superb.
He reasoned that the trail runs along just outside the ruins but close and that you can get off the horse and walk over if you wanted to. He also said that you can see more ruins not part of Sacsayhuaman by horseback and that by the time you’re done with the tour you can walk over to Sacsayhuaman.
Sacsayhuaman Site
Well, aren’t they going to charge me the ticket to get in any way? I asked. He reasoned that they only cost at the entrance (where we’re at) and that you can go to the back entrance and not have to pay.
Wow, what a deal, I said.
Fifteen bucks for a horse ride and see other ruins plus Sacsayhuaman?
It’s on!
Damn the hawkers
The hawker introduced himself as Ignacio and that he owned a ranch next to a village in Sacsayhuaman. His horses and guide, Alonso, is waiting there for the next sucker, I mean, me to start the tour. He hailed a taxi; he yelled something at the driver in Spanish and then motioned me to go with him.
Sacsayhuaman Ranch
We arrive at his ranch, and we went to the back of his house where the horses are. He introduced me to a bunch of other peddlers who are selling many trinkets. I was introduced to my horse, Allegre, and Alonso my guide. I took out $100 Soles to pay for the tour, and it happens he had no change.
Oh, there are merchants here so they must have changed. Nope, they don’t either. But, oh look! A stone necklace happens to be selling for $30 Soles each. I guess I’ll settle for that like change, funny how that worked out (sarcasm).
Allegre And Alonso
After a quick safety briefing (don’t fall off the horse) I got on the saddle. I know nothing about horses. For all that I know Allegre was a donkey or a mule (but don’t tell him I said that). He wasn’t a big stud by any means, but I’ve never been on a horse.
I wasn’t in control, Alonso was, but I can’t help feeling a little rush of excitement. Speaking of horses, check out this awesome 2.5 hour horseback ride tour to the temple of the moon – it’s legit and there’s no scam.
Damn the beaten trail
The trail was rocky and narrow. It was shared with other riders and often caused the horses to jerk and react when having to pass one another in the opposite direction. There were also times when I thought Allegre would gallop away into the horizon without me in control. It was exciting, but we had to stop for the first ruins where I would have to explore by foot.
First Stop Cave Ruins
The ruin was a cave of sorts that the Inca used at one point. For what purpose, I don’t know. You can see some elaborate stonework/masonry on display at the site. I ran up and down the ruins looking for anything of interest. That got boring after about fifteen minutes. I wanted to get back on the horse and gallop through the wind!
Horse Trail View
The next stop, err ruins, was about 2 kilometers away. That means I would get to spend more time with my boy, Allegre! Visions of dual-wielding revolvers as a gunslingin’ outlaw enveloped my imagination. Riding off into the sunset after a victorious showdown with the main villain at the town square and then getting the girl at the end. Yeehaw! It all seemed like a dream in a movie set.
All about the ruins
Unfortunately, hints of reality creep up to keep things in check. I am sharing the trail with random stray dogs that would randomly pass Allegre and dump a load on the path. The old west this was not. This is South America where the dogs roam free and drop their weight anywhere.
Allegre And I
Really awesome ruins
We arrived at the next Ruins, Q’enqo. In Quechua (the native tongue), Q’enqo means labyrinth which the temple. It was once used as a place of sacrifice. I spent another 15 minutes exploring the ruins when Alonso motioned me to get back on the horse. I guess that was it, about 1.5 hours worth of riding and exploration.
Quenco Labyrinth
We made our way back towards Sacsayhuaman where Alonso and Allegre and I parted ways. Admittedly, I had a great time on that horse ride. I even learned how to gallop, and at one point I had Allegre at 15 mph, woohoo! I hiked towards Sacsayhuaman in high spirits ready to explore the ruins that were my primary purpose being up there.
Quenco Ruins
The complex is sitting at an altitude of about 12,000 ft. Built at in the 1400s, it has perplexed the Spaniards and modern visitors how the Inca cut megalithic stones with such precision without advanced tools. The enormous stone blocks are cut with laser precision to fit in place. Not even the rocks in Macchu Picchu can match the smoothness of the cuts in Sacsayhuaman.
Speaking of ruins, there’s a very awesome tour that takes you around all the awesome ruins in Cusco including Sacsayhuaman and the Temple of the Sun.
Book using my link below:
City Tour of Cusco and Visit to Nearby Ruins
Sacsayhuaman is laid out in the pattern of a Puma, something to do with the three levels of Inca spiritual life: Condor – above the earth; Puma – on the planet; Snake – below the planet. This pattern can be seen on a map available from the tourist office in Cusco.
Precision Cut Stones Sacsayhuaman
Getting better views of the sprawling city of Cusco as I explored the complex higher, I climbed up and down laser cut stone stairs lost in thoughts about how a culture without metal tools could carry out such feats. I walked towards the center of the complex to see where the Inca had quarried the megalithic stones when I heard somebody say “Boleto, por favor?”
Shit. No ticket
I got fucking played. Scammed. I nodded my head in response and played like an ignorant tourist. I then proceeded towards the ticket booth to buy the full ticket. Scammed. Swindled. Simple as that. Just tattoo the word idiot on my forehead.
Oh wait, I had a great time, it was only $15!
Whatever dude!
I would pay over $100 for the same experience in the U.S. Hahaha!
Who had the last laugh?
I had the last laugh!
Cusco From Sacsayhuaman
EXPLORE SACSAYHUAMAN, BUT DON’T GET SCAMMED (UNLESS YOU WANT TO)!
- Get the Boleto Turistico ahead of time. You can use this ticket to visit a bunch of ruins in the Cusco area except Macchu Picchu. You can buy it at the entrance.
- Get a map at the entrance or the tourist office in Cusco.
- You can take a city tour which will set you back between $12 to $25 and includes guide and transportation. But you still have to buy the ticket to get inside Sacsayhuaman which cost 70 SOL and if you want, another 25 SOL to enter the cathedral.
- Sacsayhuaman is not very far from the Plaza de Armas. It should be reachable by foot.
- You could take a taxi or combi if you don’t want to walk.
Here are some tours that are authentic and not a scam:
HAVE YOU BEEN TO CUSCO?
I love this! Made me laugh and also want to have been there. Silver linings :) my friend also got scammed, in China, and loved it too.
Well crap! I hope we’re not spreading scams around like wild fire!
Great story!! I know it’s not great when you get scammed – but like you say – where else can you have such an awesome experience for a few $$. This is a scam I wouldn’t mind falling for myself! ;-)
OH? I see in your future, Vicki of Make Time To See The World, that you too will get scammed on the streets of Cusco and love it!
Well at least it was a fun experience overall and you didn’t end up spending too much!! I got scammed in Italy lol and spent $100 … was convinced to buy a laptop from a dodgy guy on a dodgy market stall in Naples and ended up getting a laptop case full of washing powder lol. But we gave him credit because he did a REALLY good job of fooling us!!
Now that’s a scam hahaha! $100 for a lap top case? Well, at least you got a story out of it!
What a story! I loved reading it although glad it worked out okay and hopefully now others will be aware of it based on your story.
Yes. Be mindful in South America. There are so many scams it will spin your head around like you’re possessed by a demon in the Exorcist!
I really like your attitude about that scam, but I totally understand it! And as you sadi, horse trips are very expensive in Europe also. I have beend scammed as well, but mostly on my first days in a new country when I´m stlightl euphoric and not able to think properly – compeltely my fault :)
Yeah, I learned very quick! Especially when the scams keep repeating itself with just different faces carrying out the scams :)
Great article, thanks for the tips! Indeed, as the hub of the Inca empire, Peru is a spectacular place to visit, with it being home to the majestic Machu Picchu, stunning Inca architecture, dazzling cloud forests, snow-capped peaks of the Andes and the mighty Amazon River.
However, there are tourist-targeting scammers and petty crime to be wary of. Do be wary of pickpocketing, drink spiking, public transport theft, taxi with two occupants, snatch theft and robberies, currency switcheroo / sleight of hand, and many more!
Amen to that!
Sacsayhuaman is a fake ruin /like 99% of the South American ruins/ . It is not precision cut stones, but a concrete casting.
Do you have proof and sources that say so?