Ollantaytambo, Cusco
The story of Wendy Weeks is a love story—one that transcends time and borders. Wendy arrived in Peru in 1974, embarking on a global adventure with her husband, Randall. Their journey led them to Ollantaytambo, then a quaint Incan village with a population of just 1,000, serving as the final train stop before reaching the mystical Machu Picchu.
Nestled by the train tracks was the Santa Isabel Hotel, a humble adobe inn with mud floors and an outhouse. Captivated by the charm of Ollantaytambo, Wendy and Randall decided to make it their home, purchasing the hotel and beginning a new chapter in their lives. Over the next fifty years, Wendy's resolve remained unshaken, even as she faced the terror of the Shining Path, the heartbreak of her husband's untimely death, and the myriad political crises that kept tourists at bay.
When we visited Wendy in her cottage, we were greeted by a space brimming with mementos. Notebooks filled the room, each one a testament to a life richly lived. She showed us a notebook from Guatemala in 1974, just months before they arrived in Peru, adorned with sketches and descriptions of daily life, including traditional textile weaving techniques. On her desk lay her latest notebook. "Every day I do a drawing and write something," she shared. Today's entry featured a delicate watercolor of the bougainvillea hanging from her window, offering a glimpse into the layers of history that envelop her life, including the thousand-year-old Ollantaytambo fortress.
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