HI Maria,
I was last there in 2016 so my take won’t be entirely up to date.
Regarding safety, I always felt safe in Pisac, even walking at night. Stray dogs are the biggest danger!
Cusco is easily accessible by “collectivo” – a public van system that shuttles people back and forth for a few dollars.

Lastly regarding language, you will certainly find people who speak English, and there is a very large international community of travelers/expats who largely communicate in English.
However, if by “the people” you mean local Peruvians, then you’d best learn some Spanish if you want to establish relationships with them.
Here’s how I became fluent in Spanish, by the way: https://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/how-to-become-fluent-in-spanish-and-other-languages/ (check out Live Lingua in the post)

Hi Maria,
Awesome! Hopefully you’ll enjoy Pisac. 🙂

Bob,
You touch on an interesting point about immersion; because you went to a tennis court that was frequented only by locals, you stepped outside the regular “tourist comfort zone” and were rewarded for it. It’s not always easy to intentionally put yourself in a situation where you’re the odd man out, but it’s usually quite rewarding!

From then on, for six months, I played tennis three times a week with Italians who spoke no English at all, and we became good friends, all in Italian.

Cuenca and Cusco have been the opposite, with mostly English speaking friends. I’m thinking of playing tennis again in Malagal, partly just to have an easy, natural way to make Spanish friends.

Anna – Ha ha! I don’t mind the quiet life; in fact I crave it most times. Cities are a little too much for me in general. I’ve lived in enough places where the pace of life is relaxed that I’ve come into it quite nicely. Different strokes for different folks!
And yes, time management as a location independent entrepreneur requires an epic amount of discipline. 😉

This is incredible. I mean… even with a full-time job (the last 3 months have been 10-16 hr days in the office plus weekends on iPhone) I feel anxiety if there’s no life bustling at the speed of light around me. I was at loss for what to do with myself for one week on the beach in Florida – and I was on the phone w colleagues back in Moscow every other day. I am also insanely impressed with self-discipline that’s required to do location-independent work. I basically answer to myself in terms of when I come in and leave the office, and sometimes even that feels like too much freedom for me 😉 (I bet you’re picturing a hamster in a wheel by now….)

Thanks, Rob!

Anna – That’s how I travel! I go somewhere, and camp out there for a few months. I choose to live around the world, rather than simply pass through it.
As for what I do, there’s lots to do in Pisac and the surrounding area, from workshops, to exploring ruins, to visiting Cusco, eating at local markets – almost too much, in fact! I don’t expect to remotely “conquer” the place in three months.
Remember also, that I have a living to make with my location independent career. This also takes time – just like any job.
But I guess I also like rural life. The luxury of being able to lie in the grass and read a book is absolutely beautiful.