Moray and Maras

After a low there is a high, and yesterday was a high. I visited a couple of very interesting sites near Cuzco. The first one was Moray, which was built by the Incas. They built a series of concentric terraces in a hillside, 120 meters deep. The location gives a temperature difference of 10 degrees Celcius between top and bottom. This creates a series of micro climates. The theory is that this site was like an agricultural laboratory that allowed the Incas to experiment with what types of crops were best suited for different climates and elevations.
Maras is a much older site. It was the principal source of salt for the entire area. Again it's a series of terraces, with almost 6000 pools of salt water. The process of obtaining the salt hasn't changed and everything is done by manually. Tough work.
It is one of the most stunning sites I have seen on this trip.
We also stopped in a village to see a demonstration of the Peruvian textile production. The most interesting part was to see how the different dyes are produced. Everything natural. I found it very interesting.
Another positive part of the trip was some of the most beautiful scenery in Peru. Green valleys, surrounded by snow capped mountains, brilliant blue sky. Absolutely stunning!
The entire 6 hour tour, with an English speaking guide was 10 dollars.

Things are starting to wind down. I am going to visit a couple of museums, and then do some shopping. The end is in sight.