Day 9 - part 2

Oh, the scenery is majestic! Enjoyable drive through the Andean Highlands to “Sacred Valley”. Many locals are out for voting and Sunday activities and in their Sunday best.

For the agronomists out there, let me show you Moray. The Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyo) consisted of around 40,000 nobles and a total population reaching 12,000,000 between 1527–1532. Their secret to growth: conquest, and feed eveyone. They were incredible and experimental agronomists dedicated to feeding their recruits and converting them with bounties of corn, beer, coca leaves, potatoes, and quinoa (first picture). They did experimental farming at Moray, with circular concave terraces. Each level created a microclimate enabling them to grow more lowland crops like coca leaves, avocados, tobacco, etc. Happy bellies in the belly button of the world.

And the salt for flavoring came from the Moray salt mines; 3,000 hand-chiseled salt pools that cascade down the Sacred Valley. These salt pools have provided many colors of salt for almost 2,000 years and are a stunning site to see. And the salt is wonderful as well. Some of you will be tasting it soon!

And now, the local textiles. We visited a local alpaca weaving center. All hand-spun yarn from tended alpacas; hand-dyed with native plants, and knit or woven into pieces of art. Yes, I am bringing a poncho to Machu Picchu. Watch for it.

Also, enjoy the baby bundling demonstration. When she flips the baby to the front, it allows her to carry two children (one in front and one in back) while she works throughout the day. She stopped spinning to show us and then went right back to it. It was a treat to watch it all.

The last two pictures, again, show some more potato varieties and cuys on a grill; just waiting to be tried.

Bed now, leaving at 3 a.m. for a strenuous hike to the highest point of the trip. Stay tuned….Read more