Peru 2014 - Part 4

Monday, August 18


We asked the front desk  to call us a taxi to go to Moray and Las Salineras. The taxi has to wait for you at each place, so I knew it would be more expensive. The taxi driver the day before had offered to take us there for 140 soles, but she gave me a price of 150 - and it was WELL worth it to get Ferdinand, who as it turns out is not only a taxi driver but a knowledgeable guide that spoke English, so Mark finally had someone to speak with. His grandfather lived here in this area for 114 years, and told him many stories that had been passed down from generations. With his accent, he reminded me so much of my Peruvian friend William. He didn't just wait for us like the other taxi would have.
Moray was an agricultural experiment station of the Incas. The genius  that  went into this was incredible. There they figured out an irrigation and terrace system that supported growth of plants from all over. Some plants that only grow in the jungle, and some that only grow on the coast were found in this place. After the Spanish conquered and enslaved the Incans, they forced them to work this area without rest because it was so abundant in produce. Finally the Incans cut the irrigation system somehow, forcing the growth to stop, freeing themselves from enslavement....in that way. So many steps for these short legs! But I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I was really huffing and puffing on the way back up, but  I made it
.Moray and Las Salineras. The taxi has to wait for you at each place, so I knew it would be more expensive. The taxi driver the day before had offered to take us there for 140 soles, but she gave me a price of 150 - and it was WELL worth it to get Ferdinand, who as it turns out is not only a taxi driver but a knowledgeable guide that spoke English, so Mark finally had someone to speak with. His grandfather lived here in this area for 114 years, and told him many stories that had been passed down from generations. With his accent, he reminded me so much of my Peruvian friend William. He didn't just wait for us like the other taxi would have.
We went through the town of Maras to get to Moray. He pointed out the emblem in some of the ancient doorways. Ferninand told us that the Spaniards made everyone put a lamb as a symbol of Christ on their door. The people also put sun rays behind the lamb to represent their own sun gods. In this way they could worship and remember their own religion while appeasing the Spaniards.

The Sacrificial pit at Moray

 Las Salineras is a unique area of ponds that the pre Incan people figured out how to cultivate salt from a little warm and salty stream. I tasted the water and it is very salty, but not like sea salt. We went down more steps and quite a ways into the salt ponds on 4-6 inch walking paths between the ponds. I was feeling pretty shaky in my legs so I let Mark go on a little farther with Ferdinand. Tons of photos later, we climbed back to the top. We watched people work their ponds. They are handed down from generation to generation. In the dry season each pond produces about 130 lbs every 3-4 days. It is famous for " pink" salt, which is the middle layer and has more minerals.

 Then we caught our breath, refilled our water and caught a collectivo to Ollataytambo. We sat down for lunch and marveled at the ruins in the mountains around us....knowing there was no way I could hike up there. But just as we decided that it was a no-go, we walked to the other side of town, and there was MORE ruins, with lower levels of terraces, building, and irrigation systems.

Water flows through Ollataytambo in several places. The ruins were really cool, but I made sure not to completely exhaust my legs.  As we were leaving, dozens of tourist buses were coming into town with hundreds of tourists. This is the town where people take the train to Machu Picchu, so it is very different than Urubamba, with trendy coffee shops, dozens of pizzerias, and lots of artisan shops. I am happy we stayed in Urubamba. Oh- the cost to go the 30 miles on a collectivo - $1 each way for both of us!! That made up for paying more for the taxi/tour guide.