Lima

We took a quick tour of Lima before heading home...Lima has 8 million people and driving rules that we could not decifer.  It seemed that making left turns across three lanes of traffic from the right shoulder was a reasonable thing to do.

View from Love Park

View from our hotel room.

Last view of the Sacred Valley

This is our last view of the Sacred Valley before leaving Cuzco for Lima

Moray Salt Mines

The town of Moray owns a Salt Mine.  Salty water is routed to various tubs for mining.  Each family that has a salt pool makes between $100 and $200 dollars a year from their salt pool.  They also get salt for the family and their animals.

Moray

Moray is the name of the Incan agricultural laboratory that was likely used to cultivate resistant and hearty vareities of plants high in the Andes.

Look at the symmetry of the Inca stairs

 

Another area in Moray with the Glaciers in the background.

Alan was a great Guide!

Making Mummy's

Alan is guiding me to the mummy cave.

Entrance to the mummy cave.

This is the alter where mummy's were made and llama's were sacrificed.

Sacsayhuamán

The ruin outside Cuzco is pronounced "Sock-say-wah-mun".  Our guide Alan said to make it easy for visitors, the locals sometimes call it Sexy Woman.  The size of the rocks is amazing given that no heavy equipment was used in the placement of the rocks.

 Alan said theis a great example of the Inca's precise measurement and precise stonework.  There is no trial and error with this size of stones.  You get one chance to do it right.

The snake below was filled with gold before the Spaniards looted the area.

I highlighted the outline of the llama.

Cuzco, Peru

The view from our balcony in Cuzco

Cuzco's main square and cathedral.

Many homes were adorned with a clay statue of two bulls and a cross.  The bull represents happiness, wealth and fertility, while the cross keeps the bad spirits away.

Around Cuzco

Even in the 3rd largest city in Peru, folks tied their animals to rocks to graze on whatever grass available.

Cuzco

Inkaterra Resort in Aguas Calientes

Views from our resort in Aguas Calientes

 Tea Plantation at the resort.  The resort grew their own black tea and green tea.

 View of the town from our resort

Victoria Glacier - through the train window

Road to Machu Picchu

Before you get on the bus to Machu Picchu you should address your fears.  If you are really afraid of heights, DO NOT sit on the right side of the bus going up.  When you look out the window, you see nothing but air.  If you are afread of head-on collisions, don't sit on the left side of the bus because around every corner, there could be another bus coming straight at you.  Fortunately, the uphill bus has the right of way and the down hill bus has to back up.  That is truly comforting....until you are on the downhill bus!

Terraces at Machu Picchu

More views of Machu Picchu

Agricultural Terraces

Architectural Terraces

More photos of the Agricultural Terraces

Machu Picchu

Train Ride to Machu Picchu

 

Views from the train...pardon the glare.

Veronica Glacier

 In Peru, you don't have to worry about anyone stealing your livestock.  This cow was tied to a rock for grazing.  In addition to cows tied to rocks, we saw pigs, llamas, alpacas, and donkeys tied to rocks, sticks, and stakes.

Train leaving Aguas Calientes for Ollytantambo

View of train leaving Aguas Calientes