Incan Ingenuity

Today we got out of Cusco itself to visit the nearby examples of Inca ingenuity at Moray and Maras. The former is a supposed agricultural lab used to propagate seeds throughout the empire, but now defunct, whole the latter is a salt mine, still in current use. Both are remarkable specimens of land engineering.

Cusco countryside

From central Cusco, we took a colectivo bus towards the town of Maras, driving into the beautiful and magnificent landscapes of Peru's countryside. From there, we shared a taxi to the two sites with some girls from Argentina.

Moray - Inca lab

Moray is a series of concentric circles set in three natural depressions using stone walls to reinforce the geometry. From above it is a remarkable sight, but climbing down the stone steps, the temperature rises noticeably. The gradation in temperature apparently  allowed the Incas to grow plants that normally thrive at different altitudes.

Landscaping

The salineras de Maras (salt mines) are equally impressive when approached from the winding route descending into the valley. People from the village continue the work that the Incas started by cleverly harnessing the environment.

A whole lot of salt

A large number of 'baths' fashioned in the hillside are fed with streams of salty water from the mountain running between them. Once the sun has evaporate much of the water, men and women sieve out the salty crystals left behind. The approach to the salineras is lined with stalls selling salty products, including snacks, chocolate, bath salts, and of course cooking salt.

Working the salt

The nature of the colectivo is that it leaves when it is full. This means there is no schedule, reliable or otherwise. We waited at the side of the road for a return trip, but took the first vehicle heading towards Cusco. This turned out to be the local bus from Urubamba, which was less than half the price of the colectivo, but made many more stops and had standing room only for much of the journey.

Descending from the craggy snowcapped mountains back into Cusco, we stopped again at Green Point for a late lunch/early dinner. After not much deliberation, we selected the oxymoronic vegan grill for two to share, which turned out to be a blow-out meal.

Vegan is healthy, right?

The sizzling platter included vegan chorizo and pork, aubergine, courgette, tomatoes, potatoes, bananas, oyster mushrooms, and was served with rice, giant white corn and a potent garlic sauce. After the virtuous 'green juice' of pineapple, apple, and spinach, that we knocked back, this was probably the least healthy but most delicious item on the menu.