Moray and Salinas Salt Terraces

Today’s tour took us through chinchero again to see another weaving demonstration. After this we headed for the amazing archeological site of moray. This site showed the amazing intellectual endeavor for creating a way to maintain crops from the countries many microclimates all in one place. The terraces were built in a specific formation to allow temperatures and humidity levels to mock the climates that specific crops grew best in, circling all the way to the center point, the most hot and humid climate of them all. In the center, there was a hole that people would come and give offerings. The shape of the entire place was of a uterus, and had 14 levels. The history of the incas has proven to be fascinating with the amount of mathematical creations that to me, likens them to The magic creations of the Egyptians.

After walking thought the terraces of Moray, we headed to the salt mines. After driving to the middle of nowhere, we turned a hillside and off the cliff, in the most dramatic of landscapes was the salt terraces that created a canyon, brightly white colored with browns and rust colors forming beautiful salt pools throughout. Surrounded by beautiful landscape and mountains, it was the most unusual sights I’d ever seen.

When we arrived, we saw the natural spring that was feeding these pools that flowed throughthe terraces. We touched the water and tasted it and it was like ocean water but sweeter. It felt good, but when our hands dried, they were covered in salt. They run the water and fill the terraces and color them to make various types of salt. The water evaporates and simply leaves salt behind. Talk about an easy industry! Walking through the terraces, the colors were amazing. The vastness of these terraces was truly awe inspiring and so interesting to see how the minerals were simply being pumped from the earth.

After the tour, we came back to our hostel and headed to a great dinner.

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