Peru. Sacred Valley of the Incas

 On the second day of our stay in Peru, we took a one-day tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, which is the most convenient way to see the Incan sites scattered across different locations within the 60-kilometer valley. We visited the colorful village of Chinchero, the salt ponds of Maras, the Incan agricultural "research station" Moray, as well as the ancient town of Ollantaytambo and the settlement of Pisac...

  The tour began with a visit to a textile shop where colorful Peruvian women explained the process of making items from alpaca wool...

   Next, we headed to the village of Chinchero, home to a vibrant market selling handicrafts. ... 

 Here, you can also see classic Incan terraces, which they used for growing various crops...

 Many well-preserved Incan buildings can also be seen here, which were used for storing harvested crops and for various rituals...

  Next, we went to Maras, a valley with thousands of salt ponds created by locals to extract salt by drying salty water taken from a nearby salt spring... 

  This place is very photogenic...

  We then moved on to Moray, located on a high plateau at an altitude of 3500 meters. Here lie Incan ruins, mostly consisting of several terraced circular depressions, the largest of which is about 30 meters deep. Like many other Incan sites, there is also an irrigation system here. The depth, construction, and orientation relative to the wind and sun create a temperature difference of up to 5°C between the top and bottom terraces...

  It is believed that this place was used by the Incas for agricultural research, and soil samples have shown that the soil was brought from different regions to cultivate crops at different terrace levels. The significant temperature difference on the terraces created a microclimate similar to that achieved in modern greenhouses...

  The site looks like a quarry from the outside. After digging out the depression, the Incas reinforced the walls to prevent landslides and began growing various grain crops on different terrace levels. Looking closely at the "circles," you can see the stairs connecting the terraces and the channels through which water flowed from a nearby source. Additionally, the lowest circle never floods, even during heavy rains, due to an excellent drainage system...

  Next, we went to the old town of Ollantaytambo. During the Inca Empire, it was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti, who conquered the region and built the town and ceremonial center. During the Spanish conquest of Peru, it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, the leader of the Incan resistance. Here, we climbed the main terraces and walked among the ancient buildings... 

  From the upper terraces, there is a beautiful view of the valley and the town nestled among the mountains...  

  The terraces themselves look particularly impressive...

  On the opposite mountain, you can see another Incan building used for storing food, as the place was much cooler...  

   

  The Temple of the Sun, located facing the rising sun, had a golden disk that illuminated the surrounding buildings at dawn...  

  The ruins below...

  The town itself is also very beautiful...

  After lunch, we went to another former Incan settlement, Pisac, which is now an archaeological park... 

  Here, there are many terraces along which we had plenty of time to walk around... 

 This concluded our tour of the "Sacred Valley of the Incas." After visiting Pisac, we headed back to Cusco. During this one-day trip, we learned from our guide about the life of the Incas and the basic principles of growing food on mountain terraces. This tour was very good to take before the trip to the most popular Incan settlement, Machu Picchu, which was built using the same principles...