Machu Picchu trek: day one.

We began the journey with a stop at Chinchera, home to a local indigenous co-op of women weavers. We were treated to a demonstration of how they make the wool, from washing it to spinning to the actual weaving process.

wool is dyed using natural products...

... like purple corn, which is also used to make chicha morada

dying the wool

Afterward we each received a bracelet woven by young girls practicing weaving. For novice weavers the bracelets were beautiful, and they were supposed to represent luck for our journey. Viki had read that taking it off was bad luck and that you were supposed to wait until it fell off. It's too pretty to take off anyway so I'm sold on that concept.

wonder twin powers, activate! form of: tourists

Here we also toured the small village's local cathedral which featured beautiful murals covering the ceilings, and lots of paintings of people actually smiling - quite a difference from the Cusco Cathedral O'Pain and Suffering!

the outside of the church looks like it's in pain, but the inside was lovely

On the way back to the bus we walked through small streets where buildings were built using original Incan stones. Locals were selling their artisan works on the streets and I heard a señor exclaim, "que calor!" It was about 75F. Clearly, he has not been to Manta.

Montana's got nothing on Peru

a sidewalk window with a view

Our next stop was Maras for the salt pans. When the Andes were formed in an ancient giant earthshake, a very salty river was formed from the sea where the mountains were created.

un kilogramo, por favor

The salt collects here in these "pans" and is mostly collected for use in cooking (and for salt licks for the animals). It's very tasty salt and a beautiful place as well - almost resembling snow in some areas which is ironic because although we are at 11,000 feet this is the "tropics" so there is no snow on the mountains. From here we walked a few hundred meters and entered the Sacred Valley:

appropriately named

After lunch and a few frog-toss games at the Ollataytambo lodge, our final stop for the day was a tour of the ancient ruins.

Viki trying her hand at the frog-toss game

Immense and impressive doesn't begin to describe the ruins here. Again, the focuses (foci?) were sun and water.

gringos in Inca territory

standing at the center of this fountain, you heard one fountain in your left ear and the other in your right ear... chevere

our tourmates near the sun gate, giving perspective of the massive boulders

a storehouse built into the mountain

you were just a face in the mountain

On the way back we walked briefly through the town and another craft market...

... and then to the lodge for "Jen's Peruvian S'mores": a piece of banana, a piece of chocolate and a piece of granola. Lather, rinse, repeat until all are gone.

dinner of champions!

Quote of the day: "I want to live at 11,000 feet where it doesn't snow..." - Viki

Aside: I haven't adjusted well to the street vendors. They constantly get in your face and don't take one, two or three "no, gracias"s for an answer. But that's what happens in a tourist town, I guess...