Moray and Salineras

The first picture is of Zak standing next to the largest depression at Moray. A series of concentric circular terraces drop away on the otherside of the horseshoe-shaped area next to where he stands.

The second picture is of salt evaporating ponds near the Moray ampitheaters. A saline-laden warm spring is diverted into the ponds, the water is allowed to evaporate and then the salt is extracted by hand. The Incas harvested salt here the same way over 500 years ago and used the valuable commodity to trade with other groups. We had our taxi drop us off here and we walked down the ravine to the Urubumba River Valley where we met up with the cab. The walk was great both because it was fun to get off the beaten path but also because of the incredible diversity of ecosystems we were able to see. The ravine resembled one of the red-walled canyons of the desert southwest, complete with a cotillion of cactuses while just on the other side of the valley we were treated to views of towering peaks with massive glaciers. The Andes in the tropics are truly a fascinating place.