To Lima, via the Inca sites

From Nasca we took a bus to Arequipa, the second largest city in Peru. Just at the right altitude, it has a near perfect climate of sunny weather every day. It is surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes. Snow-white volcanic rock was used to construct many of the colonial era buildings.

Next we flew to Cusco and immediately took a taxi to Ollantaytambo, an Inca town still in use. Indeed most of the town was built by the Incas. You can hike up the surrounding hills for excellent views and to see the ruins of several Inca store houses. These ruins on the hills are free to enter and don't attract many tourists. Most tourists come (briefly) to look at the easier access Temple and agricultural terrace structures on Cerro Bandolista which also overlooks the town.

Of course, the big daddy of Inca sites is Maccu Pichu, and the is where we headed next. We went by train  to the nearby town of Aguas Calientes. From there you can take buses to the ruins. We took the first of the day at 5:30. Going early means you beat the hoards, but in our case it was rainy and foggy when we arrived, negating that advantage.

I went up Huayna Picchu, the mountain that overlooks Maccu Pichu. It only takes about 90 minutes, but it is a tough hike. The reward is magnificent views over the Inca city.

Back in our hotel in Aguas Calientes, we found several Dawson Flies. This one on a lamp was about  4 or 5 inches long.

There are lots of other Inca sites in the region. These are the circular terraces at Moray. Such terraces were commonly used by the Incas to cultivate crops on otherwise hilly and mountainous terrain. It is hypothesized that the site at Moray was an agricultural laboratory, were the Incas tested which crops grow best in various conditions. 

The Incas also harvested salt. Spring water with a high salt content was used to fill  hundreds of pools which are then left for the water to evaporate. These in Salinas are still in use today.

Finally, we have returned to the capital city. Lima is hot and humid and crowded and polluted.  There is a  permanent smog that hides the sun during the day and produces a curiously pink sunset. But I like it. Tomorrow I return to Quito for what will be my last day as a Brit in Ecuador.