Manuel took us to the Sacred Valley. First stop Chinchero to visit a local craft market, where a community of traditional Quechua women produce clothing and craft. its all handmade and traditional, unlike the mass produced, machine made things you find everywhere else. It was fascinating to see that all the coloured dyes come from natural materials such as blue corn, moss, leaves and herbs. They produce reds and tones of red from a parasite found on a cactus. Jessica, one of the girls told us it was also used as lipstick, saying it was "kiss proof" ;) To make oranges and yellows they just add lemon. Next stop Moray, a circular Inca site believed to be a lab for agriculture due to seed remains found there. As you look down you also look up and around at the huge mountain range of the Andeas, snow covered mountain tops with huge glaciers...photos just don't do it justice. Then onto Ollantaytambo, where we'd catch the bus to the MP trail head. There's a big Inca ruin here with massive terraces and steps with a sun temple at the very top. Line of the day: after Manuel told Mike that the Spanish smashed most of the sun temple and threw the rocks down the hill, Mike said "Why? Just to be dicks!?" Hehehehee
