Can´t believe how fast the time has gone. I´m almost back where I started, just two flights away from the grand old USA.
Last few days have been pretty mellow, kicking it countryside style. Even saw a tarantula on the curtain of my bedroom window!. Ah well, he´s just doing his job of eating mosquitoes...
Best part of the past days was the taxi ride back to Cuzco, from where I took a flight to Lima. About halfway through the trip, we came on a little town in the middle of a truly gorgeous part of the Andes. Out of nowhere, there´s a giant parade. In the middle of the highway.
School kids carried their patron saint down the road, while others in traditional garb danced and sashayed down the highway. Maybe time does stand still in some places...We had to stop and watch, anyway, because there was no other road around the town...
Visited two more Inca sites yesterday. One, called Salineros, was a site where the Incas found a salty river and decided to built giant salt pans to dry and harvest the salt in the water. They then used it to trade for other goods...It´s really strange looking, thousands of giant white salt pans carved into the side of the mountain.
Later, we visited a site that scientists think was sort of a crop lab where the Incas grew different veggies at different altitudes to see what grew best where. Amazing.
Another fun thing yesterday was my latest new word. It´s rompemuelle, and it literally means "axle braker," but it´s the word here for speed bumps. They aren´t kidding about wanting you to slow down, trust me....
So I'm set to jet back to the states later tonight. Have to go now and pay the $30 airport tax, something you have to do in every airport here. God knows where the money goes to, but sounds like a good investigative story for somebody.....
Thanks for reading and talk to you later.
Kate
