The Sacred Valley

With Tres Cruces off the list of possible destinations we have a couple of extra days in the Sacred Valley. We migrated from the Royal Inka Hotel to the San Agustin Hotel. Some of you will recognize this as the place we stayed last year and where Steve mastered the construction of a Pisco Sour.

So today I stopped at one of the red plastic flags to buy a bottle of Chicha, the traditional drink here in the SV. Into the dark adobe I went to see a little Indian woman stirring a big pot. In the shadows were a half dozen laughing men, each with their mug of chicha. When I asked for a bottle the place erupted in laughter. But that was okay because what I saw in the big pot was in no way entering my system. I already have enough digestive problems.

We went up to the salt mines and evaporation ponds. Again, those that were here last year will recall it was the combination of too much salt and inbreeding that cause the troglodytes at the bottom of the canyon to turn into a community of goons.

Jim and Rick went out to Moray to see the Inca agricultural experiment station. I headed back for yet another siesta.

Tomorrow we make our last attempt at riding into the high Andes and down into the jungle. We are told we will fail.