Monday, November 7, 2011

I am high on the mountain above this Inca camp.



This is one of the those Inca camps that the tourists miss. (no souvier store of cafe!) It is really cool because no one really knows what went on here, just that it is on the Inca Trail from Cusco to Quito.


this looks "ceremonial" to me, not just a patio for farming.






Here are the bleechers! or terraces for planting.








Headquarters building. Note the small shelves, not windows, in the walls. The individual inca couldn't have had much stuff. The same limited space is common in the Mayan ruins earlier published by me.






Peru Market Day

This is the way to Peru. These are banana trees along the way.


Soldiers are checking for "something." We just drove through this checkpoint.







"Protcting your family, your life, and your country" In 1940 or so, Peru invaded and took most of the eastern half for themselves.
























The bridge to the Peruvian market. The custom controll is several miles inside the country, which is common on the Columbian side as well.


















































































Llamas for hire.

Lacking a rickshaw or horse-drawn carraige, we decided to use (ride) llamas! Only $3.00. (The llamas prefer small children.)

This is the mother of all Church Festivals. Just as the US decided to put all of its "memorial days" into Mondays so folks then get three day weekends, Ecuador decided to put all of the miracle observances into the same week so folks get a five day weekend and then call it "Santo Semana" or Holy Week. Be sure to go to the end of this post and see the best gargols in the world!


































































































Live long in Vilcamba

Besides that village in Japan, Vilcamba is one of those places in the world where folk live long. Or maybe in this little place high in the andes it just seems so! Acold beer always seems to extend the pleasure if not the life.
To test the claim, there is a large group of gringos trying the experience on. They even have their own bar! It's only my opinion but I think that some exercise is need to gain the additional years. But that is only me.

Naturally, I always do a complete investigation of "scientific" claims.