As soon as you land in Cusco, you start seeing signs of the Incas.  A must-see in this area is Moray, to get an amazing insight into how they might have farmed for their massive population.  The ruins at Moray consists of large circular depressions and terraced layers.  The temperature difference from top to bottom can vary by 27 degrees (F), which leads archeologists to believe that the Incas used the Moray site to study the effects of temperature change to crops. Whatever the site was used for, it is a truly amazing experience to walk through it. The Incan Civilization was so far ahead of it's time - if only we knew the secrets!

One of my favorite sites in Peru is Salineras, where local Peruvian families harvest salt to sell (below).  Salt has been harvested from the briny waters of the Salineras spring for thousands of years. There are thousands of salt pans nestled in a canyon, which are used to evaporate water to extract the salt. The salty water is directed to the ponds by an intricate network of channels. Once the pond is filled, the flow of water is cut and allowed to dry.  Salt precipitates in crystals, and when dry it can be harvested.  Side note – I love salt and I totally licked one of those rocks.

Up next - breathtaking Machu Picchu...