Peru is home to beautiful mountains painting the landscape with their red clay hues, the largest raising into the clouds dipping their summits in white. Their bases show terraformed shelves crafted by ancient farmers. br br Welcome to the Sacred Valley. A place that lives up to its name. It really is a treasure to experience. br br We ventured off the beaten path into a Quechua village near the blue lake of Puray. Upon arriving we were greeted by a few women with beautiful quechua songs. Their faces capturing the look of true Inca people. A few alpacas and llamas jeered as we passed, wanting nothing to do with us. br br Over the hours we spent with them, they demonstrated how they make yarn from sheep and alpaca, how they weave that yarn into tight, near waterproof blankets and scarves. How each dye used is based from a ground up beetle plus a mixture of plants from around the region. br br These women, most single parents, don’t have hospitals near so injuries and illnesses are cured with plants. They described how each plant reacts to one another, when and where to apply. It was awakening to see how disconnected we are to nature. They found it very funny. br br Around lunch the women presented us with a range of foods, ground grains, boiled quinoa, greens, and a specially prepared and stuffed cuy… aka roasted guinea pig. It was delicious. br br These women were an inspiration. Absolutely incredible. Carrying a baby and their tools, they are able to knit as they walk, gathering plants and food for home, while checking in with neighbors and going to the market. br br In Ollantaytambo we stayed the night and captured aerials of the local ruins before an early morning train ride to Machu Picchu. There is plenty to read about there, MP needs no explanation. See it, experience it, move on to the rest of Peru. br br We wrapped this area by visiting the Maras salt pans, a unique contrast of deep red and milky whites. They fill the pools with salinated spring water then dam up the spring until the water evaporates leaving pools of calcified salt, pink to white, to be harvested. br br The best way to experience the lands outside of Cusco is to just go. The Sacred Valley is worth going back to many times.