La Valle Sagrada- Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley includes everything parallel to the Urumamba river, close to the capital Cusco and below the sacred, ancient city Machu Picchu. The valley was appreciated, or sacred, for its geographical and climactic qualities. The Incas took advantage of its natural resources and found it be be the best place to grow maize.

This next picture is of terraced land near ruins in Pisac, one of the villages along the Urubamba river, part of the Sacred Valley. The hillside is lined with agricultural terraces constructed by the Inca and still in use today. The terraces enabled the locals to produce surplus food more than would normally be possible at altitudes as high as 11,000 feet. The ruins included religious temples as well. Besides the agricultural and religious aspects, the town also served a military purpose. It is thought that Písac defended the southern entrance to the Sacred Valley.



The word for corn here is choclo, not elote. And it is corn with the biggest kernels I have ever seen! Women sell it on the street. I even bought it once through a train window when we stopped at a small town on our way to Machu Picchu. They give it to you steaming hot with "fresh" cheese (I skip the cheese even though it kills me, who knows when the last time that shit was refrigerated!). You use the husk like a plate/napkin. I'm not sure if this picture does the corn justice but it's worth a shot: