In the Sacred Valley

High above the town of Ollantay Tambo, a marker on the Incan trail marks one of many routes through the Andes Mountains. 

Along the Sacred Valley are Incan terraced gardens, skillfully built into the mountain side.

Complete with an aqueduct watering system, these east-facing gardens were used to experiment with crops to determine which ones grow best under what conditions. Crops were then planted accorded to anticipated weather conditions.

The Incan people developed simple but very effective ways to predict weather and measure the year. When the sun was at the notch in the mountain on the left, this was noted as the summer solstice, the spot between two mountains on the right (near the edge of the cloud) was the winter solstice and when the sun was the top of the mountain it was the spring and fall equinox. 

The building on the right bottom of this image is one of several seed and grain storage facilities.

The Temple of the Sun was a place to pay homage to the sun. It was noted that sun always crosses over this spot on the mountain.

Peter is standing beside the throne of the Incan King.

The Sacred Valley gained its name in the 70's when hippies discovered the natural growth of coca leaves. Those relishing the high, referred to this area as sacred!