Plantains at Pisac

One of my favorite days in Peru was our class trip to Pisac. After an exciting time at the market (where our class saw the before and after version of cuy) and an unexpected exploration of the local town (Sarah and I got a bit lost outside of the market and ended up watching street vendors chop meat on the sidewalk), our class ascended a giant mountain to visit some ancient Incan ruins. It was clear that the Incans had no fear of heights, as the paths we traversed overlooked massive drops that had awe-inspiring views expanding for miles. At one point, several of us went to explore an optional trail that wound up a small hill to a scenic overlook. Upon reaching the top, I looked out over the beautiful mountains and felt both so impossibly small and infinitely inspired that I wished a camera could capture the moment. Unfortunately, the iphone is simply unable to grasp the breadth of that experience. With the ruins in the background reminding me of the beauty the Inca people were surrounded by, our group of explorers made our way back down the path to meet the rest of the class. By the time we rejoined the group, gasping for air, we gladly welcomed a snack of plantain chips and guzzled back our non-tap, safe to drink water.