What a great day and many thanks to LCTs Freddie for his suggestion to go to Seminaria ceramica. What an interesting place .,we met Senor Seminaria and he told us he has pieces in the Fields Museum in Chicago as well as the Smithsonian. I bought 2 vases and a fruit bowl, remains to be seen how the heck I am going to get that home but it all works out eventually, doesn't it?

We went to the salt ponds which was pretty interesting and the Incan concentric circles which were fascinating. My knowledge about the Incan culture is pretty pitiful. Our guide (also named Freddie) offered a blessing to Mother Earth and played his flute and it was all pretty special.

But the highlight was a stop along the road on the way back to the hotel. There was a family working their field. They wore traditional garb and had obviously been working all day. There were 3-4 small children and a baby and 3-4 adults. Donkeys and oxen. Our Freddie spoke to them in their language and they welcomed us warmly to come take pictures which we all did. We gave the kids coins and cookies and offered cash tips to the adults who were so happy to accept. Freddie thanked us for doing that and said it was likely the happiest they had ever been. My husband jerry said he turned back to wave as we were leaving and saw the matriarch literally jumping with joy.

At dinner tonight some had an appetizer of "crispy Guinea pig legs". These were the most pathetically tiny little legs .......

Tomorrow we take the train to Macchu Pichu . Ngaire's weather mojo continues to hold!
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Helen