"The Urubamba must have been the Garden of Eden, of which so much is spoken in the Bible.
—Antonio de Leon Pinedo
Our discoveries made an adventurous turn as Jason and I and our small group made our way to the banks of the Urubamba River to embark two inflatable rafts. Jose, our guide gave us a quick lesson in paddling. It was a perfectly enjoyable way to experience the enchanting Andean landscape. The Incas regarded the Urubamba sacred ground. It was here that their culture was born, and they found a true life source. The areas mild climate and fertile soil yielded an abundance of fruits and vegetables. As we floated along the river he had us go over some not so mild rapid, and since Jason and I were up front, we bore the brunt of the water splashing all over our paints.
As we continued to float along the river Jose pointed out the networks of terraces on either side, that amazingly was constructed entirely by hand, which transformed steep mountainsides into acres of arable land that helped feed a civilization, and remains in use to this day, centuries after their construction.
Following our excursion, we had some tea in front of a local bar and market that had some charming Peruvian novelties, carvings, himsical statures, dolls, and a charming and elegant talking parrot.
