12 September 2013 / leggypeggy

Another day at the salt mines

Maras, Moray, Oasis Overland, overland travel, Pachamama, Peru, Sacred Valley, salt, salt flats, South America, travel

Two workers at Salineras

I love salt. I know I shouldn’t because I have marginally high blood pressure, but I love salt anyway. Always have.

So it was a great bonus to visit Salineras de Maras—the salt evaporations ponds of Peru. This was our last stop on our first day of touring the country’s Sacred Valley, and came after visits to Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Moray.

Herbert explains the salt-making process

Our guide, Herbert, explained that the Salineras runs as a cooperative. People from the nearby town of Maras share the effort of looking after operations. Families do three-month stints maintaining the overall health of the ponds (gosh I really want to call them salts mines, which seems to roll off the tongue, but they are above ground and do not constitute drudgery jobs).

Workers come six days a week (Sundays off) and have fairly normal working hours. During their stint at the mines…er ponds…they can take a reasonable share of the salt. But ‘management’ keeps an eye on everyone and those who don’t pull their weight have to accept a smaller share than others.

There were plenty of tourists when we arrived, but it was late in the day, so only two workers were still on duty and they may have just been having a chat. Thanks to my telephoto lens, I could get a pic of them.

The spring that feeds it all

The ponds have been in operation for centuries—since long before the Inca arrived—and are fed by a spring that bubbles out of the mountain that sits under them.

Most ponds are less than four meters square in area and 30 centimetres in depth. A pond’s colour—which varies from white to red to brown—depends on the skill of the person looking after it.

I saw a comment somewhere—that I can’t find again—that said there are almost 1000 ponds. Some are unused, and it seems that a person can petition to farm/re-establish one of these ponds and keep all the salt.

I won’t be applying for a position any time soon. I can’t imagine myself scampering up and down those narrow pond boundaries, but I can picture myself on my face in the wet. Besides, I need to cut down on my salt consumption—and keep remembering to take my blood pressure tablets. 🙂

P.S. I meant to make the pictures into a mosaic gallery, but forgot to click the right button. Feeling silly. But you can click on any photo for the bigger images. They are interesting pics, so feel free.