As I was starting to get enough of the Inca ruins after about a week in Peru, there came the intriguing Las Salinas de Maras (Salt Mines of Maras) on the way to Sacred Valley located in Urubamba, Cusco . These salt mines are believed to be in operation since Inca times. I was told there has been little change made to accommodate tourism making Maras one of the less visited Inca sites…exactly the reason why I picked this place to visit. As we were climbing down a bumpy dirt road steeply descending to the mines, I couldn’t help but feeling a sense of having unearthed a little Inca secret as Sir Bingham did when he discovered Machu Picchu :-)

The Maras Salt Mines

The salt is extracted from a hot salt-water mountain spring, which is directed to flow into terraced ponds built on the sides of the mountains by the salt miners.  The surrounding air evaporates the water helped by the sun and wind leaving behind salt crystals on the wall and surface of the ponds that are later collected by the miners. The salt eventually makes its way to salt shakers in all the around the world from way out here in this Peruvian valley...well, pretty damn good concept! I tasted the water…it was warm and salty and somehow I thought it was incredibly delicious! (Do not try this unless you’re properly vaccinated!)

Las Salinas de Maras

As I was taking pictures of the salt ponds, I thought about my visit to Vietnam in 2010. I should have visited the salt mines there. I don’t think the mining process would be that much different whether the salt source is from the mountain or the sea.  Too bad there wasn’t a single salt miner around for me to take pictures of. It was Wed around 9-10am. Could be too early? These Peruvians do know how to enjoy/live their lives!

Sometimes seeing from a new perspective makes things all more clear. We are so used to seeing salt shaker on our dining tables that we less often think how important its role has played in our lives. Our human body cannot function without salt. Too much or too little consumed could be critical to sustaining lives. Will we ever run out of salt? Probably not. Does that give us reasons to rest our appreciations for the simplest, most abundant substances on earth...or better yet, in our life?