10 years earlier I visited Machu Picchu by riding the hair-raising mountain roads, crossing a few streams, storing the bike at a hydroelectric plant, and then walking 11 km along the train tracks. While the site is amazing, there was no need or pressing desire for a repeat visit. A key concept of the current trip was visiting places I had missed in 2012-2013. 

Moray is a fascinating archeological site in the Sacred Valley of the Incas or the Urubamba Valley, that I hadn’t seen and a key reason to spend time in the Cusco area. The site is 50 km from Cusco; only a couple of hours riding through the mountains.

The site contains Inca ruins, mostly consisting of several terraced circular depressions, the largest of which is approximately 30 m (98 ft) deep. As with many other Inca sites, it also has an irrigation system.
The purpose of these depressions is uncertain, but their depth, design, and orientation with respect to wind and sun creates a temperature difference of as much as 5 °C (9 °F) between the top and the bottom.
Wikipedia

Time for a confession, I am wanna be foodie. Peru is arguably the best country in South America for fine dining, which only enables my addiction. I’m not a snob, street food has satisfied my cravings and gastronomic adventure many times. 10 years back two Mexican chefs I met on the Bolivia side of Lake Titicaca recommended restaurants in Lima suitable for my birthday. Following their advice I had the best meal of my life at Central Restaurante. In 2023 Cenrral was ranked the #1 restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine’s The Worlds 50 Best list. There was no chance of getting a reservation, for love or money, not for many months. The chefs/owners Virgilio Martínez and Pia León have properties in Tokyo, London…and on hill right above Moray they opened MIL - Food Lab and Interpretation Center. Lady Luck smiled on me and a lunch reservation was available.

My one concern wasn’t being too full from the eight-course tasting menu, it was the wine pairing. After the dining experience, I would need to ride a few hours back to Cusco. Spending the night in Maras was an option that wasn’t necessary after an end-of-meal pour of gourmet coffee. MIL is located steps from Moray. After dining it was a short walk to the edge of the site. Next, I managed to find my way to the Maras Salt Mines with some effort; I swear the roads are poorly marked to discourage do-it-yourself tourism. 

By sunset, I pulled into Cusco without incident. That evening Glen Short and a crowd of ex-pats were meeting up for trivia night at a bar. Good fun was had by all.