Peru -- Primarily Machu Picchu (Dec 2010)

Taken from the train. I was interested in these building (and walls) made of mud bricks. The ceramic tile "roof" over the wall is to prevent rainfall directly onto the top of the wall, which causes it to "dissolve". Occasionally, we would pass a wall with a piece of tile missing. There was usually rain damage to the wall in those spots. However, it looked like the walls eventually had to be rebuilt even due to "dissovling" even in cases where the tile stayed intact.