Now I am in the Andes a great mountain ridge that runs through the east side of South America. The land and natives to it are quite interesting like the fact that Incan tribes used to live here. I also found out that the climate in the Andes varies greatly depending on location, altitude, and proximity to the sea. The southern section is rainy and cool, the central Andes are dry. The northern Andes are typically rainy and warm. I am in the north part of them. The Andes range has many active volcanoes, including Cotopaxi, one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. What was particularly interesting was the fact that ancient peoples of the Andes such as the Incas have practiced irrigation techniques for over 6,000 years. And Because of the mountain slopes, terracing has been a common practice. Terracing, however, was only extensively employed after Incan imperial expansions to fuel their expanding realm.