Macchu Picchu

Mrs. Phred is in Peru today, hiking up to the ruins of Macchu Picchu. She probably left her wetsuit and underwater camera behind with her glitter sandals and she's got her regular camera, canteen. hiking boots, sunscreen and other paraphernalia appropriate for the day.....

I'm mopping the floors in the RV and doing laundry, recovering from another surgery on my temple and scalp. They took a 4x5 inch chunk from my temple and scalp back in November. I'd show you my pix, but I don't want to scare the kiddies. Going back for another round in January....

So all that got me thinking about the Mayan base 20 numbering system....why not use your fingers AND toes for counting?

So let A represent zero
The letters B through T represent 1 -19.....

Therefore R=17
and BA=20 (1x20^1 +0)
and BT=39  (1x20^1 + 19)
and CAA=400 (2x20^2 + 0x20^1 + 0)
and FAS=2018 (5x20^2 + 0X20^1 +18)

If you followed that, your IQ is higher than mine....it took me an hour to work out again...corrections welcome...

So Mrs. Phred will be back from Peru just in time for our 52nd anniversary on Christmas Eve....an unusual date perhaps, but the only thing the Rabbi had open. 52 is CL in my base 20 system and CAROL is a huge number...just the C is 6,400,000...2x20^5.

Has she changed much? She might have gotten easier to live with? Looks about the same....she says the climb to Machu Picchu is very steep and the air is thin....she's feeling dizzy from the altitude...the natives have given her leaves to chew to help her complete the climb...

So I think maybe the Mayans used the numbers above. The zero looks like an empty basket or bowl...cool....there are three types of people in the world....those that can count...and those that can't.