Nazca - 10th Jan 2018
All except Kristen were up for breakfast early(ish) as we had booked a flight over the Nazca lines. I'd had a rather bad stomach the previous night, so stuck to scrambled eggs, and Krystal had been up all night too - looking pretty miserable. But she was determined to take the flight and off we all went to the airstrip. It was very busy - flying over the Nazca lines in 4 or 6 passenger propeller planes is big business!
Dee and I were dispatched first, with a local family, and walked over to our plane and pilots. Each in our designated seats (to balance the plane) we chugged off to the end of the runway. A few minutes later we were airborne, rising up over the large dusty plain, surrounded by dry mountains. Within seconds the first of the lines and glyphs were below, the pilot pointing them out through our headphones: a whale and astronaut (!). What purpose theses lines served (and where the idea of an astronaut came from) is still a mystery. Thought to be some form of worship, they date between 900BC and 600AD and cover an area of over 500 km sq. We banked for photos, then did a sharp turn, banking to the opposite side to for more shots. Next came
the monkey, dog and hummingbird. It was very hot in the cabin as we again banked and turned. I pointed my camera out of the window and randomly took pictures. Without a proper zoom lens, and with the noise, heat and movement of the plane I had no idea whether I was taking photos of sand, or of Nazca images. The condor and spider came into view. More banking and turning. Queasy stuff.
It was around the heron when I knew I wasn't going to last and as the parrot came into view below, I grabbed the rather flimsy sick bag and promptly deposited my scrambled eggs in it. The tree, hands and lizard meant nothing as I puked 3 more times. Thank god that was it. I'm not sure the bag could have taken much more! We stopped banking and took a straight course back - imediately I felt better and well enough to pose for photos! Back on the ground, the others arrived, minus SJ.
She had felt awful after about 5 minutes and spent the entire 35 minute flight being sick. It took her quite a while to recover so the rest of us went back to the hotel. Dee and I headed for the pool and a quick dip, but by lunchtime I felt a bit queasy again. Hmmm. Maybe a cool room would have been more sensible than the hot sun..
After lunch we walked around Nazca and then off on 2 excursions. First up was Chauchilla Cemetery, in the middle of a sandy, wind-swept plain. No ordinary graveyard, this one houses the mummies of Ica Chincha people, who, once dead, were prepared by being placed in a foetal position, clothed, bound and placed in baskets, into shallow grave 'rooms' about 1.5m underground, along with their possessions. The tombs were plundered by grave robbers but the remaining mummies are intact, with clothing, hair, teeth and toenails. It is fascinating, but sad to see them so exposed to the elements and basically unprotected, other than low walls to shield them from the worst of the wind swept sand. Even in the 19 years that they have been on display, they have deteriorated. Funding for glass covers is constantly being promised but politicians are yet to deliver.
We followed the graveyard with a visit to a potter who makes Peruvian artifacts using the same materials and methods as the Nazca people did. Beautifully painted using colours from local minerals, they are varnished using the oil from the human skin - and a stone! Lovely to learn and of course, buy, some of the finished items.
After a short stop, we headed out for diner, and at 9.30pm lugged our bags over the road to the coach station. Our coach leaves at 10pm - destination Arequipa.
Dee and I were dispatched first, with a local family, and walked over to our plane and pilots. Each in our designated seats (to balance the plane) we chugged off to the end of the runway. A few minutes later we were airborne, rising up over the large dusty plain, surrounded by dry mountains. Within seconds the first of the lines and glyphs were below, the pilot pointing them out through our headphones: a whale and astronaut (!). What purpose theses lines served (and where the idea of an astronaut came from) is still a mystery. Thought to be some form of worship, they date between 900BC and 600AD and cover an area of over 500 km sq. We banked for photos, then did a sharp turn, banking to the opposite side to for more shots. Next came 
It was around the heron when I knew I wasn't going to last and as the parrot came into view below, I grabbed the rather flimsy sick bag and promptly deposited my scrambled eggs in it. The tree, hands and lizard meant nothing as I puked 3 more times. Thank god that was it. I'm not sure the bag could have taken much more! We stopped banking and took a straight course back - imediately I felt better and well enough to pose for photos! Back on the ground, the others arrived, minus SJ. She had felt awful after about 5 minutes and spent the entire 35 minute flight being sick. It took her quite a while to recover so the rest of us went back to the hotel. Dee and I headed for the pool and a quick dip, but by lunchtime I felt a bit queasy again. Hmmm. Maybe a cool room would have been more sensible than the hot sun..
After lunch we walked around Nazca and then off on 2 excursions. First up was Chauchilla Cemetery, in the middle of a sandy, wind-swept plain. No ordinary graveyard, this one houses the mummies of Ica Chincha people, who, once dead, were prepared by being placed in a foetal position, clothed, bound and placed in baskets, into shallow grave 'rooms' about 1.5m underground, along with their possessions. The tombs were plundered by grave robbers but the remaining mummies are intact, with clothing, hair, teeth and toenails. It is fascinating, but sad to see them so exposed to the elements and basically unprotected, other than low walls to shield them from the worst of the wind swept sand. Even in the 19 years that they have been on display, they have deteriorated. Funding for glass covers is constantly being promised but politicians are yet to deliver.
We followed the graveyard with a visit to a potter who makes Peruvian artifacts using the same materials and methods as the Nazca people did. Beautifully painted using colours from local minerals, they are varnished using the oil from the human skin - and a stone! Lovely to learn and of course, buy, some of the finished items.
After a short stop, we headed out for diner, and at 9.30pm lugged our bags over the road to the coach station. Our coach leaves at 10pm - destination Arequipa.
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