Nazca

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Flying over the lines was fantastic although a little short as only got about 5 secs to look at each shape. Its difficult to make out how big there were from the sky and impossible to make out the shapes from the ground.
We flew over the lines in a tiny 5 seater areoplane ( pete says its a cesna) the whole journey lasted about half an hour. I was happy as larry as the plane dived and dipped from left to right, so into it that it took me half the journey before looking at Pete to see if he was ok to realise that he wasnt. Sweat was dripping off him as he clung to a sick bag!

On the ground there wasnt that much info available to tourists unless your prepared to pay big dollars to be taken into the desert and generally be given the alien speil- which seems to be the ' official'? tale.

So we were really quite pleased when we saw a sign for Museum Maria Reiche ( lady who introduced the lines to the world) in nazca Town. Not much in Nazca Town itself - lots of dusty shops selling postcards or chicken and chips.

So we followed the sign to the back of the Ormeno bus station were we found lots of half built houses and a few gated and barbed wired compounds, one of which we tenatively knocked on as seemed to be the right address.

A slightly surprised Viktoria appeared as we were walking away and invited us in for a matte de coca amomgst the family of 7 turkeys ( 5 chics) and a cat.

Viktoria had been a friend and disciple to maria Reiche in the later stages of her life. She had found herself drawn to the lines and had given up a post at lima university as a professor in lingusitics ( some ten/ twenty / thirty years ago?) to continue and share with the world the work that Maria had dedicated an almost solitary life to.

We had wanted an insight into the lines and after two days spent were immesred in a tale of conspriacy,corruption, the cosmos and geo morphology.

There is a Maria Reiche foundation that has been set up and managed by Maria Reiche´s ädopted peruvian daughter. Maria had lived alone and it is uncertain that she had guardianship or care for this daughter. Having dedicated her life to geology, astronomy and mathematics she had excelled in her work but found no equation that could enable her to feel comfortble in social spheres. Thriving instead on the curiosities of the lines and living for weeks with no human contact.

The foundation for Maria Reiche draws down international funding for the protection and conservation for the lines. Though officially designated roads are marked more and more lines are appearing. These are created by off road tours and cut across these immense forms. The money that is drawn down through the entrance fees seems to pay little for the protection of the site but more on administration of local officials and mafia members.

One theory of the Nazca phenomenon is that the lines and shapes carved onto the landscape are that of a communication with the gods or perhaps some other extra terrestrial communications. An alternative theory has relied on field study and as science advances; Gps readings and satellite maps can now propose that the lines meaning is much more earth bound.

The alternative proposes that the lines depict a large astronomical chart , the condor and the hummingbird aligning to the winter and summer solstices and the monkey representing the celestial bear which appears in line with this astonomical feature when it appears in the southern hemisphere.

The large trapezoid shapes act as indicators to fault lines and under ground water sources. She had an awesome scale model in he museum and gave us a tour of the local aquifer systems.

We learnt all this in return for a hard days work erecting a sign for the new centre. Viktoria is definately a woman on a mission and a woman to be admired for her dedication to her beliefs, her staying in the desert. If anyone is ever in the area with a day, week, month to spare she would welcome helping hands and offer a floor, and a fascinating insight into the lines and the surrounding area.

Bessos y abzazos to everyone back home
Carolina y Pedro x

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Photos

Owl man
squint your eyes, tilt your head to the right- got it?

pete on the plane
Blurrrrr

Nazca lines
trapezoid

Comments

[janie sunbeam]

what fun ya guys are having
hello there. Finlayy mastered this travel blog thing. Its so wonderful to get these updates from you guys. So sorry I didn't get to speak to you before I went - I'd said to Andy the night before,oh caz is going away soon, must get in touch. Keep on having fun matey xxx

[Guy]

Mad dogs and englishmen!
Hello u2! Caz great to speak to you and have cam to cam conversation with you the past couple of times on MSN. Dunno what I'd do without tinternet these days. Pete, hope ya feeling better and not eating too much dodgey food! Sounds like its not agreeing with you! Probably speak to you both soon after your treck to machu pechu. Safe journey! G xxxx

[Laura Heath]

Hiys Guys! looks like you are having loads of fun! definetely fancied the nazca lines. Will you be going over to Trujillo? That was somewhere i fancied staying for a bit. I will be heading to Argentina beginning of Oct and then overland to Brazil if you are in the area!! Loving seeing the photos and updates. Have fun Laura x