Lines in the sand

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I left Lima as quickly as possibly to hit the well-trodden gringo trail to Cuzco (Lima-Nazca-Arequipa-Puno-Cusco). I have about two and a half weeks before I start the Inca Trail in Cusco and the route allows me to naturally acclimatise to the altitude since each place is at a higher altitude than the last.

Lonely Planet says the buses in Peru are pretty dangerous, so I took no chances and went with Cruz del Sur, probably the best company and the most expensive (I say expensive, but a 7 hour coach journey cost less than $35). And it was luxurious!!! The seats almost inclined back fully, lots of room, breakfast (simple, but still, they served me food!) and back to back movies (all fairly new and in either Spanish or English subtitles, which is a great way to learn Spanish). It was basically a first class airplane service but on a bus.

Anyway, enough about the coach journey, I came to Nazca to see the Nazca lines. The best advice I can offer to anyone about to fly over the lines is DO NOT EAT anything beforehand. I´m not the worst when it comes to motion sickness, but anyone sitting in a small plane, which frequently banks 45 around the each figure, will have their stomach tested. The motion-sickness is worsened because you have to concentrate quite hard to see the lines. There are various random lines in the desert, which camouflages the figures, but they are definitely there. The flight was worth it, to see firsthand something that has obviously been meticulous constructed on a sizable scale in the desert, which is even more impressive when you consider that they could be up to two thousand years ago and the reasons for their construction are still an open question. Still, I was pretty glad get back to solid ground!

To fill the time until my bus to Arequipa, I went on a tour of the Chauchilla cemetery, where there are mummified remains on display but not much since it has been looted by grave robbers. Cerro Blanco, the highest sand dune in the world, is nearby and we saw it on the way to Chauchilla. It basically looks like a mountain and is quite impressive, but for me it can´t beat the red sands of Dune 45 in Namibia.

Nazca itself is a very small town and probably would have stayed in oblivion had it not been for the lines. I quite like it though, because it didn´t feel so touristy (it´s the low season here in Peru, so there aren´t that many gringos about) and it has a rustic charm about it, with the bustling local crowds and the numerous vendors lining the streets. I took a chance and ate at a small local restaurant on the first night. I was pretty no one spoke English there and they were expecting many gringos to go there. The food was awful, but what can you expect for only 5 soles ($1.50)? Plus I got to practise some more Spanish.

If you looking to stay somewhere in Nazca, I can recommend the Walk on Inn. The owner was very friendly (just like everyone in Peru I´ve met so far) and their tours are quite good and fairly priced. Things might be different in the high season, but if you´re coming around this time of the year don´t bother booking things in advance, it´ll be much cheaper and easier to book when you get here.

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Photos

The Condor
Can you see it?

The Spider
It is there!

The Humming Bird
This is should be pretty clear.