Lineas de Nazca

We drove another 2.5 hours or so from Reserva Nacional de Paracas this afternoon, and the terrain changed SO much. It was very obvious that we're in the middle of the desert - the air became very dry, roads incredibly dusty, the sun unrelentingly hot and the vegetation sparse.

 

Nazca, which is also spelled as Nasca, with more than 70 plant and animal geoglyph figures etched so perfectly into the San José desert, was discovered in the 1920s. These geoglyphs are so big that many believe it to be done by aliens. The PanAmerican Highway cuts through the desert here, and no one knew that the Nazca Lines even existed. What is most incredible about the lines are how exact they are, and how they were done by hand...we're talking about hundreds of streight lines, trapezoids, etc., with entire figures covering 386 square miles. Iron oxide covers the desert floor, a varnish, and the Nasca removed the dark rocks to expose the lighter rocks underneath, creating canals about 20 cm deep. The darker rocks were then piled to create distinct lines and enhance the canal's edge. We saw the first of these as we entered Nazca by nightfall.

 The PanAmerican Highway through the desert

 Tree (Arbol) from the viewing tower just off the side of the PanAmerican Highway

Me and Janet at the viewing tower

 



 Hands (Manos) and Janet!

 

Our trusty Suzuki!

There are an abundance of private companies offering jumper plane services to view the Nazca lines, so Janet and I walked around looking for a good dinner spot as well as a good flight vendor. Some charged as low as $90 and as high as $120, with each plan seating 5 passengers and a pilot and co-pilot. We decided to risk it and just wake up super early and head to the airport to get tickets there. Hopefully they're cheaper!

No trip is ever complete without a hunt for local fruit and goodies! So here they are!

 Granadilla, from the same family as passion fruit.

 



 Local choclo

 

Linaza seeds - mostly used for thick fruit drinks. Haven't had this since living in Nicaragua!

Just needed some good soup and a pyramid of rice

Anticuchos - marinated and grilled beef heart brochettes marinated in various Peruvian spices

 

After dinner and some more street wandering, we stopped for some Emoliente, a traditional Peruvian drink served hot, with various medicinal herbs, sugar, and limón. If you know me well, or have traveled with me, you know I am a big fan of local, street food and drinks. I could even drink this out of a straw. Just perfect for a chilly night.

 

 

Here are a few pictures from a local inn we found in the center of town

 and signage that gives me a good laugh :)