Today Lizzie and I were awoken by the very friendly lady on the bus at the very early hour of 5 am. We waited in this small town for our tours to start. When Lizzie and I first decided to go to South America we had a nice dinner with my family at a Peruvian restaurant. The owner, Cèsar, told us all about the Nazca lines. This was a can't miss Peruvian sight. No one knows for sure the purpose of Las Lìnias de Nazca, but we do know they were created between 200 BC and 700 AD. They are an amazing collection of lines, geographic shapes, and animals. Some believe they were created by aliens, or used to communicate with them as they are only visible from the air. However, other theories suggest they were of religious origins, signs to communicate with gods and deities. It is possible that shaman who did some crazy mind altering drugs could ¨fly¨ to plan and see these shapes through the mind's eye. Who knows. All I can tell you is that it is truly an amazing sight. My favorite animal is the monkey. He has a very curvaceous tail, Liz is partial to the Hummingbird.
It's really cool. Liz and I both got VERY sick on the little Cessna flight. There was only room for 6 people including the pilot. We'd pass by a design on the right side, then he'd tip the plane quite hard to pass it again on the left. I think everyone on the plane got sick. It was only a half hour ride. When we landed they gave us alcohol on a cotton swab to sniff. Not sure that it helped, but it was a nice gesture.
We also visited a pre-incan grave site that held bodies from 1500 years ago. The graves had since been robbed by grave robbers, but they just wanted the ceramics and gold the people were buried with, not the bodies. So archaeologists have restored many of the grave sites so you can see into them, hair and all.
Nazca is a sleepy little town besides those main attractions. So we are boarding a second over night bus to Cusco! I can't wait.
Sorry to all those home in the midwest that are dealing with so much water. It seems like one natural disaster after another. We're thinking of you here.
5 comments:
Hi glad you are having a great trip.
Love pop pop
Cool lines! If that is what the graves looked like no wonder they got robbed....
HEY!!
I got an email from Erik Gunderson. He used to be my neighbor back home in Fort Dodge. he says you might be coming to Colombia. I live in Medellin, Colombia if you guys need a place to crash for a few days or more. My name is Matt Pedersen and you can reach me at 4 266 6558 or theinfamousped@hotmail.com. Definitely a city in Colombia worth checking out, its beautiful, but very rainy!
What an amazing trip. Just like everyone else...I'm jealous that I don't have the courage to drop everything and go live out a dream like you two are. Love the updates on the adventures. I don't know if these thrills can continue for another 3 mos, though! With rafting, flying, hiking, and avoiding the criminals you've already had a very eventful first leg of the trip!
The Nazca geoglyphs are truly amazing! But, for a lot more photos and information about Nazca, Palpa, and other areas - for the most complete website ever created on the Nazca Lines and surrounding geoglyphs you should visit www.NazcaMystery.com!
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