whereismichel.blogspot.com: Nazca Lines and the Indian Cemetery

Thursday 21/6
Arequipa to Nazca, Nazca Lines and Desert Zombies.

First experience with the luxury bus operator 'Cruz del Sur'. They have no intermediate stops (it is really a direct bus from A to B), security agents inspect passengers as at the airport, luggage is registered, seats are are dentist style, underway you get meals and drinks, DVDs on HD TVs, some internet access in the terminal and even on the bus. Sounds nice isn't it?

Bus food.

Well, this became the worst bus experience of all. Our bus got various mechanical problems underway and finally stranded on the Panamericana between a moon like inland and the ocean, where we had to wait for a replacement bus. We accumulated 5 hours of delay: Instead of arriving at 7 AM we arrived at lunch time.

Changing bus after having cumulated 5 hours of delay.

So, we decided to stay for the night in Nazca. The hotel owner was extremely kind and organized the remaining of our day. Could be he got some commission, but he brought us to the little airport where we were considered as VIPs (we got priority and we got a plane just for us).

The famous Nazca lines, geometrical shapes and drawings are impressive, there are so many of them! We clearly distinguished the main drawings: the wale, the astronaut, the monkey, the spider, the pelican, the tree, the hands (4+5 fingers)... The flight took 30 minutes. After landing we got a briefing by the pilots and also a diploma.

From the sky you can easily see how dry that area is. They have only 7 hours of precipitation a year! The only green areas are where (sometimes) the rivers are (apart from 20 days, the rivers are dry the rest of the year).

Next we went to visit the cemetery of Chauchilla, deep in the desert, reached through a dust road. You can call this place 'Rasta Zombies in the Desert'. Grave robbers found these tombs and dumped the mommies after having stolen the jewels, presents and potery. In that area the desert is full of white bones and textile. Some of the graves are opened and they display the inside. The mommies sit there in fetal position and look to the east, waiting for a new sunrise.

Better to be there during day than during night.

We took dinner in a local restaurant even if it was called 'Los Angeles', very friendly people.

Next morning we had time before our bus departure for Lima, so we made a quick visit to the observation tower, to admire the hands and the spider once more.