SEPTEMBER 12 - SANTIAGO ICA TO NAZCA & REST DAY IN NAZCA

124 km today, about 1000 A & 800 D.  Started off drizzly but cleared nicely as soon as we gained some altitude to about 300 meters.


Stopped with Michael (Scotland) & Catherine (South Africa) for a photo.

Endless road and dunes and then mountains as we continue along.  They planted splindly little trees along each side of the road for about 50 km.  Don't know if they are surviving.






Typical mountains in this area.  Dead tree along the road

Nice little downhill chunk just before the lunch truck.  I can see 4 switchbacks







Great spot for lunch - an abandoned roadside restaurant












A view of Rio Grande.  We came down through the pass on the far side and are going up on this side.








Great mandarin country around here.  Fruit stands everywhere.












This is the start of the famous plateau.











We're up a 15 meter tower, viewing one of the figures, the Tree, I believe.











Also, we can see the hands


We got into camp and a group of us decided to take a flight over the Nazca lines right awaay, so off to the airport we went.  The load 3 or 4 people, a narrator and a pilot into a Cessna 205 and off we go. This bad photo is a plan of the figures, which range in size up to 60 meters or so.  There are also an endless number of straight lines, up to 5 kilometers long.













This is the Whale.  The long straight line is not done by humans (apparently).











The Astronaut















This is an interesting photo showing the contrast between the plane of Nazca and the adjacent hills and mountains (the Hummingbird is in the centre).











The Hummingbird, close up













Laura is clicking photos out one side and I the other.  The plane weaves and dodges so everybody gets to look at each figure.  Here is the Condor.

A whole pile of lines and trapezoids.

This is a general shot of the valley.  Lots of agriculture and a dry river.  A lot of the lines have been affected by water flows, whenever it happens.

Hands and the Tree 




Back on the ground now.  A common remark from many of the riders who flew was that, had the flight been longer than the half hour, things would have gotten dicey with stomach contents.  I was in this group - Laura could care less; this was just another puddlejumper flight.




We had a quiet dinner, but I had a poor night as some sort of Revenge took hold (dirty lettuce salad, perhaps), so our rest day was pretty quiet.

Not much to see in town.  Here is the Plaza de Armas.

Busy little market













Some of the group heading out for a sand dune ride (Nick, Joe, & Anagretta).  My stomach said No Way.










The view from our room.











Here are the next 7 legs, our last.  Note that it is seriously uphill to Cuzco