Nazca and the Lines

A Peruvian town, alongside the Pacific shore

Yesterday Ingrid and I headed out of Lima via bus, for a trip that took around 6 hours. We passed a lot of Peru along the way - most of it reminded me somewhat of Nevada or some other sparsely populated state.

Peru seemed to be all farmland and pastures

Along the way Ingrid pointed out interesting things, such as little houses where citizens stake their claim on spots of land. It was as if the days of the Oklahoma land rush were still on, just a bit further south.

Little huts that seem deserted but are not

We had to stop and change to a another bus along the way.





When we got off the bus in Nazca - a small desert town, Ingrid went to the restroom while I nervously fended off a half dozen taxi drivers and others who all assured me they were my good amigos and had a great hotel for me and good transportation. When Ingrid returned we chose a couple of likely fellows and after driving to two hotels, that didn't quite fit our needs, we arrived at a third, Locki Nazca Hotel. There we got a double room with a private bath.

 We figure the taxi driver, his friend and the hotelier were all in cahoots together. The hotelier said he could arrange for us to fly over the infamous Nazca lines.

So, early evening I signed up for an flight to take place early the following morning. The guy had me stand on a scale. He then eyeballed me carefully, then told me he, being charitable - could 'cut me a deal' as there were only three skinny Swiss ladies also signed up for a flight, and they would offset my weight so I needn't be charged for two seats. Ingrid looked mortified, but I figured, my weight is not exactly a state secret. I can add, Ingrid had recommended I skip the flight, as a couple of years ago, she & her brother took a flight over the lines, but it amounted to an aerial barf bag party for both of them. I assured her I am motion-sickness proof.

There were NO Swiss ladies on my Cessna flight!

Next morning we were up early for my flight, which was scheduled for 7:45. I paid my previously unmentioned 15 Soles airport tax and then we waited. And waited. My flight didn't happen until around 10:45. Ingrid said I might as well get used to doing things on 'Peruvian Time'.

Looking over the pilot's shoulders

It was a good thing my fellow passengers and I were shown what to look for from the air. The time over each figure was brief, being no more than 2 minutes or so per figure, with the plane tilting first right (my side of the plane) then left for the other passengers. The entire flight was about 30 minutes. I found that interesting as the guy who signed me up had told me the flight was four hours long!


When I first took these photos I could barely make out what I'd caught on digital. I was certain I hadn't gotten more than a couple of the figures. But closer examination on computer revealed I did better than I thought. This Astronaut was probably the easiest to see being carved on a reddish mountain side.

The first picture & easiest to find is the 'Astronaut'

Here is my bird's eye - or ET's - view of the Whale

Here is my photo of the Whale, which at first I had trouble seeing, then it seemed to just 'POP' right off the ground and I could easily see it.

Here is an easier to see version of it I found on line






The Hummingbird was pretty easy to see, as it is on top of a rather flat plateau so there hasn't been any damage done it it by miners or over enthusiastic fans.

Here is the Hummingbird - quite easy to see.

My view of the Monkey's Tail

This is what I call 'the Monkey's tail'. From the air, I couldn't make out any bit of it in the time I was given. I just shot pic after pic, hoping for the best.

The Monkey

Here is how the Monkey used to look in its entirety. I'm not sure if it ever looks that distinctive any more.

My digital of the Parrot

This figure is easy enough to see if you know what you're looking at - The Parrot.

On-line photo of the Parrot

Tinted and easier to see version of the Parrot









The modern or new age view of  the Nazca lines that the lines were attempts of the ancients to communicate with extra terrestrials who had visited them.

The Peruvian view is the ancients, made the lines of tropical rain forest creatures  - Monkey, Parrot, Trees - to attract the attributes of the rain forest to the desert. The 'make it rain here' view makes as much sense as any other explanation I suppose.

This next shot shows at the top center, looking all tiny is a viewing tower that sits right on the Pan American highway. We actually passed it and the figures beneath it as we rode past it on the bus ride into Nazca. I got this photo but didn't actually see the figures when I was over them at all, and didn't see them until I viewed them on a computer. The one of the left bottom is the 'Tree' and the one at the right is 'Manos' or 'hands'.

'Tree of Life' on the left, 'Manos' on the right

<--- The tower view from the ground. From there you can view the lines or get your daily dose of exercise just walking up those stairs.

It was a one time thrill getting to view the famous Nazca lines from the air. The Cessna I took held four passengers a pilot and co-pilot and due to its size, it was able to view the lines from a low height. Ingrid said the flight she took was in a larger plane so they were higher up, and all the twirling they did over the lines were what made her stomach twirl.

I never thought I would ever actually get to see the lines for myself and I'm grateful for that thrill of a lifetime. And as I told Ingrid, even ignoring the lines, any time I get to fly in a small plane is a big day for me regardless of what I get to fly over.

Lima, Peru

Cathedral of Lima

I never harbored any intention to visit Peru. For me, Machu Pichu was not one of the seventh wonders of the world, it was the name of a friend's bunny rabbit. Then a couple of years ago, my friend Ingrid, one of the illustrious Hens, said she was joining the Peace Corps and was hoping for assignment in Peru. Of course I told her, "I'll come visit you!"  I say the same thing when anyone I know is going to live someplace foreign and cool, and 99% of the time,  a visit never even comes close to happening. On this occasion however, I decided I was not going to let myself wiggle out of a visit. I mean, when will I ever get such a chance again? I can scarcely imagine anyplace more exotic than Peru. So, now Ingrid has served in the Corps for 2 years, and is looking at returning stateside in January, I packed bags and headed on my first trip to South America.

Plaza de Armas of Lima

Senora Ingrid, at the Museum in Lima

Ingrid works in a little village south of Lima. She took a bus to meet up with me Lima where we stayed at 'the Friend's House', The House is a hostel where several of Ingrid's Peace Corps buds turn up and I got to meet several of them.

The day I arrived, we toured Lima, starting with the Museo Nacional de Arqueología Antropología e Historia del Perú - quite the mouthful.

We enjoyed playing dress up for a bit with Inca shawls and pottery. I think the things may have been meant for kids, but we're just bigger kids.

The museum has an inner garden area that I eagerly birded, finding Vermillion Flycatchers
and a new species that reminded me of White-winged Doves

There were many spooky looking skulls that had me thinking of ancient alien theories

I was quite taken by this ancient pottery owl that so
closely resembles the Wise Potato-chip Owl

 There was a little hall that featured replicas of Peru's famous mummies. I noticed several patrons were hesitant to walk across the glass bottomed area - of course I just tromped on past, hoping I wouldn't end up knee deep in sea shells.

This glass bottomed hall seemed to scare off some
museum guests who hesitated to cross it

Facinating Incan tapestry that looked almost 3-D in construction

Ingrid following behind yet-another group of Lima
school children exploring the museum.

Our lodging in Lima was a little hostel, much frequented by Ingrid's fellow Peace Corps members. She said it gave her a feeling of home, to run into so many people she knew while staying there. I liked it too, it was like a two story home with a living room, dining room and kitchen downstairs, and two stories of bedrooms above. Here is the view from our room, number 6.

You can make out the little door to the left of the carport doorway. Beyond the big gateway is a small Lima street, which for its small size is absolutely bustling with cars, cabs and citizenry. Still, as busy as the street was, the room was nice and quiet.






Later that day, we ventured back out, and took a cab to downtown Lima. There we did a little sight seeing, and had a nice, fairly tame dinner at a local restaurant. Later Ingrid directed us to a ruins, via a wild bus ride and a short walk. The ruins are in the middle of Lima and in the photo below the ruins look more like a Lego castle than genuine ancient ruins.

The cool thing about the ruins is that they are in the middle of the city, and just across from the ruins, affording a great view is a restaurant. Ingrid and I had dessert at the v. swanky restaurant.

View of the ruins from inside of the restaurant.

If you are interested, Ingrid had a lovely chocolate pastry with exotic nuts and loads of syrup.

I had a mix of ancient grains (quinoa and the like) with a big scoop of lemon flavored ice cream and flowers for toppings. Yummy.


Tonight is the last night in Lima for now. Tomorrow we head off to the desert town of Nazca.

These are the Creatures in my Neighborhood

No way some gussied up insect will ever take the place of birds in my heart, but sometimes I do give the little guys a look. A couple of days ago I was driving home on a back street and I spotted juvenile Yellow-billed Magpies.

I enjoyed scrambling to get these shots of the little guys using my iPhone camera as shot through my binoculars.

These young birds crack me up with their yellow 'spectacles'. The flock was composed of a half dozen birds, which I assume were a family group out foraging for lunch.







The little flock flew off, just about the time I noticed something interesting in the house next door.

Beautiful, Big and What the hell is it?

Sipping at a Zinnia

Have to admit I was immediately smitten by these over-sized flutterbys. When I got home I did a bit of on line research and discovered these beauts are Gulf Fritillarys. The surprising thing about them is although they are not native to California, they've been here in the area, from Sacramento to the Bay area, since the turn of the start of the last century.

A few days later I did a repeat visit to the butterfly yard. The owner ventured out to find out whom  the woman wildly snapping photos of his Zinnias might be. We introduced ourselves and had a lively chat about butterflies, the wonder that is retirement and Zinnias. Not realizing I am Mistress of the Gulag Garden, he encouraged me to collect as many dried Zinnia flower heads as I cared to, so I can have a go at growing the butterfly attractants for myself. I know. Not going to happen.

Never-the-less, I enjoyed my butterfly spotting and here is some of the butterflies flutter-bying.