NAZCAAAAAAA

The Nazca Lines were always on our list of must sees, from the very start of planning this trip. Similar to the crop circle phenomenon, only on a larger scale, you can find scores of shapes cut into the sandy Nazca Plain dating pack to pre Inca times. They are absolutely HUGE. Most are over 50m, with the longest at over 200m. Difficult to get the full scale of this from ground level, and a flyover was strongly recommended so the local tiny airport (full of local tiny planes) was our first stop this morning.

We were alloted a 4-seater plane, the other 2 pax being Toby from Germany who inspired us with his plans for travelling through SA for 12 months, and the pilot. SMALL PLANE. Luckily for us the turbulence was pretty much non existent, and save the swinging from 60 degrees to the right to 60 degress to the left to get the best views of the shapes, leaving your stomach and your head some distance behind you, the experience was just to die for. We decided the pilot was actually a photographer in his spare time, loved the camera, and one of his best shots was taken at 300ft:

STEER man, STEER! Jesus.

From the airport we headed out on a tour with the lovely Josef, who drove us around the area and showed us some of the best of the Nazca sights. Chauchilla Cemetery, with mummified bodies over 2000 years old with teeth and hair still intact, the Paradones where we saw the whole of the wide Nazca valley from the old pre Inca leaders’ viewpoint, and the aqueduct system which has been  bringing water down from the mountains into the desert below for centuries. Plenty of opportunity for photo moments too.

Off on the overnight bus to Cusco tonight, which even the locals are a little wary of due to the immense changes in altitude throughout the journey… Hoping to be getting to grips with the 13.000 ft Cusco altitude by the time we arrive tomorrow morning!