Day 5 - Peru - Drive from Nazca to Arequipa

The hotel opened up their restaurant early, 5:45 am, so we could get an early start on the road. We had a lot of miles to cover - over 400 kilometres on the Pan-American highway. That doesn't sound like much, but the roads were by no means straight, or level.

We had several stops to relieve the monotony and stretch our legs. The first attraction was a viewpoint called the "Alto Grande Fault". It is a fissure in the earth that is over 2 kilometres in length.

Next, we stopped in a town called Yauca. They are known for growing olives, and there were quite a few stands all in a row with samples and products to buy. I bought a single wrapped hazelnut chocolate like they sold at the pisco distillery.

We followed along the Pacific Ocean for most of the day and populated areas were few and far between. I sat on the wrong side of the bus and tried to take photos from a standing position, but the twisting and turning of the roads made it dangerous.

A lovely viewpoint was the Ocona (pronounced Oconya) Viewpoint, a valley with many crops including rice paddies!

The ocean was crashing on the right hand side of the scene.

Another rest stop overlooked the ocean way below us and also had a tied up alpaca, which I felt sorry for.

Lunch was late - 2 pm, a long time since a 5:45 an breakfast! We ate at a tourist restaurant in San Clemente and it was buffet style so no waiting for service thankfully.

One bizarre incident happened during the drive. A man was standing on the road in our lane with a big rock in his hand. He appeared to be threatening to throw it at the bus windshield. Cars were not stopping for him on this busy highway and were speeding around him. Someone even passed our bus on the right hand side of the road and almost hit one of our drivers who was approaching the man. Both our drivers had gotten out, then one got back in to move the bus around the man while the other talked with him. He briefly talked with him, got him moved him to the side of the road, then gave him some money. We don't know if the man was crazy, had a death wish, or was trying to extort money.

Our drivers took turns at the wheel throughout the difficult day of driving and did a fantastic job. Traffic was busy and there were lots and lots of big trucks. Passing was scary as were the sharp curves, hairpin turns, and zero shoulders with steep slopes right beside the road. The drivers will be commended on my trip review to the company!

Because it had been an early day I napped frequently. I have no idea what I missed but I needed my sleep.

We got to Arequipa and checked into our hotel at around 7 pm.

Because it was so late and we were tired, we ate at the hotel. The food was ok but the service was so slow. Even paying our bills took an inordinate amount of time. 

Our room is small but satisfactory. We are at a higher elevation and I am feeling a bit dizzy. I hope I sleep ok.

Day 4 - Peru - Nazca Lines, Chauchilla Cemetery,and Pachamanca

Had a good sleep but 5:45 came too early. We left at 7 for the Nazca Airport but didn't fly out until just before 11. The sky conditions were hazy and we had to wait until they sent a plane ahead to check on the visibility. I wondered why they just didn't call us when they were ready but Peru doesn't work that way. It's hurry up and wait. As the hours ticked by, more and more people came and it was first come, first served.

The airport had a great National Geographic video on the Nazca phenomenon so that took some time. Also there were some outdoor shops and I purchased some Peruvian silver earrings, necklace, and later, a ring - so easy to pack

😉.

The sun began to shine and it was finally our turn! Six of us went up in the plane and everyone had a window seat.

The co-pilot explained what we were going to see then we took off. I was struck by the starkness of the landscape in contrast with the lush green irrigated parts. We arrived at some lines fairly soon. First the pilot show

ed them to one side of the plane and then the other.

The weren't always easy to spot but he did his best to explain where to look. I shot wide so as not to miss the shot and I also bracketed, just in case. I am going to have to edit and severely crop the pics, but I think I got most of them.

After the flight we went back to the hotel then met for lunch. I had the best meal yet - rice mixed with quinoa and raisins, shrimp, peaches, avocado and a delicious mildly spiced sauce. Yum!

There was so much free time before our next activity so we went for a walk but soon I was on my own.

I came upon a food market and enjoyed looking at and photographing the many fruits and vegetables, some of which I didn't recognize.

As I was walking along with my camera, I heard a little boy say,  "Photograph". I was oh so happy to oblige him!

He was thrilled to see his picture. Then his friend (or brother?) wanted in on the action and I was thrilled. A much smaller boy stood by watching and I took his photo so that he too, wouldn't feel left out!

At 3 pm we boarded the bus and drove for about 20 minutes on the highway, then onto gravel for another 15. We stopped to see some burrowing owls and I captured him nicely.

Our destination was Chauchilla Cemetary, an archeological site containing the remains of prehispanic mummified human remains. We had a new guide with us and she was knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Our guide talked about the history of the peoples of that time (from 200 - 900 AD), their burial practices, the grave robbers (the Spanish) and how it was rediscovered in the 1920's.

The bodies and clothing are remarkably well-preserved due to the very dry climate as well as their burial practices. It was pretty creepy but fascinating all at the same time.

On the way back to our hotel we stopped at a family pottery business for a tour. They make pottery in much the same way as they did in ancient times.  They have used pieces of the ancient pottery as patterns and copied the painted designs as well.

The clay is rock-like until it is soaked in water, then it is combined with sand. He uses ancient tools, no potter's wheel and the paint is all natural as well. Finished pieces are fired up in the traditional way in a bed of hot coals. They use a paint brush made from baby hair. The work was very beautiful but there was nothing very compact so I passed on making a purchase.

We returned to town (Nazca) and had a bit of time before heading out for supper. Our evening meal was out of town down a long dark gravel road at a restaurant and hotel, and we were the only guests there.

We were treated to a traditional barbecue called a pachamanca. The food is placed in a pit then covered with hot stones for several hours. They did a ceremony before we ate, thanking Mother Earth for the food.

Our meal was delicious and included 3 kinds of potatoes, corn, beef chicken, pork, some Peruvian cheese, sauce, spicy onions, chicken tamales, and beans.

Although the food was great, we were anxious to return to our hotel as we have another early morning tomorrow, in fact it's the earliest one yet!