Mar 2009

Peru, 1939.Paul Kosock, an American professor from Long Island University arrives in Nazca, a small desert town near the coast in the south of the country.His mission: to investigate and survey the unique irrigation techniques reportedly developed by the ancient Nazca civilization that once flourished in the area.He is quite successful and finds many still functioning aqueducts in and around the town.His work ultimately helps establish the intricate underground system of Nazca as one of the most impressive feats of hydraulic engineering in South American pre-history.
But it isn't until his surveys bring him out into the dry Nazca desert that he will make what will be one of the most perplexing archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century.Guided by a local, he travels out to a section of desert where he spies long, shallow furrows in the valley floor.His professional curiosity aroused, he hires a light aircraft from one of the local farmers and goes up to take a better look.What he sees from the air astounds him: hundreds of ruler straight lines criscossing the valley floor for miles around in an improbable network, and, even more unlikely, geometric shapes in the likeness of birds, fish and various other animals.Kosock had just discovered the remarkable and wholly unique remnants of a mostly forgotten civilization and had, in all probability, been the very first man to see these extraordinary images from the air.It was a discovery that has provoked much scholarly debate and many (often wild and outlandish) theories ever since.Yet to this day nobody has conclusively answered the question: what ARE the Nazca Lines?
The mystery that is the Nazca Lines remains one of the most enduring enigmas in South American history.Their allure is such that the once quiet frontier of Nazca has grown into a popular resort town cashing in on the curious tourists that arrive in their droves.It is almost exclusively geared towards backpackers eager to see the Lines, with a pristine and well maintained airport and a booming local economy in the construction and service industries.Many hotels in various stages of development are littered throughout Nazca and the modern day town centre is invariably awash with pizzerias and backpacker bars.It is an all too common occurence in developing countries but one that is sadly entirely understandable.
We arrived on an overnight bus from Arequipa at the ungodly hour of 3am, despite the fact we weren't expecting to get there until 7 or so.We were politely, but firmly, awakened from our crucial shuteye by the insistent stewardess who had us off the bus luggage in hand before we knew what was happening.Clearly, something was amiss.Indeed it was.We had somehow confused the traveling times and mistaken the arrival time in Lima, where the coach would continue on towards, with the arrival time in Nazca.This was not good.
Wandering around the deserted bus station in the dead of night still half asleep with all our worldy belongings was more than just a little disconcerting.However, we were serendipitously greeted with a miracle of the transport industry: a lone taxi driver who was somehow waiting for us with his inviting vehicle.We fell in, without even checking the fare beforehand (as is good practise) and gave the name of the hostel we were booked in at.After a quick ride around the deserted streets we pulled up in front of a featureless building that was still in total darkness.Of course it was.It was half three in the morning.A few rings of the bell later and the front door was eventually dragged open by an understandably surly porter who showed us to our tiny room.We collapsed into bed and fell back to sleep.
Morning came all too soon and we managed to drag ourselves up out of bed and down to the breakfast table.Talking to the owner in between bites of cereal we learned he operated a travel agency (they all do) that could take us to see the Lines that very afternoon.With nothing booked or even planned yet we readily agreed.To kill time we went into town and had a look 'round.The centre was a collection of shops on an excuse of a main street and the town had a distinct air of 'unfinishedness' about it.Nazca really is one giant construction site surrounded by endless, dry desert and slowly baking under a relentless sun.The heat really was something else.Bar the overall ugliness, the uncompromising heat was my overriding memory of the place.But then again, we hadn't really come to enjoy the ambience.

To understand the thinking behind the formation of images such as the Nazca Lines one must first look to understand the culture that made them.First identified as a civilization in the early 1900's, what little knowledge we have of the Nazca comes from the many colourful ceramics that survived in that region of Peru.The German archaeologist, Max Uhle was so impressed by some particularly beautiful pieces of pottery he had received that he travelled immediately to Peru in seach of their origin.His search took him to the valley of Ica where some local farmers recognised the relics he showed them and directed him to some ancient cemeteries nearby.A period of intense excavation yielded many more artefacts, identical to the ones he had in his possession.Uhle had pinpointed the origin of his ceramics and conclusively determined the existence of a new and prominent pre-Inca civilization.He named it the Nazca, after the valley in which they would have lived.
Pottery is such a wonderfully accurate and important method of dating cultures that civilizations are often classified according to whether or not they have mastered the art of firing up a kiln.Cultures lacking any obvious pottery making skills are generally assumed to be relatively undeveloped while the sophistication of others can be measured in terms of their specialized techniques.Generally, the more artistic the surviving ceramics the more advanced the culture can be said to be.In the case of the Nazca, the ceramics showed a high level of artistry: much of the pottery showed colourful images that realistically depicted everyday domestic scenes, while others bore stylised anthropomorphical and zoomorphic designs.Clearly theirs was an advanced and artistic culture, a feature that seems to have found its ultimate expression in the Nazca Lines.But what, exactly, are they?

The Nazca Lines is the name given to the extraordinary collection of lines, geometric figures (geoglyphs) and animal and plant drawings (biomorphs) that are spread out over a large area of rock strewn desert near Nazca.There are more than 300 figures and some 10,000 lines that cover an area of roughly 500 sq km.The most recognizable of the figures have their own titles, such as the Monkey and so forth.They were formed at least 1500 years ago (though many are older) by removing the sun darkened stones from the desert surface, exposing the lighter soil below.The truly remarkable feature of the Nazca Lines is the uniform symmetry found throughout and the fact that they can only be properly appreciated from the air, a fact that causes one to wonder how (and why) they were made in the first place.It is an intriguing mystery and one that is unlikely to ever be satisfactorily solved.
That hasn't stopped many people from guessing though.Over the years it has been variously theorised to be: an astronomical calender; ritual walkways connected to a water/fertility cult; giant running tracks (?); extraterrestrial landing sites; and hallucinogenic representations of shamanic rituals.The theory of an astronomical calender was first proposed by the German mathematician Maria Reiche, an assistant to Paul Kosock who continued on his research into the Lines after he left the area in 1948.She devoted her entire life to decoding the mysteries of the Lines and spent many years mapping and researching them.She became a celebrated though eccentric figure, so much so that when she died in 1998 she was buried with offical honours and her home was turned into a museum.Her theory was one of the more popular ones in her day and had some convincing evidence to back it up.
However, despite her complete conviction her theory had a few glaring faults and the prevailing theory accepted by archaeologists today is the one related to a water ritual.Since Nazca was a desert based civilization it stands to reason that they saw water as the source of all life and would thus worship it so, much like the later Incas worshipped their sun god, Inti.Many of the desert lines point in the direction which in times past would have been the source of rivers and rain.In times of exteme drought it is thought they would perform rituals by walking along the length of the glyphs, most probably dancing and singing, in order to appease their gods.It is likely they smashed many of their ceramics there as further offerings and there is evidence of this as shards of pottery and panpipes have been found at the end of some of the lines.
Whatever their function, it has at least been proven that the construction of the Lines wasn't something supernatural or out of this world, as some maintain.A series of simple experiments performed by a schoolteacher and his class demonstrated that with some rope, a few stakes and a little patience, it is relatively easy to replicate the giant glyphs that sprawl across the desert floor.Whether or not they were intended to be viewed by the gods above is, of course, open to speculation.
What is certain, however, is that they are a prime tourist attraction in an otherwise desolate stretch of desert beween Arequipa and Lima.Since being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, the Nazca Lines have only increased in popularity year after year.We'd come solely to marvel at these striking examples of aboriginal art like everyone else.We were picked up and driven out to the small airport on the outskirts of town, a surprisingly modern construction that is towered over by the nearby Cerro Blanco, the world's highest sand dune at 2078m.It is a veritable mountain of sand that dominates the skyline and can be seen for miles around.It is possible to sandboard down or take a dune buggy across it but we were (as always) short on time and had to reluctantly decide against it.Not that it wouldn't been very cool.
We arrived at the strip, met our pilot and, after a short wait in the terminal were guided onto a small one engined Cessna along with four other backpackers.The seating was cramped but I somehow got the seat beside the pilot and had a birds eye view out of the cockpit.Nice!Just before take off I glanced back at Janelle who was wearing the most fearful look I'd ever seen on another person.It was somewhere between absolute terror and abject self pity and I again felt sorry for people the world over with a fear of flying.But there was nothing else for it.With a quick burst of speed and a stomach churning lurch we were suddenly airborne against the bright blue sky and sandy desert floor.From this height you could really appreciate how lush and fertile the Nazca valley is contrasted against the immediate desolation of the sprawling desert.Our pilot immediately corrected our heading and kept to an altitude of about 1,500 feet.Almost straight away we flew over our first glyph, the Whale.The pilot pulled the plane abruptly to the left at a 90 degree angle so we could all get a good look and then circled around for a second pass, this time turning to the right.Even so we had roughly eight seconds to catch a glimpse of it.Such jerking movements were pretty nerve wracking and I again pitied poor Janelle in the back, even though I was loving every minute of it.
The rough flying continued for the entire 30 minute flight.Even when the plane wasn't turned on its side the high winds buffeted against us and bounced the light aircraft around in a distinctly frightening manner.Two of our companions stopped taking photos and just plain hung on.But it was worth it nonetheless.We flew over all the major glyphs: the Whale, the Dog, the Spider, the Monkey, (with his spiraling tail), the Spaceman, the Hummingbird, the Trapezoid (aka the Landing Strip), and many of the others.Each of them were simply amazing; so symmetrical and stylish its hard to believe their creators never saw them this way.Each and every one is a wholly unique and dramatic work of art, a relic from a time and a people who we'll never truly understand.How mysterious and awe inspiring it is to view these strange symbols from a long dead civilization whose meaning is lost to us forever.A once in a lifetime opportunity for sure.

We landed soon enough without mishap, Janelle in particuler very glad to be back on solid ground and even tipped the pilot before being ferried back to the hostel.The feeling of almost religious awe lingered with us for the rest of the day and I could even appreciate the town of Nazca a little better than before.But not that much.We lazed around and caught up on some sleep before we left for the bus station and hopped on the coach bound for Lima.The entry point for many travellers, Lima as Peru's capital is often a backpackers first taste of South America and it is almost universally despised.The dirt, poverty and overall dangerous atmosphere ranks it somewhere near the very bottom of the list for most Gringos and the majority of them can't get out of the city fast enough.With such negative reports we'd budgeted only two days in the capital.It was a necessary pitstop before we could transfer on to the north of Peru and we intended on treating it as such.We prepared ourselves for the worst and hoped for the best.

On arriving back to the busy streets of Cuzco after a diverting taxi ride, we found ourselves at our little hostel, where I slumped into bed for the remainder of the day.The days' hiking around the steep hillsides of Machu Picchu had robbed me of what energy I had possessed.I improved little in the following days, sleeping on and off and eating the bare minimum until I dragged myself to a private clinic and endured a battery of tests, all of them unpleasant.I was diagnosed with salmonella and giardia (nasty little buggers) and handed pills to consume and advice to follow.Thus we were forced to remain in Cuzco until I had recovered enough to travel, a period which lasted another three or four days.
Well behind on our travel itinerary, we made the tough decision to skip the visit to Lake Titicaca which we had promised ourselves after hiking the Inca Trail.Instead we hopped on board yet another night bus and took the 10 hour trip south to Arequipa, Peru's second biggest city after Lima.Arequipa resides in a region known as 'canyon country' in an area famous for its dry, rocky deserts and cavernous, deep canyons.Aswell as containing one of the worlds' deepest canyons, Colca (at 3191m deep), it is also home to several impressively high peaks including El Misti (5822m) and Chachani (6075m).In an area of such dramatic landscapes, Arequipa tends to attract those keen to do either serious hiking or serious climbing, both of which are well catered for.
We had other reasons for coming to Arequipa.While we both were very keen on doing some hiking, we'd decided even before we'd left Cuzco that we desperately needed a proper break from all the hurried sightseeing and extensive travelling.Backpacking may be an affordable way to see countless sights in a short space of time, but it can be hard going after a while and such constant moving from place to place only serves to increase the likelihood of a complete and utter breakdown.Two months of solid backpacking had us stretching our limit and my recent bout of sickness wasn't helping either.Time constraints usually forced us into unreasonably demanding schedules which we were desperate to esape from, at least temporarily.In short, what we needed was a holiday from the holiday.
Arequipa was to be that vacation.Janelle had already booked spanish lessons some time before which meant we would have no choice but to remain in the city for an entire week.With the decision made for us, it became easier to forget about schedules and itineraries and just relax.The days took on a nice, predictable rhythm; Janelle left for her classes early in the morning, while I awoke sometime later and had a leisurely breakfast before I set off for the town centre to catch up on some blogging and emails in one of the local internet cafes.I'd break for lunch after a few hours and eat tasty chicken fried rice in a cheap Chinese nearby.Then I'd spend the afternoon exploring the town and taking in some of the sights before leaving for the hostel and meeting up with Janelle for dinner.We'd squeeze in whatever activities we wanted to do in the time after eating and nightfall.It was a lazy, relaxing and glorious time.
I did, however, get to visit all the must see sights nevertheless.Arequipa is a city justifiably famous for its beauty and nowhere provides a better example of this than the main plaza with its stunning white brick cathedral.Many of the historic buildings downtown are built of the same volcanic white stone, called sillar, a feature that rightly earned the city its nickname of La Ciudad Blanca, or The White City.The plaza is a wide open space bordered by tall green palms and is constantly crowded with tourists and locals alike, all sunning themselves by the requisite fountain.Visible just beyond the tall spires are the twin peaks of Misti and Chachani, two mountains that are popular for novice climbers.I was on the verge of booking a climb up Chachani when I realised the trek started with a midnight pickup before a harsh pre-dawn climb in total darkness, a feat of serious endeavour that sadly conflicted with our original goal (that of taking it easy).
One sight that did fit in with our plans was a visit to the Santa Catalina monastary, a high walled citadel that virtually occupies an entire city block.Built in 1580 some 40 years after the city was first founded, the enclosure is a self contained structure that is still home to nuns, though they live in a seperate section to the one on display to the viewing public.It is a beautifully serene place, with narrow streets and sunny, fruit filled courtyards painted in bright primary colours.Its also home to some exquisite green gardens and lively fountains, as well as the cramped, ascetic cells once used to house the nuns.Walking down its cobbled streets is like walking back in time and nowhere in Peru will you find well maintained buildings of such simple design and function.
Another essential visit was to the Museo Santury, a university run museum that houses one of the most startling finds of recent times.Popularised by the documentary of the same name, the 'Ice Princess' is a frozen maiden who was sacrificed some 500 years ago by the Incas on the summit of the nearby volcano of Ampato.Nicknamed 'Juanita' by the American team of archeologists that found her remains in 1994, it appears the young girl (she was between 12 and 14) was killed in a ritual ceremony meant to appease the violent deities of the volcano.An interesting video coupled with a brief tour culminates in a respectful viewing of the mummy itself, her features still discernible after hundreds of years buried in ice.Indeed she still has a full head of long, dark hair.Such ceremonial sacrifices were only carried out in times of real catastrophe, the Incas apparently preferring to use livestock such as llamas or vicunas when possible.
Forgoing the high energy required for mountain climbing we did manage to have some adrenaline fuelled fun nonetheless.On our last day we booked a rafting trip on the Rio Chili, a river of moderate current that snakes its way through one of the nearby gorges that populate the region.Our guide was a twenty-somethinged American who was engaged to a local girl.He was all blonde surfer dude but seemed to know his stuff all the same.Due to the low season it was just the three of us and we navigated through some heart stopping and gut wrenching rapids along the way.One section in particular, the Waterfall, was a grade four drop that had us nearly tipping over into the icy water but we managed to right ourselves at the last minute.It was very wet and a lot of fun.
As with Cuzco, most visitors to Arequipa come with the intention of undertaking at least some of the many hiking opportunities that the rocky region affords.Two of the main expeditions on offer are the Colca and Cotahuasi canyons, the latter being the deeper and more difficult of the two.We settled on the three day Colca trek and the next day were picked up by our guide along with a party of three Germans.After missing out on the Inca Trail we were keen to do some actual hiking but alas the entire first day was essentially a road trip through the dry desert of the canyon country.Fortunately it was extremely informative and we stopped off at some inspiring sites along the way.One of these was an odd collection of rock formations fashioned by years of exposure to the desert winds.They resembled various shapes including a face and a couch (?) but mostly looked like stone teeth set into a rocky jaw.
Another was a rare oasis where hardy famers take their hardier livestock and was crowded with all sorts of South American camelids; llamas, vicunas, alpacas and guanacos, all of them similar in appearance with long legs, hairy bodies and gentle faces.These animals have been used for centuries as pack animals by the Incas and still serve that purpose today.Their wool is highly coveted for clothing while their meat is commonly eaten as part of the Peruvian diet.Alpaca makes for pretty nice steaks, which taste somewhere between chicken and beef but contains less fat than either (so I'm told).
Our journey took us through some of the most desolate country we'd seen yet; dry, featureless desert with a bare minimum of brush and trees.We reached the edge of the canyon around noon and drove down the winding road that took us into the heart, arriving at the principal town of Chivay by lunchtime.This dusty town is in effect the capital of Colca, though we skipped through it to continue on to Yanque where we had lunch.The few towns that survive down here subsist mainly on the agriculture of the surrounding valley, where Inca built terraces can still be plainly seen.The Spanish built many churches in this area in an effort to convert the locals to Christianity, but many of them have suffered from the aftermath of the frequent earthquakes that periodically hit the region.Now there is a ghost town feel to them and any second you expect tumbleweeds to bounce across your path, blown about in the dusty climate by tendrils of dirty winds....It's that kind of place.
We continued on after lunch, driving through some rough terrain that surprisingly had its fair share of green surroundings.Indeed, at a glance the countryside was almost reminiscient of a blooming Tuscany landscape.Passing through small village after small village, we stopped to photograph each church that seemed to be the only buildings of any real note.Most of them were closed during the day, due to robberies of religious paintings and whatnot in the past.They did provide a nice distraction however, each of them with their own distinct design and character.We took our pics and drove on.
Passing by locals on over worked donkeys along the way, we continued on up the rocky road as it wound its way slowly upward.We stopped at various points, photographing the exquisite panoramic views on offer.This area has been inhabited by many differing cultures over the years, but its the indomitable Inca terraces that are the most visible remnants around now.They transformed what once was inhospitable mountain slopes into easily cultivated land and enabled the Incas to survive in what was otherwise an unlivable region.At one stop our gazes were directed upward to a crevice in the rocks overhead, a place the Incas had built many years before.These 'hanging tombs' were home to long deceased priests and other important figures, their function to obviously deter the pervasive grave robbers (huaqueros) with their difficult to reach location.The grave robbers were more than up to the task, however and had plundered these abandoned sites long ago.
Our final destination on our first day was Cruz del Condor, an outcropping of rock in Colca canyon that is famously home to many Andean condors.Most tours reach it in early morning, but we were here in the early hours of dusk to avoid the crowds.Since sightings aren't guaranteed we held our breaths, but we needn't have worried; several condors were circling overhead, gliding effortlessly on the thermals.They are elegant creatures that belong to more romantic times and somehow seem both out of place and at home here in the canyon.Whatever their own thoughts on the matter, they kept a clear distance from us and never ventured too near.Years of visiting tourist groups probably have that effect.
We ended the day at Cabanconde, another small village not far from Cruz del Condor.This was to be our home for the night and more luxurious lodgings we could not have imagined.Our room was a wide, circular cabin built of solid, painted adobe and enclosed in a roof of thick wooden beams.A double bed that could fit three (if only!) sat in centre and off to the side was an en suite with a sunken bathtub (!).Dinner was served in a restaurant of star quality that wouldn't have looked out of place in the more expensive parts of Cuzco and was predictably delicious.(fresh river salmon if I recall).All this in the depths of a dusty canyon miles from 'civilization'.It was good our first night was so comfortable for our next would be spent in the confined space of a cramped tent down at the real floor of the canyon.But for now we were in heaven.
The next day dawned bright and early.We'd be forgoing our van and hiking down into the real centre of the canyon, a drop of some thousand metres straight down.While our guide prepared the hired donkeys to carry the heavier tents and gear we busied ourselves with our own backpacks.Plenty of water was necessary for the hike down and we made sure we had enough.Once ready, we set off following our guide.An early start was essential for once the blazing afternoon sun hit us it 'd be next to impossible to do any hiking.We reached the edge, looked out once over the vast blue sky and dark mountainsides and began our descent.The path was extremely rocky and narrow,with a precarious edge always at our side.Slipping and stumbling downward we were soon sweating profusely.The steep angle of the path meant that our thighs took the brunt of the work and soon enough they were burning with the effort.Many, many stops and a full three hours later we finally reached the ground.
And what a sight!The small patch of ground we'd viewed from above was a veritable and literal oasis (sangalle), a brightly coloured lawn of green grass, palm trees and straw huts.Dotted all over were tiled swimming pools built into the natural stone of the area and as we explored further we even found a well stocked bar!The oasis was right beside the canyons river, whose low roar could be heard in the distance.But we were too hot and tired to care about that!Stripping off our sticky clothes we plunged straight into the clear, inviting pool.It was bliss!Afterwards we dried ourselves in the hot sun before being served a fine three course lunch under the nearby palm trees.Lomo saltado, a Peruvian favourite of shredded fried beef, chips and rice served on the same plate.We'd tried it many times before and were pretty fond of it.Lunch was followed by idle chatter and relaxed laughter and while some of the others caught a few z's I went off exploring the area, particulary the river and its raging current.The remainder of the day was spent much the same, with a minimum of physical activity.In the cool of the evening however, we did hike to see some more hanging tombs nearby as well as a suspension bridge farther upstream.Our guide showed us an interesting feature of some cactii that flourishes in the area; infecting the leaves was a small insect, that, when crushed, bleeds out an unnatural red colour.This is cochineal and the red dye is known as carmine.It has been used for centuries by the Incas as a dye for their clothing and costumes.The colour is so stark that the invading conquistadors were stunned by its quality and immediately began appropriating it for their own use.It is still in use today and fields of this same cactus are deliberately infected with this parasite to yield the dye as a commercial commodity.Carmine remains one of the most versatile dyes around and is used in everything from fabrics, cosmetics and foodstuffs.
Our night was spent in small comforable tents rather than the many huts on site due to the high likelihood of insect infestation (scorpions and spiders among them).We had to rise at the ungodly hour of 5am to begin the hike back, again to beat the scorching afternoon sun.As we stumbled around in the still dark yawning, we picked out torch beams on the mountain trail hgh above us, another tour group whose hike had started at 2am!We ate a quick breakfast and started out, picking our paths with our own torches.The cool of the pre dawn made it possible to hike in relative comfort, but the going was still rough and very physical.I can only imagine the hike in full sunshine!Myself and Janelle distanced ourselves from the others and began hiking at a quick pace, though we were still overtaken at times by locals who regularly make the trek in an hour and a half.We stopped halfway up and took a rest and some water and watched in silence as the sun rose over the mountains on the far side of the canyon.It was a beautiful, peaceful sight.The suns rays would reach us in another couple of hours so we hurried on, half climbing, half stumbling up the steep path.We unexpectedly reached the top an hour or so later, managing the climb in an impressive two hours when it had taken us three just to get down!We found our way back to the town and our driver, collapsed into the van and awaited the others.
An hour and a half later we were all enjoying hot coffee and fresh bread at a local cafe and afterwards piled into the van for the drive back.Along the way we stopped at one of the many hot spring resorts in the canyon and soaked our tired muscles in the tepid waters.An hour or so of this was enough to adequately soothe our bones and we gratefully made our way to Yanque for a buffet lunch, the final meal of our trip.It was fantastic, every type of Peruvian delicacy was on offer; lomo saltado, alpaca steaks, alpaca curry, aji de gallina (a type of spicy curry), rocoto relleno (spicy peppers stuffed with beef), grilled chicken breasts, rice, soups and everything in between.We were even served deep fried cuy (guinea pig), a dish I'd been keen to try.It wasn't exactly what I was expecting (very tough and chewy) but I guessed it was okay.
Suitably well fed, we made the long journey back to Arequipa, dropping the three Germans off at a bus stop seemingly in the middle of nowhere for a transfer onwards to Cuzco.Our driver left us right to our hostel, where we dutifully tipped both driver and guide as per backpacking custom.We had the remander of the day to rest before packing up all our belongings yet again for the long trip to our next destination.The desert town of Nazca, where we'd witness one of modern archeology's most perplexing mysteries; the ancient wonders that are the world famous Nazca Lines.