The Coast of Peru: The Nasca Lines, the Poor Man’s Galapagos & the Beach

¡Hola!

After Laurie left, I spent time adjusting to being on my own again and planning my next move.  I decided to spend minimal time in Lima and instead explore the rest of the Peruvian coast before heading into Ecuador. 

In front of the six-seater ready to see the Nasca Lines!

Grayer Than Seattle - Lima

Laurie and I have flown from the jungle to Lima (the capital of Peru) so that she could catch her flight back to the States.  After Laurie left for the airport, I decided to leave the chronically gray city and head for Nasca (also spelled as Nazca) to fly over the mysterious Nasca Lines.

Aerial View of the Nasca Lines

About 1500 years ago, archeologists believe that the Nasca people created geoglyphs (simple and/or stylised figures) in the desert sands.  The figures ranges from hummingbirds, monkeys, to spiders and condors.  The lines are shallow designs made in the ground by removing reddish pebbles and uncovering the whitish ground beneath. 

One of the figures of the Nasca Lines: a Condor

Three Hungarians and I joined a pilot and his co-pilot in a six-seater plane and went for a 30-minute ride over these lines.  It was astounding.  The figures are well-preserved, easy to see, and beautiful.  Neither I, nor the rest of the world, have any idea why they were created, but still very cool. 

The Poor Man’s Galapagos - Pisco, Islas Ballestas and Paracas National Reserve

After the flight over the Nasca Lines, I bounded up the coast to see what has been coined the “Poor Man´s Galapagos”.  The Islas Ballestas were home to sea lions, seals, a variety of birds, and penguins.  The ride and view were quite nice.  I also met an American man who is now living in Costa Rica, but was taking vacation in Peru.  He has lived all over the world, including Spain and Africa, but chose to move to Costa Rica based on the diversity in climate and terrain.  He previously worked in Silicon Valley and is now retired.  We chatted and enjoyed the boat ride.  Later on, we all went to Paracas National Reserve where we could see the desert coast of Peru.  There is literally no vegetation in most parts and the contrast between the beaches and the water was gorgeous.  The trip was nice, but as I was soon to find out, nothing like the actual Galapagos.

On the beaches of Paracas National Reserve

Taylor and I in front of a monastery

While traveling to my next destination, Trujillo, I made a stop in Lima (4-hour bus layover) and met Taylor, the founder of the Potter´s Hand, whom Laurie and I had met in the jungle.  He showed me around the downtown area, we had coffee and lunch, went to a Dominican and Franciscan monastery and enjoyed some incredible pisco sours over conversation.  Taylor claims they are the best in Lima and I would have to agree.  The one pisco sour was just the solution I needed to sleep well on my overnight bus to Trujillo.  Once we boarded the bus, I was out in a few minutes!

The Chimu & Moche - Pre-Inca Civilizations Around Trujillo

There were two pre-Inca civilizations around the city of Trujillo, which left some rather impressive ruins, Chan Chan and the Huaca de la Luna.  After breakfast, a decent cappuccino, and a city bus ride cramped up beside the window, I arrived at the Chan Chan museum.  The museum was fairly bare, but gave me an adequate introduction to the Chimu peoples.  After the museum, I walked about 1.5 kilometers to the entrance of the ruins, where it would be another kilometer or so to reach the ruins themselves.  A taxi driver offered to drive me, I naturally declined, and then he offered me for free, but slightly annoyed I declined again. 

I was ready to walk; however, when a nice jeep passed by and stopped, I decided to get in.  I´ve learned to trust my instincts in situations like this.  From my point of view, there may have been a reason that the taxi tried to offer me a “free” ride (e.g., general safety of the area).  However, taxis will still try to charge you even if it seems free.  The couple from Lima not only offered a free ride, but also asked me to join their tour.  This was a great decision on my part.  In this way I was able to really understand the unmarked ruins and receive a ride to the next ruins.  Awesome. 

Huaca de la Luna ruins

Later that evening in the main plaza, I ran into a German girl whom I had met in Nasca. She was going to an art museum, so I joined her, and the next day we decided to meet up for the second ruins the next day.  The Huaca de la Luna is a must see because it´s very well-preserved and provides great insight into the lives of the Moche peoples.

In Bolivia at Proyecto Horizonte, the organization I volunteered at for a month, I met Brendan.  Brendan is an Irish guy who retired and is now traveling the world, but stops to volunteer from time to time.  He was at Proyecto Horizonte for six months.  He and a friend whom he met in Asia happened to be around the Trujillo area, so we ended up meeting in Huanchaco, a small beach town close to Trujillo.  It was great to meet up and share our stories and the laziness of the beach town. 

The Beach & On to Ecuador

Huanchaco beach at sunset

I spent the next few days with Brendan and his friend relaxing in hammocks, reading, and hanging out at a few restaurants close to the beach.  Relaxing is not the easiest thing for me to do, but it was nice for a while.  It made me completely prepared for my long bus ride into Ecuador.

Next:  Cuenca and The Galapagos Islands!

Saludos,

Ashley