What was I thinking?! Putting all my eggs into one tiny little tinny aeroplane basket (so to speak). I have always been quite nervous of small planes and it felt like a ridiculous risk to fly in one with my nearest and dearest. However, this perspective wasn’t shared by the rest of the family – who were keen to see the Nazca Lines from the air – so I put a brave face on and crossed all my fingers and toes…
Maille’s part
The Nazca lines were cool and looked amazing. But I didn’t have a good time because I felt sick. The flight was 30 mins, but I felt sick before half way. I saw the monkey, a part of the tree and the spiral.
For those wondering what the story behind the lines is: they were constructed by the Nazca people between 2,000-1,200 years ago and are thought to have formed a key part of religious ceremonies. Contrary to popular opinion they can be seen from the ground (in some places). They are very cleverly constructed so that you can walk along the lines from one end to the other without having to double back and it’s thought that the Nazca people walked along the lines during their ceremonies.
The Nazca culture was an important one in southern Peru. They farmed the fertile river valleys – in the middle of one of the driest places on earth – and built aqueducts to access the ground water that are still working today.
But it wasn’t all fun and games. One of the less attractive habits of the Nazca was their propensity to behead their enemies and drill holes through their skulls so that they could hang them by a rope around their belts. I noticed that most of the victims in the museum were women. Don’t know if there were women warriors or if they were just easier to catch than the men!
We were lucky to find our own oasis in the Nazca desert: El Jardin (The Garden). Being able to retreat from the heat, dust and dirt and relax in a beautiful, cool space was amazing.
There and back again 