May 24 - Full day in Nazca

Woke up very early as we had booked an early flight over the Nazca Lines. It took forever to get to the airport, and board the plane, but Bruce & I need to learn to live in Peruvian time, not ours. 5 of us were seated in a very small plane. Discovered (Nazca Lines) these navigational geoglyphs (figures of animals) difficult to see from the air, which is still the only way to view them. Caught 5 distinct figures, & Bruce caught more. What we did not capture on camera, we purchased postcards for. This was definitely a highlight of our trip, and our reason for stopping in Nazca. So many myths surround the makings of the animal figures designed in the sand, we just do not know what to believe, and neither do the folks around here. It still was a sight to behold.

We´re still in desert country: the weather is dry, skies are blue, with no rain in sight.
Visited the Italian archeological museum in the afternoon, which featured ¨digs¨ and research of the first Indian cultures. The artifacts were fascinating: the history of Peru is amazing.

We continue to meet interesting people every day. The guide from the museum was leaving at the same time we were, and we talked about various things. Peruvians are so interested in how we view their country, and their artifacts. We continue to find them just a delight to be around.

Went for tea and dessert at the same restaurant as last night, as we had made a friend of the waitress, Jennifer. We promised to visit her mother´s pottery studio, so after our snack, we ventured into a whole new Peruvian neighbourhood, and met with Jenny, who demonstrated how she continued the custom of creating original Andean pottery designs, worked on in the ancient Inca way, which she learned from her grandfather, and father. We purchased a small vessel, but we mostly appreciated the conversation and the welcoming manner she had in demonstrating her skill and art to us. As a mother, Jenny is very proud of her children - Jennifer, the waitress, who has acquired a Tourism Certificate in Arequipa, and her other daughter, who is brilliant in math, and plans on being a doctor. Mom showed us the medal her daughter had received.

Walking around the Peruvian neighbourhoods, certainly opened our eyes. There are piles of rubble everywhere, probably due to the frequent earthquakes that happen here. Not everything gets cleaned up, and all labor is manual. We have yet to see signs of machinery anywhere. Did a lot of walking, as we had so much time on our hands today. So many people still are in the streets having a wonderful time, it seems. Cooking smells are everywhere: every street corner has its vendors, and we are dying to eat their food, but do not dare to as yet. Cleaned chickens are on countertops, for sale, in the open air. So are other foods... we just take this all in, continually totally amazed with it all.

Did something different, and it was safe. We took an overnight bus to Arequipa, departing at 10 p.m. and arriving in Arequipa at 7 a.m. (Cruz del Sur is the bus line, and as I have explained before, security is extremely tight. Passengers go through so many checks & cross-checks. Met other traveling couples and shared common travel experiences, plus advice. So many ways to see this country, and so many choices - it´s just amazing how the visitors are spending their time. We´re learning something new every day!)