Early this morning we picked up our rental car, a Suzuki Jimny, at the airport and started out for Cusco. We’ve been told to plan on three days for the drive rather than the two I had anticipated. Traffic was not as bad in Lima as in most big cities. Lima has over 8 million people but the streets and highways are well marked and traffic flowed smoothly. We took the coast road, the Pan American Highway, and it goes through some of the most desolate country I’ve ever seen - dry, brown hills and lots of trash and shacks. Some look like failed developments but I can’t imagine anybody wanting to live there. The few trees that had been planted had to be watered regularly by a tank truck to survive.
Once we turned slightly inland and crossed some mountains to a river valley, the scenery changed dramatically. I’ve never seen such an obvious indication of the difference water makes. The river valleys are beautiful and green and intensely cultivated. All day we went back and forth between dry, brown desert and lush green valleys. We passed a tower where you could view the famous Nazca lines but didn’t stop because we plan on viewing them from the air tomorrow. We found a very nice hotel across from the Nazca airport and finished the day having gin and tonics by the pool.
1 comment:
That first picture could have been taken in AZ - I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to live there! Great photos... I hope you'll be able to get some pictures of the Nazca lines from the airplane!
Post a Comment