January 28th, Part Two

Nazca to Puquio

We left the Nazca area and drove across more desolate mountain roads to the Altiplano or Pampas region. My GPS unit said we were over 15,000 feet and I believe it! It was cold and windy and very isolated. Our little car was running low on gas so we stopped on the top of the mountain at the only stores around. They sold basic staples, cheese, and gasoline poured from a drum into gallon cans. We also bought some cheese and bread for our lunch. After fueling up, we entered a protected area for Vicuna, the endangered relative of Alpacas and Llamas. There were plenty of them around but they were very shy and didn’t want to be photographed. We picked up a young Quechua boy and his mother who were out gathering firewood and gave them a ride into town. They spoke no English and very little Spanish but were very friendly and grateful for the ride. Clouds rolled in and we drove into the small mountain town of Puquio to find a place to stay for the night.

January 28th

Nazca Lines

This was such a long day, I’m going to split it into three parts. Today is our 42nd wedding anniversary and we started the day out right by flying in a small plane over the Nazca Lines in Peru. Our pilot flew us over the Pampa Colorada and dipped and turned the plane so we could get good views of one of the greatest archeological mysteries of the world. There are 800 straight lines, 300 geometric figures, and 70 animal and plant drawings only visible from the air. I was also impressed by the landscape of this area from the air so I’ve included some general landscape photos, too. The first six photos are of the Nazca Lines but you’ll have to look hard to see them!! The Hummingbird, the Spider, the Monkey, the Condor, the Tree and Flower, and the Astronaut.

January 27th

January 27th

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.

January 25-26th: Lima

We left Charlotte on a very cold Sunday flying Delta all the way with free frequent flier tickets. I had e-mailed our hotel in Lima asking if they could send someone to pick us up at the airport since we arrived after midnight. It was a relief to get through customs and see in the waiting crowd someone holding up a sign that said “Thomas E. Manley”. Our driver sped through deserted streets to the locked and bolted doors of our hotel. The Gran Hotel Bolivar is a very old, elegant hotel built in the 1920’s. Luckily someone was awake to answer the bell and undo all of the locks! We splurged and got a three room suite with balconies overlooking Plaza San Martin for less than a room at the Holiday Inn Express would cost at home. The hotel has a lot of character but has seen better days. The next day we walked down to the central plaza to watch the changing of the guards that takes place every day at noon in front of the old palace. Unfortunately, about 15 minutes before noon, squads of riot police and tanks cleared the square of all people. We kept asking if they were expecting trouble but it seems this is an everyday occurrence for security. It certainly limited photo opportunities except for photos of the police!

Peru

Where to begin? We’ve been in Peru for 8 days. We’ve driven 1182 kilometers. So far, Peru is a country of extremes. The countryside has ranged from some of the most desolate land I’ve ever seen to some of the most beautiful. The roads have either been outstanding (better highways better maintained than in the USA) or they have been almost impassable. The food has either been outstanding or regrettable. The people have all been extremely friendly and helpful. I’ve taken over 6000 photos of the people and countryside and hope to post a few here. I haven’t had reliable internet access anywhere, so I’m composing this blog offline and hope to upload when I get a chance. If I don’t get started now, I’ll be hopelessly behind!! Tom has been keeping a journal so I’m going to depend on him for details of what I have photographed along the way. To begin at the beginning see January 25/26. These posts run backwards so it should be the one before this one.

It's Freezing!!

We are at the farm and it was so cold last night - 11F - that the water pipes froze. Tom had to break ice on the pond to dip up water to flush the commode!

This Blog is an experiment. I bought an Acer netbook to take to Peru and am trying it out to be sure I can download, process, and post photos. I really like this little computer and hope it works out!

My Old Kentucky Home

We spent the last three days traveling back to our old farm on the Ohio River in Ammons' Bottom, Kentucky. Our farmhouse there burned to the ground in 1980, probably from faulty aluminum wiring, and the 70 acres have been reclaimed by nature since then. The old barn and chicken house are completely covered with kudzu.









It was a relief to get back to South Carolina and our farm and chicken house here:


We were rewarded today with our first egg from my beautiful ladies, the Golden Comets.

Happy New Year from La Finca de Las Piedras in Rock Hill, SC.!

Tina