To Machu or Not

Check out the license plate on the bus.  

Today or early tomorrow I will have to make up my mind which road to take, the road that will take me to Cuzco and Machu Pichu, or the other road which will take me to another archeological site and Chile.  Machu Pichu has been closed becuase of rain, it is supposed to open April 1, but there will be a long line of people waiting to get in.  Decisions, decisions.

Today I landed in Nazca, the place with the lines in the sand,  where the ancient indians left secret messages for the flying saucer folks.  

I am staying in resort type hotel right across from the aeropuerto that takes el turistos to see the lines.  I saw one set of lines more economically (1 Sole) from this tower.   I don't know why it looks so crooked in the photo, it looked pretty straight when I climbed it.

I had expected that each figure was like a half a mile long or something.  Maybe some are, but this one was the size of a small playing field (hockey rink?).  Anyway it can be seen fairly clearly from the top of the tower, four flights of stairs, ~10 feet each?

I bought a DVD, I am sure that will have some aerial views.

So I guess you want to know what's up with the van.  Dominic and Belinda have been on the road for about a year and half in the VW.  Dominic was living in BC, and Belinda is from New Zealand.  You can read all about their adventures on their blog, http://vwworldtrip.co.cc Nice people.

I spent yesterday on the beach, and most of today riding through more kitty litter.  About half way here, the road descends into the oasis valley of the Rio Grande and the city of Ica.  Great view driving in. 

The place I am staying, the Hotel Maison Suisse in Nasca (peruvian spelling) is an oasis as well, or was, two tour buses full of various Euros just unloaded, one set in this super cool adventure tour truck-bus, they will be camping in the yard.  Hope they don't stay up all night roasting weenies and telling ghost stories.


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