8. Nazca Lines
Day 132
I wanted to leave the oasis of Huacachina early but the cook slept in and the breakfast was late. I have nowhere to rush, I am going only to Nazca which is about 135 km.
I hit the rush hour in Ica and plenty of road constructions. I do what everybody else is doing, I ride where is any room to squeeze my bike through. Eventually I get through everything and I am humming along nicely. There is not too much to look at unfortunately. It is all desert out here. It is dusty but the road is fairly good. I am for the most part fart away from the ocean. Just sand and dust here.
There are lots of signs for different archeological sites but I am not interested in this heat to ride through the desert. I hope I’ll see it all from air.
I am in Nazca (I find they use both spelling, Nazca and Nasca, take your pick) before noon. There are few viewing platforms but he terrain around is flat so you can’t see too much from them so I continue.
I’d like to check in to my hotel which should be right by the airport. But I can’t find it! It is not where it is marked on the map. Oh well, lets go to the airport to see if I can catch a flight today.
There is a nice parking right by the terminal. Right way there are bunch of people trying to offer their flight. I pick one, having no idea which one is which. I park right in front of the terminal and get inside to see what they have. Long story short, they have a flight within 30’. Perfect. Later I found that I paid waaaaay too much for 30’ flight. But who cares. I am in, get through the scanner and off to to our airplane. It is Cessna 206, I used to fly it 40 years ago … They have 5 other passengers and 2 pilots. Not sure why … A quick brief and we are taxing for take off. After getting airborne the pilot explains that he will circle left and right over the figures on the ground so everybody can take pictures. We are about 1,500 above ground. The first figure come to view and I snap bunch of pictures. To my surprise, the figures are fairly small, one 100-200m. I expected them to be much larger, not sure why. 30’ went by too quickly and we are on the final approach back in Nazca. The pilots have a big laminated sign in the cockpit asking for tips. And before, during and after the flight they again were asking for tips. It just rubs me wrong way, very unprofessional.
Nazca lines done, I am back searching for my hotel. No luck. Screw it. It is still very early so I decided to head down the cost and see how far I can go. The road is nice and winds its way along the coast line. The scenery changes, first there are flat plains of nothing but sand. Then it changes to rocks which could be mistaken for the moon. All very inhospitable. No towns, not gas stations. Luckily my bike has a big tank so it is rarely a problem. But I get another full tank in the first station I see. Just in case. Change of scenery again, this time endless sandy beaches. Lots of sand on the road as well. The road follows the shoreline, sometimes hundreds of meters on the cliff. No guardrails. But the ride itself is very cool. There are not too many towns here and they are all dusty and dirty. There is no vegetations here just an occasionally some shrubs. Very windy so you get sandblasted the whole day. Not a best place in the world. It is nice to ride through it but wouldn’t want to live here.
I didn’t like the first town so I am heading to the next one. I should be there just before the sunset. Cutting it quite close today. But there are not many choices here. I don’t have my hotel booked so I hope I’ll find one very quickly. Don’t fancy riding in this traffic after dark. I roll into the town 2’ before the sunset. I ride through the mad traffic through the middle of the town. The first hotel I check has everything I need. Sold. I park my bike inside the courtyard and off for a dinner. It was a very long day. 550+ km plus a flight over the Lines. But it was a great day!
Heading inland and into the hills tomorrow.