Nazca Lines

After breakfast, we started the ascent of the sand dune, which is right next to our hotel. It is 200 meters high. It was a tough climb, but the view was great. Here you get a really good overview of the city's location in the middle of the desert around the small lake. At 8:45 am we took the Cruz del Sur bus to Nazca - 1.5 hours 33 S per person - where the world famous and mysterious signs can be seen in the desert around Nazca city. No one knows why they were made, how they were made and who made them. In this area it doesn't rain, nor is the wind strong enough to erase the many mysterious signs on the ground, which is why they have been there for over 2000 years. This attraction consists of 800 lines, 300 geometric figures and 70 drawings of animals and plants spread over 500 km2. They are best viewed from the air as the signs are so large that they cannot be seen from the ground. This fact also adds to the mystery. Why were signs made 2000 years ago that could only be seen from the air? Was it to honor the gods? Were the signs used as a footpath for religious ceremonies? One theory claims that the Nazca people knew how to make and fly hot air balloons, so they could enjoy the signs from the air. A German woman, Maria Reich, spent most of her life studying the Nazca Lines and trying to protect them. For many years, the government didn't care about preserving the signs, which is why the Panamerican Highway is built right over the tail of a drawing that looks like a lizard. Maria Reich's theory is that the Nazca people constructed these signs and lines, as many of the same signs appear in the decoration on their clay pots. The lines are supposed to be an astronomical calendar used for agriculture. Maria Rech's house is today preserved as a museum and is also where she is buried along with her sister, who came to care for Maria when she became old and weak. Nazca Lines is best seen from the air, but due to two plane crashes this year, several companies have been closed because their planes were too old. Therefore, only 3 companies offer a flight over Nazca Lines, which means that prices have increased significantly. 30 min. costs 85-100 usd per person. We chose instead to see the signs and lines from 2 observation towers and a natural viewpoint from a small cliff. You get a small sense of what it's all about. It costs 35 S per person. After seeing the city's main attraction, many people take the bus late at night at 22:00. We did the same. Cial, a competitor to Cruz del Sur, is slightly cheaper. The buses are of the same good standard and there is service on board. Cial's security measures require you to be fingerprinted and filmed before boarding. A Cruz del Sur ticket costs 86 S. A Cial ticket costs 60 S. The trip takes 9 hours. If you don't want to leave the city so soon, try climbing the world's highest sand dune, which is 2 km high.