Nazca Video - EL MONITO!!!

Our plane ride around the Nazca Lines. In the video if you look closely you should be able to see the monkey (el monito) design. Enjoy!

Nasca

Hola from Nasca! Amy, Michelle, Rachel and I have had a fabulous couple of days here. Here are a few quick pictures from our adventures.

On our first day we were unable to go sand boarding so instead we went on a quick tour of some landmarks located slightly outside of Nasca. First stop was to see some aquaducts.

Still funcioning ancient aqueducts built by a pre-Incan society.

Michelle and Amy listening to our archeologist tour guide.

Then it was on to a cemetary that had pretty much been dug up by grave robbers. Our tour guide walked right over the bones - crunch, crunch, crunch. Hmmm...

Hair left over from the mummies burried there.

Our tour guide also had no qualms about picking things up. To each their own, I guess, but I thought it was best to let the poor little skeleton just sit there undisturbed.

Me with some human remains. Fabulous!


Rotting baby... oh boy. Luckily, our tour guide/archeologist taught us that when digging through ancient remains we should only touch bone that is white. Yellow rotty bone has bacteria. Ew.

After digging through ancient remains we headed off to the sight of a pyramid that is currently under excavasion.

But first we drove past a modern day cemetary.

Amy, Rachel, Michelle and me standing in front of the Cahuachi ruins.

Pre-Incan finger prints.

Sunset behind the ruins.

In pure Peru fashion, our van broke down on our way back into town. Lucky the engine, which was suspiciosly located under the driver´s seat, just needed to cool off for a while and then we were back on our way. By the way... deserts are FREEZING at night. Definitely not smart to wear tank tops.

Back at the hostel we met up with some British guys and went out to a cheap dinner, then back to the hostel to celebrate my besties, Amy and Michelle, coming to visit.

This picture could have been taken almost ten years ago... it looks like Michelle and I are back in the U of I dorms. Oh boy. Anyway, drinking wine out of our old water bottles. We had no glasses for our wine and you know what they say, necessity is the mother of invention. Oh yeah, we´re classy.

Day two we went up in a terrifying little prop plane... but I´ll do anything to see my Nazca lines. Amazing!

Rachel and Amy cheezing it up for the camera.

Michelle and me in the prop plane ready for take off. Thank goodness Michelle was sitting next to me to hold my hand during the flight. It was crazy! We were perpendicular to the ground so that we were able to look out the windows at the drawings below and then we would fly in tight circles around the drawing to get a look at it from all angles. Crazy!

Flying over the hummingbird figure. Most of my other photos didn´t turn out as well. Sad sad, nevertheless the experience was amazing. Once in a lifetime kind of thing. I loved it.

Soon we´re off to Arequipa just to spend the night and then onto Puno/Lake Titicaca. Until then...

Itinerario

This is the month I have been waiting for... my girls are coming down to see me!!! That´s right, in three short days Rachel, my American roomie since October, and I will be heading into Lima to pick up my besties, Amy and Michelle, at the airport. Crazy times are sure to ensue. I can´t wait! Here are the plans:

Tuesday November 24 - Lima
Rachel and Heather head into Lima

Wednesday November 25 - Lima
Pick up Amy at the airport and celebrate her 28th birthday! Pisco Sour anyone?

Thursday November 26 - Lima
Pick up Michelle at the airport and celebrate Thanksgiving by carving potatoes into the shape of a turkey.

Friday November 27 - Lima/Nazca
Sand boarding... thank you Michelle and Dan for forcing me to break my face snow boarding maybe now I can take it up a notch and do it on sand.

Saturday November 28 - Nazca/Arequipa
Check out crazy Nazca lines (Isn´t there a drawing of a large naked man in the sand? I would like to see that please.)/Travel day

Sunday November 29 - Arequipa/Puno
Lake Titicaca... um, best name ever.

Monday November 30 - Puno
More Lake Titicaca Island Action... apparently we need to bribe locals with fruit. Bring on the oranges.

Tuesday December 1 - Puno/Cuzco

Wednesday December 2 - Cuzco

Thursday December 3 - Cuzco

Friday December 4 - Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Try not to fall off cliff.

Saturday December 5 - Machu Picchu
AMAZING!!!

Sunday December 6 - Cuzco/Lima

Monday December 7 - Lima
Michelle flies back to Chicago... Tear tear

Tuesday December 8 - Lima
Amy flies back to Chicago... Tear tear
Rachel and Heather go back to Huancayo... but only for 12 days! Sweet!

The plan is to update the blog every few days again so check back often... you know how I love those comments.

Cheers!