Wednesday
We don't wake early which is nice. It's still hard to get out of bed. Tonight is an overnight bus. Not looking forward to that. We catch it about 10.30pm. Bed time comes late in Peru. Shops and restaurants open till late.
We have breakfast of fruit and bread rolls. Lunch is included as part of the tour.
We were only going to take taxi to view the nasca lines, but is going to be more expensive than planned tour, so we join the tour. We climb a rickety scaffold like tower and view hands and a tree. I buy a mini lama/ alpaca key ring. The lines are interesting how they have survived. There is a lot of unknowns about them. Discovered and investigated by German sisters; both who died single in the late 90's. They are now protected, but previously little care was given them and cars used to drive amongst them, now prison time for trespassing.
We visit the museum of the German discoverer. There is a preserved mummy on display and interesting pottery depicting childbirth.
On return to the hostel ( more like motel here) we are introduced to a strange yummy fruit inside a long bean like shell. The fruit is in segments, is white and fluffy kind of like candy floss with a big black seed. It grows on trees around the property.
We wander around and join together for a group lunch at 2pm: a special pachamanca ceremony. Malcolm and another girl act as earth parents and bless the earth before digging up our meal cooking underneath. Very much like a Maori hungi (?spl). The food is delicious and there is meat, beans, corn, small yellow potato, normal potato, sweet potato, and tamel's with sauces.
Lunch lasts 1.5 hours and then we relax in the pool. It is dark and overcast but and spits a few times. We meet the tour that is going I the opposite direction and chat about the highlights etc. lots on their group had been sick, some even with the mumps! Malcolm hasn't had that vaccine!
After the swim we shower and put our clothes out to dry by the strong fan and pack up our bags.
The internet quality is poor so I am unable to upload by blogs for days!
It's going to be a long night I think. We leave for town at 8:30 and catch the bus at 10. Apparently the night busses are either hot or cold.