This is Nasca, a unique place
due to the mysteries of its marvelous lines and figures,
drawn with spectacular perfection, by the gods... by aliens...
by giants or by ordinary people? The beauty and magnitude
of the lines must be observed from above.
The drawings and their meaning are even more mysterious
than their origin. It is not even known how long it took
to create them, nor how the creators were able to measure
them with such perfection, since there were no aircraft
in those days.
This mystery inspires many theories. In terms of science,
these lines have a series of characteristics potentially
aimed at astronomy or agriculture. Or perhaps they were
created to direct extraterrestrial, as the lines are related
to the earth’s magnetic field, the horoscope, and
may other mysteries, which in the final years of the 20th
century have not yet been deciphered.Its a place in the desert where the ancient Pre-Incas
drew beautiful, specifically designed, giant forms, a
work that would be impossible to carry out in current
times without sophisticate observation methods.
However,
without a doubt, we can guarantee that your visit to
Nasca will be unforgettable... Don’t miss this
enchanting experience!
AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE: 22°
DISTANCE: 460 KMS FROM LIMA
ALTITUDE: 600 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL
TRAVEL TIME BY ROAD: 6 HOURS FROM LIMA APPROXIMATELY
PARACAS, ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST
VALUABLE AND IMPRESSIVE COASTAL HABITATS
Millions of years ago, a cataclysmic earthquake
brought about changes to the land, that together with
the confluence of two great ocean currents, El Niño
and la Peruana or Humboldt, created an environment where
aquatic life could flourish, encouraging abundant growth
of plankton and phytoplankton, essential components for
marine life. There is an astonishingly diverse variety
of biologic life.
In Paracas reserve, scores of sea lions can be seen lazily
basking in the sun align with condors and giants turtles
easing their way through the water.
The winds, the sea temperature, and other weather factors
have created a habitat for thousands of species of marine
fauna and flora, ranging from tiny fish and mollusks to
great seals.
The scenery is beautiful, a fact that ancestral cultures
were well aware of, because it was in this rich area that
a major civilization flourished. Paracas, famous for its
weavings, the finest in the world, inimitable even today.
Paracas opens up a wealth of possibilities for tourists.
You can enjoy them all thanks to the facilities now available.
AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE: 22ºc
DISTANCE: 250 KMS. FROM LIMA
TRAVEL TIME BY ROAD: 3 HOURS FROM LIMA APPROXIMATELY
Continuing south on the Pan American highway is Pisco, a port
city that gave its name to the clear white grape alcohol used
in Peru's national drink, the pisco sour. The invention of
pisco was actually a mistake by Spaniards trying to introduce
grapes and wine production into the dry coastal area of the
New World. However, once they tried this potent, yet smooth,
beverage they decided it had merit of its own.
A pisco sour is a cocktail made from pisco, lemon juice,
egg white and sugar syrup, whipped and served with a dash
of Angostura bitters.
The city, now with 80,000 inhabitants, joined the bandwagon
when revolutionary fever overtook the continent in the early
1800s. Half a block from the town's Plaza de Armas is the
Club Social Pisco used as the headquartersfor liberation leader
General Jose de San Martin while he was fighting the Spaniards.
A statue to this Argentine hero of the independence war is
found on the main plaza - the same square where boat trips
to the Ballestas Islands can be arranged. Originally, Pisco
stood in another spot not far away. But an earthquake in 1687
and subsequent pirate attacks badly darn_ aged the structures
in the city, prompting the viceroy, Count de la Monclova,
to order it moved. Construction of the opulent baroque cathedral
started shortly thereafter, only ending in 1723.
Pisco's small airport serves as the emergency landing strip
when heavy fog prevents planes from descending in Lima; passengers
are then bused to the Peruvian capital or wait until the weather
clears before flying north again. From 1960 to 1970, small
propeller planes of the foreign-owned Consorcio Ballenero
buzzed the waters offshore in a now defunct project to localize
and count groups of whales that regularly ply Peru's coast.
Then, in late 1988, Peruvian scientists, in conjunction with
experts from the Natural History Museum at the Smithsonian
Institute in the United States, announced the appearance of
a new whale species. Named the Mesoplodon Peruvianus, one
of these mammals was inadvertently picked up by fishermen
working the waters between Pucusana and Pisco. The 4-meter
(13foot) long whale is one of the smallest members of the
whale family.
Poor man's Galapagos: Some 5 km (9 miles) down the coast
from Pisco is the Bay of Paracas, named after the Paracas
winds - blustery sand storms that sweep the coast. Transformed
into an ecologically-delicate national park, and a popular
spot for New Year's Day camping, Paracas is a wildlife reserve
boasting a wide variety of sea mammals and exotic birds, among
them the red and white flamingos that allegedly inspired hero
General San Martin to design the red and white independence
flag for Peru.
The beach is lovely, although craggy for swimming and the
waters contain jellyfish. A monument marks where San Martin
set foot in Peru on September 8, 1820 after liberating Argentina.
(A law passed by the National Congress makes September 8 a
provincial holiday.)
Not long after the Argentine's arrival, a shipload of British
troops under the command of Lord Cochrane dropped anchor in
the same bay and headed to shore to help San Martin plan his
strategy against the Spanish. The British motivation was to
break Spain's monopoly on trade in the region.
The famous Candelabro, a candelabra-shaped drawing scratched
on to the highest point of a cliffside overlooking the bay,
can be seen from the beach although it is best viewed from
a boat. Some scientists link the drawing to the Southern Cross
constellation; others say it is actually a stylized drawing
of a cactus - a symbol of power from the Chavin culture, which
flourished farther north but whose influence has been found
great distances from its seat of power. The magic associated
with the cactus is related to its hallucinogenic powers and
use by high priests in ancient Indian cultures.
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