Armchair Traveler: Nazca (Peru)

Peru’s Nazca Lines are one of the ancient world’s miracles. They’re on almost everyone’s bucket list. Many firms offer tour packages and, while they’re not cheap, they won’t cost you the earth. The lines stretch back around 2,000 years. They were made by removing dirt from the surface to reveal the differently colored rock underneath. Most are simple lines and shapes, but dozens of them are animals. They’re best seen from the air. Flying over shapes like The Hummingbird, The Astronaut and The Spider, you’ll be stunned at the size of the shapes — up to around 360 meters long. They are often drawn in a single unbroken line rather than many separate lines. But for such large artworks, they are also unbelievably delicate. Because the lines are only around 30 centimeters deep, they are at the mercy of the elements. A heavy rain would wash them away, a heavy wind blow them flat. Remarkably, the area has seen almost no water or wind for centuries. Why did the Nazca people draw them? Anthropologists think they were probably religious. But why were they so big? And how did the Nazca people decide what to draw? Scientists have many guesses but each guess only raises more questions. There are clues nearby at Cahuachi, an important center of the Nazca Culture. Visit its Great Pyramid and Stepped Temple, where the makers of the Nazca Lines probably prayed. Finally, stop by the Cantalloc Aqueducts, which supplied the ancient people with water all year round. (T) This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.