We left the west coast of Peru and headed inland. Our eventual destination was to be Ollantaytambo, an old Inca town, in the Sacred Valley. First we had to cross some desert, see some lines in the sand and scale the Andes.

Our first stop was a place everyone has heard of – Nazca. In the desert landsacape, about 2,000 years ago, the Nazca culture etched lines into the earth’s surface on the arid ‘red plain’. They extend over 190 square miles.

In total, there’s over 800 straight lines, 300 geometric figures and 70 plant and animal designs. Some of the straight lines run up to 30 miles.

The lines are created by removing the top 12 inches of red oxidised rocks on the surface to reveal a light coloured contrasting sand underneath. The lines have persisted because there’s so little rain and erosion.

There have been many theories as to why the Nazca lines were created, ranging from astronomy to the popular 60’s ideas of ancient astronauts and aliens. However, current theory is the lines are related to rituals related to water and fertility.

Nazca region receives so little rain a year and water was clearly an important factor. The straight lines are not used to actually find water but rather used in connection with the places rituals were performed to pay a debt to the gods and plead for water.

Here’s a tree, a jumping toad and a bit of a lizard (the road cuts through its poor big body). All three are related to water and fertility in the Andean world.

Now a view across the desert landscape.

Finally, a view down the road through the valley. This is typical of the landscape we have been travelling through in the last few days.

To get these photos we had to climb an observation tower. No easy feat in full motorcycle clothing. Susan was lucky – she had some nice Galahad to carry her jacket for her.

When we arrived at our hotel we had the offer to go up in a small plane and see more lines in the sand. But after a very hot dusty day being jiggled about on a motorcycle, one of us climbing a blinking high tower in the basking sun lugging two heavy heavy motorcycle jackets, what do you think we chose to do?

Of course, we spent the latter part of the afternoon with our good old friend Mr Beer. It was awesome!

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