Mental Detours: Peru: Lima, Nazca, Paracas

Day 1

A 4:30 am wake up Wednesday morning started our trip to Peru. We had an early flight to Newark where we connected to Lima. Janet drove us to OHare. Jennifer and I both had TSA precheck so security was easy. We spent a little while in the United club then went to the gate. We had good seats since my complimentary upgrade cleared Sunday morning. The flight left about 15 minutes late. I fell asleep and woke up as we were on final approach. We walked to the United club near our next gate to wait for the connecting flight. Some of the Newark clubs are being renovated so this was a temporary club created by building walls in an open corner of the terminal. There was no bathroom and limited snack options but it was furnished with the usual club seats & tables.

United "Pop Up" Club

Waiting for the next flight

Our flight to Lima boarded on time but departed late. The flight was full and the middle seat didn't stay empty. I gave the aisle up and sat next to Jennifer. Sometime early in the flight one of the flight attendants came to our row looking for Mr. Hamilton. I identified myself and she acknowledged my million miles with a congratulations and a high five. Later she mentioned it to a co-attendant during food service and he offered me a drink but I declined. As we were leaving the plane in Peru they congratulated me again and thanked me. Passport control went fairly quickly and there was no customs stop at all unless you had something to declare. We we found the car service easily and were quickly on our way to the hotel. The drive took about 40 minutes and included some random turns down side streets. I assume the driver was avoiding known traffic areas. We got checked in to the hotel and were upgraded into a room on the 24th floor with a view of the ocean. It was after midnight by the time we got settled in the room and we went straight to bed.

Hotel Lobby

View from hotel room

Day 2

We had a 6:10 pickup for our Nazca Lines tour. We arranged the previous night for a 5 am wake up call and breakfast delivery at 5:15. We finished up breakfast and were in the lobby by 6:05 where we met the driver who took us to the bus station. He also bought our tickets and gave us instructions for boarding and for our return bus trip. It was nicely warm outside. The bus was a very comfortable air conditioned touring coach with wide 1st class style seats that had leg/foot rests and deep recline. Complimentary sandwiches and coffee or tea were served during the ride. Jennifer and I slept most of the nearly 4 hour trip to Paracas.

Cruz Del Sur bus line

Luxury bus seats

We arrived at Paracas and were met by a driver who took us about 15 minutes to Pisco airport where we weighed in and passed through security. We then were told to hurry because the plane was waiting for us. We boarded the 10 seat plane and taxied to the runway. The takeoff was exhilarating. It took about 30 minutes to get to the lines. Once there a guide instructed us where to look to see each figure. We also had a guide card that showed how each figure should look. The pilot made 2 passes over each figure so both sides of the plane could see. The banked turns necessary to maneuver back and forth started to give me a little motion sickness but I was able to get over it. A couple of other passengers did not take it well and appeared to be quite sick. After seeing about a dozen different figures we returned to the airport.

Nazca Lines Flight

Nazca Lines Passengers

Spider

Lizard, Tree, & "Hands"

Condor

Our driver Elio took us to the Paracas National Reserve where an English speaking guide joined us. We drove into the reserve on a road made from salt mined from the reserve. We stopped to view fossils of shellfish that were easily seen embedded in the hard ground. Then we traveled to several scenic viewpoints along the coast including a view of an offshore island covered in guano that Peru used to export as fertilizer. After the tour we headed back to the bus station, stopping first at a cafe where Jennifer and I bought sandwiches and water. We ate our late lunch at an outdoor table behind the bus station. Our return bus was due at 4:10 pm but didn't arrive until 5 because of a flat tire. The return trip was as comfy as the first and we were treated to a beautiful sunset on the Peruvian pacific coast. We ate a late dinner in the hotel restaurant where we shared a fine Peruvian ceviche.