August 23, 2006

August 23, 2006

Nasca along with Machu Picchu are on my must-see list for Peru. Most other people, I am sure, never heard of Nasca; but when I was young, the book “Chariots of the Gods” was popular and I remember reading it intently and pouring over its pictures. The book theorized that in prehistoric times alien astronauts had visited the earth suddenly advancing human civilization. Some of the proof of these ancient visits was the pyramids of Egypt and Mexico and the Lines of Nasca.

After arriving in Nasca, we head to our hotel, check in and snooze for an hour or two. Our hotel is 100 yards from Nasca’s tiny airstrip. I have a reservation for an overflight of the area but for now the airport is closed because of Peru’s persistent coastal fog. No problem, this will give Aimee and I a chance to shower and eat some breakfast.

At 11:00am I am strapped next to the pilot with two other passengers in a Cessna-like prop plane. The plane is old but the youngish pilot looks conscientious. He crosses himself as we begin our take-off! Once in the air we head to the desert land northwest of Nasca. Almost immediately you can see lots of lines and what looks like alien “landing strips” throughout the desert. Harder to notice from 2500 feet, and smaller and farther apart are the animal drawings. With the pilots help we see a dozen, including a hummingbird, monkey, dog, condor, spider and parrot. And the “Chariots” prime evidence, an alien-looking astronaut drawn on a flattish part of a mountain. None of these lines or drawings can be recognized or appreciated from anywhere but from the air. They were only discovered in the mid 20th century when air travel came to Peru. Still today scientists have a hard time offering better reasons for the existence of these very strange geoglyphs. Why would 'earthbound' prehistoric people make gigantic drawings that they couldn't 'see'? Could they have been 'greetings' for visiting alien astronauts?

After the overflight, Aimee and I head into the small town center for a delicious lunch and a quick run-thru of the small and uninteresting local museum.

Back at the hotel, we watch a replay of a BBC TV documentary on the Nasca lines. The show reminds me that in Lima, the archeological museum had a display of Nasca “alien” skulls. The accompanying scientific explanation said that ancient Nascans used to shape their babies skulls into these “alien” deformations to signify them as “elite”. Need more proof?