Into thin air...
A change from being the photographer. Thanks for this photo, Shirley.
Up the tower to view some Nazca lines.
Along a long straight road to Nazca. Turn left...
To numerous switch backs on this trano sinuosa. Sinuous winding road.
We wended our way high into the Andes. The lanscape was striking. Barren.
Until we reached about 3500m when grasses appeared. Life supported by moisture from the mountain mists and cloud and also from streams. Some inca irrigation systems are in operation.
Then llama, alpaca, crops, eucalyptus trees, cows and lots of shepherd out tending their herds. One was knitting as she walked along.
Cropping at 14,000 -15000'
Milking.
The chef who prepared our typical local lunch. Chicken soup with noodles, followed by chauf,a which is like fried rice, and today mate coca. Coca tea which we found helpful when we were in Cuzco and Bolivia a few years ago.
It is lovely to strike up conversations with young people. The giggle as they try their English and I try my Spanish.
At 4500m(15000') the air is thin. Probably about 15% oxygen. When we stop for a break we notice a slight light headed feeling.
People appear, as if from nowhere. Waiting for the bus?
Cheeses from the mountain milk.
This must be limestone. The landscape seems as if it is lifted from the sea. Great swathes if rounded river stones, layered with sedimentary rocks and great tilted slabs of rock and much lose rock. The Andes are an active mountain region. The Nazca and the Pacific plates are closeby.
Down, down, down to 2809m (9500') to Chalchuanca for the night.
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