Ica to Nazca

October 26th October Ica to Nazca

Tut Tuts at dawn

Road through the hills

A nice leisurely awakening and then breakfast, with time to take the views from the 5th floor restaurant. The traffic hadn't really got going at 7.30 am but thought I'd get a photo of the Tut tuts and consrtuction workers across the street who were preparing some shuttering work. They are using propped up pieces of timber! I left the hotel and was on the road by 9.30am, still not happy with the chain but better than it was (marginally).In all of Latin America there is always some deal at traffic lights - the norm is drinks and snacks and the usual windscreen clean, but in Peru they top all of  these with Circus skills - uni cycles, jugglers and gymnast strut their stuff before the traffic. I don't see much money changing hands, but maybe the purpose is to be spotted by Mr. Chipperfield. My friend Lisa Hartley needs to get on over here, there's plenty of talent waiting to be snapped up.

With only 90 miles to travel I could afford to take my time and take in the views, which again were staggering - desert interspersed with oases (is that the plural of oasis?).  I have taken some pictures but the wifi is so weak where I am staying that it won't allow me to upload (will do so tomorrow). On my journey today I went passed the famous world heritage site of the Nazca Lines (Google them as they are truly astonishing). Their age and origin are unknown and one can only see them from the air. They are huge drawings etched into the vast desert plain. I was tempted to go up in a plane to see them but $100 is a lot of money and just seeing the place and the lines on the ground was enough for me. Photos on Google are far better and more extensive than I could ever take. It is a mystical place as you get these swirling dust tubes like mini tornadoes moving across the plain.

The famous Nazca lines

Man on his way to work

The Nazca Plain

The weather has changed and is incredibly hot and no wind. As I have moved more inland I'm suspecting that this is the reason for the increase in temperature. The hotel Casa Hacienda Oasis, really is what it says - the town is dusty, dry and breathless, whilst my lodging is very much the opposite. I am frustrated by my chain so upon dumping my stuff in my room I did what i should have done in the first place - read the manual. I have been adjusting the chain on the centre stand (this takes the back wheel off the ground) but I should have been adjusting the chain with the side stand, as this means the wheel stays firmly on the ground. This way the tension is correct when it is adjusted. Having done this the chain is now perfectly adjusted. AT LAST!!!!
You may be wondering why I made such a small trip today when I have a 300+ mile trip tomorrow - the reason is there are few settlements and thus accommodation between my last stop Ica and tomorrow's destination Abancay. Not only is at far in distance the road will be slower as it twist and gains height as it makes it way into the pre Andes. So tomorrow will be an early start and I guess a long day. The day after will be much shorter, so plenty of time to recover for my trek up Machu Picchu on Friday.
I had an email today from Adventurebike rider magazine inviting me to write a piece for their magazine and to post one of my blogs onto their webite. Ofcourse I asked 'How much' - I've yet to have a reply! Be quite intersting to have something published, but hardly a book is it.

*Footnote
Throughout Peru I have seen very large Marqui like structures in the desert and wondered what they were - apparently they are factory chicken houses. Not great conditions for the chickens. Will restrain from Polo from now on.