Chauchilla Cemetary

The Chauchilla Cemetary contains bodies of ancient inhabitants from 200 AD -800 AD.

These remains are mummified and preserved from the arid climate.

Those without the original  heads were sacrificed.

This baby would have been a sacrifical offering.

Burial spots

The indentations in the ground show the locations of the tombs. 

12 of the tombs were uncovered and are visible.  The tombs were specially prepared using mud bricks.

Bones and bits of pottery are scattered in the area.

Mummy Row

The larger tombs were for families.  The bodies were wrapped in cotton and the cotton painted with a resin.

Grave robbers discovered this cemetary and took many of the artifacts.  These human remains are over 1000 years old. 

Boot Hill

The poorer people are buried in this modern cemetary.

Sacaco

Peruvians are beginning to preserve their culture.

Maria lives in this remote area to care for the museum of fossilized sea creatures.

The mural depicts the sea creatures that lived here.

The museum was built around this whale, which was one of the first discoveries.

Beached Whales

Actually, the ocean moved and these remains were uncovered.

Best buddies

Who but a best buddy would lend you one of his flip flops?

Divers search the water near the rocks for shell fish.

Lomas Playa

All of Nazca departs for the Lomas Beach on January 1st.  It's much bigger than the rocky beaches of Marcona.

We visited in earlier before all the people arrived. 

They set up camp and stay right on the beach.

Land of contrasts

Most of the people have TV's and cell phones.

Beach gear like tents, awnings, beach chairs, ect. are rented here, as well as food sold.  We were happy to see the public bathrooms being built on the left. 

 View from the other side 

Downtown area

Who would have thought we'd find a gingerbread house here?

New pet

Anyone care for a banana?

First water of the year from the mountains

Free Enterprise - someone always finds a way to make money.

You can still cross here without paying.  The water only lasted one day-but sandbags are being prepared for when the heavy rains come up in the mountains.

Shortcut

We found a shortcut across the river.  It's marked by the garbage tree.

This is our path down.

We have to pick our path carefully.  As in life, the way gets rocky at times.

 

But there's always someone who's gone before to prepare the way - like our Savior has for us.

nazca's road crew

Hawkes, Daniels, Hoyt, Bastian and Pfeiffer.....Davis and Thorpe must be in the tienda getting a pop.

Another day at the market-but not market day

The feria or market is just a big area where people bring their produce to sell.  It appears they are making it more permanent as we see these structures going up.  We found out there are no assigned spots, but people have their regular places everyone recognizes as theirs-like church benches.  Some of them have gone in together to put up shade.  Thursdays and Sundays you can hardly walk thru here.

The neighbors are being invaded.  (these people live in the corner area)

The squash is sold by the kilo.

  

Oops!

Clean up campaign

The new mayor has started to clean things up.  The field across from us is looking much better.  He's even having the river emptied of garbage.  You get fined now if you put more in.

Pisco

We spent our Couple's Conference PDay at Pisco touring the islands.

We finally got to see some penquins.  Can you find them?

This lobo family is enjoying the sun.

The fisherman brought in boatloads of these crabs.

The break in the rocks that forms an image of Christ overlooking the valley was pointed out to us. 

This is the baby bird nursery.

Doesn't he look sad?  Maybe he's lonesome.

Both starfish and sun starfish are visible on the bank.

What a poser!