August 2011
I knew about the Incas before I came to Peru, but had little knowledge of the many complex cultures that preceded them. The Paracas culture that established itself around 800 BC appears to be the oldest in the dry southwestern seacoast of Peru. This was supplanted by the Nazca culture around 100 AD-600 AD. Following devastating droughts from El Nino, the Waris took control of the area (600 AD-1200 AD), before the Incas finally arrived (1400 AD-1532 AD). As none of these left any written records, their histories and customs must be inferred through the buildings, pottery, textiles and mysterious images that they created.
Leaving the Paracas National Reserve around noon, we were faced with choosing between four excellent sites to visit on our drive to Nazca (Nasca). Near the city of Ica, there is a natural oasis with reported medicinal properties (Lake Huacachina); in Ica is the recommended Museo Regional with pottery, textiles, and mummies from ancient local inhabitants; near Pisco is Tambo Colorado, an extensive, well-preserved Inca complex; and then there are the unexplained Palpa geoglyphs carved on a mountain side (photo). We chose the museum and Palpa drawings, wishing we could have visited all four.
On the way to Ica, we passed irrigated fields which support grape vines (Peru's best wine-growing area), fields of red onions (harvested in large reddish bags), and other vegetation. Ica itself is a sprawling desert city (population 246,844) where things can get literally shaken up. It has a history of natural disasters. Like Pisco, it was severely damaged in the 8.0 magnitude earthquake in 2007.
After a lesser quake last October, Ica was again damaged in January 2012 by a 6.2 quake---1,000 homes were damaged and 1,700 people were homeless, but amazingly no one was killed. Fortunately, the ground was at peace when we were there. Ica is a city with old and new churches ( we passed one of many LDS chapels in Peru), modern super stores, lots of crazy traffic, and the small regional museum with some of the best and earliest artifacts of the region. It is also the home of the exclusive resort, Las Dunas, which has been featured on
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
Ica's museum is not fancy, and they had to turn some people away that day as they did not have any cash to make change for the admission price. However, there were interesting displays from Paracas, Nasca and Wari cultures on the evolution of pottery; remarkable colorful blankets and textiles (best of the ancient Peruvians) decorated with intricate patterns, embroidery, and feather art; displays of human mummies as well a mummified parrot and "trophy" heads; and the mysterious Inca knotted quipas which appear to have been used in making calculations and records. The Paracas used trepanning, the deformation of the skull to elongate the forehead, and developed a sophisticated manner of mummification which, with the dry climate, resulted in exceptional preservation of the bodies of these ancient people. Sadly, a number of precious textiles have been stolen. Such items are highly prized in the illegal markets. The museum also had an outdoor miniature reproduction of the Nazca line lay out, so that climbing to the outlook area, we saw the shapes as they would be seen from the air. It helped us prepare for our flight the next day.
After a very refreshing soft ice cream cone and replenishing our bottled water supply at their "Target-like" super store, we continued through dry valleys and mountains toward Palpa. We stopped at one mountain pass to view the rock formation considered to be the profile of Abraham Lincoln. One could clearly see the a face-like rock formation, though I thought it looked more like George Washington! It was dusk as we came to the unexplained Palpa geoglyphs, carved on the side of a mountain. As they were so unusual, I will discuss them in my next post with the Nazca lines.
It was dark when we finally arrived in Nazca. The our hotel was hard to find as we drove through town. There were lots of people out on the streets, and it somehow reminded me of a tough western town. We felt like we had found our own private oasis when we entered the walled Don Agucho Hostal. The rooms were set around a well-designed courtyard with shaped cactus, colorful bougainvillea, and a swimming pool. The rooms were more spartan. We were hungry, so most of us went into town for dinner. Our restaurant was built incorporating native plants, had fire brassieres on the floor for warmth that you had to avoid tripping over that chilly night, local entertainment, and very slow service. We debated what to eat the night before our flight over the Nazca lines, as many experience air sickness. I don't usually have difficulties, but chose a bland pasta dish that was too salty when I probably should have just gotten their great Peruvian food. It was quite late when I crawled into bed, only to have my needed rest interrupted by early morning roosters, barking dogs, and bicycle or cow bells for early deliveries in the surrounding town.
Nazca often has morning fogs that delay flights over the lines. Although we were ready to go early, we received word that our flight would be delayed. This hotel had one of the better breakfasts available, but we only ate a little because we anticipated stomach problems. The airport was one big room with multiple check points with lots of souvenir stalls across the parking lot and even a place for a windy, outdoor massage. After checking in (they weigh each passenger to balance the plane), our driver suggested we use our 2 hour wait time to drive out to the desolate ancient cemetery to see the mummies.
I have seen Rameses II and his mummified companions in the Cairo Museum as well as desert-dried mummies from Western China, but the Nasca mummies found in the Chauchilla Cemetery had far more endearing charm. Since the Spanish arrived, these 1,000+ year-old Nazca tombs have been raided, and whatever treasures, fine pottery, and beautiful textiles they had have been taken by robbers and museums. So there they sit, almost like regular folk except they don't have skin and can't breathe, in the colored robes they were tied into so long ago.
As I understand, the Nasca people had a skilled method to remove the organs after which they dried the bodies and arranged them in a fetal position bundled with robes. Their hair is intact and often long and colorful. I'm not into the macabre, but I liked that these people looked like they had been prepared for their next life with tender care. The separate skulls and bones were from bundles that were destroyed by tomb robbers.
This is the only site in Peru where you can see the mummies in situ, and I think they look pretty comfortable. Along with the dozen or so open tombs, you see many indentations in the surrounding area where other tombs must be. There are reed-woven canopies over the tombs to shade them from the intense sun, but no water-proofing because it just doesn't rain there. Initially, the Nazca people placed the bodies in separate chambers, but later put them in groups. More friendly-like. There were also plates with dried-up food in case they got hungry.
We passed a more recent cemetery on the return, hoping that it was not for those who didn't survive the flight over the Nazca lines. Perhaps visiting a cemetery just before flying is not such a great idea... See the next post for aerial photos and proof I survived (and loved it)!
Click link below for slideshow:
Nazca and the Mummies
Music:
Chucclla, Allpa Machu Piccchu, Vol. II
Additional Information: http://www.tourisminica.com/lugares-ica.php?q=2
http://wikitravel.org/en/Nazca#b
Jose Miguel Helfer Arguedas,
The Nasca Lines, Ediciones del Hipocampo Sac
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