A LA DERECHA!!! A LA DERECHA!!! (To the right, to the right)

If anyone ever asks me if I saw the Nazca Lines while I was in Peru, I will most assuredly tell them yes. When they ask me if I almost died, I will nod my head vigorously and try not to think about the flight.

For those who are not ancient Incan experts (i.e. most of us), the Nazca lines are figures drawn in the desert of Peru. They were left there by the Incans. Why? While there are a hundred different guesses, no one really knows what they were purpose they served. In fact, no one could even see them until the early 1900s when air planes rose above the deserts of Peru.

Since the people of Nazca were not able to recognize the lines from the ground, it makes sense that tourists aren't able to either. Unfortunately Continental Airlines does not fly over the lines. Neither does Delta. Only Aero Condor makes the trip. The plane was not exactly a Boeing 757.

Actually, the plane only had 6 seats. We had to sit according to our weight in order to maintain balance. Before "take off" we were each given a "special airplane bag" and a set of headphones. I would like to set the record straight and maintain that, although I did turn a bit green, I never used my "special airplane bag" during our flight.

The takeoff was a bit rough as we bounced off the runway. The flight was much rougher. The desert stretched out in front of us, and the Nazca Lines were everywhere at once. Seeing the figures themselves is a bit difficult, and the pilot wanted to make sure everyone got to see them.
Usually the left side of the plane would go first. The pilot would dip the plane completely sideways, while shouting the name of the figure we were looking at in Spanish. Everyone on the right side of the plane would cramp the people on the left, trying to get an early view. The plane would spiral downwards for a few seconds and then it would be the right side's turn.

Now the pilot would shout "A LA DERECHA, A LA DERECHA" (ON THE RIGHT, ON THE RIGHT). Everyone on the right would now peer down as the plane barrel rolled to the right 180 degrees. Peering downwards for a few seconds usually was enough time for me to spot the figure, take a picture, contemplate losing my lunch, and talk myself out of it. There were over 10 figures and the ride lasted 30 minutes. Self control is a beautiful thing…

The photos of the lines are below. I have added some circles to make spotting them a bit easier for you than it was for me.

The plane.

A monkey (I liked this one the best).

A hummingbird!

A spider.