Nazca Lines and river Rapids.

We made to Nazca to view the incredible lines. We booked a small 3 seater light aircraft to fly over the lines. You go up at about 300 feet so you get a very good view of these ancient lines. The pilot also liked to tip the plane on it´s side to get a beter view. We were told that a lot of people didn´t hold on to their lunch during the flights.

The lines them selves are a real spectacle. Massive triangles dug into the ground looking just like runways and massive images of animals that could only really be seen from about 300 feet. Dogs, monkeys, birds and even a astronaught all etched into the desert ground.

Sue and I made it without revealing our breakfast to the pilot, although Sue did admit that she had a funny five minutes half way through the flight. We only spent the one night in Nasca and then made our way into high altitude. The first stop being Arequipa. At a mere 2500 metres, surrounded by mountains and on the foot of a active volcano Arequipa is something to behold. We didn´t have time to see the second deepest canyon in the word, the first being just next door and only 100 metres deeper, so we went wight water rafting. Neither of us had done this before but were very excited at the prospect. The guide said that we would be running 1 to 4 graded rapids. 5 being the highest and 6 being unrunnable. He also told us that if you run a grade 6 rapid and come out alive then it goes down to a 5!

The experience was very exciting and a lot more dangerous than we first thought. We were on the raft with three americans. You really have to work hard to get down rapids, paddling hard when the guide shouts you orders and diving from one side of the raft to the other to avoid flipping the raft. We were told that there was only one place that it was likely we would flip but it hadn´t happened to anyone for about 4 months....Guess what. We flipped the raft. We came careering into what looked like a smallish boulder sending the nose of the boat up and to it´s side. I held on for as long as possible and watched the American, who was up front with me, fall in followed by me on top of him. Sue and the other two swiftly followed into the freezing, rocky, mountain rapids. I saw the American kick free just as the raft fell back on top of me trapping me between a rock and it´s hull for what seemed like a eternity. It was only a matter of seconds before I was free but the a headline “four tragically die in Peruvian rapids” did flash through my mind . The fun wasn´t over yet. We were still in the rapids. The river swept us on. Sue, managing to find most of the rocks and boulders, in the river bounced down to calmer waters where we were rescued by another raft and the safety kayaker. I got off lightly regarding hitting rocks on the way down but Sue was covered in bruises the next day.

We still had more river to run and we completed it bruised and drenched. It was still very fun and I would like to do it again but without the near drowning.