Chapter 2
Nazca Lines
April 22nd, 1991
I woke up one hour earlier than the alarm set on the 1st day of Peru, maybe I still had a little bit of tension still. I tried to meditate for a while but I couldn't concentrate well, I gave up. After all, I washed my teeth with Perrier like Tadashi did last night to make me completely awake. We both prepared well to go to Nazca Lines, then went up to the Restaurant on the top roof of the hotel. I think it was the first time eating breakfast on top of the roof and last.
The View from the top roof was very devastating. Many of the high rise buildings were pretty much abandoned, there were no tenants doing business. Houses nearby hotels were mostly far out of shape, many of them did not have roofs, broken windows, I saw very simple old wooden furniture inside, seems like people were camping on their own property. Maybe after World War II in Japan or other country was like this. War crashes people's life to suffer. When I saw this world of terror done by internal terrorism, I sure understand some may want to attach wealth Japanese because of this miserableness, frustrations, despair, anger etc. I couldn’t understand if a country like this existed in this century, and I felt so sad, seriously hoped for global peace and prosperity.
Morning of city was far different than last night, with people walking around the streets to go to work. Our bus passed through high income residential area, houses were painted in flamingo pink and Emerald Green, Turquoise, but sky was covered by clouds, some time dull blue gray sky appeared, if sky was so blue and bright like Miami, it sure looked different, beautiful, but that day of morning everything was colorless with emptiness, all around town was surely depressed. After this Bus drove into the area, unlikely to be a slammed ghetto. Building walls and also roofs were broken down, that area was pretty much destroyed. And suddenly tears came up and started to run down my cheeks. I felt bit strange because I was very calm and I immediately knew it was not from me to sympathize with the people who live in this town, I was not emotionally disturbed by it. I had a hard time why tears ran down and wondered why. I could not find a reason for me to tear up, and soon later Bus started to run through a deserted field near the Airport, that strange tears disappeared somehow. There were few people walking in the dried out deserted field, somehow I felt unknown nostalgia inside me, and then Airport buildings started to appear.
Airport parking lot looked so different from last night, so quiet and there were almost no people inside of terminal. We passed the gate, through a very simple security check, baggage check was unbelievably sloppy, security personnels seemed like do not care much and I wasn’t sure if the machine actually works or not.
We divided into three groups on board a small Jet. During the slowly running landing strip, we saw militaries Helicopters, middle and big size bombers, combat aircrafts very closely. They were still alive and well maintained to be ready anytime intact.
When our airplane came through thick clouds, white sugar cotton candy like carpet of clouds appeared beneath. We flew above featureless white shades for about one hour, clouds started to thinner, reddish desert ground showed up. Low mountains curves continued awhile, there was a totally dried up waterless river run through the valley like snake moves.
There were almost no green trees, upland fields time to time appeared but were also colorless. Only by shoreline succeeded to make the field actually can grow vegetation.
Soon later the airplane, getting close to Nazca, started to see mysterious geometric lines here and there.
Weather of Nazca was so hot, sunlight made the ground totally dry, I feel UV burns my skin harshly. Mountains nearby airports have no trees, greenery I saw was only cactuses. I was so amazed to see a life actually can sustains in this dried up Mars like harsh envelopment.
After past ancient civilization how hoe disappeared, dreams of people evaporated to thin air, life of vegetations sprouts, slowly mutated or adjusted to thrive along with their environments. We are also on the same evolutionary path, with times, with climate changes, we humans also will change our DNA structures to live with enviloments. All of living things in our planet continues to change, continues to evolve., keep lives going, to thrive. Only one thing never changed may be will to live, or desire to live.
There were rush tropical Desert Jewel greens thrived around a Restaurant nearby that looked like an oasis in the middle of desert. It has a pool in center court, the water surface was reflecting sunshines like countless tiny diamonds shining and waving constantly. Vibrant magenta pink Bougainvilleas blossomed in white walls.
I ended up going on a mini Nazca city tour with other people, and the bus went through Pan American Highway killing time until our flight. Surprisingly the town of Nazca was surrounded by greens, people seemed like having relaxed morning time, seems like time flows somehow slower there. I asked a tour guide how people of Nazca could have such an abundant life in this dried desert land that only rains in a short rain season. He told me because Ancient Nazca civilization built underground water systems, and it is still working. These unbelievable facts told they had such technological advancement and knowledge in the far past.
We visited small Museum in town, there were many of potteries and fabrics findings excavated around here, beautifully designed in Nazca motifs such as very geographical and patterns, and there was few mummies rapped by bandages exibisited.
We were guided to a hotel covered by green Ivy. Inside of this hotel was very impressive, it has a corridor along with a beautiful garden in the center of the building, and then we met a Dr. Maria Reiche known for Nazca Line Theory which I did not expected to meet.
Dr. Maria was was a German mathematician, archaeologist, and technical translator, research into the Nazca Lines from 1940. She lived a room in that hotel, walls were covered by pictures of Nazca Lines and Maps for measurements, tools and her journal was on her desk.
She was laid down in single bed aligned with wall. She was very quiet, slammed like in sleep, I wondered whether she was actually still with her own body or already half departed to be somewhere else. It was little sad to see it that way.
A lady from our group wento her bed, came close to her, took Dr. Maria’s hand, close to Maria’s ear and talked to her with tears. I did not hear their conversations well, she told Dr. we came from Japan to see Nazca Lines, and the Doctor somehow started to sing a famous song “Sukiyaki” with a tiny voice for us.
She was born in West Germany, ended up this land, and she will departure to other side of world, perhaps to the world of empire entirely made of desert sands. I noticed a traditional Japanese Kimono Doll on top of a drawer next to her bed looking down at Dr. Maria. It was a gift from Eriko Kusuda, well known Television personality at that time and Eriko publicly expressed her interest about Nazca Lines through the media. I think that doll eye witnessed everything in that room until Maria passed away in 1998, seven years after our visit.
After we came back from the tour, there were few people already back from flying, and we asked how it was to some people and most of us warned us about air sickness instead of talking about excitement seeing the Nazca Line from Sky. We took this advice and decided to not have lunch before our flight, instead we ordered cold fountains to wait.
Soon later Kazumi came back from flight, and she also mentioned airsickness, she has been riding in a small Cessna, and she had confidence not to have air sickness, but this was different, Kazumi felt shick and warned us like others did, to be ready for it.
Me, Tadashi and Tour conductor, Yuko from our group and caucasian lady on board the Cessna and it rapidly run through runway quickly fly up to the sky. It was not like a commercial jet at all, its quickly fly up in high degree and I saw reddish brown deserted land beneath.
Honestly I was really chicken out and almost threw up immediately, if I breathe wrong I thought I definitely will throw up.
Cessna suddenly fell into an air pocket a couple of times I needed to really control myself not to throw up. Flight was incredibly tough as they mentioned. But I did not want to end up not seeking Nazca Lines because of airshickess, I was so afraid to look down the ground from window first, but I made mind to look without thinking anything, Nazca Lines was already appeared and I saw many of straight lines and narrow triangles and then I started to push button to take pictures.
When I started to take pictures suddenly Cessna ascending in rapid curve, what i was seeing was drastically changed from fascinating Nazca Lines to very bright white sky, my internal balance sense could not adjust to that speed, I felt so sick and almost thought something up from already shrinked empty stomach. Somehow I was so afraid keep looking at white sky and I looked down instead made me far stable. Keeping my eye on the parameter in front of me and looking down ground worked well to avoid air sickness.
Enigmatic Nazca Lines made by thin lines appeared next to next. a dog with strangely long leg, breaching whale, a Pelican with wondrous beak, Stork with a very long neck like thunder lightning, and then the most well known Winged Hummingbird like maze appeared. Others were Monkey and Geometric pattern like Square, narrow Triangles just look like Airport Runway, and a truck run through Pan American Highway looked so small like a rice seed.
Obviously our pilot was veteran, he drove his Cessna like his own body as his will, he announced us what is showing on right side of window, and he sporked some Japanese time to time. Probably he learned from Japanese tourists in the past.
As of this flight climax, he introduced us to the Astronaut who drew on to a small mountain-like hill and passed by, it was not like our astronaut. Obviously it looked like a being from outer space, had big eyes and an unproportional shape not similar to us human.
Pilot fly back again to see it one last time adn then fly around over Nazca town for awhile. Views from sky was pretty deserted look, many houses did not have roof, and its remind of me city view of Lima from rooftop of hotel we stayed.
Finally we landed safely to the ground, my legs were shaking somehow, received certificate from our pilot, then took a picture with him and then back to retaurant everybody awaits. Yuko seems like no problem with that tough flight and she told us she was so moved unexpectedly. Coping with airsickness depends on persons I thought.
At restaurant Tour conductor were very quiet and still feeling sick holding sick bag. Tadashi was fine taking pictures for groups. We sat at a table except the Tour conductor, and ated luch no problem as we thought, and tasted Coca tea which is known for high elevation sickness for the first time. Taste was very light and refreshing, close to tea made from bean in Japan.
Experiencing looking down Nazca Lines was such an excitement in many degrees, but I did not moved like Yuko did emotionally for myself, but surely it has something beyond our understanding. Soon later the sky of Nazca started to change its colors. We now know of sunsets near, when we arrived in Lima, the sun had already started setting a horizon.
After back from Nazca, me and Tadashi, and Mr. Kubokki went to a top roof restaurant, and two ladies seemed like mother and daughter came after, sit next to our table. Naoko was 17 years old, the youngest in our group, Sakkie was Naoko’s mother’s close friend, and mom asked her to accompany her daughter. We started to talk about the Nazca Line experience and stories, and suddenly Naoko said.
“OH! WOW! UFO is there!”
We all stood up and out to the balcony, and started to look up at the night sky to find a UFO. Naoko pointed out the part of the sky to look at, there were many stars there, and at first I have no idea where to look. Even Naoko showed us where to look out. Within a few seconds, Sakki found it next and I also found it quickly but Tadashi and Kubokki somehow struggled to find it.
Recognizing UFO’s location in vast night sky with countless stars was a bit strange experience I thought. At first I have no idea where it is, and a few seconds later somehow suddenly I kinda knew its location somehow, I automatically recognized it. I felt like maybe the UFO sent some kind of signal to let me know the exact location. When this kind of cognition come, I knew thing without thinking or anything. I just knew.
The UFO we saw this night almost looked like a star, but slightly bigger and shines light far brighter. If people are not giving close attention, probably most people would not notice that it's a UFO because it just looks like other stars in the night sky.
It has at least 4 lights, each light changed colors orange, green, pure white like diamond shines, and continues circulating very slowly. It just hovered and did not move or anything or did not show us spectacular light shows, it just pretending to be a star seemed like.
Tadashi went back to our room to pick up his video camera, and he tried to locate it again but he could not find it again and gave up. We kept looking up for quite a long time, our neck was getting a little hurt so me and two ladies gave up doing it, Tadashi and Kubokki wanted to find it but they soon gave up locating UFO and back to our table.
Further this UFO searching event, Mr. Edward appeared at the restaurant, and Naoko volunteered to be interpreted to have a short conversation. After he left, other group came up, I was looking up night sky wondering UFO still there watching over us then a lady came up to me asked what I am doing.
“There was a UFO a while ago and I wonder if it's still there.” I said to her.
I looked around and found it really quick this time, and it moved a little left, I told her where to look and she found it immediately. We said to each other what kind of place we are staying, and Tadashi came up to us to try to locate the UFO but he could not find it this time again.
According to a few people from the group, some people are easy to find, but some are not. About finding UFOs does not apply equality, later on Edward told us if a person has too much egos or too much expectation usually ends up not seeing it even if others can see it in the same place and time.
Me and Tadashi said good night to everybody and back to our room.
“We may see UFOs a lot from now.” I said a joke to him.
We done preparing for tomorrow and went to bed.
As I said to Tadashi, we ended up seeing UFOs during the tour all along to the end, and I did not know what kind of experiences were awaiting for next.
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