Paracas Peninsula, Peru
At first light we found ourselves anchored off Pisco, at the Paracas Peninsula and still in Peru. The area is named for its ever blowing wind, the Paracas, which is also the name of a prosperous early civilization which once inhabited this region. Paracas culture was later replaced by the Nazca, famous for the mysterious lines and figures found in the valley of the same name. All these civilizations later fell to the Inca Empire which ended abruptly with the Spanish Conquest.
Why did so many prosperous cultures and civilizations develop in this very specific area? The key lies in the combination of the specific natural conditions created by the combination of the high Andes on the one hand, and the cold Humboldt Current on the other, which made this area ideal for farming and fishing.
Local tour boats picked up at the ship for a morning expedition to Isla Ballestas, home to endless numbers of sea birds. For over 100 years these islands were an important source of guano for export. Due to the extremely dry climate the layer of guano was over 150 meters deep and represents thousands of years of accumulation.
Peruvian Boobies and Guano cormorants are the two main species breeding here. However, from the boats we also saw Inka Terns, Peruvian Pelicans, Band-tailed Gulls.
Isla Ballestas is also a spectacular geological formation, mainly sandstone carved out by the pounding sea into strange shapes with arches and impressive caves. We also encountered South American lion and on some beaches huge big males had established territories and already gathered many females around them. We even saw a few early pups.
Back at the ship, Johan Reinhard gave an insightful presentation about tomorrow’s highlight -- Nazca Lines. Were they built as landing sites for aliens? Most likely not, but the full explanation is still an open book. Johan believes they are related to the ritual quest for water in this dry coastal region. By tomorrow everyone will be able to judge for him or her self.
After lunch we took Zodiacs to the mainland on a drive across the shallow bay. We divided into two groups: natural history and archaeology. As every day in Peru so far, the choice was not an easy one.
Tambo Colorado is an unusual Inca way station on the famous Inca Road, called Capac Nan, which extended, at its peak for over 14,000 miles. A Tambo is typically a small village and administrative center and this one is particularly unique because it was prepared for an occasional visit by the Sapa Inca (highest lord) himself. It has trapezoidal sacred niches that still retain their vivid yellow and red paintings and includes an elaborate water system that fed two internal bathing fountains. Today the source of that water is a mystery but ancient channels descend from the sunbaked hills above this compact geometric city.
The other group spent time exploring the Paracas National Reserve on the peninsula. This coastal strip of land gets very little moisture and is perhaps one of the driest deserts in the world. Vegetation and life in general is very sparse, although, the strip of beach where the desert meets the sea is teeming with birdlife. It is not unusual to find such variety here, in an area where two ecosystems meet.
Along the beach we discovered American and black oystercatchers, many wintering whimbrels, elegant terns and, after a careful search, -- royal terns! Dolphins played off the cape. The scenery along the rocky coastline is magnificent.
We ended our nature tour with a visit by the museum, partly destroyed by an earthquake a few years ago. In fact, the watch tower closer to the beach had been swept away by the tsunami but we still managed to get distant views of stately flamingos far out in the shallow lagoon.
