Desert Speaks

Sea To Sky: Along An Incan Road

Sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes are enigmatic remains of pre-Incan cultures, with vast rock art sites, colossal effigies etched into the nearly lifeless desert and burial sites that lay forgotten under the arid land for centuries. Examine these ruins and remains before venturing to the skies for a bird's-eye view of the famed Nazca lines. These mysterious drawings in the desert floor are astonishing in their creativity and size, with images of hummingbirds, monkeys and parrots hundreds of feet long and perfectly proportioned and geometric shapes that extend for miles. Theories abound about why these images were created and how the feat was accomplished. Also, explore spiral structures that provided access to the labyrinth of underground canals and aqueducts used by the Nazcans for irrigation. The next stop is Arequipa, a former colonial capital of the Spanish that was built on an ancient Incan site. The trip ends at a burial ground on the shores of a high Andean lake that has been used for millennia and demonstrates the incredible stone-carving abilities of the Incas.