In mid-March 2020, a few days before the world imploded, we spent two days in Nazca. This town was squeezed between Ica and Cusco (long night bus) in my Peruvian itinerary. We spent the first day shopping for airlines and then visited the Acueductos de Cantalloc (probably a T site). We finally chose to fly with Air Brag. Our research in the city led us to believe that all the companies offered pretty much the same circuit and service at the same price. All passengers now seem to enjoy a window (no more rows of three seats). Regulation also seemed to have been tightened in recent years and the horror stories that can be read online seem to be mostly a thing of the past. We had two pilots and the plane seemed to be in good condition.

The next day, early in the morning, we flew over all the famous figures near the city. We can think of the whale, the astronaut, the monkey, the dog, the hummingbird, the condor, the parrot, the spider, the heron, the lizard, the tree and the hands. The size and quality of the figures is remarkable. However, although these figures are the best known images of the lines, they are not the most spectacular aspect of them. The straight lines and geometric shapes, although much simpler, are much more stunning. These lines extend for kilometres, straight as if they had been drawn with a ruler. And they intersect by tens of them. The shapes, especially the triangles, are gigantic and represent a colossal amount of excavation work. We were expecting to feel more airsick, but everything went well despite the sharp bends. None of the other passengers were sick.

We completed this second day with a long guided tour offered by the friendly owner of our hostel (where we were the only visitors). This tour took us first to the fascinating Necropolis de Chauchilla and then to the rather banal Ciudad Perdida de Cahuachi. The story of these mummies, hundreds of which were excavated by grave robbers and whose remains were spread across the desert, is truly captivating. On the other hand, the restored walls of the Nazca ceremonial centre are of little interest.

All in all, Nazca is a unique site in the world that deserves to be visited and preserved. The flight over the lines is undoubtedly worth the dollars spent. Even after a visit, the aura of mystery surrounding this site and the motives for its construction remains relatively opaque. This undoubtedly adds to its appeal and the pleasure of flying over this wonder.