Satipo, Lima and Nazca Lines

We are getting ready to leave Cusco in the morning.  We have had a very nice break from the road and are now rested (if you can call getting 4 hours of sleep last night and getting up at 4:30am to watch the sunrise over Machu Picchu rested!)


Here is a photo of Percy, his wife and daughter.  Percy helped keep Carl calm when we were separated in Chiclaya and his wife filled his belly with good Peruvian food!  Welcome Percy and family to the journey of Carl and Jonnie.

 

Once we got to Lima we took a side trip to Satipo with Michael Boge meeting his wife, Anavel, and daughter, Laura there. It was a 12 hour trip with 10 of them being on one of those buses I have cussed for many miles!  We got to sit up front on the top deck so we had a spectacular view! Sometimes it was a terrifying view!

our bus Lima to La Merced, Peru then we took a mototaxi (3 wheeled motorcycle with back bench seat big enough for 3 adult butts) then a 2 hour taxi ride to Satipo

A couple shots from the bus

A couple of Anavel's sisters cooking dinner and Michael trying to sneak a photo shot at someone

Going over to Satipo you start out in the huge, bustling city of Lima which is in the desert and then start climbing the Andes Mountains with the highest elevation was about 15, 800 feet and drop down into the Amazon jungle basin.  What a spectacular change in scenery!

We had a very nice visit in Satipo with all of Anavel's family.  Michael and Anavel sponsor about 30 kids to allow them to go to public school that they otherwise most likely would not be able to do because of poverty or other family situations.  They purchase school supplies, shoes and uniforms for them.  We went to the school and met with the children and parents to deliver the supplies.  The school season began March 1.    Here is a photo of the school and children.

We stopped at the home of a friend of Anavel's family.  They treated us to fresh picked coconut milk.  Here is Carl picking his coconut!

The night before we left we were treated to some Peruvian music by Freddy (Anavel's bro in law) and Rosa, a family friend. 

 

The Boge's and us boarded the taxi at 5:30AM to do the 12 hour trip in reverse.  We arrived in Lima and had dinner at one of Michael and Anavel's favorite restaurant. 

The next day was the day of the taxi rides.  We took about 10 different taxi rides around the area looking for and buying tires for the bikes.  We took advantage of Anavel's knowledge of the city and her fluent Spanish.  Thank you Michael and Anavel for spending your day in Lima taking us around to where we needed to go to get tires and the like. 

We left the next day and headed to the Nazca Lines.  We took a 1/2 hour flight over them.  It was quite a sight and the desert is so huge.  The problem was both Carl and I got air sick and our pictures are not the best.  Here are a few.



The Astronaut

One of the triangles

We are leaving early in the morning so must stop and go to bed.  Cusco and Machu Picchu next edition!
Hope all is well, wherever you are! 
Carl and Jonnie