From Ica to Nazca

The fog along the Peruvian coast is notorious. It makes driving along the Pan Americana  sometimes very tedious.

The Atacama desert stretches far along the coast of Peru and Chili. Sometimes there are small patches of green. Here they breed chickens in enormous sheds.

in another place you also find vineyards..... 

 ..... and other ways to make a living.  ....

Even large fields with pumpkins. 

The small 3-wheel taxi cars in the villages make me think of the pumpkins.... no Cinderella's though. 

 When there is one pumpkin.....  

Outside the villages lots of trucks. This Pan Americana is the only road from north to south. No alternative and only two lanes!

The trees along this road are the only ones that can (officialy) grow in these extreme dry (no rain at all) places. Although... these are regularly watered by the government.

The mountains get nearer.

A field with cactuses. Especially grown for small animals that live on the leaves.

When you crush these white shell like growths, it produces a dark red (more purple) color.

This paint is used to color wool (Lama's, Alpaca's).

 The fruits of this cactuses can also be eaten. I didn't have an opportunity to try them.

 Getting nearer to Nazca the terrain gets more rough. The road winds itself through the mountains like a snake.

A green valley    

 And then without noticing, we are in the desert with the famous Nazca lines. In fact the road goes right through one of them. When the road was built people knew about some lines, but they were considered remnants from Inca trails.

 Some people try to see them from the Maria Rheiche tower.... almost impossible. It is even difficult to see them from the small tourist planes (next blog).

 Only for the brave...... :-)