Nasca to Huacachina

My bus to Huacachina doesn't leave until 2 pm, so that gives me time to see a couple more things in Nasca. (I appears that Nazca and Nasca are both exceptable spellings)

I went to the corner cafe again this morning early and got my coffee fix, orange juice and a couple buns. One with cheese and one with shredded chicken.

It was still too early to go anywhere so I had time to shower and pack

I then hailed a taxi to take me to the Aqueductos de Cantalloc, a drive of about 20 minutes. We arrived 8 am just as the gates were being opened for the day. The driver asked if I needed a ride back, he would wait for me. We agreed on a price of 30 soles for the round trip, about $8 usd.

Here is a little blurb about the aqueductos;

The Cantalloc Aqueducts are one of the most outstanding works of hydraulic engineering in the world, built in the middle of the desert by the ancient Nazca culture (200 AD - 700 AD). They are located 4 kilometers north of Nazca, in the valleys of Nazca, Taruga and Las Trancas.

Of the 46 underground aqueducts found, 32 are still in operation today, something that began in pre-Inca times 1,500 years ago. In some cases, some travel several kilometers below the surface at depths of up to 12 meters.

For its construction, flagstones and huarango trunks were used, where along the route you can see 35 “puquios”, which are spiral-shaped ventilation wells used for cleaning, conservation and water collection.h

The aqueductos are in remarkably good condition. Looking down inside you can see the large amounts of waster still being channeled by this system. 

Much of the water is used for agriculture. I saw avacado orchards and fields of corn and potatoes.

15 or 20 minutes was plenty of time here. I walked out to meet my taxi. Rather than taking me back to the hostel, I asked him to drop me at the Museo Antonino. 

We arrived at the museo about 8:45. The posted opening time for the museum was 9 am. I found a place to sit and wait. I waiting until about 5 after 9 before ringing the bell. The caretaker let me in, but said it would be another 10 minutes for so before the museum would be ready to open.

Having paid my entry fee of about $5 usd, I proceded into the museum. The museum contains a surprising collection and garden. Much nicer and larger that I got the impression from the street.

The collection includes geoglyphs, rock paintings, fabrics, pottery and human skulls. I took so many pictures I will include a sampling of those here.

There was a large courtyard behind the museum the included some ancient items and also several recreations. Many of them illustrated to show different types of tombs found in the area.

After the museum, I hailed another taxi to take me back to the hostel. I got back around 10:30 in time for the 11 am checkout time.

My bus doesn't leave until 2 pm, so I have plenty of time to walk the few blocks to the bus station and grab a plate of food at a nearby patio restaurant.

The bus station near Huacachina is in Ica. We stopped there on the bus from Paracas to Nasca. So today is backtracking a bit we head to Huacachina.

We arrived at the bus station in Ica and there are many taxi drivers offering rides to Huacachina. 

I typically do not like getting a taxi at bus stations or air terminals. It is do easy to be overcharged for services. I know about what the taxi to Huacachina should be. The price offered by one of the drivers was 15 soles, a little over $4 usd. This seemed right to me, so off we went.

The ride was only about 15 minutes and we arrived at my stay for the next couple nights, Desert Night Hostel. The hostel is quite large and well maintained. I got a bed in a 6 bed dorm, but I am the only one in it, so it is like having a private room.

By now it is late afternoon and not enough time to explore before sunset. What I did do is explore the hostel. In the building I am in, there is a roof top terrace with a view looking out to a huge sand dune. I saw quite a few people hiking up the dune, presumably to watch the sunset.