December 3, 2017

   We are docked at the Port of San Martin for tours in and around Pisco. The Port of San Martin is located in the Paracas peninsula. The towns of Paracas and Pisco can be seen from the ship, across Pisco Bay. The drive from the Port of San Martin to the town of Pisco is about 40 minutes and Celebrity Cruises has arranged a shuttle for passengers not taking tours.  There were about eight stalls set up on the pier selling jewelry, magnetics, cellphone pouches, wallets, llama toys, sweaters, t-shirts, postcards and other items.  You could pay in American dollars just like at the pier in Callao.  Although not a large port, there were parts for wind turbines stacked on the dock.  They were painted red and white, the colours of the Peruvian flag. The red and white of the Peruvian flag was chosen from the Peruvian flamingo which in flight has red wings and a white body.

    This morning was nice and sunny, about 66 F with a slight wind.  We walked for about 30 minutes before going to the theater to get our tour stickers. On the pier, we could see parts for new wind turbines, painted red and white. Some businesses fly flags with the center white panel and side panes of red, but without the coat of arms on the center white panel.  It seems strange not to have the full national flag. The bus was one of at least 11 making the 85-minute drive through the Paracas National Reserve desert then past the towns of Paracas and Pisco to the Incan ruins at Tambo Colorado. Paracas is a resort town with international hotels such as the Ramada Inn.  Pisco is still rebuilding after an earthquake in 2007.  There are many new homes financed by the government after homes were destroyed by a 7.9 Richter Scale earthquake. They are small flat roofed one storey buildings of about 800 square feet and some have partial second storeys so that they can be completed when the homeowners have enough money to add a full second storey.  They are built to withstand earthquakes.

    Within a short drive, from Pisco, is the Paracas Candelabra, a prehistoric geoglyph over 2100 years old. It is not known why it was created. The Spanish conquistadores saw the shape as a good omen.  The figure is carved into the hard sand about two feet deep and is between 585 and 800 feet high. It can be seen at least a dozen miles out to sea. Further south close to the Chilean border is a famous archeological area known as the Nazca Lines. They are huge mysterious drawings that were created 1500 to 2500 years ago on the dry plateau where the winds are gentle. There are geometric patterns and figures of animals and birds ranging up to 1000 feet long, but the lines are only 5 cm deep.  They can only be viewed from the air.

   Our guide was Susy, she told us that the word Paracas means strong winds. We passed sand dunes that we were told can get to 2000 meters in some areas being blown by the wind.

There were several cultures living in the area over the past 2000 years. The Paracas culture from about 800 to 200 BC; the Nasca from 200BC to 750 AD; the Wari 500 to 1100 AD and the Chincha from 1100 to 1476 AD.  The people were famous for their fine textiles through the ages. We travelled on part of the Pan American Highway that stretches from Alaska in the north to Tierra de Feugo at the southern tip of South America, except for a 200-mile portion of impenetrable jungle south of the Panama Canal.  The part which we travelled was lined with Warango trees, which can have a life span of 1,000 years.  Due to the desert climate, the trees have roots close to 80 feet deep.

  The land, leaving the desert conditions of the coast, gets greener as we travel closer to the mountains and the river. As fields appear we see a variety of agriculture products such as: asparagus, artichoke, cotton, pumpkin, lentils, potato, black corn, lima beans and other beans. A drink is made from the black corn that helps reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  There are orchards and vineyards as well.  The vineyards grow the grapes that are made into the national alcoholic beverage Pisco Sour.  As we passed Pisco a gas station sign showed the price for 85 octane gasoline at 12.8 Sols per American Gallon, (3.78 L) which is approximately $1.35 per liter Canadian.  Along the way the bus had to pass a small herd of about 15 cows being walked on the two-lane highway.

   With the invasion of the Spanish, Africans were brought to Peru as slaves.  The area of Paracas province is known for its African Peruvian culture.  The slaves gained their independence in 1820.

    As we got closer to our destination, we followed the Pisco River bed.  It was about one kilometer across, but easily crossed since there was very little water at present.  There was a pedestrian suspension bridge across it which would be useful when there is water in the Pisco River. The rainy season starts in December, but the mountains get the rain not the highlands or the desert.  The annual amount of rain for Pisco is 22 mm per year, less than an inch.

   We arrived at the site of Tambo (meaning inn or resting place) Colorado (meaning Red). It was an administrative, military and ceremonial stop on the Incan Trail linking Cusco in the mountains with the settlements along the coast. At this place, the coastal cultures brought their dried fish to trade with the inland cultures for vegetables. The location’s name before the Incas was Pucatampu. The adobe and rammed earth structure was built around 1450 AD.  The plastered walls were painted red on the exterior and the rooms and courtyards on the interior were painted white, red and yellow in stripes or just one colour.  The colours are faded but can still be seen. We spent about an hour in the warm 80 F sun and a moderate wind.  Poking around the ruin was interesting. The last location overlooked the Pisco River and was the place where sacrifices were made.  Here the sacrifice was a female llama (in Spanish it is pronounced Yama).

   On the return ride, we retraced the route we took before.  When we passed one of the smaller towns the road ran beside the cemetery, which is a typical South American Roman Catholic cemetery, much different than a Canadian cemetery.

   We returned to the ship after the four-hour excursion, for lunch and some walking in the shade of Deck 4 where we could see the people browsing at the little pop-up souvenir market.

   Tonight, the ship left the port at 6 during dinner.  Our table is right at the back window, so we watched the tugboat hovering nearby in case needed as we cruised into the Pacific Ocean which was a bit choppy this evening.  

   The appetizers chosen were Seafood Bisque and Greek Salad.  The popular entrée was beef lasagna and other choices were the roasted half chicken with mashed potatoes and the vegetable biryani. The desserts were chocolate mousse and banana napoleon.    

   This evening in the Celebrity Theatre the show was comedian and juggler, Thomas John, who was a finalist in the “America’s Got Talent” TV show.  He presented an amusing show.

   The clocks need to be advanced one hour tonight and then again tomorrow night to have the time in the correct time zone for our arrival in Chile in two days.

   The ocean continued to be rough during the evening.

Final steps for the day 12,692

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