NAZCAR
This blog entry about the events of Saturday, December 20, 2003 was originally posted on December 21, 2003.
DAY 63: Nights in pisco country are great, but the mornings after aren’t so much. With the absence of my usual greasy Hangover Helpers in New York — Union Square’s McDonald’s, Flatiron District’s Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop or Chinatown’s Wo Hop — I turned to the regional breakfast specialty, the Tamale Iqueño, a corn dough treat stuffed with pork, olives, beans and spices. It might not have been greasy enough to make a sheet of paper transparent, but it did the trick.
The reason for my early morning awakening was because I was trying to get an early bus to Nazca, in hopes of catching up with Lara. After my Peruvian Hangover Helper, I went looking for a bus, but it being a Sunday, the only one I found available didn’t leave until two in the afternoon. I killed time sitting in the Plaza das Armas and working on The Blog. Unlike the night before, I finally found access to computers with camera hook ups.
IT WAS A LITTLE AFTER ONE O’CLOCK when I went to the bus station with all my bags. I went to the ticket counter and asked for a ticket. One woman there told me to have a seat, the bus will leave at two. I sat for a while, next to the potato sacks on the floor with a live chicken in each one, until another woman casually announced that the 2 p.m. bus wasn’t going to leave anymore. No one gave her a phone call, no one came over with news — it seemed that just as she was eating her lunch with the other woman, she decided “Hey, you know that bus that leaves at two? Nah, I don’t think we should have it anymore. Could you pass the salt?”
The thought of waiting in the bus station with the bags of chickens didn’t bode well with me, so I followed the Lonely Planet map and went around the corner to get a collectivo, a car or minibus that goes to a specific destination once it has been filled. Like my car ride from Tarapoto to Yurimaguas, I was the first passenger to sign on and had to wait an hour or so for other passengers.
I sat on a bench in the garage as I heard the repetitive monophonic electronic chime music of Kaoma’s familiar Lambada song playing over and over from inside the house. You know the song:
Daaa da da da do di dum, doo di da da doo di dumm…
Daaa da da da do di dum, doo di da da doo di dumm…
Daaa da di daa, do da dee do di dum, do di da da de duh duh di do deedadumm…
Daaa da di daa, do da dee do di dum, do di da da de duh duh di do deedadumm…
Duh… (repeat here)
Needless to say, after an hour of listening to it over and over and over, it got as annoying as a squirt of lemon juice into a papercut. I noticed that the song might have ended if it weren’t for that one duh note which bridges the ending with the beginning flawlessly, in attempts to make it sound like one neverending song. After a while, I really began to hate that one note.
By 2:40 p.m., we had enough passengers to warrant the drive to Nazca, and the eight of us squeezed in tightly into a big black Chevrolet (picture above). Jose the driver was a nice guy and seemed to know everyone on the highway, always waving hello — even the cops, which was probably why we never got stopped at a checkpoint.
The Big Black Chevy raced through the southern desert, along vast flatlands, followed by zig zags through the lower mountains. We made it to the finish line in Nazca in just over two hours, way before the bus in Ica even started.
NAZCA IS A SMALL TOWN that wouldn’t have any business in tourism if not for the nearby Nazca lines, the famed and mysterious drawings discovered in the early 20th century that originated from one of a few different theories. While it is generally accepted that they were created by the Nazca and Paracas civilizations from 900 B.C. to 600 A.D., the reasons for doing so remains unclear — some believe they were created to make contact with extraterrestrials.
Since the lines can only really be seen from the air, I booked a tour with a prop plane for the following day and then wandered around the main plazas. Townspeople were just lounging around on a lazy Sunday afternoon while a street performer with marionettes had a small audience at the Plaza das Armas. Three blocks away at the Plaza Bolognesi, there was a small carnival with mini carnival kiddie rides.
I finally got my greasy fix with a Chinese food dinner and then did some internet work. I got an email from Lara telling me there wasn’t much to do in Nazca and that she had already set off for Cuzco. She wasn’t kidding because after walking around, the sleepy town really didn’t have much of a night scene — mainly because it was low season. So I just vegged in my small room in my hostal.
I went to bed, still with that damn Lambada tune stuck in my head. Rather than be the tune for “The Forbidden Dance,” I think it should just be “The Forbidden Song.”
Don’t know Kaoma’s Lambada song and can’t decipher my musical hums? I was subjected to a monophonic electronic chime version that repeated the first stanza over and over, but here is a MIDI music file of the full song — its a more complete version with percussion. Make sure you play it over and over and over and over for the full effect.
Next entry: Where They Drew The Line
Previous entry: Sweet, Sour and Sandy
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Comments for “NAZCAR”
duh…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/21 at 05:28 PM
i was gonna be first…but markyt has his browser programmed for infinite refresh….
oh well….SECOND!
great post erik.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/21 at 05:33 PM
btw, that’s an awesome line dance! u should have started a line while waiting.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/21 at 05:54 PM
A long bus ride awaits…I may be NIZ for a day…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/21 at 06:37 PM
so you’ll be soring above the clouds in a prop plane while i’m “working” at robin’s job ... hmmm i wonder where I would rather BE!
Daaa da da da do di dum, doo di da da doo di dumm…
Daaa da da da do di dum, doo di da da doo di dumm…Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/21 at 07:00 PM
dax wants to know if the chevy has a turbo…
what’s that lime green drink that u had w/ the tamale iqueno, looks tranquilo, tranquilo
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/21 at 07:17 PM
Not sure if i’ll be able to tune in from now until christmas, so have a Merry Christmas!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/21 at 07:32 PM
You got me Love Penny…. But remember, Tomorrow is another day.
I like the title Erik!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/21 at 08:29 PM
the lime green is a wheat grass shake…i hear it works just as well as a bloody mary….
haha….wheat!
so u think the “people watcher” is gonna be at midnite mass along with “gimpy leg”?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/21 at 08:31 PM
Papa: thanks! and welcome to the commentator community! pass the word on!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/21 at 11:36 PM
Go man go.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 02:45 AM
NikkiJ: Glad to have you back in NYC, hows Robin’s job going?
Duh… (nice touch)
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 01:49 PM
i never heard that song before. it is catchy. but i guess after the 20th time, one would want to bash their head against the walls over and over again. i can’t wait til you put up pictures for the Nazca lines. i love things like that. i love reading about crop circles too! make sure you have lots of pictures. =)
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 02:00 PM
bored? holiday fun….
http://www.nny.com/holiday/snowcraft.htm
tranquilo, tranquilo
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 02:50 PM
markyt: that’s pretty cool, whats the highest level? ..
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 04:13 PM
sim: not too sure what the highest level is….hopefully i’ll be able to find out!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 04:50 PM
markyt: Hey, issue a challenge to who can get the highest level by the time Erik makes he’s next BLOG! .. winner gets a ...hmmm ...dibbs on the next first post!... ?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 06:10 PM
sim: can’t control who will get first post on the next blog….LP and td0T are fast as well…and i’m usually online when erik posts cuz he makes me check some things over…
first to post on the latest blog is always a challenge!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 06:41 PM
true that! they are fast ! just keeping busy at the office here til’ the next entry - Globetrip’n 1 blog at a time!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 07:12 PM
LP: can u IM me? it’s about some freelance work….
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 07:31 PM
wahah! i found the log to that night when you were drunk, so i am going to include the best part of it here:
Kabuki102: i hope you are posting on your blog!!!!
TheGlobalTrip: fuck
TheGlobalTrip: this computer has protection that wont let me do shit
Kabuki102: that sucks
TheGlobalTrip: i would have had someting up at 10am if i could
Kabuki102: you’re not using your laptop?
TheGlobalTrip: i did this morning
Kabuki102: weird
TheGlobalTrip: then copied to my disk
TheGlobalTrip: but it wont read here
TheGlobalTrip: because of the protection
Kabuki102: why would they have protection on the disk reading?
TheGlobalTrip: bc is a floppy adapter for my mem stick and the driver wont install
TheGlobalTrip: oh yeah, and im drunk
TheGlobalTrip: hahhaa
Kabuki102: wahaha
Kabuki102: you dork
TheGlobalTrip: but i wasnt this morning and i tired
TheGlobalTrip: tired
TheGlobalTrip: toired
Kabuki102: you don’t have admin rights to install the driver?
TheGlobalTrip: tried
TheGlobalTrip: no
Kabuki102: get the guy to install it
TheGlobalTrip: noit isn atoiajsl?kjads?fjka
TheGlobalTrip: not in this toiwn
Kabuki102: heh
Kabuki102: you are drunk
Kabuki102: silly
TheGlobalTrip: lemme try
TheGlobalTrip: oh wait, this place closes in 15 min anyway
TheGlobalTrip: forget it
Kabuki102: ah, do it tomorrow
TheGlobalTrip: ill be on a bus early
Kabuki102: go drink some more… =)
Kabuki102: to where?
TheGlobalTrip: fuckin alan…i stoped drinking bcause i was suppoosed to log on for a party hes at
TheGlobalTrip: sotpped
TheGlobalTrip: stopep
TheGlobalTrip: stopped
TheGlobalTrip: because
TheGlobalTrip: dukafdj?jdad
TheGlobalTrip: fuckPosted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 08:59 PM
dood! It wasn’t my fault!!! J2x didn’t have wifi! who in this day and age doesn’t have wifi?
my bad.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 10:13 PM
Erik, just popped in to see your site… Adam & I are at that hotel we went into earlier today… the name escapes me because my brain is dead after our super fun bus ride. We?ll see you in town tomorrow hopefully… shoot me an email and I?ll check it afer breakfast - which just might be around noon with how I feel! Love the site btw… youBnA running this on MT?
Posted by Tony Alexander on 12/22 at 11:21 PM
TONY: I set you an email…
ALL: I haven’t written about the fun adventures I had with Tony and Adam this morning (two Americans from Ohio)... it will come soon…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/22 at 11:31 PM
What??!! No wifi?!!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/23 at 12:55 AM
Erik- que tal? just got into buenos Aires few hours ago- flew from antofagasto to santiago & then here- definitly beats the 48 hour bus ride! . we had the bolivian version of song from hell in uyuni saltpans trip- amigo’ amigo- da da da duh duh,...- apparently quite hot in bolivia currently.hope you’re having fun.
hasta pronto -I hopePosted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/23 at 01:14 AM
guess what…erik is not the only one drunk right now…HAHAHAHAHA…..
tranquilo, tranquilo….
NYE should be a blast!!! i hope all of you are getting as Erik does on NYE!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/23 at 05:32 AM
you all are a bunch of alkies. i’ll drink to that.
tranquilo, tequila, it’s all good.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/23 at 01:32 PM
hey, merry christmas!!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/23 at 01:57 PM
hey, merry christmas!!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/23 at 01:57 PM
Merry Christmas Erik!!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/23 at 03:05 PM
NAVID: HEY! there you are… I’m in Cuzco now… and it rocks as always… Here’s something you probably heard before: Feliz NAVIDad!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 12/23 at 03:25 PM
hey erik, you might wanna ask around for some menudo (the chili soup, not the boy band).. they’re great for hangovers..
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 01/12 at 02:26 AM
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This blog post is one of over 500 travel dispatches from the trip blog, "The Global Trip 2004: Sixteen Months Around The World (Or Until Money Runs Out, Whichever Comes First)," originally hosted by BootsnAll.com. It chronicled a trip around the world from October 2003 to March 2005, which encompassed travel through thirty-seven countries in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. It was this blog that "started it all," where Erik evolved and honed his style of travel blogging — it starts to come into focus around the time he arrives in Africa.
Praised and recommended by USA Today, RickSteves.com, and readers of BootsnAll and Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree, The Global Trip blog was selected by the editors of PC Magazine for the "Top 100 Sites You Didn't Know You Couldn't Live Without" (in the travel category) in 2005.
Next entry:
Where They Drew The Line
Previous entry:
Sweet, Sour and Sandy
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