This was a full day for those of us on the Caledonian Star. After an early breakfast, we used our fleet of Zodiacs to take us ashore in Puerto San Juan, a small village on the Peruvian coast. Our mode of transportation changed to motor coaches, as we drove through the Atacama Desert. Extending southward into Chile, this desert is the driest place on earth. In some parts of the Atacama, rain has NEVER been recorded. Looking at the austere landscape, this fact was not terribly surprising. Even with an almost total lack of vegetation, there is a beauty in the simplicity of the panoramic views of sandy plains surrounded by rugged mountains.

At the town of Nazca, we flew (our third mode of transportation for the day), in a fleet of small planes over the famous Nazca Lines. Theses huge representations of plants and animals, as well as geometric figures, have been, and continue to be, the source of great debate. Were they created by or for extraterrestrials? For spiritual pursuits? Many who study the lines, especially the geometric figures, now believe that, at least in part, they may be pleas to the gods to provide water.

After a fine lunch and a refreshing swim, we stopped at the small and very fine Regional Archeological Museum on our way to the Bay of Paracas, where the Caledonian Star was waiting for us. A Zodiac ride back to the ship brought a rewarding day to an end.

This vermilion flycatcher kept us company in a lovely courtyard as we prepared to fly over the Nazca Lines.