Nazca – Page 4 – Pirwa Hostels BLOG

Preventing & Dealing with Altitude Sickness

May 15, 2012 Pirwa

You’re finally realizing that dream to make it to Peru or Bolivia! But altitude sickness (soroche) can put a damper on all those sightseeing plans and tours that you’ve been planning… Its troublesome symptoms can vary in strength, and include fatigue, nausea, headaches, dizziness and shortness of breath. It can even lead to vomiting and other symptoms, and can become so severe that you’d need to be taken to a clinic and hooked up to an oxygen tank and IV- definitely something to be avoided! Ideally, your trip will allow you sufficient time for acclimatization, allowing your body to adjust to the lower amount of oxygen at higher altitudes, but sometimes this just isn’t possible with limited vacation days and so much to see.

Pre-Trip Tips

Itinerary Planning: Gradually Increase Your Altitude

If you’re planning on visitingvarious cities, you can try to structure your itinerary in order to gradually increase your altitude level. Rather than going from sea level to Cusco (flying in from Lima) or Puno, you can put in an intermediary city like Arequipa in order to acclimatize as you go

Many times visitors to Cusco take advantage of a Sacred Valley Tour to spend some time at a lower altitude than Cusco.
Planning on tackling some of the famous peaks surrounding La Paz? You must spend a few days in the city of La Paz itself (the world’s highest capital), because your chances of altitude sickness are high!

Medicate: Pre-Trip Pill Popping

Acetazolamide, sold under the name Diamox and available as a generic drug, can help prevent altitude sickness. It is taken prophylactically, starting a few days before going to higher altitudes. If you’re going from sea level to over 3,000 meters (9800 feet) or ascending more than 600 meters (2000ft per day). If you have a history of suffering from acute altitude sickness, this may be the choice for you. You take a half tablet starting one day in advance and continuing until the third day of your trip. Once started you need to take Diamox three days, even if you start to feel ok

Preparations: The Day Before

Avoid alcoholic beverages and hard-to-digest foods the day before you travel, and make sure to get a full night’s sleep! You also don’t want to have sleeping pills or tranquilizers in your system when you begin your trip.

During your Trip

Take It Easy

On your first day or two, stay hydrated (avoiding alcohol), and don’t plan too much for Day 01- you want a leisurely pace and time to rest if need be. You can plan a day of rest, or if you don’t want to lose a day stick to a restful morning and then a half-day tour or some independent exploring in the afternoon.

Coca Tea

The local remedy is drinking a tea of steeped coca leaves- you’ll find it available in most hotels and hostels and in the little stores and markets in either loose leaves or tea bags. Limit yourself to no more than five cups per day, as it’s also a stimulant. (A lot of people ask whether they can fly back home with coca leaves- the official answer is no if they’re loose leaves, but yes if they’re packages in tea bags.

Carb Loading & Going Bananas

Bananas are a great choice as an energy snack, as they’ll help replace the potassium that high altitudes can leached from the body. Also, you’ll want to forget any restrictive diet you might be on and treat yourself to carbohydrate-heavy foods!

Local Pharmacy Solutions

Other options are the sorojchi pills which you’ll find easily in the local pharmacies, but be aware that they’re mostly just aspirin and caffeine, so if headaches are your problem, you might be better off with just Ibuprofen or Paracetamol. Many local pharmacies and tourist supply stores (there are lots) also provide mini-oxygen bottles

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Nazca Tourism Week (& María Reiche’s Birthday) Is Coming!

April 25, 2012 Pirwa

Maria Reiche’s birthday is coming up, this May 15th. She’s the famed Lady of the Desert, who devoted the majority of her life to the study and protection of the mysterious Nazca Lines. In celebration of this, the city of Nazca holds its tourism week around the same time, with celebrations beginning around 10 days in advance, May 5th, and lasting until the 15th. We don’t have the specific program yet, but will hopefully have the full event list, dates and times soon!

After the fall of the Ceremonial City Cahuachi around 400AD due to a series of natural disasters that foresaw the fall of their civilization, the center of Nazca civilization was based in the area on which today’s city of Nazca sits. The civilization is known above all for the enigmatic Nazca Lines which cover miles of the desert floor in geometric shapes and pictures of animals and people and can only be fully seen from the sky. Their purpose is still debated, although the most popular theories contend that they were the world´s largest astronomical calendar designed to correlate with celestial movements, please the gods, and remind them of the need to provide for the crops and harvests. The most recent theories now suggest that they were also used as ceremonial pathways for the same reason.

Tips on the Nazca Lines

Remember that most tours do not include the Air Tax, which at the moment is S/.25.00 (soles).
Flights are short, but you can also book a longer flight that also includes the nearby Palpa Lines.
Earlier flights are better for increased visibility. (Flights run from 7am – 4pm.)
Some people choose to take motion sickness pills in advance, since the pilots tilt and turn as much as possible to ensure that everyone gets good views of the ground.

(Click for info on Flights over the Nazca Lines.)

Getting to Nazca

Nazca is located about 400km south of Lima. If you’re only going to go see the Nazca Lines, try a one or two night trip departing from Lima, although a couple nights extra would allow you the opportunity to visit the Cantayoc Aqueducts, Chauchilla Cemetery, or the ruins of Cahuachi.

garden-pirwa-nazca — A view of the Pirwa Nazca Patio!

A direct bus takes about 9 hours, although you can split the trip up if you were planning on visiting Paracas Bay to see the Ballestas Islands, or Huacachina Oasis for some sandboarding, as companies such as Cruz del Sur make stops in both Ica and Paracas. You can do overnight buses or during the daytime. If you’ve stopped in Ica to visit Huacachina, small buses known as colectivos leave frequently for Nazca, the 2-3hr trip costs S/.12.00 (soles).

Overnight buses from Cuzco will take you 14 hours, and from Arequipa 9 hours, although trip times are very approximate, depending on the weather, road conditions, etc. Expect prices to range from S/.60.00-S/.180.00 (soles), and vary during high and low tourist seasons.

When looking for a place to stay, we hope that you’ll give Pirwa Nazca Backpackers a try! Not sure? Click here for an independent review of Pirwa Nazca from another travel blog….

What to Do in Nazca Aside From the Lines…

A visit to the Museo Arqueológico Antonini on Avenida la Cultura will give you priceless insight into the Nazca people, teaching about the archeological sites and the Nazca Lines, the system of aqueducts that they created, the detailed polychrome ceramics for which they are famed, their mummies and their skilled textile work.
The Cantayoc Aqueducts is an impressive underground irrigation system unlike any you’ve seen, that managed to bring life to this arid landscape. After a thousand years, some are still in use today! (Tour Info on the Cantayoc Aqueducts)
At Chauchilla Cemetery you can observe incredibly well-preserved mummies and artifacts including deformed skulls and ‘trophy heads’ more than a thousand years old. (Tour Info on Chauchilla Cemetery)
The Cahuachi Archeological Site 20min from Nazca was once a ceremonial and pilgrimage center, the Nazca’s most important city. Stop by to see the adobe pyramids and temples, which are still being excavated to this day.

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Why Choose a Hostel Rather Than a Hotel?

March 13, 2012 Pirwa

If you’re a travel junkie, you’re sure to come across die-hard hostel, or backpacker, fans throughout your trip. As hostels become more savvy and begin to provide a greater range of options for travelers, they’ve become more popular for those who wish to lodge with like-minded travelers (why, the young and the young-at-heart, of course) and save some money in the process. For those of you who’ve never stayed in a hostel before and are looking to take the leap, here are the top reasons for choosing a hostel from those of us who are converted.

Value For Money

Hostels have become more advanced with time, and for those who’d prefer to spend their money on other costs, such as food and drink, excursions, or longer trips, they offer great value for the money by keeping costs to a minimum while also offering other benefits you can’t get from hotels, such as a cooking or barbecue area.

Social & Cultural Interaction

Barbecuing at Pirwa Colonial Backpackers in Cusco

One of the best things about staying in a hostel rather than a hotel is that they facilitate interaction with other like-minded travelers. Many find themselves altering itineraries in order to fit in suggestions from, or excursions with, new-found friends! Hostels like Pirwa focus on young people interested in meeting others, but those craving privacy can always opt for private rooms rather than shared dormitories.

Each Pirwa hostel is different, but all have common areas for socializing, whether it’s hammocks in the patio, a rooftop terrace, bar, fast-food stand, and/or a TV and movie lounge with billiards, ping-pong, darts, or other games. Often, social activities are scheduled such as barbecues, tournaments for poker, twister, and other games, day-trips, movie nights, and dance classes.

Celebrating New Year's at Pirwa Colonial Backpackers in Cusco

Flexibility

Those without fixed itineraries will find that finding availability without a prior booking is much easier at a hostel than a hotel.

Local Flavor
Those of you who’ve stayed in hotel chains know that city to city, country to country, they don’t change. Many who choose staying in a hostel do so because they want to stay in a place with a more authentic local touch, preferably locally-owned like Pirwa.

Knowledge & a Personal Touch

Often people working in hostels are themselves backpackers and because of this they are usually a fountain of knowledge for anything and everything in the local area. Receptionists in a hotel may provide you with a map and a few pointers, but in a hostel these people really know what they are talking about and often go out of their way in order to help.

Trips and Tours

Starting the Day in Pirwa La Paz's Breakfast Room

Hostels generally have a wide range of trip and tours on offer. In all Pirwa hostels, you can conveniently book short day trips or multiple-day tours and treks, as well as lodging in other cities of Peru and Bolivia.

Customized Facilities

Because hostels usually cater to a younger crowd, you’ll find that Wi-Fi is always free, and in the case of Pirwa Hostels, internet access is included as well, should you be without a computer. Since backpackers are often a thrifty lot as well, you’ll also find kitchens in all of Pirwa’s hostels, should you feel the need to fix up a quick snack. We provide the bed linens and towels, but as always in hostels, soap and shampoo are on you.

How We Address Backpacker Concerns

Security

One of the Shared Dormitories in Pirwa Inclan B&B in Lima

A good hostel should be secure, ensuring that no one enters shared dormitories who is not a guest staying in that particular room, but you should also exercise common sense and not leave money, passports, cell phones, cameras, and other electronics or valuables lying around in a shared room. (In fact, whether you’re staying in a private room or shared, in a hotel or hostel, this is not a recommendable practice.)

Pirwa offers in-room lockers for your bags in the shared dormitories, secure luggage storage whilst you are in the middle of a hike or trek that will keep you away for a night or two, and lockers or safes around reception for those who require extra security for their smaller valuables. (The first two are included, the last is often a rentable service, depending on which locale you are staying at.)

Cleanliness

With so many people sharing common spaces, hostels have gotten a bit of a reputation for unhygienic practices, but hostels have improved in this area. Pirwa Hostels has daily cleanings, and for shared bathrooms, cleanings throughout the day, in order to ensure the comfort of our guests.

Most hostels provide individual lockers for your valuables, though you’ll need your own lock. Otherwise, you can leave your valuables under lock and key at the reception.

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Backpacking Peru: Top Activities in Nazca!

February 23, 2012 Pirwa

Named after the Nazca Civilization which rose to prominence in this area, travelers to Nazca, Peru can explore the ruins, mummies, and famous marks this great civilization left upon the desert floor before they disappeared into mystery. While the town itself may seem sleepy at first glance, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover that it is also a popular stop for those interested in more extreme pastimes like sandboarding and dunebuggying!

pirwa-hostel-nazca — A look at Pirwa Nazca Backpackers!

What are our top recommendations for your stay in Nazca?…..

#5 The Cantalloc Aqueducts

Thousands of years ago the Nazca developed an extensive system of subterranean aqueducts to provie year-round access to water in the arid desert unlike any found elsewhere. More than 30 of these channels of have not only survived seismic activity but actually remain in use by farmers! The best-preserved channels are in the higher Nazca Valley’s Cantayo zone. You’ll find the channels lined with riverocks and manholes with descending spiral paths to be both beautiful and fascinating.

Check an Itinerary for the Cantalloc Aqueducts .

#4 Chauchillas Cemetery

Gain valuable insight into the Nazca culture by visiting the remarkably well-preserved mummies of the ancient necropolis of Chauchillas. These bodies still retain hair and soft tissue such as skin after a thousand years. You’ll see trophy heads and head jars as well. Tours to Chauchillas generally include a demonstration of artisan gold mining and the traditional method of producing the beautiful polychrome ceramics for which the Nazca were famed.

Check an Itinerary for Chauchillas Cemetery .

#3 Dunebuggies!

Exploring the Usaca Desert in dunebuggies brings off-roading fun to your trip. Despite their small size, these can go pretty fast, hitting and jumping dunes for some desert thrills. Many tours stop for guided visits at the abandoned adobe city of Cahuachi, once the religious center of the Nazca, and Estaquería, the Place of the Stakes, where it is believed mummies were painted in a dark resin and put out to dry.

Check an Itinerary for Dunebuggying in the Usaca Desert.

#2 Sandboarding

The most popular options for sandboarding are Cerro Blanco (White Hill), once considered a deity known as Yuraq Orjo. It’s reputed to be the world’s largest sand dune, reaching 2,087m above sea level in the Nazca Valley. One can practice on smaller dunes around the peak before taking the big leap! Another popular spot for adrenaline-seekers wishing to try sandboarding is the beautiful Huacachina Oasis, along its surrounding dunes.

Check an Itinerary for Sandboarding Huacachina Oasis .

#1 Nazca Lines

Of course any list on activities in Nazca must culminate with the world-famous and enigmatic Nazca lines, whose original purpose and method of construction still incite debate. Tours include an introductory video and then half hour flight in light aircraft, from where you’ll be able to see the animal figures and geometric shapes which sprawl over miles of the desert floor, so large that they can only be seen from the sky. Among other figures, you’ll be able to spot the monkey, lizards, spider, dogs, hummingbirds, the condor, and plants and flowers.

Check an Itinerary for a Flight Over the Nazca Lines.

All About Pirwa Nazca Backpackers!

Pirwa Nazca Backpackers located only a few blocks from Nazca’s Main Square, just 5 minutes from the bus terminal and 10 minutes from the airport. You’ll be able to take advantage of the sunny climate in the outdoor patio, where you can throw a barbecue and relax in the hammocks. After a day of exploration, you can retire to a comfortable bed in a room with private bath (whether private room or shared dormitory) with 24/7 hot water access. You’ll find that Fernando and the rest of the Pirwa Nazca family are eager to help travelers feel comfortable and to assist with trip planning, be it transport, guided excursions, or lodging reservations in other cities. We hope you’ll come visit us in Nazca during your trip through Peru!