good talk

From Quito by bus to the Peruvian Border, through Customs and a bus to Lima.  I've been to Lima a few times, taxi to the Plaza de Armas and went inside the great Cathedral, it contains the remains of Francisco Pizarro who conquered Peru in 1533.  The Conquistadores were often Illegitimate, as was Pizarro, or other than lst born Sons, people who had nothing to lose.  The Presidential Palace is here and the Changing of the Guard is something to see, long ago they brought in Prussians to teach them how to GooseStep.  I walked to the Plaza San Martin, I walked all over carrying that heavy bag.  I went to the Inquisition Museum, I had been to all this and more previously.  Parts of Lima are very rough but you should be all right if you have your wits about ye.  I took a bus to Nazca, was there 7 years prior and had taken a plane to view the Nazca Lines, big lines of animals and other figures only visible from the air.  That cost 80 U.S. then and now, they're safer today as since then 8 people have died in plane crashes viewing the Lines.  What I wanted to see now was both the Nazca and the Pulpa Lines, this cost $150, I had wanted to do both 7 years ago but was stymied (they won't do it for one person and most people are Sissies and are satisfied with just seeing the Nazca Lines).  But this time there was a Frenchie (he was okay) who also wanted to see both and going up and seeing the Nazca and Pulpa Lines was great and exciting.  The Lines were drawn in the desert by the Paracas and Nazca Indians from 900 B.C. to 600 A.D., there's a Spider, there's a Monkey, all kinds of things, Maria Reiche, a German Mathematician came here in the 30's and devoted her life to Study of the Lines, she thought there was an Astronomical purpose to them.  I think these Indians had nothing better to do.  The Maria Reiche Museum and the Maria Reiche House (a big museum) are fascinating.  In the evening I went to the Hotel Nazca Lines where they have a Planetarium (also 7 years ago) and this German Professor was so informative and great during the l hour lecture and viewing, mostly outside.  You look through this telescope and see the ring around Saturn, the air is clear and the viewing is wonderful.  The Professor was wonderful.  Supposedly, you can't see the Big Dipper south of the Equator, then you see the Southern Cross-- I saw them both.