On My 33rd Birthday

Last week I turned thirty-three years old.

For some time I have wondered what it would be like to be thirty-three, the age of Jesus at his death. Honestly, like at every birthday, I feel quite the same.

This birthday was different from my previous twenty-five birthdays because I had the joy to be present at the country of my birth, Peru. The last time I celebrated my birthday in the city where I was born was when I turned eight in 1990. That’s a long time.

The city of my birth, Lima, Peru

On my 33rd birthday I was able to check something off from my bucket list. For years I have wanted to fly over the mysterious Nazca lines which were drawn by the Nazca people on the desert about 450 kilometers (or a six hour drive) south of Lima.

Driving in the Peruvian desert along the coast

These lines are about 2,000 years old and the original purpose for their design is unknown. The wide open desert of Nazca, one of the driest places on Earth, contains these lines which represent various animals such as a whale, hummingbird, monkey and many others. There is even a human being waving towards the ocean oftentimes called “the astronaut” due to his space suit-looking clothes. The lines vary in size, the largest being around 600 feet in length. These recognizable shapes along with many long lines that intersect throughout the desert together make up the Nazca lines.

The whale (bottom left)

The Hummingbird (center right)

The monkey (bottom left, a little harder to see)

Thanks primarily to the tireless dedication of German archaeologist Maria Reiche throughout the twentieth century, the Nazca lines have been preserved and continue to be studied. Some scientists believe they were built as temples for the gods, others argue they are a stellar calendar while others (perhaps the non-scientists) believe they are an ancient alien landing site.

Yes, I flew in this four passenger plane

Flying over the lines was risky business until recent years. The small planes often crashed over the desert killing all passengers. Thankfully our copilot informed us before take off that our barf bag could be used as a parachute in case of an emergency. I did not know whether to laugh or get off the plane. The flight was excellent, there was no turbulence and the lines could be seen clearly.