I think this blogging is helping me synthesize well because I have to fit all of the events together in some interesting way or another, no matter what Mr. Price tells me to write.

Taking the Plunge

It turns out I was right! These lines do lead to the temple of the golden snake! The snake is carve all over the temple walls and the temple is built around a giant cenote! Wait, is that the golden snake? Yes I think it is! It appears to be sleeping! I think I'll go touch it. Oh no! It's really alive! It's solid muscle made of gold. Well this is a new scientific discovery. Oh no, it's coming for me! Look at it's ruby eyes and its diamond fangs. I'm glad I bought one of those mountain-climbing laptops they were selling at the store. It's really come in handy after my fall from that cliff and now the giant cenote that looms before me. But since it's a choice between plunge of death or poisonous fangs, I think I'll take the plunge. Well, here goes!

I have been trying to shake off the thought that I'm really an old lady and get on with my quest. I'm following the lines to what I think is the location of an old Mayan temple. Who knows, this temple might even be the one I have been seeking the whole time here in Latin America. I think it is the temple of the golden snake!

I've just found out that I'm a reincarnated old crazy lady destined to wander the world of the living until I figure out why these Nazca people drew all these crazy lines everywhere! My name is Maria Reiche. I think that these lines will lead me to the temple where I must find the golden snake. They are obviously leading to sites that were religiously important.

I happened to land on someone I know. It was Kean! We're both lucky we didn't break any bones. Now I'm going to start to journey on my own again. I am going to join a group of archaeologists to see if I can figure out why the Nazca built these lines I found when I fell. These lines look strangely familiar...

I'm alive. I can't believe it! And my laptop survived the fall. I caught onto a vine but now am hanging in the middle of a rock.

Hiking the Inca Trail

I met up with my friend Sonia. Earlier this week I sent her a letter asking her to come here. She doesn't yet know about my quest but I can't tell anyone about it. We are going to hike the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. We are near the Uru Bamba river. Sonia brought some coca leaves for us to chew so that we will have an easier time with the change in altitude. They didn't taste very good, but they had to be better than bugs we would eat if we ran out of provisions, and we soon got used to the taste. We're heading into the mountains now. We've been walking for about 2 hours and we still know that we have a lot left to go but we had to visit the ruins of the ancient civilization that used to rule over this whole land.
Wait a second! Is that a cliff? Aaaaaaagggghhhh!

I just got off the train after being on it for I don't know how many days besides those times we stopped for food and to pick people up. I am down in Chile in the Andes mountains and I am going to try to get to the top of some of the shorter mountains to look for the temple ruins that are said to be guarded by the golden snake. I have heard of others going to look for the snake and trying to take it back to the USA to be put in a museum. They all disappeared mysteriously and showed up months later in remote deserts with their vocal cords ripped out and gushing blood everywhere. Needless to say I'm more than a bit nervous.

Starting the Real Journey

Darn it, I can't speak any Spanish! I have a horrible accent and all I can say is hello, sit down, pencil, yes, no, and, hand, friend, and goodbye. I only have $100 and that is American currency. I would try to get transportation but I am a little kid and I am scared of being alone in this new world. I guess I will attempt to get a train.