After leaving Huacachina, and still in the Nascar Valley, we stopped at the very interesting (to me) Cueducto De Cantalloc pre-Inca aquifer which was still in use. They were originally built by the Nazca people during the years of the 1st to the 6 century AD. This was one of 20 working aquifers that have been restored and are in use today. The aquifers were built because it only rains for the first three months of the year so rivers run dry and irrigation is required.
To build the aquifers a water diviner would find out where there was underground water and wells were dug at those place. A channel would be dug down between the wells at water level and then the channels were lined with stones and lintels fitted over the top. The wells were stone lined and joined to the channel then the channel covered over. Obviously the slope of each part of the channel was sufficient to keep the water flowing and by this means water was moved big distances. The wells were built with circular walkways so that men or boys could get to the bottom and crawl through the channels/tunnels cleaning and doing any maintenance required. Only round stones were used and with no mortar between them as this style of construction was considered to be earthquake proof, evidenced by the fact that the aquifers remain today.
From the aquifer it was on to Huacachina and the Desert Nights Hotel. Sound good, I thought so as well, until I woke up the following morning with my legs covered with what looked to be bed bug bites.And the big curtain fell off the wall so that I could see outside while lying in bed! A few of us stayed in the hotel for the night while the others went sandboarding and dune buggy riding, staying out under the stars overnight with sleeping bags but no tent. They returned the following morning hot, dirty and smelly- and very hungover having imbibed well the night before. It was very peaceful on the truck that morning.
To build the aquifers a water diviner would find out where there was underground water and wells were dug at those place. A channel would be dug down between the wells at water level and then the channels were lined with stones and lintels fitted over the top. The wells were stone lined and joined to the channel then the channel covered over. Obviously the slope of each part of the channel was sufficient to keep the water flowing and by this means water was moved big distances. The wells were built with circular walkways so that men or boys could get to the bottom and crawl through the channels/tunnels cleaning and doing any maintenance required. Only round stones were used and with no mortar between them as this style of construction was considered to be earthquake proof, evidenced by the fact that the aquifers remain today.
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| Water flowing from underground |
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| The circular entry way |
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| A deeper well |
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| The oasis |
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| The hotel pool |
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| A dune buggie |
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| Dune buggies |
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| Driving away |
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