Nazca....take it or leave it

This will be short as I have much to say about Nazca but it isn´t very nice. I well actually we probably had our lowest moment of the trip in Nazca. I am still processing it but I will give you the short version.

You must remember that no matter where you travel you are pretty much always gettting ripped off. The goal is to minimize how much you are getting ripped off as much as possible. What do I mean by this? Well if you aren`t from a place, you don´t tend to know the expectations when purchasing something....especially if prices aren´t posted...and they are never posted. This means everytime you take a taxi, buy something, eat, etc. you almost always have to ask the price, be willing to negotiate and eventually know you are probably still paying more than the locals. We do our best asking hostel staff and others the normal price but you can´t ask them about everything.

There are some exceptions...for instance...restaurants tend to have their menus and prices posted. Street vendors do not. Hostels have their prices posted most of the time. Museums have their prices posted. Tours companies, street vendors, taxi drivers and many more do not have their prices posted...so they can automatically quote you a higher price and eventually when you negotiate to a lower price you are probably still paying more than the locals. It is highly frustrating but again the goal is to minimize as much as possible how much you are overpaying.

I have a few rules with buying good and services:

1. Go in knowing how much you are willing to pay and stick with that price
2. Stand your ground
3. Act confident
4. Be willing to negotiate
5. Walk away the moment you feel uncomfortable or feel like you are getting swindled
6. Stay in the open with other people tourists or locals
7. Get it in writing

Those are my general rules....and you must know that before I tell you the following story I pretty much broke all of those rules...don´t worry we are fine...just spent too much money.

Again the short version...we arrived in Nazca early on an overnight bus. We were tired and had a plan. Go to our hostel, rest, eat and then go shopping for a flight over the Nazca lines for the next morning...the plan was then to see the lines and leave Nazca the following day. These flights are normally expensive but we talked to another tourist and got a ballpark figure for how much she paid so we knew what to expect. Immediately we deviated from our plan. We got a taxi to our hostel and the driver started talking about how today was great was a great weather day to see the lines....no shit every day is a great weather day to see the lines...I know this now but in my dazed overnight bus haze I didn´t disagree.

They took us to our hotel and offered to take us to a place that sold flights over the lines. We checked in and immediately deviated from the plan...we should have rested, we should have said no....waited until the next day to get a flight. But we didn´t. Long story short we went to their store, bought a flight and waited for the taxi driver. He showed up, took us to the airport and we got set up for our flight. 

We were in a 6 seater airplane with two pilots and two tourists from the Netherlands. It was then that we realized we had been ripped off...the couple flying with us paid 70 soles less than us...which is really only $26 US dollars but this made me so so angry. I was pissed that we deviated from our plan and pissed at myself for letting it happen. I knew when we were buying the flights that I was uncomfortable with the situation, what we were paying and a few other things but I didn´t say anything...I was frustrated and tired and letting it cloud my judgement. 

I was so frustrated and I really tried not to let my angry get in the way of enjoying the flight and seeing the actually way cool Nazca lines. The flight was short but very cool. We got out of the airport and our taxi driver was waiting for us to take us back to the hotel.

I should probably tell you what was included with our flight package....transportation to and from the airport via taxi, the flight, pilots, etc...the basics. Well on our way out of the airport, there was a 3 Soles exit fee per car. Our taxi driver pulled up and looked back at up and said 3 Soles. Pardon my language here but I literally flipped my lid. I knew they had already charged us too much for the flight (again not too much in US Dollars but it is the principal here) and now this dick of a taxi driver was asking for 3 Soles that he should have paid and was essentially in our contract with the flight company. Again only 3 soles which is basically 1 dollar but I was so livid. 

I started weighing my options. I could get out of the taxi and walk to our hostel. I decided against that because my feet had some blisters from our hike in the canyon from the day before and I didn´t know how to get to the hostel from the airport. I thought about telling him to f&$@ off and sit there until he paid but I figured we probably wouldn´t make it anywhere. I finally gave in but made absolutely sure he knew I was extremely pissed off...again not that that did anything but it made me feel better.

Long story short...the lines were cool. I was probably too pissed off to enjoy them. And don´t ever ever break the rules...you make them for a reason so you should follow them. In the long run you are happier, save more money and enjoy yourself more.

I learn more about myself every time I travel and this time was no exception...Bridget and I would both agree this was a major learning experience for both of us. The bigger problem for me is I don´t speak Spanish so I have very little ability to do the negotiating. Bridget did a great job but again we just didn´t follow our plan...trust me we laugh about this now but it was a super rough day for both of us.

Mental note for me for the future and anyone else traveling...do yourself a massive favor and take just one language class before you go....it will make you so much happier. Again sorry for the language....I was hoping to convey the emotion of the situation.