I set out for the cemetary which Richard and Jane recommended. Jane gave me directions.

'Head out on the Aeriquippa road and it's not the first sign to the right but the second one to the left. It's about ten kilometres down the dirt road. You can't miss it'.

Fatal words.

I saw the first sign after about 15 kilometres.

My guide book said it was thirty kilometres away.

The next sign was the right one.

Another seven kilometers to go.

After another fifteen k's I saw nothing like the right sort of dirt road. I doubled back and, using my trip meter, looked for a dirt road heading east at about the thirty K mark.

Pretty much on cue I spotted the right road going off into the desert.

'This must be it I thought'.

The road started off wide and well graded but then it deteriorated somewhat. In a few places I couldn't work out where it went. I had to double back and try another track.

I was full admiration for Jane's navigation skills.

'Perhaps girls really are superior at map reading alter all?'

The track left a gully and headed out over a plain. Feeling much more confident I followed if for the next five minutes towards some low hills.

It twisted and curved a bit and then turned sharply right.

As I turned the corner I stopped quickly as there was no more road.

Some one was looking at me in a rather surprised fashion.

I waved a greeting and got off my bike. There was a large plastic sheet covered in green ore, glinting in the evening sun.

His name was Emilio. With three companions, Christian, Pibe, Lucio they were mining copper.

I studied English tin and lead mining at university and had visited several tin and lead mines. This was a great opportunity for me.

I asked if I could have a look in his mine.

He readily agreed so off we went.

Using acetylene lamps we entered the tunnel. The adit was tall and wide and went directly into the side of the hill. After only thirty metres or so we turned a corner and he pointed to the top corner of the wall.

I couldn't see anything at all, just buff coloured rock.

Emilio threw some water on it and the whole area turned a vibrant green.

They were made a hard but decent enough living from copper. They had friends further towards Arequipa who were mining gold. Although it was obviously worth more they were using mercury to dissolve the gold out.

They thought they were much better off with a lower income and a much lower risk of poisoning themselves.

It was starting to get dark so I thanked them and headed back to Nazca.

On my way back I saw the '7km' sign again and instantly realised my mistake.

I'd completely missed the arrow next to the distance. It was pointing left not straight on. The turning was immediately after a left hand corner which I'd completely missed. I decided to try again tomorrow.