Huacachina – 23 June

Bus ride from hell! I hate the bus drivers in Peru. There is a national limit on the busses of 100kph, but the roads are so twisty you can never get up to those speeds. The drivers try very hard though, which means that you get flung around the seat all the way! Getting rest is not an option as long as the road is twisty.

Since this wasn’t the off-season, accommodation was easy to get. We got a room in a “hostel” which looks like an old hotel. By this time I was guessing that Huacachina used to be a holiday resort for the rich. Now it has become a backpacker hang out. Most of the buildings around the oasis have old architectural features. The only thing I don’t like about the place is the mosquitoes. The oasis is stagnant water, so also no swimming (for me at least). At least the peace and quite that I was looking for, I got.

After one day we knew most of the ins-and-outs of Huacachina. Since this area is known for Pisco, we did a Bodega (general term for a place where wine or Pisco is produced) tour. The wine in this area is not very good, in my opinion. The climate is hot, affecting the taste. The Pisco on the other hand is supposed to be the best in Peru. The Pisco Bodega we went to produced a Pisco that won various national competitions. As good as It might be, I can’t palate the stuff neat. It is just too strong for me. And in case you are thinking “Ruan is just a lightweight”, its similar strength to Witblitz.
These Bodegas were on the other side of Ica. Huacachina is a 5min drive from the bus station. I did not enjoy the look or feel of Ica. We went to a museum another day in Ica. Here I got to see the Nazca lines! Well only a scale model. Rather this than risk my life in a poor-safety-record-very-expensive light aircraft.

After Bolivia, Sallie was not liking the crowds of Cusco. Since I had been mentioning Huacachina, she left Gary to hike Salkantay and she came to join us.

Every afternoon you hear Huacachina come alive to the sound of V8 motors staring up, revving and then climbing out the surrounding dunes. There are tours that take you sand boarding and then you have sundowners. All thrown together by a wild dune buggy ride.
The sand boarding was a bit disappointing, except for the last of 3 dunes which was steep and long. A great ride!

My highlight of Huacachina was the food! The food in Cusco was ok, but no real vegetables. You always get potatoes and possibly corn. I wanted some tomatoes, broccoli, anything else than dry potatoes. We ate like kings every meal. I’m sure I picked up some weight in the couple of days we were there.

Huacachina from a surrounding dune – Tuck-tucks are everywhere. Very cool – The still they used to produce Pisco

Dune buggy time! – Looking over the dunes at Ica – Our “hostel” with a club in the back!

 
One of the famous “Nazca lines.” (ok the scale model) – So you think a “Joyeria” is place to get joy (like you get cafe in a cafeteria) like a brothel? At least that’s what I thought :) Its a jewellery store.