Desert Paradise

At this point, I'm not sure why I bother to unpack my backpack. :) On Thursday, Melanie (from Canada), Evelyn (from Holland) and I decided to skip trick-or-treating for a trip to Paracas and Huacachina on the southern coast. Although all of our destinations were heavily affected by the earthquake, many of them are now happy to be back in business.

When we arrived in Paracas at 7:30 am, we were shuffled into a boat with about 40 other tourists to tour the wildlife of the Islas Ballestas. Donning our bulky, bright-orange life vests, we traveled about 30 minutes off the coast to reach rocky islands whose natural arches frame the ocean scenery. We saw dolphins, sea lions, sea anemones, starfish, and lots and lots of birds. The abundance bird life, mixed with the dry climate, allows for the accumulation of guano over thousands of years. Guano, commonly known as bird poop, is used in fertilizers and explosives, and has been a lucrative export for Peru. In fact, the guano business was so profitable that Peru went to war with Chile over possession of these islands. That's right-- Peru and Chile went to war over bird droppings!

After the island tour, we ate at an ocean-side restaurant, visited the National Reserve of Paracas, and took a nap on the beach. Then it was time to head to Huacachina. On the bus to Huacachina, my assigned seat paired me with a young man, whose Lonely Planet Guide to Peru affirmed that he was also a tourist. We got to talking, and this man, Jeff, is a UVA alumn! On a random Thursday afternoon, I sat in a randomly assigned bus seat next to someone who went to the same university as me. Unbelievable.

Huacachina is a desert oasis nestled among arid sand dunes. Tourists flock to this relaxed tourist hub for its trendy hostels, great food, and sandboarding trips. Sandboarding is just like snowboarding, but on sand instead of snow. It's a blast! After a wild dune buggy ride, we strapped on boards and headed for the hills. I found that I preferred laying down on the board like a sled, and we flew down the dunes!






















The next day was a perfect, lazy day. Oliver (who had spent two days in Pisco with earthquake disaster relief) caught up with us for our last days. We laid by the pristine pool of our $5/night hostel and basked in the sun that we miss so much in Lima. We had almost every meal at the Bamboo House, which is owned by a sweet English-Peruvian couple with a precious 9-month-old named Jasmine. We were thrilled to know that she served REAL coffee, brownies and falafel. At night, we ate a picnic dinner as we watched the sun set from the top of the dunes.

Before we knew it, Lima was tugging our academic strings and it was time to head back. Although I was sad to leave, I have a lot to look forward to. This Sunday I'm running a 10K road race through Lima, and on November 13th Adam and Keith (two friends from UVA) and I are going to Cuzco! When I come back, the UVA program is going to cook a Thanksgiving feast, and before I know it, classes with be over! Time flies!