About two hours north of Nazca is the desert oasis town of Huacachina. Basically consisting of Hostels, restaurants, internet cafes, and travel agencies built around a lagoon, this small piece of paradise is a must-see for any backpacker. Gigantic sand dunes surround the lagoon from all sides and miles of desert disappear into the horizon. The major city near Huacachina is Ica, which is one of the driest places on Earth.
I arrived the Friday before Easter which made finding a room anything but easy. After being quoted on a few that were well out of my budget I finally found a reasonably priced 18-bed dormitory. I was able to grab a quick bite, take a dip in the pool, and then begin my climb of a massive sand dune in time to watch the sunset over the desert.
I’ve probably said this before but one of the greatest parts of traveling are the people you meet. That night I found myself at a table playing King’s Cup (a drinking game involving cards and wacky rules) with people from The States, Holland, Australia, England, Scotland, and Canada. Someone had the brilliant idea to make a rule that forced everyone to try and talk like the person to their left. Needless to say the rest of the game was very entertaining.
The next day was spent exploring the town a bit more and relaxing poolside. I had booked a sand tour for that evening. One hour for 40 soles ($16). The tour was much more of a rush than I had anticipated. You and about 9 others cram into a buggy and are driven up and over dunes, dropping quickly down the other side, taking sharp turns and going up more. Twice the buggy stopped at the top and we all got out and sand boarded down. I assumed sand boarding would be a lot like snow boarding, which I have never done. Instead, you lay on your stomach with the board underneath you and start sliding down the dune. This ground level view of the rapidly approaching desert floor really gets the adrenaline pumping. The last dune was so high and the descent so rapid that my ear popped on the way down, the same as when you land in an airplane.
Easter morning arrived and my time in Huacachina came to a close. I boarded a bus to Lima (4 hours) then found another bus that would take me back to Mancora (20 hours). I am in Mancora now, back at the hostel I spent a week in when I first arrived in Peru. I have about 23 days left in South America and will spend almost all of it volunteering at the hostel. Basically I work 15-20 hours a week in the bar but I get to stay for free and get 2 free meals. I know that the blog has been lacking some excitement in my latest posts so I will do my best to throw myself in dangerous situations and add some flare to it. Also, I have finally uploaded pictures from the last few months. I hope everything is great in you’re part of the world. Until next time, Ciao!
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