Sand Dunes, Dune Buggies, and Sandboarding

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So yesterday we booked a tour for 4pm with our hostel to go dune buggying in the dunes of the Huacachina desert. We were SO excited, as we were already SO impressed with the small town of Huacachina. The sand dunes are huge, the weather is warmer, and the views are amazing. Little did we know there would be even better views to come - AMAZING views!

We were picked up right from our hostel by the dune buggies. There were 12 of us in the one large buggy (including the driver). I thought it wouldn't be so fast with that big a buggy or with that many people but I was wrong! Someone told us that another traveler had told her that it was a bit like riding a rollercoaster; she was correct. We were speeding up and down the dunes of the desert, and being very grateful that we were wearing sunglasses, as the sand just whips you in the face. We'd go steep up a hill, not knowing what was on the other side, then drop down an equally steep hill on the other side - our stomachs doing a bit of a flip flop.

Then there was the view - OH the view! It was miles and miles of beautiful dessert. I told Sarah I felt like I was in Egypt. She said Dubai. AMAZING. I got some amazing photos - can't wait to post them.

We also went sandboarding. All the boards had straps to strap in your feet like real snowboarding, but Sarah and I (and lots of others) chose to take the toboganning route and lie on our stomachs, head first. We were totally nervous about going at first but the hills started small in comparison to what we would finish doing - although we didn't know this at the time. By the end, we were heading down HUGE, steep dunes. It reminded me of the ski slopes that I would never be brave enough to ski down. lol.

Oh the sand. We had sand EVERYWHERE! By the time we were hiking up a dune to get back into the buggy, I had a small beach in each of my hiking shoes and another in my sports bra and pants. When we got back to the hotel we took off everything we could outside and shook it all out. Luckily the sand is very dry and fine, so it was easy to get most out. We each took a shower and then enjoyed a couple beers on the lagoon and another with a couple of new friends we met while buggying who were also staying at our hostel.

Today we slept in until 9:30am, which felt fantastic considering we had gone to bed at 10:30pm due to only getting about 3 hours the night before. We found a cute place on the lagoon for breakfast while soaking up the sun in our tank tops and tshirts. Amazing how the weather is so warm during the day but so cold at night - but that's what happens in deserts, right?

We then did a bit of souvenir shopping and found an amazingly talented man who works with beads and wires. We each bought a cute bracelet that has many colourful strings and a silver gem in the middle that has designs from the Nazca lines. We also each got a pair of earrings made with thin wires and tiny beads. He actually made mine right in front of us, as I liked a pattern he had but wanted different beads and he offered to make it on the spot. He also made Sarah and I each a little "good luck charm" for free, and told us it would bring us luck for the rest of our time in Peru.

We're now headed to Nazca to find a hotel for the evening. We'll then get up tomorrow morning to go to the Nazca airport and catch a small 6 seater plane to head up and see the Nazca lines from the sky. We're not sure anything else can beat the wonderful time we've had in Huacachina, but we're awfully excited to explore the rest of the country.

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Photos

SCARY!
Looking down the first BIG hill to the next one (on the right)

The 3rd (and most scary) of the Hills
Yes, the little dots on the top are the people. This was our last dune of the evening

At the Oasis
Notice the little ant-sized people climbing to the top

Talented Man
This guy makes amazing jewellery