Pisco, Paracas, Islas Ballestas

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From Lima we took the local bus, Flores, four hours south to Pisco. Pisco was hit hard by the earthquake in 2007 and there is still so much damage here. There was massive amounts of construction underway. That, along with the political rally in the main square (right next to our hostel) was a bit overwhelming. Luckily we were exhausted and the very loud street noise didn't keep us up. Street noise aside, our hostel, Tambo Colorado, was quite pleasant. For under $11 we got a private double room with our own shower.
We woke up at 6:30 the next morning to eat breakfast and head off to Paracas to tour the Islas Ballestas. It was a two hour boat tour to the "poor mans galapagos." We saw loads of pelicans, boobies, penguins, and sea lions. There were hundreds of birds flying over head, and it's a good thing we were wearing caps because bird shit was dropping everywhere - which accounted for the less than pleasant smell. But all in all a very enjoyable tour. Back at Paracas we continued on to tour the National Reserve. We spent a few hours driving through the desert, beautiful views, but not entirely necessary to see. The two tours, lasting just under 8 hours, costed $25.

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