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Published: March 28th 2007
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Islas Ballestas
A View of the islas from afar. Pisco, located in central Peru, is a town of 71,000 inhabitants located on the Bahia de Paracas, a giant bay that opens North and is protected to the west by a huge peninsula that forms the major part of a large desert reserve called the Reserva Nacional Paracas. This giant reserve is home to sea lions, flamingos and a reputed formation (the "Candelabra") of the Nazca people who inhabited southern Peru from AD 1-700. Just to the north of the bay is a rugged, beautiful, and ecologicaly and economically important island formation called Islas Ballestas. It is here that my favorite Pisco experience was had.
I was fortunate enough to take a boat tour to the Islas on one of my Pisco mornings. The trip left from a small fishing and tourist village twenty minutes south of Pisco called Paracas. I was hearded onto a large speed boat along with nearly twenty other tourists to join a tour boat armada that sped us from the harbor moments later. Luckily, since we were going out to open ocean we were given life jackets, just in case. In case of what, however, I am not sure for we were not told
Sea Lions
Climbing the rocks! to tie them, simply to put them over our heads. I tied mine. Nevertheless, I can say with confidence that these jackets were probably hand-me-downs from the peddal boat rental center in central Lima. They were probably 15 years old and formed in a simple U shape, mine had no neck tie apparatus, nor any chest or belly ties, simply some thin nylon straps attached to the outsides of the bottoms of the U. When tied from behind these straps had the effect of pulling the life jacket open. Realizing the jacket would be about as useful in the ocean as if I were drowning in a sandbox, I hopped in with the hope that if something had already happened to some tourists, someone would have made the tour agancies get new jackets. Yes, this story is anecdotal.
Undeterred I cast my lot in with the rest of the happy touristas and sped out to first view the "Candelabra." The design was impressive, but it seemed inconsistent with the other Nazca "lines" (mysterious designs of the Nazca people) in its placement many miles from the large group of geoglyphs outside of Nazca, Peru. Similarly inconsistent was the fact that
the design simply did not look like pictures of the others I had seen. Then I caught the tour guide mention that possibly pirates or other seamen created it a few hundred years ago. I laughed on the inside and waited for the Islas as everyone click, click, clicked away.
The Islas Ballestas were very impressive and smelly. The Islas are home to what I would guess to be hundreds of thousands of sea birds from gulls and Peruvian boobies to Humbolt Penguins, Guanay Cormorants and Incan Terns. The islands form an important breeding sanctuary and migration stop for birds as well as vast numbers of sea lions that can actually "climb" the steep and jagged rocks of the islands. Though mostly they just basked loudly on the stone beaches. There are so many birds that the islands have an immense concentration of guano, which the Peruvian government once harvested every 3 months to export as fertilizer (now every five years).
The town of Pisco was a supremely underdeveloped and downtrodden place. Most of the buildings were decrepid two story affairs with third stories in various phases of construction. Though the town is an important sea port, the
Paracan Paradise
There was a little boardwalk along the beach in Paracas where huge, beautiful seaside mansions sat, all but one of them deserted for the coming winter, why I do no know. road to the beaches are even worse than in town, extremely dangerous to walk day or night and basically uninhabited by people or business. The town is centered around the Plaza de Armas (every town in Peru seems to be centered around a Plaza de Armas) where most business took place and where the tallest buildings, all churches or police centers or hospitals, are located. The center of town is overrun by mini-taxis, called combis. These little babies are three wheeled motorbikes with tiny wheels and enclosed patron seating directly behind the driver. Their loud, high pitched engines remind me of mosquitos - I only wish I could sqash them.
Pisco is also known for its wine, also called Pisco, and a drink called a Pisco sour that combines Pisco, sweet and sour mix, and egg whites. I wanted to try one but, you see, the first night I ate in Pisco, Pisco soured me. Known for its sea food, I deceded to try a Piscan version of paella with shellfish. It was spicy and delicious going down, and for the next three days was spicy and constatly coming out. The experience was pretty awful. The next day I
Hostel San Isidro
The pool was great! felt terrible in the stomach and weak, aching all over and could not keep any food in. The next two days I was able to maintain a steady diet of water, fanta, saltines and ice cream, but not much else. But do not worry, I have since folded and taken two antibiotics and now, in Arequipa, feel much better.
My final bit for you all is this little observation I had while riding to Paracas one day. The drive is marked by two things, an air force station that protects the country and fish meal plants that make Peru vast amounts of money. One is surrounded by two story, freshly painted cinder block walls with razor wire and gaurd towers located periodically along the top. Armed gaurds protect the gates. The other has not even a picket fence, a yellow and black painted pole to stop cars from entering, manned by no one, and the paint on the barracks is peeling off in huge sheets.
"Things" from Pisco - Peruvian shellfish, combis, "crossing" when walking in front of churches, no grocery markets, large packs of homeless dogs, locals pronounce it "Pico," veggie pizzas come with white asparagus, Peruvians who speak English with a British accent.
That is all! See you in Arequipa!!!
Peace my friends...Heart, Simon
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Gabriela
non-member comment
You should ask before.....
Ok, I'm a Peruvian woman living in Miami (for work) and REALLY HOPING to comeback to my country soon, actually I do it a couple or three times a year for Christmas, Easter, etc, but is not the same, anyway, if you go to some places like Peru you MUST KNOW FIRST important safety rules, specially if you will eat in any restaurant (I mean in any "not well known restaurant") and these rules are : NEVER drink regular water ...you should always have to drink bottled water instead. NEVER drink any beverage with Ice NEVER eat salads or seafood without being cooked, OK, of course you can do it if you go to some GOOD and WELL KNOWN restaurant which abound in the country specially in Lima. I don't have to follow that instructions because I'm totally immunized, I can tell you! I've been in Indonesia (twice) and NEVER take care of any of those things mentioned above, never had even a stomach little pain, but those who has never been exposed to that level of contamination could turn a beautiful vacation in hell. I hope you can remember those tips for your next visit to my country. GOOD LUCK !