Northern Peru and Lima

---

Our first stop in Peru was Mancora, a seaside town similar to Montanita. After meeting up with some friends we went to a bbq beach party to mark our last beach stop before heading into the cold. On our way to Lima we decided to break up the journey by stopping in Hyanchaco. From here we were able to visit the ancient mud cities around Trujillo including one of Peru’s largest structures, a pyramid made from 140 million mud bricks, Huaca del sol. Dave had a last go of surfing although the water was so cold a wet suit was needed. Although he didn’t manage to catch the 2 km wave that draws many surfers here.

As there was not much else to keep us here we decided to continue to Lima, Peru’s capital. As soon as we arrived we both loved the city. Lima had a really laid back atmosphere with lots of great places to eat and drink and many indigenous markets to stroll through. We wandered around a few museums and explored the catacombs’ beneath the cities cathedral which was filled with over 200,000 skeletons. Near our hostel there were a few tattoo shops and as Dave had wanted one for a while he decided now would be a good time. This also caused a couple more friends to get tattoos, the funniest of which being Chris who after being bitten constantly in South America thought it would be appropriate to get a no mosquito sign on his bum. I also took this opportunity to get the inside of my ear pierced, which although was painful i was really happy with.

From Lima we headed to Ica and the nearby oasis town of Huacachina. The town was surrounded by sand dunes which we were able to go dune buggying around. Dave also got to drive the buggy which was quite scary. We went sand boarding which was good fun although difficult and involved falling over quite a lot. In the town we went on a wine tasting tour where we were able to try the different types of Pisco Sour, which is a spirit made from local grapes.

---