Bodega and Sand Dune

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We started off today by waking up late... thank goodness.....next we went to visit bodegas.

We arrived at the Vista Alegre (a commercial bodega started by the Picasso family from Italy in 1857) only to find out that today is a regional Peruvian holiday and no tour guides are working at this particular bodega.

We stand around aimlessly until, luck would have it, Sam Hoys (our former tour guide) happen to drive in with his new tour group. We new he was on a similar itinerary but didn't´t expect to bump into him.

He had already made arrangements with the security guard to have a tour....so we tagged along.


Next we departed on our own to an artisan bodega (Bodega Catadore) on the other side of Ica. Though hard to find, this establishment preserved the old techniques of Pisco and wine making as used in the 19th century.

Our tour guide Manuel was extremely knowledgeable in the entire pisco distillation process, which surprisingly is much different than regular wine or grappa making.

We return to Huachachina for the afternoon sand buggy tour in the dunes of western Ica.

This region is amazing, it was like we were in the middle of the Sahara. We were driven to the first of several sand surfing hills. Like snowboarding but harder to control, I want an insane high rate of speed and bonked my self on the head again... though I think I straitened the kink in my neck out. Aless opted for the toboggan approach with the board, which actually looked like more fun...and safer.

After the sand boarding we somehow ended up in different buggy with a new driver.... this guy had a death wish... we were flying through the desert at over 100 km hr, jumping dunes with substantially life threatening amounts of airtime.... though the drive back rivaled the coasters of six flags, I cant recommend this company for sake of pure preservation of life.

Off to Arequipa on the over night bus (12 hour ride)

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[tom]

JEALOUS I AM