Sand In Pocket

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After a long bus journey and a short taxi ride we arrive in the oasis in the Peruvian desert. Our taxi driver is trying to charge three times the fare. Putting on his “innocent old man” face when we don’t buy it. Better luck next time.

Despite being an avid traveler, my experience with deserts in general and oases in particular is very limited. Oasis; overrated English rock band with a few hits in the 90’s. Also; green area in the desert, presence of water. Or; something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast. Huacachina is far from rock’n’roll, but definitely meets the other criteria. A square-shaped little lake, palm trees bordering the waterline and providing shade, mighty sand dunes towering up on all sides. Sleepy hotels and quiet restaurants surrounding the water. This is a retreat, a place to get away from work, studies, the city, people, whatever.

The range of activities other than chilling are essentially limited to one; a combined sand buggy and sand board tour. A roller coaster ride in the dunes. The vehicle is not so much of a car, more of a steel frame on wheels with an engine. May not appear very impressive on flat roads, but they own the dunes. The skilled driver pushes the buggy up the ridges and down the hills with remarkable speed, challenging the rules of gravity. Roaring engines, wind in the hair, a thrilling sensation of speed. A primitive but powerful rush.

The driver stops at the top of a ridge. Takes out wooden boards. Tells us to get on the board and down the hill. Standing up on a board and going downhill may work well on snow, but on sand much bigger of a challenge. Easier to lay flat on the stomach on the board he says. It works. Kind of. The steering possibilities are virtually non-existent, and digging into the sand with the board and the body reduces the speed significantly. Ill-equipped and with no technique or practice to speak of we realize that this sport has limited entertainment value. After a few rides we’re ready to move on.

The sunset above the oasis is spectacular. The sun descends behind the dunes and creates an astounding glow over the sand. The yellow sand becomes red for a few moments, before the darkness sweeps in. A few minutes and photo ops later the spectacular scene is over, and the warm and golden sand has transformed into an inhospitable and dark landscape.

Speaking of sand; it’s everywhere. The amount of sand stuck in shoes, clothes, hair, eyes, mouth, and pockets would be enough to fill a small beach in northern Europe. We do our best to get rid of it, but knowing that we’ll find it in random places for days to come. Obviously what you would expect in a sandy desert.

Cleverly I’ve protected my camera from the sand boarding. Wouldn’t seem wise to have it smashed going downhill skeleton-style. At the end of the tour, content with the striking shots of the dunes, I put the camera in my pocket. One of those things you know you’ll regret the instance you do it. Little grains of sand cannot only fit into a large pocket. They can - and will - find its way into the tiniest parts of an electronic device, such as a camera. Camera mechanisms and sand don’t go very well together. Bye bye camera. Did I mention I’m not much of a beach person?

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