Advertisement
Published: March 27th 2007
Edit Blog Post
Out trip to Pisco was not long but we had many little side trips on the way.
First stop to my great relief was the Nazca lines viewing tower. You could see the tree and hands from this tower. It was great to see the lines up close because you could really get a sense of their size and you could see how they were made. The lines were made by digging out aboput 30cm of dirt to create trenches exposing the different coloured soil below the top soil. Apparently they aren´t preserved by anyone, it is just that it is not windy where the lines are but we thought they must have to do something because the lines were still so clear and there was evidence of sand movement due to wind.
Of course the non spew plane wasn´t as interested in this tower but I was as this was my only chance to see them.
After this we travelled to Ica where we partook in a dunebuggy ride with sandboarding. The dune buggy ride was traumatic for me as I am a boring wouss. It was reminiscent of a rollercoaster ride and you all know
Death machines
Our dune buggy! I how I feel about this. We were going over sand cliffs and up the side of some of the hugest sand dunes I have ever seen in my life. At the time I was petrified but looking back I should have relaxed and enjoyed.
As a result of the trauma I experienced in the buggy I couldn´t bring myself to sand board, I still regret and feel stupid about this (but I can be very stubborn).
Ben had a great time. He stood up (snowboard style), while others went down face first. The challenge was to try and stay standing so you didn´t get a face full of dirt. We kept going to higher and higher dunes. The whole car was in throws of ecstasy as the ride got more and more thrilling while I sat with white knuckles and closed eyes. I had tried to become an adrenaline person and failed miserably.
After we went to a Pisco brewery and were given the tour. The stuff when we tried it at the end was so strong, no wonder Pisco sours are made with lots of sugar and other flavouring. Every sip went burning down. Most
On top of the world
The group at the first sandboard stop with the great dunes in the distance and towns surrounded by sand. of us didn´t enjoy it straight and noone purchased a bottle.
I did instead try another speacialty of the region, a pecan covered in caramel and chocolate. It was´t too bad.
That night we ended up in Pisco itself and had one of our last dinners at the hotel. Everywhere in Pisco had bars on the doors and windows so we weren´t going out. The beef I had was ordinary but dessert, pancakes, was fantastic.
The next morning we went to the Isla Ballestas. We arose early to take a rather rickety bus to the boat. The boat trip was awesome, we saw some sea lions, heaps of birds and a cactus/candellabra made in the sand like the Nazca lines. The details I am sure would be boring but we were so close in the boat to the animals. It was just great to have air (I didn´t get sea sick I took a tablet). There were so many sea lions in one spot they made a massive noise barking all together. It is really hard to describe.
After that we returned to then begin our trip to Lima.
To get to Lima we had
No hands
Ben about to sand board down the dune. to catch a public bus. When we arrived at the station we were told to get into the bus office, and were given a pamphlet on safety. There were people selling things to the buses when they stopped. They had a rather igenious method so they don´t have to get on the bus. They get a 2 litre softdrink bottle, cut it in half and attach it to a stick, then they put their wares in the bottle and push it up to the passengers who then take what they want and replace it with money. It works well.
We had a bit of a wait until our bus. When we got on we were told to always hold our things in our lap. Everyone was doing it, even the locals, so we did too of course. This is for security.In saying that I neglected to mention that on the bus to Nazca we were videoed so they could identify people if there was a theif that held up the bus.
It was a very long trip to Lima, we were all very happy to finally get there and to our rooms which were very comfy. That night
Pisco flows
The Pisco well. We all tasted the end product. was our final night.
We were staying at Mira Flores. We went for dinner down near the waterfront. The meal was pretty good and then some of us kicked on to enjoy beverages at a bar. It was sad to be leaving the group behind but everyone was ready to move on to their next adventure.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.152s; Tpl: 0.023s; cc: 13; qc: 45; dbt: 0.0694s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb