Blogs from Ica, Peru, South America - page 2

Ica, Peru (Nov. 9 - 10, 2017)

South America » Peru » Ica » Huacachina November 10th 2017

My stay in Ica was short, but memorable. I got off the bus and walked around looking for my lodging. I took a couple of wrong turns. Ended up in someone's backyard-ish area and was greeted by an older lady with a slit throat gesture...I was definitely not the welcome that would make a visitor feel wanted. I turned the corner and continued my search. Google maps led my to a gated community. It was middle class-ish. I found the house and figure Google Maps made a mistake. I figure to knock, since I'm already there. It turns out that it was the correct location. It was more like an AirB&B than a hostel or guesthouse. I was excited to be the only one in the dorm room. The only one in the whole house!! Other ... read more

Hoofdstuk 2: achtbanen

South America » Peru » Ica April 10th 2017

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KoosFranssen

In de tweede blog van deze reeks wil ik het graag hebben over achtbanen. Ik hou er gewoonlijk niet zo van, maar ik heb me nu toch twee gave achtbanen meegemaakt. De eerste bevond zich in Huacachina, het Alcantara van Peru (voor alle "niet-Neet Oet Lottum-kenners" die de verwijzing niet snappen, sorry). Huacachina is in wezen niet meer dan een kudde huisjes rondom een oase in het midden van nergens. En dat betekent dat het een stopplaats is voor allerlei soorten vogels en toeristen. Ik was er in dit geval een van de laatste soort. Die toeristen die naar Huacachima komen zijn er vrijwel altijd vooral voor de sandbuggy-tours en het sandboarding door de zandduinen rondom de oase. En dat is dus mijn eerste achtbaan, weliswaar een achtbaan zonder spoorrails of loopings, maar ik mag best ... read more

Paracus and Beyond

South America » Peru » Ica » Paracas February 5th 2017

Paracus beach

hasudi

I haven't been very loyal to my blog. Sorry, to much to do. It seems the more you learn, the less you know, this certainly applies to learning about Peru. I've searched my soul, dug deep to understand my attraction to this South American country. The beauty of course, the wonderful, accepting people but it's more than that, the language with a creative, romantic edge. Spanish, especially Castellano gives the speaker the ability to be creative in the delivery of his speech. The listener is treated to romantic to angry sounds almost like a song. With English we speak very direct, not a lot left to speculate on. Spanish leaves areas of reflection and interpretation, it seems to create a romantic aura. I'll leave this to the linguist, this is just my take on language. OK, ... read more

JOYEUX NOËL !!

South America » Peru » Ica » Huacachina January 5th 2017

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Remi et Matou

C est Sur on se souviendra de ce 25 décembre au Pérou!c est dans l oasis de Huacachina qu on a décidé de passer le réveillon de Noël. Un hôtel nous a été recommandé par un couple de français rencontre à Huaraz, avec piscine et vue sur les dunes de sable! Nous faisons beaucoup de rencontres en quelques jours, et nous retrouvons aussi des personnes rencontrées sur les étapes précédentes! Dans les dunes de sable,on fait du sandboard, rien à voir avec notre première expérience!on passe de petites collines à de ÉNORMES montagnes de sable! Faire des virages debout est trop complique, il faut se mettre à plat ventre sur la planche et aller tout droit! Pour remonter c est le buggy qui vient nous chercher et nous fait faire quelques drifts, les sensations sont géniales! ... read more

Nasca Lines

South America » Peru » Ica » Nazca November 11th 2016

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laureandnemo

I continued my journey in the southern desert by going to Nazca where the legendary lines are. The town of Nazca is really small and it feels a lot more isolated than all the other desert towns I have been in simply because it was harder to find food. I decided to take a little flight above the lines to see them at their best....first i was excited, in a Cessna (I know this from the diploma we receive afterwards) for 8 people including 2 pilots. I had the whole two back seats to myself which was great but then we took flight...I will admit I only saw the first half of these lines cause the other half of the time I was concentrating on not throwing up, which I got very close to. The pilots ... read more

Huacachina

South America » Peru » Ica » Huacachina November 9th 2016

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laureandnemo

Huacachina is an oasis town about an hour away from Paracas. I actually stayed in Ica, the city that is 10min from the oasis cause it would be easier for buses and cheaper for hostals. Ica is quite a big town/city. I grabbed a tuc tuc to Huacachina and had a walk around the oasis. Absolutely incredible! As I was driving towards there, we were surrounded by sand dunes the height a 5 storey building. Once arrived at the oasis, it is so silent! I don´t think it is the high season cause it was so quiet! The dunes all around it are absolutely huge!!! and there are hostals all around the oasis apart from one side of it. Really impressive for me to think of how isolated this place would be without this one little ... read more

Paracas

South America » Peru » Ica » Paracas November 7th 2016

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laureandnemo

I left Trujillo Sunday evening on a very comfortable bus and arrived in Paracas on Monday afternoon in Paracas which is in the desert three hours south of Lima. It was much prettier than I expected simply because the activity to do there was another ´´Poor man´s Galapagos´´ so I imagined somthing similar to Puerto Lopez in Ecuador. Actually it is a lot more touristic because people can also come from Lima on day trips. I treated myself to a boat tour of las Islas Ballestas which are a reserve for birds, seals and a few penguins. I couldn´t believe how many birds and seals there were. I heard that in the past, it was obligatory to wear a hat because of the bird shit, now they just tell you it´s lucky if you get shat ... read more

Nazca, Huacachina, Pisco and back to Lima

South America » Peru » Ica October 16th 2016

Mobilair plane

ChristieC

Wow we are doing a lot this trip! It's hard to keep up with the blogging. So we start with a 9 hour overnight bus to Nazca. Not as comfy as the luxury bus, but not a local bus either. Our supposed VIP tickets got us the downstairs cabin, meals, blankets, etc but honestly the roads were windy and it felt like the bus was toppling over on each turn so none of us got any sleep. 6am arrival into Nazca and amazingly the hotel let us check in and get some zzzs. Not too many though as breakfast finished at 9 then we had to leave for our flight over the Nazca lines! Tiny 12 seater plane and they explain it will be constant 45 degree banking so people on both sides can see. I ... read more

It's Kind of Like Snow - Huacachina, Peru

South America » Peru » Ica » Huacachina July 28th 2016

gypsies

TravelbyTravis

After departing Cusco via a 14 hour overnight bus, I had arrived into the tiny village of Huacachina, Peru in the southwestern region of the country. I had read that Huacachina was like a desert oasis and when I hopped out of my cab to find a hostel what I read was proven true by the sight before me. The little village surrounds a lake and surrounding the village are massive sand dunes hundreds of feet high. I truly felt like I was in some sort of Lawrence of Arabia scene and if not for the Spanish speakers I could have been in the Sahara. After easily finding accommodation I set out walking bleary eyed and tired from my journey here. Within five minutes I met a band of traveling gypsies who invited me into their ... read more

Tra oceano, dune, cielo in Perù

South America » Peru » Ica » Ica June 29th 2016

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beingb

Da 4000 metri a 4000 °C è un attimo, un attimo di una dodicina di ore. Arrivo a Paracas un attimo prima delle ore più calde del giorno, così non mi perdo neanche un minuto di ustione. Schivo i soliti agenti turistici che circondano le porte dei bus ma l'ultimo di essi mi incastra. Sa dov'è il mio ostello e io no, questo dettaglio, insieme ai circa 30kg che mi porto addosso sotto il sole, sono la chiave del suo successo. Espletate le solite pratiche burocratiche e prenotati i tour mi do all'oceano, pomeriggio sulla sabbia con Pippo il cane. Il giorno dopo mi imbarco per le isole Ballestas, Willy mi da il suo cappellino, anti sole ed anti guano. Le isole pullulano di vita, cormorani, pinguini, leoni marini, pellicani, gallinelle indefinite, tutti appollaiati sullo stesso ... read more

Brief history of Peru

Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1...more history

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