Desert sports in Huacachina; Ballestas Islands and Quadding Paracas

 

After leaving lovely Cusco I headed to Huacachina, a small desert oasis closer to the coast. I didn't stop to see the Nazca lines, because a flight over the varying shapes costs about $100 and only lasts maybe 20 minutes. But Huacachina, though there wasn't much to do in the town, is surrounded by sand dunes.

 

 

My second day there I went on a tour-hour excursion to dune buggy (essentially you fly around in a metal caged vehicle up and down the sand dunes) and sand board down the dunes. After going down increasingly steep hills on the boards we watched the sun set and then headed back to town.

 

I didn't actually drive, don't worry - just for the picture

So much sand everywhere!

 

 

Saturday I took a short bus to the small, coastal town of Paracas. It was great to see the ocean again after about 3 months without it. I had a pretty bad cold so spent quite a few days in bed, (in the Kokopelli hostel I stayed at all the beds have their own separate pods) or just sitting staring at the sea. There are so many different birds here, including large pelicans that soar right above the water and land in groups close to the shore. One day a group of dolphins even swam close to the beach in front of the hostel.

 

 

 

Yesterday I took a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands - kind of a mini, cheaper version of the Galapagos Islands - to see Humboldt penguins, sea lions, and even one blue-footed booby amidst all the other plain boobies.

 

Candelabra (similar to Nazca lines) 

Can you see the face in the rocks?

Blue-footed booby in bottom left corner

Penguins!

 

In the afternoon I went on a quad tour of the Paracas National Reserve. Originally I wasn't planning to go to the reserve at all, but the quads made it worth it. There was some old shells from the Eocene period, interesting rock formations, and a dark red sand beach. Tomorrow I head to Lima for my last five days and then home!