The entire dorm woke up early this morning again to take a boat tour to the “poor man’s Galapagos” of Peru called the Ballestas Islands. The boat held about 40-50 people and took us to the outskirts of the island. We saw sea lions, penguins, and thousands of birds. With all these birds comes a lot of bird crap and strong smell. According to the boat tour guide, Peru is very proud of this poo as many workers come to the islands to collect it and use it for fertilizer (exported also). The guide also explained that Paracas was the first place where independent movements began in the region. During the ride, the group I was with was talking about sports. I wouldn’t say I am the biggest sports fan, but I found it funny when I had to explain what “1st and 10” meant in regards to American football.
After the boat tour, we immediately hopped back into the large tour bus to see some more spots in the National Reserve (a free tour with Peru Hop). These tour busses are apparently made for the off-roading terrain of the reserve because the drivers didn’t flinch for a second while I felt like the bus was about to crumble. The reserve is part of the Atacama desert which stretches all the way down to Santiago, Chile.
After finishing this tour, our small group had to say goodbye to Joljin as she was staying another night in Paracas. This is the beauty of Peru Hop. You can extend or condense your trip however your budget and timeline allows. In hindsight, I should have planned more days in Peru to feel less on-the-go all the time, but spending one night in each place also has its own charms and experience.
Finally, we re-boarded the bus and embarked toward Huacachina. I had seen a few pictures of the small town online, but when I arrived, it was quite a shock. There was a small oasis no more than 100-200 meters across with an array of hostels and restaurants clustered around it. The town couldn’t have been more than a few square kilometers in total area, and it was seated in the middle of massive sand dunes. Arriving felt like a scene straight from the movie “Sahara” with Matthew Mcconaughey.
Our group booked a 4-bed dorm room in the Wild Rover hostel. We grabbed a quick lunch and hurried to our next tour which involved dune buggies and sand boarding. Let me just say that I did not expect an adrenaline rush to that extent. Dana even warned us that the drivers go pretty crazy. The drivers whipped us around in the 10-passenger sand buggies for 20 minutes before we stopped for a quick photo op. Then, they drove us to different dunes suitable for sand boarding (essentially just superman style down a large hill). After the second stop, the guide told us there was one more dune to board done and it was bigger than the rest. After the pace the tour had already done, I don’t know why I was surprised to see an enormous drop below me. I wish I had turned on my ski app to track the speed. After this last dune, the drivers didn’t hold back as we flew across the dunes back to Huacachina. What’s funny too: all the while being in the middle of the desert, I was still getting ESPN fantasy football updates.
I met some fun peeps from New York who, like me, chose to sit in the back row. We got rattled around, but it was just too much fun. Thank you to Jess and her crew for a memorable ride.
That night, Danna invited us all to an all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink dinner party for just 45 Pervian Soles (11-12 dollars). This was a blast, and the Wild Rover truly lived up to its name. There must have been at least 30 people gathered around a long table. Not surprising though. Everyone heard all-you-can-drink and we were sold. Danna did a great job as a tour guide and helping people with logistics, but she got people dancing, laughing, and having a great time. If she is reading this, shoutout to you Danna.
Hi stranger, we need to catch up, here I am studying for my ochem exam, using your blogs as a brain break, soon to realize I’ve been looking at your pics for the last 30 minutes lol. Can’t wait to hear more this looks so awesome.
Those dune buggy tours sound amazing! Def need to add to our list when you take us back…hint hint!!