Huacachina -> Nazca -> Arequipa

Apologies for the many posts in a row. Just trying to catch up on all that has happened the last few days. This website has taken more on an online journal format than an actual blog by now. Oh well 🙂 This post is for both November 7 and November 8.

The morning of the 7th, we woke up, packed quickly, and got back on the bus. No one was feeling great and I had forgotten about the Pisco tasting tour this morning. If I forgot to mention before, Pisco is an alcohol distilled form fermented grapes here in Peru. After the tour, it was clear how many ways Pisco could be used (wines, cocktails, or just plain).

The tour was actually very interesting. The guide first had the group sit in a square concrete pit which he explained is used to dump and mash the harvested grapes. Traditionally, the grapes are mashed using feet. The juices then flow out of the sloped floor of the pit into containers to then be transported to the second stage: distillation. The flavors and aromas are deeply dependent on the types of grapes used, the containers which hold the liquids, and the temperature of distillation.

Now came the fun part, the tastings. The first couple of samples were very sweet and resembled white and red dessert wines. Then we started trying Pisco on its own, which was mixed with fruits or cream. At the end, the guide asked for volunteers for a Pisco challenge. These brave souls essentially had to take a shot of pure Pisco (42% alc), clean out their cups by any means necessary, and hope that when their cup turned upside down, not a drop fell out. If any liquid fell, they would repeat the process. Our friends Sergio and Harry made it to 7 total (whether on purpose or accidentally, I cannot say). Because of this, the bus ride to Nazca was undoubtedly very entertaining.

Included in the Peru Hop bus ticket was entrance to the Nazca lines viewing tower. We made a short stop to see some of the ancient, pre-Colombian lines created by the Nazca people.

So far, it has been so much fun to meet new friends and experience new things together. However, there is no way I could have kept this pace for the entirety of this trip. I am glad that it worked out to have the Peru Hop at the end of this 6-7 week journey so that I can head home directly after. What’s funny is that I am the youngest of the group, yet I have the least energy. How these people keep up their hype and vibe is beyond me, but I salute them. Thank you for rubbing off on me:)

We arrived in Arequipa at 5am the morning of the 8th. I booked an airbnb, but wasn’t allowed to check in till 3pm. I found the Plaza de Armas of downtown Arequipa to sit for a bit, catch up on messages, and talk to others waiting for their rooms. Around 7, the first breakfast place opened and thankfully, my waiter, Paulo, was the nicest guy ever. He gave me a spot on the second-floor balcony to sit, drink a large mug of coffee, eat a good breakfast, and log in to my computer. I booked my Cusco airbnb, flight back to lima on the 14th, and some tours in Cusco too. Around noon, I dropped my bags at the airbnb lockers, changed, and got ready for a rafting tour the group had signed up for.

The river was frigid but very refreshing. The rapids were around class 2-3 the entire way with one section of class 4 that soaked everyone front to back. Thankfully, we were wearing wetsuits and splash jackets. The guide let us jump into a small pool, and later, he let me navigate the boat during some calmer parts. The views of the Andes from the river were stunning.

For dinner, we met at Sergio’s and Katarina’s hostel to enjoy the rooftop restaurant. The sunset and lights of Arequipa set the scene for a tasty meal, with good company, to end the day.