Pilgrim’s Progress
My pack was heavy before I left Lima but now that I am on the road it is much much lighter (and should only get better as soon as I get rid of this hang over).
The bus ride from Lima to Pisco consisted mainly of trying to keep the drinks down from the night before (New Years Eve). Thankfully I still had a charge in my iPod and the soothing melodies of Neil Young to get me through.
Pisco is not much to look at. Graffiti and garbage decorate the streets but at its heart Pisco is a beautiful town. Like most communities in South America, Pisco has a square where the locals meet in the evenings. Here you can see kids playing, old men chatting, lovers strolling, and vendors vending. It´s something special that you would never see back home.
From Pisco I took a day trip to the Ballestas Islands. The islands host over 160 different species of marine birds, including the Humboldt penguins. Sea Lions also share the island with the birds. It was amazing to see but it took me awhile to sort through the dozens of pictures I took.
I was then on my way to Huacachino, a desert oasis. Stopped off on the way at a winery. It was probably pretty similiar to your typical wine tour, except at the end the guide was feeding us full shot glasses of wine. A great thing to have before heading into the desert to go sandboarding.
I was assuming sandboarding would be similiar to snowboarding, it´s not. I was able to stand but you can´t carve sand like you can snow. So basically you just have to go straight for it and pray you don´t bail. It was actually more fun to lay down face first on the board and bomb the hill since you got more speed and distance.
I was digging sand out of various places for atleast the next week.
From there I went to visit the famous Nazca lines. Huge line-art pieces in the desert sand that were created before the creator would have had the ability to even see the creation. They were impresses indeed but still…really….just lines in the sand.
Arequipa is amazing. So much cleaner and so much more character than Lima. I now understand why everyone suggests getting the hell out of Lima as soon as possible. The altitude is rising and I can feel it…but I´m not getting sick. Must be all the cocoa leaves I´m chewing.
From Arequipa I went to visit the Colca Canyon for a few days. This is where I reached the highest altitude of my travels, 4900m above sea level. Just walking from the bus to the bathroom took a lot out of me.
These valleys have a powerful energy and I can see why the Incans worshipped the mountains. They surround me and protect me in this valley. Water runs from them and provides/creates life all around me. It is a beautiful and spiritual place and I am beggining to reastablish my connection with nature that has most certainly been severed since moving from Vancouver Island.
And even though everyone said it probably wouldn´t happen, due to it not being the right season, I did manage to see a condor.
I´ve decided I will upload pictures when I get home (which is coming up fast). Since it should be quite a lengthly process.
Stay tuned for my adventures in Cusco and the trek to Macchu Picchu.
