Peru - Monday 12 October 1998
We hire a van to continue our travel. Because we won't come back in Pisco, all baggage is stored on top of the van.
We go to the harbor again, this time to have a trip on the sea. We pass Ballestas Islands and Paracas-peninsula. This is a unique environment with seals, pinguins and all kinds of birds.
On a mountain on the peninsula you can see a special earth-drawing. The meaning of it isn't clear, there are several theories about it.
In this environment there are many small and huge rocks. At some places the water has made real beautiful shapes in the rocks.
Incredible how close you can get to those seals, laying on the rocks in the sun.
You wouldn't expect Penguins near the equator, but they're real!!
Back on land, we drive along. We visit a vineyard where Pisco Sour is being made. That's the drink we had yesterday. This farm has its own wine-field. Because it's spring now, there are no raisins on the trees. On this vineyard, wine is also being destilised and bottled. The product is a kind of vodka, 45 percent alcohol. It is getting real hot now! My skin burns for the first time.
Later we have a stop near the so-called 'sand dunes' near the city of Ica. Those dunes are incredible high, much higher than a picture can show.
In the middle of those dunes is a kind of oasis, Huacachina. There, it's possible to climb onto the dunes.
It's also possible to here a kind of snow-boards, with which you can surf down. During my climb to the top, I get dizzy and decide to surf down from a lower point.
It is really great! Nevertheless it doesn't take so much time. Halfway down my board got less smooth so I fell off it.
Afterwards it's really cool to dive into the water.
Because we have a private van, we can see all kinds of things on our way. In every village there are beautiful local people selling their products.
Almost all buildings over here are damaged as a result of earthquakes. Everybody seems to be building.
When we arrive in Nazca, it's dark already. It's really beautiful to drive through the desert at night. Sometimes we pass a stranger, for the rest it's just us and the stars...
