Lima: Pachacamac y "Qué Pasó Ayer? 2"

Today the extent of Lima's depression and grime truly hit me.  On our walk to school Dana, Syeda and I talked about just how ugly the city is.  And it truly is.  A mix of grey buildings backed by a grey sky doesn't offer much in the terms of beauty.  However, every once in a while the beauty of a historic church or array of flowers peaks out and surprised you.

Llamas cutting the grass in front of the Pachacamac Museum

Nevertheless the majority of Lima's streets house no such beauty, but are instead filled with varying shades of gris.  But I truly had not realized this until today because Lima houses so many interesting activities and history.

In the afternoon we went to see more of Lima's rich history at Pachacamac, the ruins of an ancient religious site about 30 min south of Miraflores.  On the ride down we passed rows after rows of slums but suddenly we were there: a barren dessert from which rises a few pyramids where years ago the Lima followed by the Inca peoples worshiped the Sun God.

Rachel and I in front of the Temple of the Sun

First we saw the vertical brick construction that the Limas used to withstand earthquakes.  Since the bricks are able to wobble back and forth they don't fall down and are a good building technique for this seismic area.  Next we moved onto the Women's house where special 12-13 year olds live to cook food and perform the ritual dances after each religious ceremony.

Our guide explaining the different size adobe bricks

Next we moved forward to look at some of the 16 pyramids uncovered so far.  This active restoration site is still teaching archeologists more about different cultures every day, but as of now they know that the size of the adobe brick used for construction can tell which culture built each part of the temples.  The large bricks were made by the Icanans while the Waris made the medium sized bricks.  Other remains found include cuy, llamas, textiles, pottery, shells from Ecuador, and of course human sacrifices.

Temple of the Sun

At the site of the largest pyramid, the Temple of the Sun, 100 women were found strangled on the 2nd tier facing the ocean.  As all the girls in our group gasped the guide told us that they had all been quite drunk on chicha, a liquor made from corn, which tempered our shock a bit, but didn't stop the disbelief.  Overall throughout the 26 hectare place over 6,300 mummies have been found so far, although not from sacrifice.  

The North-South Road also passes straight through Pachacamac and is where Francisco Pizarro rode in on when he searched for gold and silver from the Incas during Spanish exploration.  The road extends north all the way to Ecuador and south to the capital of the Incan territory, Cuzco, where we will head on Sunday.

After the trip we returned to Miraflores and ate dinner at Larcomar, a seaside mall, before catching the reduced priced showing of ¿Qué Pasó Ayer? 2 (aka The Hangover 2) at the cina.  (My first time in a movie theater outside of the US!)  Thankfully the movie was not cringe-worthily dubbed and we got to listen to English while reading some Spanish here and there.  Amusing and horrifying as ever the Hangover series evidently transcends cultural boundaries as the theater was packed and the whole crowd was laughing.

Lessons Learned:

1. Only women could weave in Incan culture
2. I bought a gourd pot!  Not a lesson but I'm very happy with it despite the relatively high price tag and just thought I'd share.
3. Dulche de Leche is absolutely delicious and free samples at Havana are the perfect dessert.
4. Some things just can't be adequately translated via subtitles...

Lima: School as usual

School again today as usual, we learned about the Lima Culture which lived in this area from 100AD-650AD.  In between classes I continued my search for peanut butter, but found that at the cheaper grocery store the PB was actually more expensive than the other store.  S./16!  Almost $6!  I held off as usual.


After class we scurried for food and then took a cab to FAP to teach.  I bought a delicious pastry of tres leches and phyllo from a street salesman for under $1 and then ate more of the bread I bought yesterday.  Tomorrow I think I've talked Tyler into bringing his switchblade so that we can buy palta and eat that for lunch.


Our English class was very fun and we went over clothing for the students.  After the bell rang all of them jumped us to take pictures in varying poses.


Next we went to our lecture on Peruvian emancipation where we learned more about San Martín and Simón Bolivar as well as Atahualpa and Tupac Amaru II who led an indigenous uprising against the Spaniards.  Later girls from the school talked to us more about political freedom and our opinions.


Lessons Learned:

1. Peanut Butter is Mantiquilla de Maní in Spanish
2. You probably shouldn't just eat bread for lunch, I felt a bit queasy after
3. Toilet paper may have been my best purchase yet, everyone keeps borrowing it from me.

Dana and Syeda

Finished! Salad, Pesto & Pasta, Fish and Soup, just another meal with the Sotos

Lima: Free Day!

Free day!!  But I woke up at 8:30 anyway...luckily I ate breakfast and then fell asleep when I started to work on my book report and then slept until 11am anyway.


We were supposed to go paragliding today, for the cheap price of $50.  Unfortunately Lima decides to rain on the only free day we had, despite it supposedly never raining here.  Regardless it was a pleasant day overall as I joined Kris' family for lunch at a cute cafeteria place.  Of course I had already eaten before, so I just stuck to ice cream cake and had Chicha Morada, a sweet drink made from purple corn. 


Afterwards we walked back towards the main part of Miraflores but decided to stop off at an Incan Market.  Of course everything was the same, which is always disappointing to me, and also the souvenirs said 'Cuzco' or 'Machu Picchu' which was even sadder as we're in Lima.  I didn't end up buying anything, and am hoping to find more "authentic" goods outside of the capital.


Lessons Learned:

1. Tres Leche con Chocolate cake is delicious and I plan on ordering it later in the trip.
2. Freshly made strawberry ice cream is FANTABULOUS as well.
3. There is a free art museum off of a random street with nice art from an abstract artist.  Never would have found it without the help of Kris' host family, yay locals!
4. Peanut butter here is $5+, so sad, but I'm going to hold out a bit more before giving into my love and buying it.

Caral: la ciudad más antigua del Perú

Another early morning for us as I rose at 6:30 to meet the group at 7:30.  We took a 4 hr drive north to Caral, a newly discovered settlement that has been carbon dated to be the 2^nd oldest civilization behind only Mesopatamia, and took a tour of the pyramids.

As we drove north the scenery around us was beautiful as the greyish-brown mountains rose in the background behind lush green fields and spindly trees.  We also drove along the coast on a skinny winding rode as the dunes fell off the left directly to the crashing surf.  No pictures would do it justice as the day was cloudy and overcast, but you’ll just have to take my word that it was breathtaking.

Though the day started off particularly worrisome as our guide insisted on speaking in a small yellow and purple megaphone while on the bus, and told us that the only eating option was a meal for $8 (S./ ~22, a small fortune here), when we actually arrived at the location, and after I talked her into a Salad+Rice combo for S./10, the day improved markedly.

We crossed the footbridge to people selling horse and carriage rides to take visitors partway to the entrance of Caral.  Though I decided to walk we arrived about the same time, albeit sidestepping horse droppings in the road, it wasn't a long walk and the wind helped cool the hot day.  At the entrance I opted for the English tour as I have a bad habit of zoning out when listening to large blocks of uninterrupted Spanish, and especially when the topics are very technical I am much more adept at understanding and retaining information in English.

Our guide Michael told us how the large pyrimids had been discovered in 1994 and since then have been slowly excavated without the use of heavy machinery.  In fact the site is still an active research site today and we saw many archelogists working as we walked.  After first clearing the large sand mounds that cover the pyramids now, most likely a result of a large land slide believed to have broken the plateau approximately 3000 years ago, the archeologists are slowly working to restore the walls using a morter made of straw, clay and sand.

These mounds show what archeologists found when they discovered Caral in 1994. 

Uncovered pyramids

Throughout the excavation there have been few item discoveries as the Caral people seem not to have developed ceramics or a written language.  Currently the archeologists are excavating the stepped pyramids that were used for ceremonial/religious purpourses before being converted to administrative buildings over the course of the 2000 year habitation of Caral.  The only discoveries within the pyramids have been the bodies of 5 individuals, all male, one approximately 23 years old and the rest infants.  The infants are believed to be sacrificies, probably from the higher social classes while the man’s skeleton shows signs of torture and we were told he was probably a prisoner of some sort.

Foodstuffs found in fire pits have included maiz, papas, pimientos, frijoles, camote, palta, lucuma and even pescado, which remains a mystery because of Caral’s distance from the sea.  Other mysteries include giant whale bones from Blue Whales that are believed to perhaps be used for chairs in the temples.  The bones of pelicans were also found in the amphitheater where they had been formed into flutes believed to be part of religious ceremonies performed.

Restored steps leading towards the top of the pyramid.

While there remains much to be unearthed, learned and hypothesized, this little known site of Caral is an amazing discovery to see.  Unfortunately the site doesn’t have enough money to build a museum on site with appropriate security, and the few artifacts and skeletons found are on display in museums across Peru.

We had a late lunch at around 2:30pm, a delicious and fresh salad for me with a side of lemon rice and a pear for dessert.  After that we returned home to shower (YES!) and a delicious dinner as usual.

Lessons Learned:

1. Some of the best bathrooms in Peru are evidently in the middle of no where.  (And yes, I did take 2 pics of the bathroom)
2. Research prior to visiting somewhere definitely helps, I was able to appreciate Caral much more since I had Wikipedia-d it the night before at 1:30am.
3. Test your options!  I wouldn't have been able to get my interesting salad+rice combo if I hadn't of asked the lady!

Clase en la FAP y Salsa

Test today at El Sol!  A simple one page test that I think I did okay on, but of course we shall see later.  After El Sol we went to the FAP (Air Force school) to teach our second class in English.  Turns out that we will be with different classes each day, and today we got moved to the Basic level.  The kinds here were still shy but participated much more than our past class.  We reviewed different foods with them, and then they surprised us with a treat, Papa Hauicana, boiled potatoes with a slightly spicy white/yellow sauce.  They were very cute and one videotaped us as we spoke, which will hopefully not end up on Youtube.


After we learned more about the history of Peru in another lecture by a FAP professor.  She taught us about Peruvian history including clothing, social classes and typical crops.  The student who sat next to me was very nice and often checked in to make sure that I was understanding everything.  He said that he had been studying English for 8 years, and although he was very worried when speaking he made few if any mistakes.  


After lecture we went outside and talked to some of the students while others played volleyball and basketball.  I wasn't feeling so good and I was wearing boots so I just talked to one of the students.  Next we returned to El Sol for free salsa classes at 6!  Can't tell you how much more I enjoy scripted dances over free-for-all dancing.  After enjoying a good hour of dancing I walked back home and ate 2 bowls of soup.  


After dinner I talked a little to the Japanese man staying at our house.  He will study Spanish here for 1 year and after work for his company as they try and profit from the minerals here in Peru.  He said that he also spoke English, but couldn't understand Dana, Syeda and I when we talk because it is too rapid.  (Phew!)  His Spanish is obviously much better than mine, but he listened patiently while I tried to explain a bit of my life.


Tonight we go to a Peruvian dance show and tomorrow Caral!


Lessons Learned:

1. Sketchy taxis with only a sticker in the window and no actual sign are SO much better than actual taxis.  Our driver spoke English, charged less and got us directly to where we were going.
2. Evidently when people hoot and whistle at you here it is legitimately meant as a compliment and not as some creepy/sketchy come on.  I guess that makes me feel better?

Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Anthropología e Historia del Perú

In class today we learned many vocab words, past tense, and in culture class talked about the Nazcas.  It was interesting to learn more about the sites that I had seen less than a week before, and also learn about some of the native fruits in the area.  Our teacher is very nice and helpful, and although we often get off on tangents they are always focused on Spanish and teach something new.


After school we took a cab to Bolivar Square to grab lunch before going to the Museo Nacional de Arqueología.  Once we arrived, after a once again wandering ride, we went to a restaurant next door where I got fried fish, which throughout the whole meal I could swear was not fish, except that it smelled like fish and when I asked the waitress she assured me that it was...except it looked like meat.  Those that tried my meal couldn't decide what it is either, but I do know that I am still extremely full 5 hours later.


Our tour of the museum showed off many of the things that we had learned in class at El Sol.  The elongated skulls and simplistic brain surgery that has been discovered in the people of Paracas was shown.  It is believed that the elongated skulls were formed to differentiate people of different social status, and the holes in the skull were believed to relieve craziness or other illnesses.  Amazingly about half of the people who underwent this brain surgery (sin anesthesia) survived.

                           

 

We also got to see an example of a burial chamber for the Paracan mummies.  Wrapped in layers of cloth and placed in a basket the mummies were buried a few to a grave surrounded with different ceramics and fabrics.  The graves were shaped like inverted wine glasses, and accordingly looked like a womb.

We also got to see a replication of Machu Picchu which will come in handy when we see it in a month or so.  For now I'll just have to look forward to our day trip to Caral on Saturday.

Lessons Learned:

1. It is possible to get a great taxi ride for a cheap price, thanks to the driver that made 5 different stops for us!
2. Discotekas do not get busy on a Wednesday night and never fill up before 1 or 2 am if not later.
3. Maids make life so much easier, I especially love coming home to clean clothes each day when I only have my few shirts and pants to start with.

English Class at FAP School

After our usual Spanish grammar and conversation classes where I learned about directions and the Paracas culture, we went to the Air Force school for our first day teaching English.


When we arrived we were guided to our rooms by students and instructed by the teacher to introduce ourselves to the class of roughly 30.  After the students introduced themselves we told them a bit more about the US and then worked with them to break out of their shyness and speak to us more.  Although they were still hesitant to speak we were able to learn a bit more about their lives and I'm sure they will open up as we work with them more.


After class we went to a lecture about the travels of Francisco Pizarro as he travelled from Panama south along the Western coast of South America.  Although the first and second trips were largely unsuccessful with the sailors facing many difficulties, the third trip resulted in the conquest of Peru and then executed the 'last' Incan Atahualpa.


The Peruvian students asked us questions after the lecture was over and after that we returned home to celebrate Dana's birthday with an apple covered cake.

Lima: City Center

After an hour of Spanish class with Andres our group left for a field trip to the city center to visit many sites including the President's house, Congress and the San Francisco Church.


At the Palacio de Gobierno we learned about the history of the building, how it had taken many years to build because of earthquakes and the worldwide financial crisis in the 1930s.  However, eventually the palace was completed and inside are housed many treasures.  We saw the grand dining room, the former dining room, now a press conference room with a large V shaped table and the door to the President's own rooms.  We also got to see the largest chandelier in all of Lima and of course I noticed that all of the lights throughout the building were fluorescent (!!)

We were also just in time to see the changing of the guard.  Though the marching reminded me of North Korea and Germany, the ceremony itself was impressive and is certainly a sight to see if you are ever in Lima.  We were lucky enough to view the whole thing from inside the palace gates as we had just finished our tour.

After we ate lunch at a fast food place (burrito and helado) and then visited La Iglesia San Francisco which was built over the period of 1546-1672.  Inside the church we saw a library with a book dating from 1450, the choir room with foldable pews made of Panaman wood and a pipe organ dating from the 1700s and the Penitence Room with a mural partially exposed hidden under 8 layers of paint.  We also explored the catacombs below the church which served as the only graveyard in Lima from 1550-1821 when over 25,000 were buried there.  The bodies were initially buried 9-10 deep with blankets and lime in between to cut down on the smell.  Once they were fully decomposed they were thrown in a mass grave 4m deep.  Only the Franciscan monks were allowed in the Catacumbas and they built the entire thing out of bricks and mortar made from stones, pebbles, egg whites and water.  This flexible base helps limit damage in earthquakes, and because the whole building is made from plant fibers it has survived over the centuries.  No photos allowed inside, but it was a magnificent place with many rarities unprotected from the air or a determined thief.  However this meant we could really take an up close look at the treasures throughout the church.

After we went to Congress for a tour where we learned a bit more about the government of Peru and also got an insiders look on the upcoming presidential election.  Our tour guide confided that she thought Keiko, a graduate of BU and Columbia was much more prepared to be President over the less experienced Ollanta.

After we returned home exhausted for a delicious (as usual) dinner of lentils, rice, soy (?) patties, avocado and tomato salad and sweets after.  I managed to have a semi-literate conversation with my host family on how a dialogue counted for credit at Northeastern and shared pictures of my family.

Lessons Learned:

1. Might as well speak!  My host dad was friendly and helpful as I struggled through vocab to explain dialogues.
2. About 16 out of the 120 congress members are women.
3. The ceilings in the church were held together solely by pressure and the geometric designs were based on the designs of Spanish Moors.
4. Bargin with cab drivers!  20 S./ to 15./ = win.
5. The 'boots' worn by the guards are really a leg warmer-like tube over black dress shoes.  EXCEPT the commander which has real boots.

El Sol: Escuela de Español

I exited my room to see a huge delicious bowl of fresh fruits and yogurt for breakfast.  Though I was still stuffed from the night before I ate all the mango, but there was only one problem...my roommates weren't up and we were supposed to leave in 20 min!  I woke them up and off we went to La Escuela de Fuerzo Aerza.  After some wandering around in the Taxi we arrived in time to hear the Peruvian National Anthem, watch the flag ceremony and be formally greeted by the students.


Back to Miraflores for the placement test and we were placed in our Spanish classes in El Sol.  My teacher, Andres, spoke clearly and I think he will be a great teacher.  Turns out he also teaches our culture class where we learned about the Chavín culture.  The Chavíns mastered acoustics as they built grand temples where you could hear a person across the room clearly.  They also made many stone carvings of snakes and cats.


We then went back to the Air Force School for lunch (quiche from the grocery store which HAD CHICKEN, very sad).  Then we attended a small ceremony and spoke to the students we will be working with.  They are in the 5th grade at age 16 and will graduate this year.  Some of them want to be doctors or chemical engineers and they were all excited to friend us on Facebook and practice their English.


After we returned to our homes Kim and I went shopping for an adapter and other goods.  I was able to successfully navigate Miraflores and received far less stares than normal, an exciting improvement.  We went searching for a Radio Shack, which I had word was nearby.  Wandering southwest we came to la playa, leaving us very confused.  A security guard told us to go down the steps from the viewing platform, and lo and behold we found a huge mall with just what I needed, Radio Shack.

We shopped a bit more, and then went back up top to check out the para-gliders and the beautiful view of the beach.  I found my way back home and helped my host mom prepare dinner: quina with soy and pesto (not the Italian kind), salad and rice.  Muy rico!

Lessons Learned:

1. Maps help SO much.
2. Always carry toilet paper in other countries...sometimes there are different bathroom standards and this is NOT one to slack on.
3. Think before you speak: I ended up asking my host mom if she had water rather than if she WANTED water.  As I was standing there holding a cup of water, I received a rather odd look.

La cocina en mi casa.

La Familia Soto

After a leisurely morning of searching for a café, Kim, Tara and I settled on the much cheaper supermercado.  Returning to the hostel Syeda, Dana and I packed our bags and at 11:30 headed to our host family's apartment.


We took the elevator to the 8th floor and were greeted by our host mother Diana who showed us to our own (!!) rooms.  As we sat down to talk it was obvious that she had hosted many students and knew to speak slowly to us.  With relief I realized that I could understand at least the general meaning of every thing she said.


After a delicious lunch of tamales and an eggplant omelet the three of us worked on our homework before heading out for a shopping trip.  We bought some food for lunch tomorrow and returned to la casa for a huge dinner of sopa, arroz y a stew-like dish of corn, potato, tomatoes and eggplant.


Noticing that I had been coughing all day, Diana gave me a natural Peruvian medicine, a tea made from the beans of a tree.  With instructions to gargle she promised that I would be all better in the morning.


Off to finish the reading report!


Lessons Learned:

1. Sometimes the brain will shut down: I tried to tell Diana something but all the sudden all I could think was Chinese!  ¡No bueno!
2. Adapters are needed for my computer...sparks when I plug it in is not good...
3. Far less stares and honks when no one in your group is a blond!  

A photo in Nazca for your enjoyment

Nazca

We woke up at 6:10am to leave at 6:45 for the 2 hour drive to the Nazca lines.  At our first stop we pulled off the side of a highway and climbed a rickety metal structure to view 2 of the Nazca figures.  El Mano (aka the upside down chick) and El Arbol could be faintly seen where what had looked like barren dessert from the ground.  Our guide Miguel said that the lines were visible because of the lime in the ground, and they had been protected from the winds by the surrounding hills that stopped the sea breezes.  It never rains in Nazca because the iron in the rocks is heated by the sun and gives off heat waves.

Because of the lack of rain the Nazcas dug grand aqueducts some 1500 years ago to reach the ground water.  These circular pathways led to the wells which were slowly becoming deeper from the sloped ground.

In between the aqueducts and the Nazca lines we learned how gold is mined and how pottery is made in the town of Nazca.  In the mountains the rocks are first tested for gold by panning.  Those that contain gold are then carried 1-2 km to the extraction area.  Next the rock is ground into dust which is put in a tank with water and mercury.  For 5-6 hours the miner mixes the concoction with a giant rock he stands on.  Through the mixing the water and other minerals are sieved and collected in a separate tank.  As the mercury sticks to gold, these two elements remain and are further refined by squeezing through a fine silk.  Now the combined mercury and gold are put in a vaporizer and heated to separate the mercury for later use.

At the point the process is finished and the miner has his prize: 1oz. of gold which fetches a price of about $40.  This hefty price tag earns a miner more in a week than most earn in a month, despite the difficulty and risk involved.

The pottery demonstration seemed very routine as in other countries where the dirt is mixed with water to form clay which is formed into shapes.  Next the ceramics are left in the sun to set and afterwards are polished with water before being painted with baby hair paint brushes.  We were told with a smile that because babies have such fine hair it is best for making brushes.  Next oil from the potter's skin and hair shines up the art before a makeshift kiln finishes the process.

We finished our tour of Nazca with a look at the ruins of an Incan municipal building built in the 1450s.  Here we observed the stone-on-stone walls and rectangular windows characteristic of Incas.  The municipal area had a prison, hotel and stores and provided a clear view of the valley, necessary for the safety of the community.

Returning to Ica we grabbed dinner and snacks before the 4hr ride back to Lima.  Host families tomorrow!

Lessons Learned:

1. Cacti are grown near the aqueducts not for food but as a habitat for bugs that are harvested as a fertilizer.  Speculated to be Red Dye #40?
2. Women miners are rare because of the difficult work, and also an old myth that women in mines makes all the gold disappear.
3. The Nazcas were smart enough to the Nazca lines says Miguel, no aliens needed!

Ica: Free Day

With a free day ahead I was surprised to wake up fairly early and arrive at breakfast with already about half of the group already there.


Most of us took the time to work on la tarea either reading the book or writing our blog.  Reclining in the grassy courtyard the day was perfect in the shade as the hotel´s 2 pet tourtises and a macaw explored.


Around noon we went searching for some almuerzo and settled at Plaza 145.  Being as daring as a vegetarian can be, I checked with the waitress that the dish was sin carne and ordered the unknown Huevo a la Ruso.  Out came a tasty potato salad with half a hard boiled egg on top.  Later I learned that Ruso means Russian, which of course did little to help further define my dish.

After eating Kim and I wandered around the city to explore some of the safer side streets we hadn´t yet tried.  At 4pm we met up with the rest of the group to interview two locals in the city square.  ¡Muy interesante! 

For dinner we settled at Roky´s, a chain restaurant that served a variety of dishes from Arroz Chifa (Fried Rice) to rotesserie chicken and fries.  I enjoyed an enormous Falta (avocado) salad while Kim and Kris shared a local dish called Salchipapa, basically cut up hot dog over a plate of fries.


The night ended with the exploration of a Discotek called The Who.  After I tried my best to sleep as the neighboring bar shook our walls with their bass.


Lessons Learned:

1. Discoteks do not start filling up until after midnight around here, we went at 11pm and were almost the only ones there!
2. Drivers in Peru honk endlessly.  This has been an ongoing lesson, but they honk as a form of protest, as a form of acknowledgement,  as an advertisement of their ability to pick up customers and as a warning they are coming.  Endless!

Ica: Islas Ballestas, Sand Buguis y Cuentos de Brujas

While waking up at 6am was certainly difficult, our 12 hour day of tours, sites, stories and information made it completely worthwhile.


First up was a tour of Islas Ballestas, a group of 22 islands a bit north of Ica inhabited by millions of birds and a few cute sea lions (Lobos Marinos = Sea Wolves in Spanish).  On our 30 minute boat ride to a few of the most populated rocky islands we stopped to view a magnificent Candelabra in the side of a giant sand dune.  While the history of the image remains unknown, our guide Miguel shared a few of the creation myths with us.

The first story is that pirates created the image as a marker for the huge treasurer that they found/hid in the area.  Treasure hunting anyone?  Others think that the candelabra must be connected with the Nasca lines that the figure points towards.


As we motored to our destination the sheer volume of 2 million birds finally took form.  Despite being far less than the 50 million that was said to have lived here before Peru fought a war with Chile and had to pay the UK for their weapons with guano rights.  Miguel proudly declared that guano was the world's best fertilizer, but acknowledged that Peruvians didn't use it because it was too expensive.

That black area is ALL birds!

Still the 2 million inhabitants were more than impressive and as I viewed the giant flocks of pelicanos perucano and other birds I couldn't help but deduct that the guano harvests must be simply extraordinary.  However Miguel said that guano can only be collected every 6 years because it was not accumulating as fast as it had with a larger population.


Tiny groups of pinguinos de Humboldt quirkily hopped from rock to rock before gracefully diving into the Pacifico sur.  On the western side of the island groups of lobos marinochusco turned yellow in the sun as their flanks dried off.  As a few divers caught wiggling octupi from small fishing boats we returned to shore for souvenirs (got my Peru patch!!) and a quick snack (rice pudding with a supposedly apple purple jelly on top for me.

Next we came back to the hotel for a quick lunch before a short city tour and a trip to a local winery.  In Ica's central square we learned about the significance of the tower's 7 supports as symbols of Ica's lagoons.  Known as the City of Eternal Sun, Ica's blazing rays could be felt as our faces turned red from heat.



Next we journeyed to a local Bodega to learn about local wine and Pisco-making techniques.  Out of the 84 registered Bodegas in Ica only 3 are industrial so we were able to get a look at the true artesian process as El Catador.


First up the grapes are sorted into 4 groups based on color and other factors.  Next the uvas are stomped on for 10 continuous hours before being put into a giant strainer where a press made from the arrango tree separates stems and seeds for the juice.  After that the juice is fermented in a wide variety of ceramic jugs before undergoing distillation in a copper well.

Now comes the most anticipated part of the day: Bugui rides and sand boarding in the giant dunes on the outskirts of Ica!


As we drove towards the dunes I couldn't believe how giant they looked up close.  Like I imagine the deserts of the Sahara and Gobi to look, these mountains towered in the sky and from the base looked absolutely amazing.

But my first thought was, "Oh no!  No tengo gafas de sol!  I should have listened to my mom when she wanted to give me sunglasses!!"  Luckily our bugui driver Fernando loaned me some styling safety glasses and we were off!


Up, down and around the bugui was just like a free-form roller coaster with girls hooting and hollering behind me (Smugglers Run anyone?).  But my quick glance at Fernando showed no trace of a smile, guess the glee and adrenaline must wear off after a while.  Not for us though!  Just as we reached a peak we were freed from the bugui and climbed a giant dune, which MUST be the birthplace of the stairmaster.  After photos we were off again, doing donuts in the sand as I tried not to think about the inevitable environmental effects of the buguis.

Soon we were let out again for a new adventure: sand boarding!  Without time to think I was whooshing down a hill belly first on a waxed board with instructions to dig my feet in to steer and stop.  Luckily I remembered to keep my mouth closed during the ride down but after I couldn't stop smiling.  Fortunately we got to go 2 more times, each new hill looking larger than the last.


By the end I was tired and had sand everywhere, but our entire group was exhilarated as we all asked, "Can you believe we are sledding down sand dunes?  In PERU??"  I slipped on my shoes as we got back on the bus for a round-about route back to Ica.


First we had to learn about some local Witch stories.  We stopped off at the site of 6 trees all growing from the same location, lit only by the headlights of our rides.  In soft Spanish the guide told us that the brujas had made a pact with the devil to sacrifice one young virgin witch each year for great powers.  But one year the sacrifice ran away and hid in the heart of 7 trees.  As the rest of the brujas followed a battle ensued, and as spells were flung back and forth the trees grew contorted and are as they looked now, like the Lock Ness monster weaving into and out of the ground.  Before she died the young witch cursted the tree and city saying that if the 7th trunk was ever allowed to grow then the city would disappear.  To this day the townspeople still cut the 7th trunk off annually.


After a few more stops we headed back to the city centre for Chinese food before collapsing into bed.


Lessons Learned:

1. Sunglasses, always.
2. Shoes and socks off BEFORE stepping into a giant dune.
3. Go to the bathroom every chance you get, AND bring toilet paper...just in case.