Mike and I are on the gringo trail.... the path that hoards of gringos travel to Cuzco,and eventually the Inca trial and Maccu Piccu. Along the trail we stopped at Pisco, a popular place to set out to the Ballestas Islands, where there are thousands of gulls, boobies, and various other birds, so many birds that their poop (guano) is exported as fertilizer! So we saw lots of birds, bird poop, and sea lions that make the islands their home, * ohh, those sea lions have same nose as my precious Huk! *
Before Pisco we spent a few tranquilo days in the quaint Andean University town, Ayacucho, where the leader of Peru's Sendero Luminoso was once a professor of philosophy. This small city has bragging rights of 33 old colonial churches, which makes for lovely up and down wanderings about its narrow streets. Also, I saw my first Inca site near Ayacucho; Vilcashuaman.
We are on the gringo trail, not heading to Cuzco, but to Puquio where we are scheduled to start our volunteer work on the 15th. So before our work begins, back up the frightening narrow dirt roads that cling to the sides of the Andes, Mike and I are currently indulging at Huacachina, a deset oasis...
Huacachina is very small deset resort destination, with a handful of hostals and restaurants around the perimeter of a puny lake nestled in a valley of sanddunes. Yesterday we took a dune buggy ride through the dunes which was so fun, and they even brought along sand boards so we got to carve some fresh untouched sand! DUDE! Well, actually I haven't yet mastered the sand carve...
It's really similar to snowbaording only with more friction so the steeper the slope the better. If I was to snowboard down a mountain as steep as these dunes, I would be sure to break some bones. But the sand slows you down alot...
We will be soaking up the Haucachina sun for a few days ( including Mike's birthday on the 9th), our hostal has a pool, three dogs, four cats, and free sand board rentals....
What else does a person need besides a good book and a beer....? (Which we both have)
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