4th september on the road again , direction Huacachina Oasis

A little bit disappointing in Paracas because the 'capitainery' stopped all boats going out of port so our trip to isles Ballestras was cancelled. having seen the marine life in Pucasana and saying that during our trip we will have lots of opportunities to see more  we decided to head off for the Oasis resort of Huacachina.

A short trip in a private mini-van, 25 sols, (pre-arranged by the boat trip company) and we arrived in Ica , here we got a taxi to the Oasis. 

First impressions: amazing to find a patch of  green in the middle of enourmous sand dunes, where there is water there is life 

This was taken from the middle of a dune
               

La verdure au milieu des tonnes de sables et les dunes à perte de vue.



But this was not our actual first view of the Oasis, this was: 

We hadn't booked a hotel and we wanted to stay at Bamboo Casa but fully booked and the others too due to some kind of American conference. So, we ended up at Banana's where they charge 150 sols for one night for 2 with an activity , sandboarding, visit to vinery , dune buggy etc. it was a bit over our budget but not a lot of choice and to be fair it was the 1° time we had felt the warmth of the sun since we had landed in Peru. So ok 150 sols, dune buggy and sandboarding, swimming pool and sunshine so we went with the flow.

And yes we even went for the barbecue , when in a tourist place do as the tourist do ...

The place was packed with young back packers of all nationalities doing round the world trips, and heading eagerly for places like this. This is not the  idea we had and still have for our trip but we had got ourselves sucked into the tourist trap so we drank what was served and made merry.

 I must admit that the barbecue was very good, I am no longer a vegetarian :) at least I'm not if  I can actually see what I am going to eat before it is cooked.  





Our young fellow banana guests  went out after the barbecue  to party at the local discos, so if you're looking for the same kind of places you can find on the South Coast of France but at a resonable price ( for Europe not for Peru) here is your best bet. Really over priced , very surfy , most the the young people there loved it but they will probably find themselves in the same places at the same time all around the world .They all have lonely planet in their hands and were all going to or just got back from  the Nasca lines right after the Oasis
Impossible to sleep there , the boom, boom of the disco a few doors away thumped through the wooden hut bedrooms. Shared bathrooms, hot water , food is good but expensive a bag of crisps 6 sols (1,7 eruos) . A cocktail 12 sols

 Around the Oasis

 The back door of Banana Hotel from the Oasis;

From Banana onto the Oasis












And as sand buggy riding and sand boarding where part of the price this is what happened the next day :

And here is a film of Paul actually doing it ! link to you tube  http://youtu.be/VKnALRu6rgM

But maybe these beautiful views of the dunes  just before sunset were worth the lack of sleep and the overpriced accomadation. : A tip to any other travellers , yes , visit the dunes but if your not interested in meeting  around the worlders  showing all the other that you are on a round the world trip or if you want to get  decent night's sleep it is better to take a hotel in a quiet street in nearby Ica. Ica also has a fabulous museum to visit. it is the first time in our lives that we have actully seen human mummies. The mummified Incas still had black hair, so thus showing that they died at an early age even though they were a civilised nation; but this is another story so here are the dunes :

17hrs 55

 

18hrs 18

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