The Road to Paracas and the Islas Ballestas
To continue my travels south, I decided to join a tour company called PeruHop. The set up seemed to work - they stopped in all the places I was already planning to go to, and they included a few tiny stops along the way for free. I debated back and forth whether or not the $200 USD was worth it, but I decided to go for it. To be honest, I'm still not sure I made the right decision, but that's part of travel! And to be fair, the convenience of having someone in charge, and someone to pick you up/drop you off at your hostel can be pretty nice. So why do I still feel like I'm cheating a little bit??
Anyways, Peru Hop picked me up at 5:30am. Ouch! Our first major destination would be in Paracas, but we had a few quick stops along the way. First, we went to to an overlook above Lima, where there is a statue similar to what you have seen for Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. I already knew Lima was pretty ugly, and this trip to the top did not help! The city is in a desert, so everywhere you look is brown, brown, brown...even the mountains! It's just not my favorite landscape.
The second stop was at a haciendo that was a former slave plantation. The house itself was beautiful and is now a hotel..but no way would I stay there! Pretty sure it's haunted! The cool thing about the house is that it has underground tunnels. They were used by the family for safety, as a way to bring in new slaves in secret, and as a way to punish the slaves. It was tough to imagine the past there, as it seemed rather brutal.
We arrived in Paracas around lunchtime so after we were dropped off at our respective hostels, I teamed up with a Brazilian to find food. Peru is famous for its ceviche and I was dying to try some! We found a good lunch deal with an appetizer and entree for 15 soles. I had fish ceviche and then a mixed spicy seafood platter. Yum! The afternoon was free to do as we liked, so Tatiana and I wandered the tiny beach front and checked out the little strip with restaurants and bars. After a quick shower, we picked a bar to watch the Colombia-Argentina Copa American match and some happy hour pisco sour specials! It was so exciting, but I was bummed when Colombia lost and was therefore eliminated from the Copa. At 10, I was exhausted and ready to sleep!
The next morning our group met at 8 to go on boat ride to the Islas Ballestas. The islands are uninhabited by man...but contain thousands of birds and even a few penguins and seals! It was fun to be on a boat and to enjoy the views. It was pretty cold so I was bundled up. Here are a few photos of the islands:
Anyways, Peru Hop picked me up at 5:30am. Ouch! Our first major destination would be in Paracas, but we had a few quick stops along the way. First, we went to to an overlook above Lima, where there is a statue similar to what you have seen for Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. I already knew Lima was pretty ugly, and this trip to the top did not help! The city is in a desert, so everywhere you look is brown, brown, brown...even the mountains! It's just not my favorite landscape.
The second stop was at a haciendo that was a former slave plantation. The house itself was beautiful and is now a hotel..but no way would I stay there! Pretty sure it's haunted! The cool thing about the house is that it has underground tunnels. They were used by the family for safety, as a way to bring in new slaves in secret, and as a way to punish the slaves. It was tough to imagine the past there, as it seemed rather brutal.
The next morning our group met at 8 to go on boat ride to the Islas Ballestas. The islands are uninhabited by man...but contain thousands of birds and even a few penguins and seals! It was fun to be on a boat and to enjoy the views. It was pretty cold so I was bundled up. Here are a few photos of the islands:
In the harbor
La Candelabra geoglyph- dates back to 200BC and could be a representation of the trident of the god Viracocha. It may also have been used as a sign for sailors or to represent a hallucinogenic plant called Jimson weed.
Can you see the little penguins in the middle? Sorry, I didn't have a zoom lens. There is a cold current that sweeps up from the south and as a result..Peru has some penguins!
Just some seals chillin on rocks.
When we made it back to shore, we had time for breakfast and a coffee before hopping back on the bus. Another perk of PeruHop is that it took us into the Reserva Nacional de Paracas, which is difficult to navigate on your own without a guide or a 4-wheeler. We had amazing views of the inlet, and I was fascinated seeing the desert sands instantly end into the ocean. Here is a photo from Playa Roja, because the sand often looks red against the blue sky. Unfortunately, we had a bit of gray sky so the colors were not as vibrant.
Playa Roja
The views
After this stop, it was time to head to the next major destination...Huacachina!
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