Recently I was able to take a short holiday. A friend and I traveled to Nasca by bus to start our vacation. Nasca is most famous for the Nasca Lines. No one has any idea why the lines where created by the Nasca people thousands of years ago (before the Incans became prominent here). To view the lines best you have to fly over them. My friend and I, being the ever budget travelers, found that you could see 2 of the forms from a tower not far from town.
the Tree
the Hands
From the tower we went to visit a ceramic workshop that has been in one family for generations. What made this workshop different from your everyday ceramics is that the family was replicating the style, technique and artistry of the Nasca people. Through research and examination of the pieces found in archaeological sites, the family has been able to recreate beautiful pottery using only local materials. Our guide, also the son of the man who started this workshop, was an incredible storyteller and demonstrater of his art.
From Nasca we took a collectivo (a car that carries several passengers) Ica/Huancachina. We had originally planned on taking the bus, but as is common here, there was another strike. This time the bus drivers were striking and thus no bus were running.
We arrived in Ica and then 10 minutes later we were in Huancachina. Ica is a larger city on the coast of Peru that was in newspaper headlines 2 years ago when Peruvian coast was shaken by a large earthquake. Rumble was still displaced along some of the roads we traveled, but life has continued and repairs and new building constructed. Huacachina is a small oasis inland of Ica, nestled among incredible sand dunes. Here we embarked upon dune buggying, sand boarding, and steep hikes up theses amazing sand mountains.
We also had to opportunity to visit a local winery where they made the famous Pisco of Peru and a sweet red wine. Each year in February/March they harvest the grapes and then press them by feet and a large wooden hand press. From there it is "cooked" and then distilled. To store the liquid is placed in clay pots. These pots are very old and are not fabricated anymore. Our guide told us that many wineries not only faced structural damage after the earthquake, but also damage to these ancient pots.
From Ica we headed to the coast to a city called Paracas. Paracas is well known for the Ballestas Islands. One of the reasons the islands are so well known is for it's guano. The bird guano is a very potent fertilizer and it is collected and sold to the agriculturalist around the world. Another reason these islands are so famous...and why I wanted to go...is that they home to Penguins!
After our trip to the islands we had a few hours to kill before out bus left for Lima. We decided to visit the National Reserve of Paracas. At first glance the reserve seems barren, unfriendly and absolutely boring. But my friend and I were surprised by how beautiful and diverse a place it turned out to be. We could have spent all day there!
Truly there are Chilean Flamingos in this picture! They migrate to the Paracas Reserve in June and July every year.
sand from the red sand beach
Looks like a great trip. Ben and I really need to get to Peru sometime...
Posted by: The Gourmez | July 10, 2009 at 12:44 PM
fun!!! thanks for all the photos, too : )
Posted by: Daphne | August 12, 2009 at 11:20 AM