Huacachina, Peru

Today brought us from Lima (a city of 9 million) to the desert oasis town of Huacachina, Peru (a small resort of 300 or so). After waking up very early we took a taxi to the bus station where we boarded the luxurious Cruz de Sur bus. It has two floors and comes complete with washrooms and meals for $17 US. During the 5-hour bus ride south down the Pan American highway we watched as the landscape shifted from dense city to desert with interspersed farming areas and small towns.

Arriving in Ica, Peru we took another small taxi 5km to Huacachina where we had pre-booked a room at the Hotel Mossone for the evening. What struck us immediately heading into Huacachina was the size of the sand dunes surrounding the little oasis with a lake in the middle. They towered over the oasis on all sides and stretched off into the horizon to the west. The village itself was very quaint and quiet and primarily geared to tourists based on the number of backpacker hostels and foreigners that we saw. After strolling around the lake and enjoying lunch we found little shop that rented out sand boards for the afternoon for $2.50 US. We rented two from a very sweet Peruvian woman, waxed the bottoms and then set of to explore the dunes and hike to the top to try sand surfing. The sand board is very similar to a snow board except that it is heavier and without the standard boots, buckles and plastic bindings.

Hiking in the sand we were shocked by how difficult it was. Climbing the first small incline we were immediately tired as every step was weighted by the sand and no solid footing. But we persevered and were rewarded with an unforgettable view of rolling sand dunes stretching off to the horizon. It was beautiful and we just sat and enjoyed the view and the feel of the soft sand in our toes. We managed to scale the highest dune by climbing along the ridge and at the top glimpsed the Andes Mountains to the east. Sand surfing was a lot of fun but very difficult to do with the loose straps and heavy sand. What was really fun and what we ended up doing on our way back down was riding the boards like toboggans and racing to the bottom. It was a blast and without question very messy. We both had a handful of sand in each shoe and the same in each sock. After returning our boards and pre-booking a flight to tour the Nasca Lines for the next day we grabbed two beers and hiked back out to the sand dunes to enjoy the sunset. It was magical and a perfect way to finish the day!