Huacachina

 Winter weather in Lima is tougher to handle than rainy winters in the northwest. Everyday is the same, dense fog with thick overcast skies. The temperature is not cold enough for buildings to have heat or good insulation, but enough to leave a chill indoors that can never be abated. So, looking for some change in weather and daily routine a friend and I took a quick two-day trip the desert. A quick four hour bus ride later we were in shorts, warm and happy.

Huacachina and Ica in back right

Huacachina is a tiny resort oasis about 3 miles outside Ica. There is a small lagoon lined with hostels and restaurants all surrounded by miles of sand dunes. The photo to the left is Huacachina with Ica in the back right.

Dune Buggy 

Although for us it was the sunshine and blue skies, the big draw in Huacachina are the dunes. Activities included dune buggy rides and sand boarding (like snowboarding, but on the sand dunes). We ended up with a packaged deal through our hostel and so gave it a try. I only felt a little sick after the jerky buggy ride over the tops of dunes, it was a blast.

Sand Boarding

The ride took us out of Huacachina to some spectacular views and the top of three dunes for sand boarding. Not being a snowboarder myself I went down lying on my stomach dragging my feet for breaks, just fast enough for fun. The dunes got increasingly larger so I had to talk myself into on to that board each time, especially the last one when I couldn’t even see the bottom. Each time was totally worth it, marked by the amount of sand I later poured out of my shoes.  

The rest of the trip we relaxed in the sun, read books and burned our feet on hot sand. It was so enjoyable to get out of Lima, see blue skies, and be warmed by the sun. We hardly wanted to go back.