From Arequipa, I was headed to Huacachina, an oasis in the middle of the desert; finally some sun and heat. On the way there is a stop in Nasca, well-known for its lines, massive images in the ground drawn thousands of years ago that can only be viewed completely from above. The full tour is a half hour flight to see them in all their glory but I opted to do the quick stop at a viewing tower where 2 of the drawings can be seen before heading off.
A few kilometers outside Huacachina is a pisco vineyard and production place. I took a short tour, learning how Peru’s national alcohol is made then sampling 7 varieties of it.
Back in Huacachina, it was time to try my hand at sandboarding down the many dunes. This included a ride in a dune buggy up and down the hills which felt more like a roller coaster ride. Sandboarding is definitely very different from snowboarding, especially since the sand creates so much friction on the bottom of the board, which had to be waxed after every ride. Peruvians are creative people and the waxing of the board could be done very simply by ourselves. Our driver handed each of us a piece from a candle stick and we would use that to wax our boards. I am still not sure how effective it was but it’s very funny to see.
After the desert, it calls for a trip to the ocean town of Paracas.