I rented bikes with a couple guys from the hostel. We rode to Huaca Pucallana. It is a 1500 year old pyramid built by the Limas. They technique of laying bricks was earthquake safe. Imagine that kind of simple technology, huh? The temple was used for worshiping ancestors, which seems to be a recurring pattern among the ancient Peruvian cultures. Another pattern we noticed after riding to a second pyramid is that many of the cultures were matriarchical. Imagine that kind of progressive thinking, huh?? After the ruins, we rode to a park that lines the shore for two kilometers. The gardens were immaculate and I particularly enjoyed the photo of the kissing couple.
The next day I joined Jan, one of the guys from the day before, on his journey south. He rented a car, which seems to be almost unheard of given the chaos of Lima streets, and plans to head south through Nazca and up to Cuzco. That will take him a few days, but I only joined him to Pisco. Map of Pisco The road down was interesting. We stopped at the big ruins outside Lima. It has a Temple of the Sun and administrative offices, all pyramids, more or less. Along the highway are tiny houses spaced about 10 meters apart, all empty. Hundreds of them! My only guess is that they were emptied by a mass migration to the cities. The billboards were interesting too. Lots of bikinis and 3D images. Somehow they made a gigantic flat 7-up bottle pour down and flow on the desert sands and create a tiny little billboard oasis at the bottom. We passed through a few towns that seem to be the slums, but in the normal roadside fruit stands were wine bottles, signifying our proximity to the bodegas (wineries) of the Ica area. We arrived in Pisco and learned about how the 2007 earthquake that devistated Ica even reached Pisco. So many buildings were so badly damaged that tourists don't come here anymore for the reason of not feeling that the town is "secure." I think that's a load of crap because everybody here is very nice and friendly. I don't feel like it's a town that's rampant with pickpocketing and all that. Stupid tourists.
Today, I took a tour of the penguins, sea lions, pelicans, cormorants, terns, and the guano factory (yes, for fertilizer) on the Islas Bellestas. Afterwards, we drove around La Reserva de Paracas. Map of Paracas It is a totally barren desert. Not a single plant for miles and miles up the mountains. But, right below in the ocean is enough fertility to support hundreds of fisherman and thousands of the birds and mammals. The contrast is mind-blowing for me because California has desert and fertile ocean, but not together! While on the tour I met three French people. I enjoyed their company so much I asked if I could join them at their hostel for the night. They're even letting me join their dinner. Of course, that means dinner will be on a French schedule. Yep, it's 8:30 and it's ready!
Hopefully tomorrow I'll get to go sandboarding in Ica!
TrackBack URI for this entry
written by Jessica, March 27, 2009
-
- -1
-
-
In light of last weekend’s tsunami warning, we would like to make the following statement:
The Hotel Paracas, a Luxury Collection Resort, did not suffer any damage whatsoever, was unaffected by any flooding, and operated under normal conditions throughout the entire weekend.
In terms of the hotel’s Ballestas Islands tours offered by its activity department, T’ikariy, these restarted yesterday after the Port Authority closed the entire port on Saturday and partially closed it on Sunday. Both the motorboats and the private yacht that take guests to the islands are operating normally and following their customary schedules.
We would also like to remind our patrons that the T’ikariy operated 2008 Cessna Grand Caravan airplane has also recommenced its flights over the Nazca Lines today and that it only flies out of the Pisco Airport (not the Nazca Airfield). Furthermore, we wish to stress that the airplane’s instruments and mechanical components are strictly maintained according to the requirements of the General Directorate of the Civil Aeronautics of Peru (DGAC) and the plane is flown under the command of a duly certified pilot and co-pilot.
We would like to thank all tour agencies and operators for their confidence in us and to assure them that T’ikariy will continue offering them completely safe services for their clients.
Lima, Peru
March 2, 2010