Hostal Sol de Ica

... and ready to have some serious fun in what seemed to be the middle of the desert.

Our hostel, which was more like a resort (beers by the pool, awesome) was also highly recommended for the buggy and sand boarding activities Renee and I were keen to try out. Having conquered mountain biking we thought we would up the ante and really pretend to be hardcore surfer types by taking on the massive sanddunes in the area that can be sandboarded down.
So, having ...

... of dirt roads and scuzzy hotels.

After leaving Pucusana, we headed back out onto the Panamerican, naively assuming that because we were not that far south of Lima and it we has previously seen quite a few petrol stops that there would be one in good time. But the road took us back out into the desert and the 'Zona Neblina' which I don't even need to look up as is obviously fog! for about 100 miles before reaching the next petrol station (bike range being on ...

... I´ve been places where there´s no highway noise, and you´re left to be entertained by the sound of the wind in your ears, and the birds chirping and leaves rustling in the forest below you (I´m thinking the summit of Old Rag right now), but there´s always been sounds of nature. There´s nothing alive in these dunes, so when you´re sheltered from the wind and the buggy´s motor is off and your friends shut up for a minute, there´s literally nothing. It was incredible. After a ...

... scrawling that the place used to be a bit of a party hostel; it´s obviously made a transition, but still has a way to go.

Back at the hotel later we sat by the pool. A huge coach load of loud and brash Americans then arrived. All of them looked odd. Since when are ski sunglasses necessary? Are you skiing? No. Also, is there really any need to attach one of those cords to your sunglasses? No - it´s not 1994. Other highlights included an obese woman who ...

... of course, but in the bright sunshine, it's anyone's guess if it will turn out. Then, the plane is banking again, pulling into a tigh counter-clockwise circle so those on the left side can see the whale.

We continue this for half an hour, looking at the astronaut, the monkey, the spider, the condor, the hummingbird, and many others. Manuelo is great at pointing out the lines (in English for me and two Belgians and in Japanese for two passengers ...

... for a bit. Te journey only took two and a half hours, and soon we were in a taxi on the short journey to Huacachina. On arriving at our hostel, we were very impressed - it was more of a hotel, set around a lovely big pool. We went up to our dorm room (which has a big ensuite bathroom, clinically white and clean) got sorted out, then went for dinner in the restaurant. Unfortunately the restaurant isn´t really that great. After this, we went on a little wander round the oasis then went to bed.

... we were exhausted and just wanted to shower, eat, and go to sleep. The restaurant didn't open for another hour, though, so we killed some time and finally dragged ourselves to dinner. We were too tired to talk but when we realized the waitors were staring at us from three feet away as we ate, we awkwardly looked at each other and found yet another thing to laugh about all night.

The day was blissful and so was our first full night of sleep.

Our trip was nearly over, so what better way to end it by visiting the city of Ica. Ica is situated to the east of Arequipa and is smack dab in the middle of a desert. The city itself is surrounded by huge sand dunes and palm trees, and is really noted for its bodegas (vineyards).

After arriving in Ica by way of overnight bus (this time we actually took a Cruz Del Sur bus so there were ...

... be quite tender...ours wasn´t it was chewy and full of tubes (aortas and the like probably). Still, it was an experience and the guys were good conversationalists.

We didn´t go to bed too late as we had an early start to get a bus from Lima at 7 to take us to Ica. The bus journey was incredible starting in down town Lima (Don´t go there at night!) moving through run down shanty towns with people living in huts. I had no idea how lieral this term was until seeing it with my ...

... entirely of sand, a visitor´s centre with nothing in it, and a star attraction that is broken! I´m not quite sure that was worth 35 soles. Back to our cell to console ouselves with beer.

But we survived, and we are now staying in a very lovely place, with a pool and a massive sand dune that comes right up to our back gate (because too much sand is never enough). I´m thinking pisco sours by the pool later, and I will be set.

Hope everyone is fine ...