Hotel Austria Ica

... charged the internal batteries by reclining by the pool for a good couple of hours (who said backpacking had to include slumming it!) we boarded a V8 dune buggy and rode off into the sanddunes. When we strapped ourselves into the same seatbelts astronauts use when launching into space Renee and I realised this wasn´t going to be a "Driving Miss Daisy" experience. It was also evident our driver loved his job, and who wouldn´t, after all, he´s paid for ...

... so we pull in, the station is on the other side of the road so have fun avoiding the lorries, we notice another GS parked up at the back, as we get closer we realise it is Yoni & Gali who we met in Vilcabamba, Ecuador!

A fantastic feeling to see some friendly faces and have a conversation in English after a few days ************ the road. Gali has the excellent idea of making a cup of tea so out comes the camping stove and mugs and they even have some fab ...

... hours of driving around and sand sledding, we went up to a high ridge where we got to watch an amazing sunset (something I hadn´t seen in three weeks).

That night we had a nice dinner, then came back to the hostal for a bit, and left once again in search of somewhere to go, preferably a place to dance. Well as we were walking it seemed to be a quite night, but after a bit we heard some music and saw some lights, so, like bees to honey, we zipped on over. It turned out ...

... like a man, and a skinny middle-aged man sporting a huge bald spot plus ponytail combo. Shocking. After enduring their incessant squawking for several hours, while I attempted to fix my camera in vain, we had showers at the shared ones downstairs, having lost our beautiful room, then checked out. We got a taxi to the Cial bus terminal; the driver was a rather amusing chap. He asked if Nicki and Claire were my sisters. When jokingly I said that no, they were my ...

... the back) and in spite of the perpetual banking one way and then another, I don't get sick. Soon enough, we are landing and I takxi back to town and head for Huacacina. The overflight was not cheap at $60, but to me, it was definitely worth it.

In the middle of the coastal desert surrounded by colossal dunes is a brown, murky lagoon, and on this lagoon is the backpackers' paradise of Huacacina - if only I went in for such Eden's. The town is little ...

Oh I want to tell you we just had the best day and night of the tour but feel like I've used that line too many times already and wouldn’t want to be put on the spot to actually choose one that was better than the others. You’ll just have to take my word for it that this was a very, VERY good day!!

This was the last night of our tour before we arrived in Lima and people started to branch off in their own directions. It was ...

... eyes, i have seen sheds which would be better accomodation. Our journey took us close to the Pacific Ocean at times, through small peruvian towns, and finally arid desert landscapes as we approahed Ica. We shared a taxi with some Kiwi´s to Huacachina the desert oasis which will be our home for the next few days. It is absolutly beautiful just like a cartoon image. We met an Aussie guy Brad and we went for a walk on the dunes. It is such hard work! We walked for maybe an hour and the views ...

... dandy, thanks for all your comments and emails and stuff (I am a tad too lazy to reply to each of them). We haven´t manage to kill each other yet, so all must be good.

Miss you all,
Anna & Carl
xx

(Photos again may be a problem...but will try my best. Otherwise you´ll just have to sit in suspense of those fantastic photos of sand)

Okay...got a few photos up, but took waaaaaaaaay too long, so again more waiting for the rest of them...sorry all!