Ray: Paracas, Peru - The Birds...

Trip Start Dec 27, 2007
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Trip End Dec 28, 2008


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Where I stayed
Hostal El Amigo
(Paracas hotels)

Flag of Peru  ,
Sunday, May 25, 2008

Sarah and I went sandboarding on these huge sand dunes in Huacachino. It was awesome. I only got up properly on the board on the last go and I surfed for about 30 metres. Had my arms out for balance and crouched down low. I could feel the sand spitting out the back of the board into the palm of my hand. Cool, man. Mind you my first few times were spectacular for all the wrong reasons and I´m sure Sarah was in hysterics as she watched me crash and burn several times. Although, her last run ended with her crashing and tumbling over and over a few times. I thought she`d really hurt herself but after a wee while she yelled out `that hurt` but she was, kind of, ok. Great fun and an experience I didn`t think I`d ever have a go at. Now I can add X-TREME sports to my list of achievements (well, things I had a go at).  

Yesterday, we went out on a tour boat to see Islas Ballestas, islands populated by 1000s if not millions of birds. We couldn`t go onto the islands themselves but we got pretty close. The actual top of each of the large islands were 40 - 50 metres up but from a distance you could see this huge dark shadow, all birds huddled together obviously. I`m sure there were millions. They were all over the island and along the cliffs too. As we came in the sky seemed to fill with birds, a flying canopy of birdlife. It was pretty spectacular. It stunk as we got closer as you`d expect with all those birds doing their business whereever and whenever and the rocks themselves were stained the usual creamy white colour. Great fertiliser I heard the guide say and lots of it too. Lots of different species of birds were living/ co-existing together, amazing. Penguins too. I mention them because clearly they are a bird but it was funny seeing these flightless, waddling ones in amongst the petrels, boobys, pelicans, gannets etc.

The darlings of the trip were sea lions sunning themselves on the rocky outcrops and in caves. We got close on many a time, so close you could almost reach out and touch them. Cool, man! I kept telling Sarah about Alfred Hitchcock´s The Birds and how it was meant to freak you out in the movie all these birds just sitting around watching you as you moved past them, before they attacked. Well, it felt exactly like that! Freaky.

Back at the beach we got to feed some tame pelicans - a guy had the initiative to tame them by feeding them little fish and then charge tourists to take pictures of them and feed them themselves. Big mouths they´ve got too!
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