Guano, lots of it
Trip Start
Dec 22, 2007
1
41
48
Trip End
May 01, 2008
Paracas,
Peru
Monday, March 31, 2008
Mon 31 March
We walked to the port (about 2mins) and got on a new speed boat with about 40 other people. Our first stop was the Candelabra, 177m tall and a metre deep, built on the side of a hill protected from the wind. Salt was placed on the outline of the image and is now solidifying.
Another 15mins and we were approaching Islas Ballestas. Suddenly there were birds everywhere. We saw humboldt penguins, cormorants, boobies, seagulls, pelicans and sea lions. Every 4 years they farm the guano (bird poop) which is a fantastic but expensive fertiliser.
The final stop we saw a couple of penguins mating and the nursery beach where sea lion pups were learning to swim and, disturbing, it really sounded like a swimming pool as the noise was being echoed off the surrounding cliffs.
Our bus was late collecting us so we did not arrive in Lima until 7.30ish. We had to pick up our backpacks from the hostel, grab some food and then go back to the bus terminal for a 9pm overnight bus to Chiclayo.
