Pisco´d As A Shit

Trip Start Jan 08, 2007
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Trip End Oct 01, 2007


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Flag of Peru  ,
Monday, March 26, 2007

Found myself In Pisco( Quechua for bird) where the highly potent grape brandy produced in the surrounding area and infamous Pisco Sour cocktail (made with egg white!) get their names. I used this as a brief launchpad to scope out Paracas (Sandstorm) and the Islas Ballestas. The Islas Ballestas have been given the nickname "Poor Mans Galapagos" presumably because although the islands have the most gargantuan population of seabirds I have ever witnessed and huge saloon colonies they are basically just big piles of shit that get dug up every fews years to sell off the high grade fertilizer worldwide.
I could easily have got all snobby about this after going to the real Galapagos but I was still impressed (except for the overpowering smell trying its hardest to dislodge the breakfast from my dilapidated hungover state). The sheer number of birds was spectacular and although in constant fear of a dive bombing from above the saloon colonies astounded me with their were crazy big numbers and they were also home to the bulkiest bull saloons IŽve ever seen. They put the little baby bulls on the Galaps to shame.
In the afternoon I continued onwards to the Reserva Nacional De Paracas, home of a huge red hill where over 700 mummies were discovered and a small museum. The museum has a few examples of some of the textiles that were found and head deformations that were once a way of establishing status.
There is also an impressive rock formation that has the striking resemblance to yet another cathedral that can be viewed form a cliff top lookout.
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