Edwinas Travels 6. South America

Overnight bus is a pleasant surprise. No overnight bus is ever pleasant but Peruhop came up trumps with a posh double decker, leather recliner seats, plush blankets and a clean urinal. 'Hopping on' in Huacachina I met up again with fellow Brits from dune buggy outing which was a nice familiar feeling. First stop:  Pisco . For the obligatory vineyard tour with free pisco tasting. Again. It's a hard life 😊 Second stop: Nazca viewing tower. It's hard to believe these lines are been here for thousands of years. Seen from a plane ( which I didn't, obviously) the drawings go on for hundreds of kilometres.  All the outlines represent icons sacred to the Inca civilization.  I'm told, as per the candelabra, that this is to do with the endurance of the mineral used, which withstands the endless desert winds. The Nazca Lines Do I believe they are genuine. Actually yes, because sometimes you just have to believe. And this time I do. Then the long,

Exhilarating, amazing adrenaline high, words fail me really but this was genuinely worth every pre ride moment of terror. Literally never seen or felt anything like this before. The sand dunes disappear into the distance like a mountain range, our buggy swooped and soared, teetering on the rim of seemingly impossible drops before plunging us into an abyss of sand. I loved it, absolutely loved it. The sand boarding thrown in as extra was taken by comparison, our group decided on extra 'buggying' as apparently we're all thrill junkies 😀. Dune Buggy Two hours disappeared in a flash and all too soon the oasis came into view. I'd go again but today I have to move on. This afternoon I board an overnight bus to Arequipa. Um.  Alas, for every high point of a trip there has to be a low. I leave behind fond memories of this little oasis shimmering in the desert. Dune buggies at dusk

Moving on, another day, another bus. Peruhop has a fleet of assorted buses, some no doubt newer than others.  Another foray into the desert en route. Paracas National Reserve is vast, 11 times the size of Malta, and stunning beautiful. It is a geological phenomenon, land pushed up above sea level by active fault lines, literally desert from under the sea. Another day, Another bus A few hours further south lies Huacachina oasis, a small pool of water surrounded by towering, glowing, golden yellow sand dunes. It's a unique experience for me, I've genuinely never seen a sight like this before. Huacachina  oasis Having adjusted to the weird landscape of dominating sand mountains I took myself off to walk in them.  Turns out this is not as easy as it looks!  The drifting sands are incredibly unstable, shifting disconcertingly underfoot, making staying upright impossible. It's absolutely exhausting. But absolutely brilliant. Impossible terrain on foot I watched th

Surreal mixture of fishing village, hipster bars and hostels, posh hotels and local housing. Surrounded by the beautiful national reserve and the access point to the ballestas islands "the poor man's gallapagus" Weird mixture, quirky. I discovered it is possible to walk the lapping waves and  bird lined shore for 4 Kms to the reserve thanks purely to the fact that the instability of sand means hotels are pushed back, at least for the minute. A few more years and this will be Benidorm, for now it's fun and easy to chill out after the noise and bussle of Lima Paracas national reserve Glowing multi coloured sand dunes rich in minerals and salt in a protected area where the desert meets the sea.  Red beaches stunning against the waves, white salt topped dunes shimmer like snow and the undulating landscape seems lunar like in its bizarre patterns. Paracas National Reserve - the desert meets the sea Free tour included with Peru hop ticket, minibus nearly got

Lima to Paracas Via Peruhop. A "hop on hop off" bus ; a new travel experience for me. It's a bit  pricier than public buses, but given the time and distances involved and the option to buy  just one pass instead of sorting out each ticket individually persuaded me to try it out.  The ghastly public buses in Cuba sapped my confidence as well as my energy. PeruHop bus Fortunately my first 'hop' was pleasantly impressive. The bus was a modern coach, with loo (liquids only) and everything from pick up to ticket checking seemed incredibly efficient after travel by public transport. I was a convert before we'd even left Lima. free stops included en route : 1.Lima's war memorial perched  atop the highest summit above the city, where, alas, mist prevented all but a sobering close up of favelas enroute instead of the panorama of the city. Favelas 2. The ancient Inca ruin of Paccamacca, sprawling remains rising out of the desert. Seen only from view

Literally!  The free city walking tour I joined took me the length and breadth of this city, from the favelas sprawling up the outlying hills, past splended palaces, colourful parks, gilded churches and into the trendy Barranco district. First we had to tackle the buses from Miraflores to downtown. South American buses same as central America, hang on and hope! On the plus side the bus lanes move, unlike the rest of the traffic. 45 minutes later I'm in the 'historic' centre. Historic is a misnomer. Thanks to Lima's propensity for earthquakes, the buildings are restorations, hence their splendid condition. The Cathedral spires loom above the main square, the Royal Palace dominates with its royal guard serenading songs from musicals. Seriously. The changing of the guard takes an hour each day accompanied by eclectic brass band choices. The Cathedral The buildings are predominantly yellow, the national colour of Peru, so odd ones such as the pink 't

This is one lively town! First impressions, seen through a base of exhaustion, that I'd inadvertently landed in Vegas. The 'strip' from airport to downtown Miraflores is ablaze with casinos, bars, Starbucks, drowning in a concophany of noise from endless traffic. Luckily I love a vibrant city as second impressions, after a much needed night's rest (trip time literally 24 hours from Lewes to Lima, and I never manage to sleep on planes) are much the same. This part of Lima is gloriously colourful, parks scrupulously maintained everywhere with spring in full bloom. Artworks pop up around every corner. Spring in Lima El Malecón is literally a work of art, with ceramic benches perfect for sea views. A perfect way to recover from the journey, to walk the boardwalks and gardens, eating ice cream and watching the sunset. ceramic benches along El Malecón  Lima Art It's early days but the sun is out, the ice cream is gorgeous, the hostel bed is comfy

Finally. South America beckons. This trip has been a long time coming, the winter months have felt endless, yet now spring is flowering here at last. At the very time I would normally be heading home, I m heading.away. I feel disconcertingly out of step with the world. Hopefully I ll experience the essence of Peru and Bolivia in the coming weeks. Time and technology permitting, I ll post highlights here. Onward to Lima.