Weekend at Ica and Paracas

Today begins our last week in Peru. It feels like we have been here forever, and at the same time, the last 2 weeks flew by. I’m at the point right now where I am still really enjoying myself, but I am also starting to miss a lot of things back home like American breakfast food (here breakfast is just toast with coffee or juice), showers with water pressure, and laundry machines. Oh yeah, and also my family and friends.

Even so, this past weekend we had a BLAST in Ica and Paracas.

We left early on Saturday morning and, after about a 5 hour bus ride, arrived at a vineyard in Ica which we toured. The tour was really nice; we learned about how they make wine with the grapes grown at the vineyard and about a yearly tradition of a party that is held when it is time to stomp the grapes. After the tour we also had a really nice lunch there, which, as has always been my experience with the food here in Peru, was delicious.

After the vineyard we took a tour of the city of Ica which eventually ended in front of an enormous, very beautiful desert. The best part was that, at this desert, there were dune buggies and we got to ride in them. The dune buggy ride was so much fun! It was like riding a roller coaster but so much cooler. During our ride we stopped at the top of a really high dune that overlooked the whole desert and got to take pictures. The view was breathtaking. The sand was so pure and beautiful and stretched out as far as we could see.

That was not even the best part though. After taking pictures we drove to the  top of a huge, very steep hill of sand…and then we were given snow boards, or sand boards in this case. In the states we have snow, here they have sand. We were not allowed to go down the hill standing up for safety reasons but we did go down on our stomachs and it was still awesome and tons of fun. Although I was terrified, I decided that this trip is all about trying new things for me so I went down the hill anyway and I’m glad I did! It was really fun and I ended up going down two more hills, each one bigger than the last.                                           

After our crazy sand-boarding adventures we headed to our hotel in Paracas for dinner and some much needed sleep. Restaurants and hotels are very different here from those in the US. For instance, when we go to restaurants, the service is different in a lot of ways. Instead of getting bread while we wait for our meals, we are give cancha, which are salted, cooked kernels of corn. Also, they do not ask what you would like to drink before you order your meal. Instead, they take both your drink and meal order at the same time. Then, they do not wait for everyone’s meals to be ready before bringing them out at the same time; instead, they bring out each meal when it is ready, which usually ends in one half of the table receiving their meal just as the other half is finishing theirs.

The hotels are also completely different. At even the most basic hotels in the US, you are given just about everything you could ever need. There are an abundance of towels, shampoos and conditioners, soap, lotion, toothbrushes, and plenty of pillows. Here, there are only the very necessities, even in nicer hotels. The hotel we stayed at was a very nice one and very confortable, but, with three people staying in a room, we were given only three shower towels (which were extrememly small). The hotel didn’t have any hand towels or washcloths, let alone a floor towel to keep the floor in front of the shower dry. And there was definitely not the excess of big fluffy pillows that I am used to. Also, we took cold showers because, since many people at the hotel were trying to shower at the same time, there was no hot water. Still, it was not terrible, just different from what I am used to. But I enjoy knowing that I am experiencing Peru to the fullest, and this is the reality of what things are like in this country.

The next morning, we left early for our boat tour of the Islas Ballestas. The islands were so beautiful! We also got to see a lot of the wildlife such as sea lions, TONS of different kinds of birds, and even penguins! Although the sun was not out yet, it was still a beautiful day and we really enjoyed the tour. After the boat tour we did some shopping and headed back to the Peyton Center.

Today was another day of service and class and in the evening we attended a very interesting lecture given by a social worker who taught us about the various social problems that exist within this area of the country. Although much of what we learned about the conditions here was very sad, his lecture also gave us hope because it taught us about the measures that are currently being taken to combat these problems.

Most of the rest of this week is going to be more days of service and class, but on Friday we are going to be leaving for Cusco!

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