ICA'S DESERT AND HUACACHINA!

Huacachina is a small oasis in the middle of the desert: it has a lagoon surrounded by palm trees, eucalyptus, among others, food, small stores and lodging for those who want to spend the night in the middle of that paradise.

Peru is a box of surprises! On this occasion we used the Oltursa bus service and it took us approximately 4 hours and a half to get to the city of Ica. We decided not to stay in the center but to go immediately to Huacachina (10 minutes away). I can not describe what I felt at the first sight of the immense dunes, the texture of the sand and the colors that shined with the sunlight.

Although it is a small desert I found it immense, especially since I had never been in one. Climbing the dunes is more difficult than it seems, the sand under your feet makes you slip and becomes an interesting challenge. I had high expectations about this part of the trip and Peru overcame them again.

To make it fun, we decided to make a tour through the desert in tubular cars. The driver was an adventurous guide that went up and down in the dunes at considerable speeds. The adrenaline rushed through our body and the wind blew us to tears. We made sandboarding overcoming the fear of heights and let ourselves slide down the sand with screams of total ecstasy.

Watching the sunset at the top of the dunes until the darkness surrounded us has no fair description. The desert at night is shocking, we actually spent three or four hours sitting, enjoying the immensity. Nature is definitely AMAZING.

I had every intention of going to the Paracas National Reserve but the weather was not good (too much wind) and it was dangerous to navigate. So instead we visited a nearby vineyard, watched the process of creating local wines, had pisco and other liquors, watched an incredible collection of antiques from the area and ate ceviche.

It was a successful plan B and I have no doubt that the city of Ica has many other corners that are worth exploring!