Back in Peru

Hello all! I am currently in the north of Peru in a small beach town called Mancora after some more ridiculously long overnight bus rides. We had to take local buses because all the tourist buses were full and that of course was quite an experience. At the beginning all these people who are not actually going on the bus get on to tell jokes or try to sell things and demand money for their performance. It was less than entertaining.

Before we headed up north, we were really enjoying ourselves in Arequipa and Huacachina. We did a three day canyon trek out of Arequipa. It is the second biggest canyon in the world, and there is an incredible oasis right in the middle of it. We hiked down into the canyon the first day, then to the oasis on the second day. It was lush and beautiful and we got to swim in pools and enjoy warm weather for the first time in a month. We were worried about the third day because we had to hike straight up back out of the canyon. We woke up at 3 am so that we could avoid the heat of the sun. Luckily there was a full moon so we were able to see pretty well, and we made it to the top in 2 hours and 20 minutes when we were told it would take 3 or 4. Feeling pretty proud, we enjoyed breakfast then got on a bus back to town. Sadly, we had to take an overnight bus that night to Huacachina that night.

Huacachina also happens to be an oasis in the middle of a sand desert, surrounded by huge hills. The main attraction of the area is sand boarding. Slightly afraid, Bianca and I plucked up our courage and got in a dune buggy to try it out. The buggy ride itself was ridiculous, and our drive would race over hills so we would fly and then slam back into the sand. It was so much fun, and he kept making us laugh because he would shout "plane" before every bump. The sand boarding itself was scary but fun. We got three practice runs in, and I was able to stand up and make it down without falling. Then the drivers took us to these huge hills and the fear kicked in. I opted not to go on my feet, but to lay on my stomach and slide down. It was so fast and a lot of fun. We finished the day covered in sand. When I took my pants off later that day, huge piles of sand came out of my pockets. We spent a night in the oasis (which was not very pretty because it is the dry season so nothing was very green) and then hopped on another overnight bus to get to Mancora. I will be hear for a few days so hopefully I can post again soon and fill you all in on the rest of Bolivia. Love and miss you all!