Following a relaxing 5 days in Lima we headed south to Ica, famous for wineries and the national drink of Peru, pisco sour. Ica itself is a fairly big, busy, sweltering city so we opted to stay in the tiny resort of Huacachina. Surrounded by the most gigantic sand dunes we have ever seen with a tranquil lagoon nestled in the middle, it was a tranquil oasis.

Unknown to us the following day was the Pisco Sour festival which our taxi driver eagerly told us about. Not one to miss out on a free drink! We joined in on the festivities. Accidently becoming part of the parade....thinking we were going on a city tour we ended up sat in a sand buggy driving through the city, greeted by waving locals and children making us feel like royalty :)

Dancing, Traditional music, free pisco sours and mayor speeches were all part of the celebration. The afternoon was spent with our our personal guide who took us to visit 3 nearby wineries. Industrial, commercial and artesean, each very different but all equally interesting. We learnt about the production process of each winery followed by more free samples, BARGAIN!! Needless to say we were very tipsy by the end of the day! Including our driver... hehe :oP We got the impression Peruvian laws are alot more relaxed.

Huacachina is well known for Sandboarding so we weren´t going to leave without experiencing the adrenaline rush of this sport. Our driver Ricardo took us deep into the desolate desert, showing off his driving skills and pushing the vehicle to its limits, several times launching us into the open air, both a frightening and exhilarating experience. Maz getting the brunt of the bumps as she choose to sit at the back! Seeking out some of the biggest dunes where we were given the opportunity to try out sandboarding. Head first, feet in the air, we were pushed off the edge of the tremendously deep dunes, accelerating rapidly into the unknown, praying our boards would bring us to a safe landing. Hungry for more adrenaline we conquered 5 dunes before heading off to admire the sunset, followed by another crazy buggy ride, safely arriving back to our hotel bruised and battered. Definately one of the highlights of our trip so far! :)