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The final 2 weeks in Peru.... we'd been looking forward to Huacachino for a while as it signified Sandboarding time. We arrived in Huacachino, I tiny town with about 500 inhabitants and a hostal with not only a pool but a pool bar with an excellent music collection of about 4 cd's which most definitely had to have included "the ultimate driving album". Just like the ones advertised on tv at home that you must buy now to avoid disappointment and that offer tracks such as "the eye of the tiger" and toto "I kissed the rain down in Africa". It was like being back in the 80's but welcome to South America, it's the same everywhere!
So, we passed a couple of days building tans by the pool and singing along to these classic songs, partying a little at night - although there's only so much time you can spend dancing to the ultimate driving album. The real reason we were there in the first place however was to go sandboarding and dune buggy driving. The dunes are some of the largest ever and stretch for hundreds of kilometres across from Huacachino to Lima and are incredibly impressive. 9 of us including our driver Alfredo (who can only be described as virging on lunatic) went bombing off across these dunes driving off the tops of dunes where all you can see is sky, taking off and landing what felt like 10 minutes later about 20 metres below, heart in mouth and cheeks wobbling in the wind only to whizz up and over the next one. It was like a rollercoaster with no real safety apart from a seat belt that was too big for me and the hope that brcause Alfredo earns his living by this he is not about to kills himself.
We were then dropped off at 7 separate dunes increasing in size. At first I was standing and making it down steadily but when it came to the last 2 there was no way. These were massive, steep, intimidating dunes and so I lay on the sandboard held onto the feet straps, keeping elbows tightly in and with some wax to the bottom of the board to ensure speed and a big push from mental Alfredo, I went hurtling down the dune, sand flying into my face and hair so fiercefully it took about a week to get it all out! Amazing experience though topped off by watching Mark once again freak out with vertigo!! Alfredo earned his tip because if we thought the trip out there was scary, the ride back to the town took things to another level. We celebrated getting home in one piece with a long shower to de-sand and some beers.
Four days of Huacachino finally took it's toll. With cheesy songs imbedded in my brain, it was time to leave and head to the beach town of Mancora on the Ecuadorian border and supposedly rub shoulders with Peru's hottest and trendiest crowds. We decide to break up the journey and stay in Lima one night as Lima to Mancora is 17 hours without adding the 6 from Huacachino. This is where we met our strange dorm friend from Newcastle. I won't go into details due to space but lets say his odd behaviou failed to wake Mark or Kevin and so I was left to handle the situation alone which was actually pretty scary. He was about 200 pounds, tattoed all over with spiked piercings and came home about 4pm drunk and at a guess incredibly high. I was happy to leave!
Mancora is lovely. It's a surfing / fishing town with a long beach, some of the best surf in Peru and a reputation as a party place. We checked into the Loki Del Mar hostal which looks like a hotel until you see the dorms! Built 6 months ago it has a lovely pool and access to the beach, palm trees and a well stocked bar that literally blares out music until 1pm. The beach next door then pumps out music till 6am and being in the dorm next the the beach basically I had a week of minimal rest. Hence the most unrelaxing beachtown ever!
It is here that Mark got extreme food poisoning on the first day and was in bed for 5 days until I dragged him to the doctor and we got him lots of nasty most likely illegal antibiotics that basically kill everything in your body. It is also here where I excitedly organised a surf lesson at 8am in the morning and was bleeding from 3 cuts and the biggest bruise you have ever seen by 9am. Apparantly it's not a beginners beach and having nearly drowned on several occassions and in acute pain all over, I called my lesson to a close prematurely. Even my determination and stubborness would not get me back on that board! Seeing my injuries, I don't know of anyone else that tried surfing that week!
So, with Mancora coming to an end so do my travels with Mark and Kevin. 5 weeks of living in each others pockets and it's time for me to venture alone back to Lima in order to fly to Brazil for Carnival. The other 2 continue North to Ecuador and are still travelling together now (March24th I'm writing this as I'm pretty behind on the blog front. I left them on 16th Feb!!!)
Loved Peru. Considering I never intended to spend so much time there, it really was an incredible journey from Lake Titicac to Machu Pichu and Cusco, Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, Huacachino sandboarding and Mancora.
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