Dawn, in most places when on holiday to get to greet the dawn with that slow hazy lazy roll in bed. You get to sink into the pillow and just absorb your surroundings. There’s no alarm clock and you have a sense that today your in control. You’ll decide when it’s that moment when your feet touch the ground and you glide off to the shower.
Well this morning wasn’t that morning. It’s funny, we’re on holiday, but yet we’re still having mornings where we rush to get organised to catch yet another bus. This time we’re leaving Peru’s second largest city and heading toward the coast to a small oasis town on the edge of the city of Ica.
Chachina is one of what was once many desert oasis towns in the area. Most over the years have dried up and been either reclaimed by the desert or have succumbed to the urban sprawl as cities grow and consume more valuable resources.
The oasis here too would have died up if the government hadn’t intervened and places a national heritage status to the area. Now there can be no further urban development around the small oasis thus ensuring an extended life. But the more questions we asked the more we discovered. Unearthing the fact that the lake was kept at a constant level via a pumped water system from Ica kind of destroyed the illusion for us it’s still a great overnight stay when traveling from.
And there’s one more thing, the sand dune and the the dune buggies that will take you there.
Our guide Francisco, tells us of a great BBQ that’s being prepared for us later in the evening and tempts us to go for a drink. The deal was eat and drink as much as you want for one hour. Let’s just say the jugs of Coke had more Captain Morgan Rum than Coke and after 5 glasses things were getting a little hazy. Elena had eaten enough and wanted to go back to our hostel. I walked her home and decided, why now return to the party. It was probably the biggest mistake I made this week. These young ones can put it away and Now there was another group of bus tourists with us. Next thing a pack of cards came out and the drinking games began, well who am I to say no.
It’s dark, two bottles of Captain Morgan later I find myself no longer in control of my feet as I try in a vain attempt to walk back across town to our hostel. WFT! The gate at the front is locked. Somehow o manage to climb over it only to discover the front dorm is obviously also locked. From here I don’t remember much. There must have been a door or window open somewhere as the next thing I remember we trying the key in the lock of my hostel room.
I woke to the worst headache for years and obviously no support it sympathy from what I thought was my adoring wife, instead I got the I told you so lecture, which to be honest comes as no surprise.
It’s midday and my headache has turned it attention to my stomach. I’m really not well, I’m wondering if it’s not just a headache and something a little more sinister. I can’t eat and even the thought of food is making me feel sick. I’m stressing out as I’m going on the dune buggy this afternoon to watch the sunset and go sand boarding.
The time comes and we’re buckled up into these monster trucks that look like they’ve been created for a Mad Max Movie. I’ve been placed in one with a more tame driver due to my delicate stomach. Elena’s opted not to come as its all too extreme for her and I’m now wondering if this was really a good idea.
We leave the tarmac and bounce our way up the first sand dune. OMG what have I got myself into? My stomach is being bounced around and the seatbelt has come undone as we fly down a huge dune. I’m struggling to keep the water bottle from flying out with one hand, holding on with the other while the guy next to me is using one hand to try to secure me back in. This ride is crazy!
It’s only now that I think all is well when we leap over yet another dune and the wind gusts my hat off. Normally I wouldn’t care too much. But this hat has been with me for the last 5 years, it been to so many countries with my, There’s a wave of sadness as I know that I can’t go back to retrieve it. I loved that hat, it had become so much of our travel adventure. It fitted so well, now it’s lost to the deserts of Peru.
As the rest of our group took to the dunes with the sand boards I graciously opted out. My stomach wouldn’t take racing down the dunes. I wanted to, but my body was fatigued, I just wanted to get back to our hostel. Sadly I was not going to get any reprieve as once we’d finished the dune buggy we’d be placed on another bus bound for our next stop….. Paracas, a 3 hour journey away.
Oh when will it end….
