After flying over the Nazca lines, Rolo and I took the bus to Paracas on the coast of Peru. We had front row seats on the top level of the bus- it made for a very interesting ride!!
Most of our trips had been to colder climates, so the warm beaches of Paracas were welcomed!
We spent a little time soaking up the sun on the beach and we discoverd how Peruvians pull their boats from the water...by bulldozers!
Our first night in Paracas, we met up with some traveling friends for dinner at a ceviche restaurant right on the beach. There was something amazing about ceviche made from fish that had been caught that day right off the beach (and a few beers didn't hurt either).
After dinner, we followed Travis to a shack located outside of Paracas in shanty town where we played some pool and had a few more beers. For once, we didn't have to wake up super early and walk anywhere! A fun evening!
Seagulls lined up
In the morning, we took a boat tour out to the Ballestas islands which are often called Galapagos of Peru.
Oddly enough, Travis ended up on a different boat from us, so he was able to snap a picture of me waving!!
Passing the fishing boats
Similar to the Nazca lines, El Candelabro is a geoglyph engraved on the side of a desert slope on the Paracaus peninsula. The carving is approximately 180 m x 70 m and is 50 cm deep.
The Ballestas Islands are known for their nesting birds.
Peruvian Boobies.
Humboldt penguins and pelicans
Sea lions
More birds- there are so many birds that roost here, they collected quano as fertilizer in the past...and you can definitely smell it!
A sea lion sunning on the rocks!
The left side of the island is dark because it is covered in birds!!
The rock formations were pretty cool and you could also see seastars and crabs climbing along the side.
Pelicans, boobies and the Incan tern.
More sea lions- look at the size difference between the male in the background and the females near the water!
Do you see the baby?
The islands are made up of lots of tunnels and caves.
View of Paracas from the water.
Many of the locals in Paracas are fishermen who still use small boats and cast their nets by hand!
Rolo getting his hairs did!!
Soaking up the sun and relaxing on the beach.
Travis and I relaxing on the beach.
We had one night in Lima before flying home, so we went in search of Manolo Churreria where it is rumored that you can get the best churros in town with a cup of steaming hot chocolate. Churros are sticks of fried dough covered in sugar and sometimes stuffed with chocolate. They were delicious and I'm embarrassed to say that some of the chocolate went to waste...there was no way I was going to be able to finish all of it, but I did try!
The next day, we made the long trip home to Miami. We were all exhausted, but so happy to have been able to complete this journey (and remain friends after the end of it)!! I'll never forget the variety of experiences, people, food and fun that we had in Peru!!