Nosey Nomad

The third day in Lima was food heaven. Our culinary adventure began at a typical Peruvian Market. We were taken aback by the incredible smell and colours at the market. It was hard not to lay our hands into all kinds of exotic fruits and the wide variety of Peruvian products. I was amazed by the huge variety of seafood, which is considered to be one of the richest in the world. Lima is considered to be the gastronomical capital of the America. On my ‘to do’ list goes the annual food festival, called Mistura, that it supposedly the largest one in Latin America. Later on that day we visited restaurant La Rosa Nautica, where we were taught to prepare Peruvian superstars, which were (surprise, surprise) Pisco Sour and Ceviche. The mini course ended with a proper certificate 🙂 and a delicious lunch, consisting of the most symbolic dishes of Peruvian cuisine. In the afternoon we started the journey to the fishing village, Paracas, where we stayed overnight.

The fourth day was an adrenaline filled day. We started our day with a visit to the Ballestas Islands. These islands are vibrant and colorful and are filled with wild birds and mammals, including sea lions, fur seals and endangered Humboldt penguins. Later that day we visited Huacachina, a small village in oasis in Ica Province, where we had an opportunity to do the dune buggy tour and sand boarding. In the evening it was time to move on to next town, which was Nazca – a town of mystical drawings.

The Nazca Lines are mysterious traces with size range from 15 to 250 meters, with a depth of 30 cm, lying on a 350 km² area on the sand and are representing images of animals and plants, such as the spider, the monkey, the humming bird and the condor. Possibly they represent the biggest astronomic calendar in the world, drawn by the Incas, but there are many more theories about their origins. These drawings are better appreciated form the air. And if you’re expecting here a nice all-inclusive Boeing, then dream on. You get to sit in a cramped two-propeller plane with 5 others. And all one can hope for is not to be drenched in your fellow passenger’s vomitus. Because before the flight we were promised stronger or less stronger nauseousness, and stronger or less stronger nauseousness we all experienced. After the flight we were taken back to the coach station from where we started our 7-hours journey back to Lima to spend there the last night before Cusco.