Rudolph and I

Everyone sipping their coffees? All nice and comfy? Good, then let's hit the road. 

Today I have seen the top of the mountain, and it was great! Well, top of the sand dune, but the sentiment still applies.

Today I left Lima heading South along the coast to Ica. The local bus ticketing company runs a neat little operation with its own terminals and the buses new, comfy and always on time (at least by local standards). Also featuring war and kung-fu movies non-stop.

The first hours after Lima we passed nothing but some very inhospitable looking desert and rather inventive billboards. However just before Ica the view became corn fields and viniyards and generally more or less green and lush. Basically, this is all due to Huacahcina oasis. 

Yes, my first oasis! 

So where are the tents and camels and Rudolph Valentino you may well ask? Well it's been a bit thin on the Valentino front, though a friendly black dog did adopt me during my dune walk and I will call him Rudolph. Also no camels as such, but I did see some disgrunteled looking and festively dresserd alpacca in Lima if that helps.

But other than that, I've got to say, oasis are pretty fantastic! It's simply bizarre to have a palm ringed pool in the middle of a sandy desert. And sand dunes certainly have a charm and beauty of their own, especially around sunset. Though climbing up a dune is bloody hard work - one step forwards, one slide back - running down them is rather fun. The sand was very fine and now it's everywhere. And I do mean everywhere - including in my iPad keyboard. So officially I can claim all typos from now on are the result of keyboard malfunction. (Image below: sandblowing hair in progress)

Aparently they're big on sandboarding here, but since I don't snowboard back home, I see no reason to start on sand. Mind you, from recent experience, I think falling off in sand is probably the softer option of the two.

So now I gently lull myself to sleep, waiting for the sandman to arrive and throw his sand in my eyes and hope to dream of Rudolph (sheik, not dog or reindeer).