Peru never ceases to surprise me. I've barely been here five days.
From Ica to the Atacama Desert
We are heading towards the heart of the desert. The asphalt „slices“ through the sand like an arrow. It is desolate and monotonous.
We are traveling through one of the driest deserts in the world – Atacama. It stretches along the Pacific coast of South America, mainly in northern Chile and with areas reaching southern Peru. It is huge – about 181,000 km², meaning approximately one and a half times larger than Bulgaria.
Just an hour away from the Pacific Ocean, can you imagine that some areas are so dry and harsh they resemble Mars? That is why Atacama is one of the most important Earth analogs of the Red Planet. NASA uses the desert to test instruments and technologies with which scientists search for traces of life and prepare for future missions.
The desert is ancient—according to various estimates, its history spans millions of years. It is among the most waterless places on Earth. The locals rightly say that earthquakes are more frequent than precipitation.
It looks like a thin crescent if you view it from space – about 1,000 km along the coastline.
And there is also a curious detail here: despite the extreme drought, Atacama is not completely lifeless. Microorganisms have been discovered in some of its driest regions, and it is precisely this ability of life to survive under almost unimaginable conditions that is one of the reasons the desert is so valuable for Mars research.
I expected to see the typical oil-drilling „storks“ behind the dunes. It turned out that the area is mostly rich in copper and other mineral resources.
Atacama is also known for its huge deposits of sodium nitrate, which was mined in large quantities in the past.
The desert also preserves the traces of dozens of abandoned mining settlements associated with the extraction of nitrates and saltpeter. Many of them became deserted after the advent of synthetic nitrates in the early 20th century.
Scientific research in Atacama is interesting for another reason as well—in its driest soils, scientists are searching not only for living microorganisms, but also for traces of ancient life. This helps us imagine what we might be looking for on Mars.
And now – the Ica stones
We are approaching the city of Ica. And I am provocatively thinking about the stones of the same name, found by a local peasant...
How did they end up in this place?
The Ica stones are one of the famous archaeological hoaxes of the 20th century—a story so well crafted that to this day it continues to provoke the imagination.
They represent a collection of andesite stones engraved with scenes of dinosaurs, bizarre medical procedures, stargazing, and what have you. According to proponents of their authenticity, they are millions of years old and prove the existence of an unknown ancient civilization.
Except that here we have to hit the brakes.
Historians and experts today accept the stones as modern fakes, and claims that they prove a human civilization from millions of years ago are not scientifically confirmed.
And yet the story is magnificent.
It was a pile of thousands of stones. The farmer began selling them to tourists, and later the collection fell into the hands of local archaeologist Javier Cabrera, who dedicated years to studying them.
Some images are downright surreal: a man riding a dinosaur; surgeries; a man observing the sky with a telescope...
One starts to wonder:
Who were these people?
And right here the mystification is particularly well crafted – because the stones look as if they were purposely made to make us ask the impossible question.
Maybe they are a „civilization“ by the ocean... People have to eat something... And not in the desert...
Anyone who is interested will find information about the mystery. Are they brilliantly made fakes, or does someone still believe in their authenticity?
I am just throwing the idea out as food for thought… without being Professional or CONTRA.
In general, the history of Peru as a whole has many layers of pre-Inca civilizations and holds mysteries and challenges. And some stories are so good that it is worth telling them, even when you know that most likely there is a human hand behind them rather than an ancient civilization.
Ica – the city in the middle of the desert
I am looking out the window and fighting off sleep because I know I will hardly ever find myself here again.
Here are settlements that seem to have sprung from the sand, with dusty streets. Poor neighborhoods alternate with wealthy ones. There are no tall buildings and almost no greenery.
Most homes are single-story, unfinished. Rebar is sticking out. Whether it's because of taxes – so they pay as for an unbuilt house... But let me tell you, my impression is that they are poor. To have a finished hacienda, even more so with a garden and greenery, is a sign of social status.
We enter Ica – in Quechua Ika – a city surrounded by desert in southwestern Peru. About 300 km from the capital Lima and 406 m above sea level. It was founded by the Spanish in 1563.
It seemed like a huge city to me, but with monstrous traffic.
„Tuk-tuk“ taxis, cars, pedestrians, school minibuses, regular taxis, motorcycles, and scooters. In Peru, just like in Barcelona, where we flew in from, not to mention Asia, people prefer small motorcycles – 125 and 250 cc. It's full of YBRs.
It never ceases to amaze me how, despite the madness of the traffic, nobody crashes into anyone.
And the drivers are calm...
Ours is unfazed.
Huacachina – the mirage that is real
After Ica we stop in Huacachina – literally an oasis in the middle of the desert.
Set amidst the barren sand dunes is a green patch of land, and at its far end lies a lake with clear and sparkling water.
You don't believe your eyes:
Is this some kind of a mirage?!
Huacachina is located just a few kilometers from Ica and is renowned as the „Oasis of America.“ The small settlement is surrounded by massive sand dunes, and its permanent residents number around one hundred.
Quickly we drop the luggage at the hotel.
Which is quite spartan.
A square building with three-story exterior staircases framing a courtyard with a pool...
And I am getting ready for an adventure.
Tonight I will be exploring the town and the oasis.
We are walking up a steep slope – the dune is huge.
It's full of young people. All kinds of speech can be heard.
The sand is light gray, almost white, shining golden in the sun. Very fine – just like walking on silk.
Here are the buggies.
Attractive: red and green. Open. We go in and they strap us into a complex construction of eight straps...
It's definitely going to be quite adrenaline-pumping.
Our group gathered in two cars.
Start!
We race through the desert with the buggies – up and then zooming steeply down. The two karts are sharply chasing each other and spinning. Twice we almost flipped over.
But our drivers are good and seem to be having fun at our screams and shrieks…
From gripping the front seat, I don't have time to see the horizon.
Finally, we are stopping.
A new challenge awaits us.
A board – a cross between a snowboard and a surfboard with a strap. You lie on your stomach, headfirst down the slope, and they strap you in.
They push you and off you go down...
It seemed quite risky to me—taking a chance on breaking my „precious“ neck 13,500 km away from my homeland.
Oh, that's not for me.
I am an adventurer at heart, but I should still show some common sense.
I look at my companions and rejoice for them.
First, they are tried on the slope.
After that, we hop on the buggies and head to a more challenging dune—something like a humped caterpillar. You accelerate down the steeper part, and then the skill is to ride across the flat section with the board without stopping, and go down the next slope.
Who manages to keep going, who stops abruptly – laughter and jokes...
Screams of fear and pleasure.
Here is the documented adventure. Adrenaline!
The sunset over the desert
We load up together, satisfied, and with a wild ride in the buggy, we go to watch the sunset over the desert.
Indescribably beautiful.
The sun slowly sets in a perfectly cloudless light blue sky. The huge dune takes a bite out of it, and twilight sets in.
With the hiding of the fiery luminary, the warmth departs. The wind comes and a desert chill that pierces...
Onward to the oasis – just a few more minutes of a wild ride.
I find sand in unbelievable places in the bathroom…
Quick change of clothes and let's dive into the town.
Evening in the Oasis of America
And it is situated by a crystal-clear lake, with an abundance of green vegetation and lush palm trees.
A few streets.
The water is surrounded by wooden grates on beams, sort of a pontoon in the air. Along them, you walk past restaurants, shops, an improvised market.
And the library!
I am completely won over.
The lake is at the bottom, and towering around it are massive mountains of sand dunes—hundreds of meters high. You feel like you are at the epicenter of something huge.
For the nearest city of Ica, this is the sports attraction.
To ride a board or a buggy, you must make a reservation early or travel to Ica. Places are limited. Young tourists come from all over the world.
Huacachina is also called the „Oasis of America“.
And he has his own legend.
The princess who became a mermaid
Once a beautiful princess – I've never met an ugly one, I don't know about you – was bathing in the pond when a young hunter passing by caught sight of her naked.
She got worried and ran away.
According to legend, the lake turned into an oasis, and from her pleated mantle, which she forgot on the shore, the sand dunes emerged.
But the princess loved the lake so much that she returned to live there as a mermaid. The legend of the Huacachina mermaid is still part of local folklore today.
Here she is herself:
And time for delicious treats
Time for delicious treats.
I have emphasized more than once: Peru is a culinary destination.
Right here, in this oasis, you will find granadilla – a local exotic fruit that looks a bit like passion fruit.
With everything growing around, they prepare many interesting pastries.
Huge chocolate bonbons filled with granadilla, passion fruit, dates, coconut, cocoa, dragon fruit, cactus, and whatever else I haven't thought of.
I'm buying two of each kind and having them packed in a beautiful box with a ribbon.
From every place I've decided to take the most typical thing, because you can't get it anywhere else.
Of course, I don't miss tasting at least two or three kinds.
And now imagine variations of all these fillings in the form of ice cream…
Mmm, delicious...
It is available in abundance.
Because of my allergies, I am careful with food. Unfortunately, I didn't dare to try many of the Peruvian delicacies.
The food in the restaurants is adapted for Europeans. I don't know if I'll try theirs—although my traveling companions were eating home-cooked meals from the aunties at the market...
And they shared that it was incredible.
But I didn't take any chances—not only because of my ailments, but also because of hygiene.
A wonderful day has passed, filled with so many diverse emotions...
And tomorrow.
Tomorrow we are flying over Nazca!
See more Author Maria Radeva here
