Ica / Huacachina

So after a week here, i was invited my two of the other volunteers to take a trip to Ica.
I knew absoutely nothing about it but happily agreed to have a little adventure.

Coach trips are so cheap here, it only cost about 11 pound for a return journey to Ica, a city four hours away. Nice!

So we actually stayed in a place called Huacachina (please google) its a natural oasis in the desert 10 minutes outside of Ica and my god is it beautiful. We stayed in a hotel called el Huacachinero, a fab hotel which for us was cheap as chips. We stayed in a 10 bed dorm which cost about 7/8 pound a night and the facilities were soooo good. It had its own pool/restaurant/bar etc!

So being in the desert we HAD to do some sand boarding, no?
So we jumped in a buggy and off we went into the dunes.
It was everything that you could imagine it to be, just breathtaking, dunes upon dunes, beautiful.
Then for the sand boarding...
I thought there would be more rules or safety regulations to it but no. Just a lie-down on a board and being told to keep your elbows on the board (to avoid what would be horrible sand-burn).
And it was incredible!!!!
It really was that feeling of freedom just WOW im sand boarding down a ridiculously high dune!!

Experiencing the sunset in the desert. CHECK.
It was unbelievable, a true kodak moment (ill have to work out how to upload photos onto this!!)

The next day we went to the Nasca Lines which are figures in the ground that have been there for centuries, nobody knows how or why they are there (kinda like crop circles i guess, but in the ground not crops). At first I wasnt too fussed, but it was actually quite interesting to hear all the theories surrounding them.

Then to the wineries...my favorite part of the day.
We got taken to two wineries, and got given soooo much wine to taste.
There is a very famous alcohol called Pisco here and its like 40% volume, its good but my god, strong! But there are also variations of pisco wine which is delicious sweet wine!! A must try!

We also ended up tastign wine with a famous Peruvian comedian (apparently), everyone was made up to see her etc and he bought us chocolates ... always appreciated!!

The next day I went to Paracas to see the Islas Ballestas, which are islands out to see which beautful birds, sea lions and penguins!! gorgeous!!

All in all, after only 3 days of trip, we managed to do and see quite alot and have a pretty amazing time.
I'd highly recommend Ica for any tourists to Peru.

Oh Peru!

So i am finally getting around to my 'hello ive arrived in Peru blog' only 3 weeks too late, but considering my track record for blog neglect, i havent done too bad, so lets begin...

The beginning
So after a mammoth 20 odd hour door to door voyage, i arrived in Lima airport bricking myself, not of what was to come but the fact that I had been waiting over half an hour for my suitcase to worm its way around the baggage turnstile, oh whatever we call those things. I was sure that all the new summer clothes / half of primark would never see the light of day. but of course they did eventually. panic over!

You know you see those T mobile adverts of about 100 people waiting at the arrivals, well its true, that does actually happen! Sooo many people with sooo many signs, however, the girl from the volunteer organisation thankfully enough had a bright pink dress on so i spotted her straight away!

then for my host family to arrive...
the most worrying thing was knowing that i'd have to speak spanish, a skill that requires alertness and knowledge, the two things i was definately lacking after a pitiful amount of sleep.
However, thanks to a english-speaking neice, we arrived home to a large chocolate cake to celebrate my arrival which i thought was really sweet!!

The school im volunteering at is pretty sweet too, modern, snazzy and the teachers are well friendly!! Classes start properly this week (its the beginning of a new school year) so im actually pretty looking forward to helping out, though the talk of the children learning from my pronunciation is humourous with my scouse twang still lingering despite my best posh voice, oh well!

All in all im getting more settled now, despite the craaaazy bus system (jump on jump off bascially anywhere) and the constant hustle and bustle, im quite enjoying it!! Im definately getting my bearings alot more now, so i can go wander and discover a bit more especially in the big gringa area (gringa = foreigner) of Miraflores, where i dont feel as though i stick out as much.

Ive discovered starbucks and alot of amazing food so far.... let the discovery continue....