Paracas, Peru...that's more like it!

Editor's Notes: The bus ride and bad flying experience were anomalies, and even though they were terrible, I wouldn't have avoided the entire trip based upon those two experiences. Peru is a fantastic country. After receiving threatening letters from Cruz del Sur bus lines, The Nasca Tourist Association, and Jessica Simpson's publicist, I thought I should clarify.


Paracas is on the Pacific and is known for it's national reserve and The Ballestas Islands, which are home to penguins, sea lions and millions of birds. As I researched Peru for our trip, Paracas became the #2 place I wanted to see, after Machu Picchu.

This was our last stop before heading back to Lima. Sean, who felt bad about the whole motion sick/scary bus/food poisoning thing, booked us at a fantastic American hotel (no food worries), and we quickly made ourselves at home in the pool. Teague made friends with Peruvian twin boys who were there on vacation, and we watched in amazement as he spoke Spanish with them. Up until this point, he has refused to speak Spanish with either of us, he prefers to speak "real" (English), so imagine our surprise when the kid is spouting off everything with a perfect Porteno accent. Who is that kid??

It was lovely to walk on the beach and look for sea shells and to enjoy a delicious meal with an ocean view, and even more so because we didn't have to worry about what we ate and drank. Pisco sours all around...

The next morning we took the 5th and final bus ride back to Lima, where we spent one more evening before our flight back to Argentina. We were sad to leave Peru, but happy to return to the land of clean(ish) tap water. I have no doubt we'll be back again someday.


Another geoglyph, like the lines of Nasca.




Old loading dock on Islas Ballestas.


Sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks.


Ultra modern bus station.