Paracas

Those following along will recall that in Cusco we purchased a wall carpet from a local artist. As we didn’t want to carry it all over Peru, the shop arranged to send it back to the studio/workshop in Lima where we could pick it up on our return. They also agreed to have a driver meet us in the morning and then bring us back to the hotel when we are done, so the whole process couldn’t have worked out more smoothly, and it has Angela beyond giddy at the prospect of meeting the artist and hearing the story of the piece that we bought.

We end up spending a little over an hour, learning firsthand the steps involved in creating a wall carpet, how the creative process has changed over the years (concept drawings that used to be laid out with graph paper and colored pencils now leverage graphics software like Photoshop), and the inspiration for different series of work that he has done. We also take a tour of the workshop, where we can see the designs from paper being transformed into actual weavings.

With a little time left, we walk a few blocks to the artist’s home, where he gives us a tour of his private collection, and poses for a few pictures with his newest fans.

Back at the hotel, we quickly grab our bags and get in a cab to the bus station. Paracas is a 4 hour trip down the coast, and we are making our way in the chicken bus. Now a more adventurous traveler would visualize this to mean a rickety old bus with chicken coops strapped to the roof, but there’s third world travel, and then there’s third world travel Angela style. There, a chicken bus is where they serve you chicken while you lay back in your leather recliner and watch your personal TV. Having done both, I have to admit I prefer the latter.

Paracas is a coastal town in the more deserty part of Peru. The plan is to use it as our base of operations for day trips to places like Pisco, Ica, and possibly Nazca (there is some ongoing discussion as to whether Sam and his motion sickness will fit well with a tiny airplane bouncing around over the Nazca Lines). Many of the buildings here were destroyed in an earthquake in 2007, and while there are apparently plans to rebuild the area into a world-class resort destination, it feels a whole lot more like a backpacker town and pit stop for tour buses bringing day trippers for a quick run out to the Ballestos Islands.

It’s chilly here at night (another reason it doesn’t feel that much like a beach destination), but we layer up and take a walk around the town. We pick up a few things at the grocery store and make a reservation for a dune buggy/sandboarding (one of Sam’s “must do” items) trip tomorrow afternoon. With that (there’s really not much else to do), it’s back to the hotel for some FaceTime.