Tag Archives: toilets

Islas Ballestas: The Poor Man’s Galapagos

Islas Ballestas Pelican

Islas Ballestas is a nature reserve about a 3.5 hour bus ride from Lima. We had to be at the bus terminal in Lima for 3:30am for a 4:15am departure, which meant we left our hotel at 3am to get there on time. Ugh, getting up early sucks, but it was worth it. (I did an earlier post about part of the bus trip.) One thing I forgot was that before boarding bags are searched, and video footage is taken of each passenger’s face. We initially thought the video was for security reasons. When we got home someone told us it was to identify remains of passengers if the bus is smashed beyond recognition in an accident. That’s always reassuring!

We arrived safely at a bus station in Paracas. The bus station was more like a glorified grass hut, but with plumbing. Check out the security device on the toilet tank.

Our guide Luis met us on a tiny dock, we loaded up the boat and were out on the Ocean. We saw (and smelled) a bazillion birds. There were cormorants, gulls, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, and Humboldt Penguins! I heart PENGUINS! We also saw sea lions eating sardines right out of fishermen’s nets. The fishermen were none too happy, but the sea lions were living it up. Luis had never seen a sea lion “con pesca en bocca” in all the years he’s been a marine biologist, so he was super stoked about that.

Paracas CandellabraOn the way to the island, we passed the Paracas Candelabra. The huge geoglyph is hundreds and hundreds of years old. No one knows why it is there, or who put it there. (Pirates, Aliens, Sailors, are all theories.) Word is that the candelabra points to the Nazca Lines, but that doesn’t hold out if you google it. The geoglyph is several feet deep of dust. It hasn’t disappeared due to erosion because it is sheltered from the wind, and it never rains in the area. People are not permitted near the candelabra as the foot prints/tracks would remain imprinted on the crust.

The weather of the Paracas area creates also an anomaly for the Ballestas island. Due to the lack of wind/rain, and the island birds’ ability to produce so much guano an industry has been created. The guano is collected every 3 years to be used for fertilizer. It is illegal to set foot on the islands without special guano collecting permits. Not that that’s something I was interested in! Let’s just say you’re lucky there isn’t smell-o-vision to go along with the photos!

ps: I included a few of Jon’s photos. His zoom was better able to capture the birds.

 

Where to begin?

It seems like we have been on vacation for way longer than 11 days! That might sound like a bad thing, but we’ve just done so much in a short period of time. Right now we are sitting on the top floor of a super plush Cruz del Sur bus on the way back to Lima. There is some silly movie playing and the bus steward is offering us Inca Kola and Coca Cola. We are pretty much sitting in recliners and watching TV. But outside the window is either ocean or one tiny little super poor village after another.

Peru has been very odd that way. The contrast between city and village and have and have not is huge. Don’t get me wrong; this country is amazing. The sense of pride the people have here is incredible. The little kids we’ve seen practically run to school (and some on horribly treacherous roads!) And, they’re all in perfect little uniforms too! As if kids are that happy to go to school in Canada, let alone take care of their things as well!

It definitely gets you thinking about what to appreciate.

So in no particular order:

1. Safe, clean water (hot or cold) right out of a tap. There were people carrying water jugs in Cusco. Cusco is a huge city.

2. Bob Barker. There is something to be said for spaying and neutering pets. Cusco was FULL of dogs. Dogs barking all night. Dogs everywhere. Dogs dogs and more dogs.

3. The ability to flush toilet paper. Putting toilet paper in the garbage can beside the toilet is just weird.

4. Food Safe & Refrigeration. I am sure we are anal in Canada, but I can’t get over eggs and meat just being out in the air. Seriously there were eggs on display in the super market register lane yesterday. Like sitting out with the gum and chocolate bars.

5. Building codes and inspectors. Mike Holmes would explode here. There is a tax loop hole here that basically makes you tax exempt if you DON’T finish your house. Nothing is finished on the outside. Imagine all the homes in your neighborhood without siding or stucko or gyprock.

Things that are over rated. (Again in no particular order.)

1. Walk signs. Just cross when there is space. Cars will stop?!?

2. Wet floor signs and orange caution cones. People should be more aware of their surroundings. Here if there is a bump on the side walk there isn’t a watch your step sign, and you can bet that if you fell and hurt yourself you’d get laughed at rather than legally compensated.

3. Pennies. The have ’em here but don’t use them. My change at the supermarket was .08 today and they gave me .10. Yay for rounding!

Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network