After arriving in Lima, our next impression of Peru was the city of Paracas - a name which derives from Quechua and translates to "raining sand." The first thing that struck me about this faraway place was the vast difference in the landscape compared to Lima. After being surrounded by cliffside ocean, lush greenery, and tall sky-scrapers for days, Paracas provided quite a contrasting experience.
The drive towards Paracas felt particularly desolate and other-worldly. As we left the urban confines of Lima (a process that took quite some time because of the size of the city), we encountered a daunting, seemingly endless desert landscape with shanty towns scattered every so often. The 5AM drive made the desert seem somehow more intriguing. As the sun began to rise, a person was visible every so often within the desert communities on the way to Paracas. It is interesting to envision what life for these people might look like. I found myself constantly curious of how the desert and apparent isolation must influence their daily lives.
Hours later, we arrived in Paracas. The first thing that struck me about this place was how incredibly quiet it was in comparison to Lima. It was almost an eerie feeling after having been in the city for so long. We quickly ate breakfast at a local cafe which was not crowded at all. It struck me that a town that seemed like such a "tourist destination" was so desolate and difficult to get to. I once again felt that there was not a huge number of tourists considering how prolific the natural beauty of this area is, though I'm sure presence of tourists also depends on the time and day.
The boat ride we went on brought my attention to the vast natural beauty and biodiversity of Peru. As we approached Las Islas Bellestas, it was almost overwhelming to observe the number of species present. Beyond the natural diversity of the area, we also observed a large engraving of a cactus like figure which appeared to me like some kind of ancient mystery. While we were touring the islands, we also observed the housing for rangers and government officials in charge of preserving the area. As someone interested in practices of environmental preservation, it was interesting to hear about the efforts being made in the area to that effect. This excursion demonstrated the role of nature in the Peruvian economy as a means of tourism and the importance of preserving that nature.
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