Sand, so much sand.

I spent this past weekend in Ica and Nazca. At 7 am I boarded a five-hour bus to Ica, a small town just South of Lima. Once we arrived, we checked into a fantastic hostel and set out to grab some lunch and then check out the sand dunes in Huacachina, a very small neighboring town. My memories of Huacachina's sand dunes are some of the best I've ever made--and of course my camera died just as we got there. Between my five awesome friends and the thrill of the dune buggy and sand boarding, very few things can compare. Once we got into the dune buggy all bets were off. Although there were a couple times when I was honestly concerned that the buggy would tip over, those moments just added to the thrill of speeding through the Huacachina's impressive dunes. Shortly into the trip, we stopped for a quick photo-op and ran into a few of our other IFSA friends. We then found a few dunes and tried sand boarding. I quickly found that I should stick to other sports (there are plenty of pictures to prove it). After boarding down a few dunes (or in my case, falling) we hopped back into the buggy for the most thrilling/terrifying ride yet. Needless to say, we were sad to say goodbye to our guide, Julio, when we came back from the dunes.

Luckily for us, the fun continued. We found a small restaurant and sat down for a long dinner with great conversation. As we walked to hail a taxi, we heard American classic rock and sprinted into the bar from which it was blaring (the bar turned out to be empty). We proceeded to spend the next three hours blasting American hip-hop from my iPod and learning to salsa from a few locals (most of them related to the bar tender). Although the night was not at all what we'd expected the spontaneous adventure was fantastic.

We awoke the next morning and ate breakfast at a small restaurant after checking out of our hostel. We spent much of breakfast wandering in and out of the open cafe to take pictures of the lovely town or soak up some much needed sun, as we hadn't seen much in Lima. After breakfast we wandered into downtown Ica and took the next bus to Nazca.

 Two hours later, we arrived in Nazca, a slightly larger town. We checked into a wonderful hostel where the owners were extremely helpful and accommodating. After a quick dinner, we headed home and spent the evening relaxing in our room and on the rooftop terrace.

The next morning we wandered around the Nazca market briefly, where I had a small ice cream cone and a few of my friends found desert tamales. After the market, we embarked on a tour of the Nazca lines. When the van pulled up to the rusted set of stairs and my tour guide explained that that was where we would have the best view of the lines, I was hesitant, but after the perilous climb I realized it was definitely worth it. From there I was able to see an ancient, massive drawing of a family. From there we went to a museum dedicated to a German woman who preserved the lines. Though it's pretty awesome that she preserved them, it sounds like she was batty--she stopped the installation of an irrigation system for the desert because it would ruin the Nazca lines... I guess everyone has their priorities. The most exciting part of the day came when the sandstorm began. As we drove from the museum to the next viewing area, the storm picked up to a point that we couldn't see more than 100 feet ahead. Honestly, I stayed in the van instead of climbing up to the see the next lines. I swear I could see those stairs blowing in the wind. Our last stop was at a giant sand dune, which we climbed to get a better view. This time I braved the sandstorm and got a few blurry pictures. Honestly, the sandstorm spiced up what otherwise might have become a monotonous sight-seeing tour.

My time in Nazca and Ica was fun-filled, but it also helped me realize a few things about myself. For one, when it comes to packing, I really don't need a ton of "options". Packing light is easier and better. I also learned that I have defined myself based on the limited experiences I've had so far in life and those definitions aren't necessarily correct. This trip helped me understand that although I love my clothes and a good pedicure and I'd never deny it, I also enjoy traveling without a bunch of crap and just focusing on the adventures that I'm having and the people with whom I'm spending my time.