Peninsula De Paracas, Islas Ballestas and Tambo Colorado, Peru

Jan 2002

Caught the bus up to Pisco from Ica.  Can't remember much about the journey but certainly remember a lot about the stay.  Basically, Pisco is a crappy town which one uses as a base for Peninsula de Paracas, Islas Ballestas and Tambo Colorado.  We also checked out a few clubs, partied with some french girls, flirted with all the local restuarant waitresses we met and bought some cheap drugs (5 grams of coke for USD$50) from Pisco's resident drug dealer who we got to know on first name terms. 

I also picked up a local girl who didn't speak English, went out on a date and scored back at a half completed, cockroach infested hotel on the outskirts of town.  All in all - a good time in what would otherwise be a boring town.

Islas Ballestas

The main reason to go to Islas Ballestas is to check out the sea lion and bird colonies.  We took a morning speed boat tour which took us the 20kms across open water to the islands.  Here's the photos.

Water cascading through rock formations.  Love this photo. 

Sea lions chilling on rocks.

My kingdom for a telephoto lens!  Sea lions hanging out in a cave and frolicking in the surf.

French girl I met on the boat.

The islands were minded extensively for the guano used for nitrate and fertiliser production. 

Sea birds on the main island.  Most are guanay cormorant, the Peruvian booby and the Peruvian pelican.

Candelabra carved out in the sand.  No idea how it got there.  Pretty amazing.

Peninsula De Paracas

Paracas is famed for it's flamingos which hang out here from time to time.  Unfortunately, they were away on holidays so we just got to check out some scenery, a few sea lions and a museum.

Me and scenery.

Jeremy.

Tambo Colorado

This is an interesting Inca lowland base 40kms from Pisco.  The buildings are made out of mud brick and remarkably preserved right down to some red, white and yellow colours on the wall.  Very impressive and well worth the visit as different from the Inca ruins you see around Cuzco.  This has more an outpost of the empire feel to it. 

Also had a lot of fun with my pidgin Spanish on the way and spent an hour conversing with the taxi driver - much to the amazement of my cousin and myself.

Residential buildings, barracks and royal residence.

A bath.  Note water pipe coming from wall.

The main square.  Hard to believe that all of this would have be a riot of colour - red, yellow, white and other shades of the rainbow.

View of the ruins from the cemetery hill.

More ruins.