Never Never land 1/23

Huacachina. It’s a small area in the Peruvian desert. It consists of an oasis and a handful of restaurants and hostels surrounding it. Originally, we had planned to take a 20+ hour bus ride from Lima to Cusco. However, after talking to some people who had been there, we decided that the activities such as sand surfing would be interesting, and having a break in between Lima and Cusco wasn’t a bad idea either.

            We arrived at night and it gave us an eerie feeling, but, then again, very few places don’t give you that feeling at night. It seems like some what of a ghost town there are some Peruvians and a noticeable amount of tourists but the amount doesn’t strike you as it would another tourist spot, for instance Cusco. I would gain a better understanding of what gave Huacachina this aura the next day.

            I woke up, sunlight gleaming in my face, towards the window. The combination of my eyes being shut for hours and the sun shining directly in my face, made it harder for my view to come into focus, and when it did I still thought my eyes needed adjusting. Behind the buildings across the lagoon I could see a huge light brown wall towering over everything. I did not know what to make of it until I realized, it was sand. I looked from several windows just to make sure I was seeing what I thought I saw.

            Once outside I did a complete 360 degree turn and realized we were surrounded by an enormous wall of sand. It was one of the craziest things I have ever seen. Only one road led in or out of Huacachina. It is beautiful, untouched. Cab drivers on the outskirts of the road, waiting to harass those who leave paradise, are the only reminder of the polluted and chaotic streets that lay beyond the sand.

            The longer I stay here the more I am amazed by this place. The people that visit, both local and tourist alike, easily number in the hundreds but it seems as if I could count them easily. As my time draws to a close here a part of me is happy to be leaving. I feel like Peter Pan in Never Never Land. Not a care in the world and, if I stay long enough, I will forget there is anything outside of the oasis. This is the oddest and most interesting place I have been to thus far.