Three Pisco sours please!!

We continued our journey from Cusco by plane to the capital city of Lima. Once we arrived, we took a taxi directly to the bus station and then another two hours by bus to the city of Pisco. Finally, we saw the sea again for the first time=)

Pisco is not a typical tourist town, so there were hardly any nice restaurants or vegetarian dining options. Thanks to a good recommendation in the Lonely Planet guide, we finally found a great restaurant with delicious food and huge portions. We arrived at our hotel late in the evening after a tiring day, and I was really looking forward to my bed. However, Jonas and Josef had other plans and dragged me back into the city. At this point, I realize that the title of the blog entry is not quite accurate - it wasn't just one, but at least three Pisco sours per person. Pisco sour is a drink made from brandy (Pisco), lemon juice, water, sugar, and beaten egg whites. I know, the combination sounds incredibly gross, but even I found it delicious.

The next day, we took a bus to the neighboring town and planned to take a boat tour from there. My stomach was still a little upset from the three Pisco sours the night before, and I felt quite sick on the boat ride.

The tour took us to a nature reserve consisting of small rocky islands, which serve as habitat and breeding grounds for many different species of animals (birds, sea lions, pelicans, penguins, etc).

After the tour, we strolled along the promenade for a while and fed a few pelicans. Back in Pisco, we wanted to visit the beach. In addition to countless pelicans and other birds, we were able to see flamingos again. We walked along the beach and observed the locals as they sat on the beach with plastic chairs and towels, enjoying their family day. We found a small shack with three tables and chairs, a small box with music, and a tiny kitchen: the local beach bar!! We settled down and ordered beer, and Jonas ordered a ceviche (raw fish marinated in lemon sauce). The little shack was quite run-down and dirty, but the owners were very happy about our visit. As we sat there, enjoying our beer and watching the happy locals swimming in the sea, I suddenly felt incredibly happy too. It was so beautiful to see how content people were and how little you need to be happy and have fun.

The next day, we took the bus back to the capital city of Lima. Since Jonas accidentally booked the wrong date for the flight, we only spent one day in the city and boarded the plane again in the evening to continue to Colombia. The slightly short stop in Lima was not a problem at all, as Lima doesn't have much to offer and we couldn't visit much besides the beach.

So now we're heading to Colombia!!!