Ica desert and no wine

After getting to know the capital of Peru, we head south and drive to Ica, a small city surrounded by huge sand dunes. But apparently there is more than just sand here, as Ica is known for wine production and its particularly delicious Pisco Sour. Additionally, nearby is the oasis of Huacachina, a green spot in the desert.

The bus ride goes along the Pacific coast and we admire the surrounding landscape and the vastness of the ocean. But what is that restless spot in the water? Suddenly, two giant black bodies rise up in the distance and then disappear into the depths. The spectacle repeats itself...so we see our first whales in the wild from the bus window.

We reach the hot and dusty city of Ica in the afternoon and check into our hostel. Soon, hunger strikes and we set out to find a restaurant. We're lucky and end up in a truly Peruvian eatery, where we are the only guests besides an older gentleman. Not only him, but also the owners of the restaurant turn out to be very friendly and talkative people, so we spend a nice evening with delicious food and allegedly the best Pisco Sour in all of Peru, according to our bartender.

The next morning, after breakfast, we head towards the oasis. The taxi ride is just 10 minutes away and we're already standing in the desert. However, we are quite disappointed by the supposed idyll between the sand dunes. The whole oasis seems to be one tourist attraction, with sales stands and restaurants with pushy waiters that get on our nerves. We walk up one of the sand dunes, at least the view of the desert is very impressive and makes for a beautiful backdrop for photos. Unfortunately, Huacachina is completely littered, and the waterfront promenade is not really inviting to linger. At first glance, everything looks nice, but we decide to go back to Ica. Enough of the 'oasis'.

Back in Ica, we take it easy for the rest of the day and choose one of the numerous Chinese restaurants for dinner. We had heard in advance that Peru has particularly good Asian cuisine - so let's try it, and it's actually quite good.

For the last day in Ica, we plan to visit the internationally renowned TACAMA winery. After inquiring at the hostel the night before about the best way to get there and when the tours take place, they promise to call us the next morning and provide us with all the information. Good night!

In the morning, we ask about the result of the phone call and the receptionist stares at us in disbelief: 'What? Everything is closed today.' Excuse me? Why? Well, today is census day in all of Peru, and all shops, restaurants, stores, everything is closed until evening. Neither us nor the other hostel guests were told this beforehand. Anyway, before doing nothing at all, we venture out onto the empty streets, as all residents of the city are also asked not to leave the house until evening. We grab one of the few taxis and drive through the ghost town towards the winery. Of course, this attempt is not successful and we stand in front of closed gates. At least we have seen the surroundings of Ica and a few grapevines.

There is nothing more to do here, so let's head towards Arequipa. The white city of Peru with its volcanoes is waiting for us.