Paracas - the Dirty

After one last day in Cusco, where we climbed a few viewpoints on the outskirts of the city and visited an incredibly expensive Inca site, it was time for a change of scenery. We had a very good meal at the «Qosqo Beer House» where we had stumbled upon the night before after getting out of the taxi and the waiter apologized over and over again for the fact that the kitchen was already closed at 23:00. By the way, this happened in the Lower Engadine during New Year's week at 20:30, only without anyone apologizing... Reason enough to visit this restaurant again the following evening and we were not disappointed. I was also pleasantly surprised and excellently advised on the variety of beers that Peru has to offer.

So the next day after breakfast we headed to the airport without much emotion. Cusco is beautiful but the rip-offs, the really intrusive vendors, masseuses and everything else around the main square were annoying, as were the party travelers who roam the streets drunk at night. The Cusco airport offers a special kind of spectacle and another example of how the infrastructure is hopelessly lagging behind the tourism boom. The airport is bursting at the seams and can no longer handle the number of passengers even remotely. The departure area looks like there's an air traffic controller strike going on with no seating, no space, one bathroom for everyone. After sitting on the floor for about 75 minutes, we were finally allowed to board the plane, at least there was a seat.

We reached Pisco after a flight time of just under 50 minutes and were soon on our way in a taxi to Paracas, about 15km away, a kind of beach resort known primarily for the nearby Islas Ballestas. After almost two weeks mostly at over 3,000 meters above sea level, we found it quite pleasant to be at sea level again.

The drive was quite interesting, Pisco itself is really nothing special, but it's interesting that suddenly the streets here are filled with hundreds of tuk-tuks (we heard they were imported from India). The drive follows the beach, which is completely littered, and there is a smell of rotting seaweed in the air. Next come fuel depots and factories that look like high-security prisons but actually produce fish meal - the smell changes and reveals this kilometers in advance. Paracas itself is a strange but still charming place. Everything is a bit run down. Numerous "luxury resorts" line the beach, many of them have seen better days, just like our hotel, supposedly with 4 stars, where broken sun loungers lie around in the staircases and the edge of the truly impressive swimming pool is covered in seagull droppings. Nevertheless, the promenade, where every few meters there is a missing cobblestone, is lined with nice restaurants and bars. Even if the curb has practically been raised after 9 pm, there is still a good selection of places to eat and we had a great meal twice.

And we still have a lot to explore here, from desert oases to "Galapagos for the less affluent"...