Fundo Huaquina - an oasis in the desert

17.3. - Yesterday we received an invitation from a member of the community to visit their Fundo, three hours south of here. It was a unique experience. We mostly drove on the Pan-American Highway, first through heavy traffic in Lima and then through the desert, occasionally passing through foggy areas when we got close to the sea. It was nice that the traffic decreased significantly and the road was straight as an arrow. The last half hour we continued inland through the desert. And then the Fundo appeared, surrounded by green. The Fundo covers 100 hectares. Primarily, pecan nuts are grown there, but also avocados and ají (chilies). There are also some fruit trees there. And a large nursery. There is also a factory on the premises where the pecan nuts are processed directly. 80-150 employees work there, depending on the harvest season. The pecan nuts are also exported to Germany with an organic seal and produced fairtrade for health food stores. But what impressed us most was the beautiful exotic garden and the view through the greenery to the high mountains of the desert. Depending on the time of day, there was a different light that was so captivating. We took a longer walk and even saw remnants of old adobe walls from the pre-Inca period. And we breathed in the clean air, even though it was very hot. Since the drive is quite far, we stayed overnight so that we could spend the evening there under the full moon and the Southern Cross. This way we also learned a lot about the life stories of the mother and son, who also have an apartment in Lima. We came back 'home' today feeling truly blessed and grateful for this enriching experience.