OASIS OASIS, c'est BON c'est BON

Cette fin de semaine, nous nous sommes enfin decide a rejoindre tous les autres volontaires a HUACACHINA, un oasis entoure de dunes de sables magnifiques a 5minutes de la ville d'Ica ou les activites principales sont FETES, PISCINE et SANDBOARDING (surf sur le sable).

This weekend, we finally decided to go with the crowd toooooo Huacachina. Almost all the volunteers were going there to relax and have a weekend away from Pisco. It is an oasis surrounded with sand dunes all around. 5 mins from Ica town and it is a nice place to have parties, sit by the swimming pool and sandboarding.

Pour se rendre dans ce lieu, il faut tout d'abord prendre a transport de Pisco jusqu'a la route Panamericaine (6kms) car depuis le tremblement de terre, plus aucun bus ne rentre dans Pisco (trop[ dangereux). La, sur le bord d'autoroute ou regne une activite debordante, il faut jouer des coudes pour sauter dans le bus LIMA-ICA. C'est la loi du plus fort, les places sont limitees donc premiers montes, premier servis..il vaut mieux etre en forme. Ensuite on se rend a Ica ou l'on prend un taxi pour Huacachina. Tout cela doit vous prendre en temps normal 1h30. Nous on a mis 3h! D'une part car on ne trouvait pas de transport pour sortir de Pisco car Samedi apres midi, ensuite, comme nous n'avions pas bien compris la loi de ''pousse toi de la, c'est moi le plus fort'', 2 bus nous sont passes sous le nez puis en arrivant a Ica, on s'est arrete acheter une boisson de 4soles. Flo voulant arriver a l'oasis avec de la monnaie a donne son billet de 100soles. La vendeuse s'est enerve et lui a rendu 96soles en pieces de 50centimes.....en les comptant 1 par une! Du coup notre week end commencait Samedi soir a 18h00...

To get to this wonderful Oasis, we need to take a taxi to the main highway (Panamericana) which is roughly about 6 kms away. After the earthquake, the roads to enter Pisco were getting dangerous and lots of hijackers around. So, no bus company want to take any risk. Then on the highway, we need to `fight´ to get on the bus going to Ica from Lima. There are oly limited seats and it is first come first serve basis. So... people are rushing as soon as the bus is slowing down.. the crowd rush to the door and squeeze our way through. Quite an interesting experience. Then at Ica we need to take another taxi to go to the Oasis. Usually it should take about 1h30mins but it took us about 3 hours. First cos we had a hard time trying to find transport to take us out of Pisco, then we had to do a pushing competition to get on the bus (the strongest wins) Then as we arrived in Ica, before going to Huacachina, we went to get some drinks which cost 4 soles. I wanted to get some smaller change for the 100 soles note. The shop lady didn´t have change and things got abit out of hand.We (the lady and I) got upset with each other. THEN... she gave me some change alright.. 96soles in 50 cents coins!!! YUP... I was standing there like a fool waiting for my CHANGE, we counted them one by one... so that took some time and what a good start to our weekend! We missed the sunset.. oh well...

Apres avoir examine les lieux, on juge qu'il n'y a pas de probleme pour camper donc on installe notre tente dans le desert, au bas d'une dune puis on monte la dune pour voir le coucher de soleil que bien sur, on ratera...a la place on trouvera une belle PLEINE LUNE avec un ciel etoile...

After checking out the place and area, we concluded that it will be safe enough to camp in the desert. In exchage for our sunset, we had our FULL moon and stars to accompany our night out.

On redescend pour rejoindre nos amis volontaires autour d'un feu de camp. Puis la faim nous prend et nous partons a la recherche de quelque chose a manger. Nous rencontrons 2 peruviens tres sympas qui se declarent gays (ils n'avaient pas besoin de le dire). Ils nous paient a boire et nous offrent quelques chips et nous invitenta sortir avec eux. Ils etaient si droles et si enthousiastes que nous decidons de les accompagner!

After setting up our campsite and taking a little rest, we join the rest of the Burners team at a nice Bamboo cafe, sitting around the camp fire. Just chilling out. Then we got hungry and decide to hunt for food. That is around 11.30pm and there were no restaurants open but we manage to get 2 bread rolls and crisps for dinner. While we were eating our `dinner´we met 2 sweet peruvians who proudly declared that they were gay (of course we already guess that.. can´t miss it) Then we continues chatting with them and their friends. They paid for our drinks and bought some more crisps for us to eat. hehehehe... They invited us to join them to go disco and since they were so nice and funny, we decide to amuse ourselves..

Nous voila qui debarquons dans une boite GAY dans laquelle je rentre avec une bouteille de vin sous le manteau! La deco etait tres tres rustique! La musique assez peruvienne et les gens assez gays! Flo se fera brancher dans les toilettes par une fille alors que nos 2 amis, l'alcool aidant se frottait de plus en plus a moi...Apres une bonne heure et une demonstartion de dance de travestis, nous nous echappons pour se refugier dans la tranquilite de nos dunes desertiques! Il est 3h30 du matin!

So OFF we went to the GAY disco/bar where Johan had to smuggle a bottle of wine in his jacket.. hmmm, good start. The decorations was very rustique, raw. The music was quite local and the people were very GAY and GAY.... I thought I will be `safe´here cos all the men were gay.. but I forgot about the women... hmmmm, one tried to chat me up and invited me to dance with her.. how .. hmmmmm, how flattering for me. hehehehe.... Whereas the other two gay men with their drinking was getting very cozy with Johan.. After a good hour of being there and dancing with them we had a tranverstite show. WOW.. that was really good dancing and so flexible to. I was impressed. They were dancing above the bar area. Unfortunately we didn´t take any photo shots. It was already 3h30am by the time we decide to escape back to our calm and wonderful campsite by the dunes in the desert.

7h30, le soleil brille et la chaleur commence a se faire sentir! On decide de monter en haut d'une dune pour prendre quelques photos et faire un peu d'exercices matinales.

By 7.30am, we were starting to sweat in our tent with the heat. So we decide to get up and get out.. took a walk up the dune and took some pictures..

On passera le reste de la journee au bord de la piscine d'un hotel avec vue sur les dunes avant de remonter au sommet de la dune pour le coucher de soleil.

We spent the rest of the day by the swimming pool at a hotel with a spectacular view of the sand dunes.. In the late evening when it gets cooler, we walked back up the dunes to catch the sun set we missed the day before.

Je pensais faire du surf des sables mais finalemet je me suis demotive alors j'ai fait du "Roule Boule" des sables, une activite tres peu commercialisee mais tres divertissante (voire video)

Johan wanted to do the sand boarding but finally got demotivated and did a crazy rolling downhill stunts instead.. He really enjoyed himself. This is just a short film of it.. but he did a LOT more than that. It was SOOOO funny!!!

Voila encore un Week End tres interessant et tres relaxant...nous aurions bien passer un peu plus de temps dans ce bel oasis mais le travail nous attendait a Pisco...

So that was our lovely weekend. Would have like to stay longer but work awaits in Pisco.

Nous voila en route pour notre derniere semaine de travaux forces a Pisco...avant de prendre la route du Nord du Perou

Another week of hard work and play in Pisco before heading off to the North of Peru to do some more visiting....