Peru Adventures
Pucusana, a fishing village South of Lima
Thursday, December 29, 2011
The day began with pure luxury – we could sleep in for the first time. At 9 am, Nilton (Excursions Lima and Surroundings) picked us up with a brand-new small Volkswagen for an excursion along the Southern coast of Lima.
It was our lucky day again: When we left the hotel, Lima was gloomy and foggy. Now, about 20 min later, the sun broke through and we spotted a dolphin as well as the rare red-legged cormorant.
Our first stop was the “Leap of the Monk”, nowadays a popular restaurant and meeting point to hang out for the young and aspiring Lima residents (red building on cliff). Nils told us the background story of a Spanish girl who fell in love with a black man, much to the dismay of her family. The father moved her to Spain while the boyfriend had to become a monk. Unhappy he decided to end his life and jumped off the cliff , hence the name “leap of the monk”. Every weekend, a fisherman dressed as a monk jumps off a smaller cliff into the ocean.
Seagulls - the adults are white with dark wings and colorful beaks while the juveniles are brown.
We continued our journey on Carr Panamericana, the Pan-American Highway (7000 miles long from Alaska to Chile), through the coastal dessert to Pucusana, a small fishing village 65 km South of Lima.
The Southern coastal dessert gave birth to some extra-ordinary pre-Columbian civilizations, such as the Nazca.
Everyone can claim a piece of land and build a house. If, after a few years, no one else claims it, the first person to claim it becomes the legal owner.
Miles of poor settlements stretch along the highway.
Pucusana is one of the last places to spot the famous Peruvian Hairless Dog, a naked midsize dog with a punk-like hairdo. The dog has been around for a while as ancient paintings attest. We are lucky again, and see one specimen roaming the street.
Pucusana
In Pucusana, we boarded a small fishing boat and drove out of the busy harbor towards La Isla, a huge rock formation, also called the “poor man’s Galapagos”.
In the harbor, hundreds of sea birds sat on boats, roofs and posts and a few seals stuck their heads out of the water. We observed large colonies of Peruvian Boobies, Peruvian Pelicans, Inca Terns (with white mustache), and cormorants.
Peruvian Pelican
Seal
Layers of guano (sea bird droppings) have been deposited over hundreds of years by the thousands of sea birds residing on La Isla. Guano has been used as a fertilizer since Pre-Inca times and was, in the mid-19th century, Peru’s main export item.
Peruvian Pelican
The Humboldt Penguins (above) are hiding in the cave.
Our driver brought a bucket with fish to feed the birds – an amazing spectacle. T
The Inca Terns had no chance....
most of the loot was gobbled up by the gulls and pelicans.
most of the Beute was gobbled up by the gulls and pelicans.
Back in the harbor, we stopped at the entrance of the fish market where men loaded crates of fish into trucks filled with ice and women cleaned the catch of the day.
Sharks without fins.
Flying fish.
Scallops
At a small restaurant we took some refreshments, testing for the first time Inca Cola, a yellow (bubble-gum flavored) Peruvian cream soda that long resisted Coca Cola’s rivalry but is now owned by the Coca Cola Company. For 2 Soles, we bought a small bag of fresh figs from an old lady, who blessed us all for the 3 soles tip we gave her. The figs were delicious!
Nil drop us off at a restaurant back in Lima/Miraflores, where we enjoyed a great lunch. Alexandra ordered suckling pig, Sophia chose coconut shrimp.
Along the board walk, we walked back to our hotel, watching paragliders...
Bird of Paradise.
At 6 pm, we were picked up and drove to the airport. A wonderful adventure came to an end. It was time to go home.