Penguins and mysterious markings in the sand

We went away for the weekend down the coast to a place called Paracas. It has two claims to fame: guano islands which are still part of Peru’s economy (of course the tourist attraction is the birds and animals you can see, not necessarily the bird droppings that make the rich guano fertilizer…); and a mysterious marking in the sand on a gigantic scale. Some see it as a stylized cactus and others think of it as a candelabra. They still don’t know who made it or why. It is fascinating to think that it is only carved out of sand, and because along the Peruvian coast is desert and it never rains, the mysterious landmark never washes away. We always think of footprints in the sand as being ephemeral… and here they last forever.

Cactus or candelabra

We jumped on a boat tour to go out to the Islas Bellestas and I saw my first penguins in their natural setting! The lounging sealions were also fun to watch. Quirky fact: sealions are known in Spanish as “sea wolves”. It makes you re-think how apt sea lion is as a name.

Another of my favourite bits in the town of Paracas, was the fisherman’s cross right on the boardwalk framed by the Pacific and the fishing boats. It definitely has its own character.

Fisherman’s cross