When Jamil and I decided to head south to the Nazca Lines, one optional add-on was a boat tour of the Ballestas Islands. Tourism sites boasted about the natural wonders of the Ballestas and the beauty of the surrounding beaches, and I figured it would, if nothing else, give us a glimpse of something different. And it WAS different; it just wasn’t what we expected.
The Ballestas Islands are located near Paracas, an area known for its beaches. I imagined it would have the feeling of a Peruvian Cancun. It did not. Paracas has received little attention or grooming, and in many ways, the entire area feels ghoulish. The beaches could be beautiful, but most areas are dotted with trash. The resorts look abandoned. There’s a bizarre pilot training school with decrepit houses that face the highway/beach. The town of Paracas itself is dusty with sand, and the pier, which does have a decent number of tourists, probably hasn’t ever had a rehab. I have to admit, though, that there’s a certain charm to the rustic quality of the pier area. It reminds me of the Bahamas when my family went in the early 80s or of a drive we took down the Georgia coast on an even earlier trip. The Paracas region is undeveloped. Frozen in time. Cool for a day trip but not an overnight stay (for me).
Side note– As we sat waiting for our boat, I got more and more concerned about seasickness. Looking around for a pharmacy, I spotted a little first aid kiosk with a young girl manning the lone desk. I’m not sure she had any medical training, but she was incredibly nice and gave me two Dramamine, free of charge. I hadn’t taken Dramamine since I was a little girl, and I remembered the fog it cast over my head. So I knew this could be a bad choice, but in deciding between two evils, I reasoned that fatigue would be superior to sickness. After all, how tired could it make me?
But onto the excursion itself —
The boats were modern and safe, so we hopped aboard and motored off to see some wildlife. They put probably 40 people on each boat. We had been advised to sit on the left side. I’m not sure why, in retrospect. You could see equally from both sides of the boat. But, determined to get the best view, I elbowed our way to the front and grabbed what I judged to be the prime real estate on the boat.
The trip really was nice. The air was crisp. The boat was comfortable. As we pulled up to see the mysterious cactus– or is it a candelabra — carved into the hillside and the sea lions that swam at its base, I felt exhilarated, unbelievably refreshed for someone who’d been driving for 3.5 hours to make an 8:00AM boat.
But by the time we hit the Ballestas Islands, the Dramamine had started to take hold. I did keep my eyes open long enough to see the beaches filled with sea lions and the rocky outposts lines with penguins and cormorants. I even watched a pelican dive for its breakfast.
I also heard the guide explain that the rocks are naturally dark brown, but they’re covered with bird guano, which makes them appear white. That was interesting… interesting enough to put me right to sleep. Yep, I slept the entire time after that. Through waves and sea lions and wind burns on my cheeks. I slept and cursed Dramamine.
When I woke up, we were back at the port.
So… the moral of the story is: don’t take Dramamine. Find some other remedy. Because I’m sure I missed the real wonders.