Huacachina, a desert oasis 5km from the city of Ica, is a strange little place. It used to be an upscale resort, which is still evident from the one nice hotel still standing, but is now a town where foreigners come to sandboard and party and Peruvians come to sandboard and swim in a lagoon that smells worse than New Jersey. Given our immense success surfing, Magge and I wanted to try our hands at sandboarding, so we stopped in Huacachina for two days on our way from Pisco to Arequipa.The hostel in town where we wanted to stay was full, so we ended up spending two nights in two different dumps. Luckily for me, Magge is a trooper, and no irreparable damage was done to our young marriage. Besides, we didn't come to Huacahina to stay in the Four Seasons. We came to get sand in every orifice possible, including those we didn't know we have.
We signed up for a dune buggy and sandboarding combination tour by using the sophisticated method of getting three quotes and choosing the middle one (you don't want to go too cheap because some groups don't have a great safety record). We then jumped in a dune buggy with seven other people, and into the dunes we went. The buggy ride itself was fun; we'd race up a dune going 60mph (probably more like 30mph, but it felt like 60), come to the ridge, swing around and descend a 70 degree slope (probably more like 40 degrees, but it felt like 70).
Dune buggy tours are not complete without a mullet
Every once in a while, the buggy would stop atop a dune and let everyone out so they could get on their boards and shoot down the hill. I thought the boards would be modified snowboards, but they were pretty rudimentary wood planks with some velcro straps for your feet. They didn't have the edging or ankle support necessary to turn well, which is probably the reason why everyone chose to go down on their stomachs instead of standing up. Everyone but me. I tried one dune standing up, and it did not go very well. Since it was nearly impossible to turn, controlling my speed was difficult, so I spent half the time sliding on my butt. At least I tried, or that's what my mom would tell me. Magge almost quit after the first run, but stuck with it, so I was proud of her.
The evolution of my patented half-sandboarding/half-buttslide manoever
Magge applying the heavy brake
End of the day
Posts
Good gracious -- I love it. I would have been all over that at 27, at my age, not so much. Looks very cool though!
ReplyDeleteThat looks so much fun! Colin says it's pretty cool. At least there weren't any trees in the vicinity to hurt yourself or break your nasal spine as Colin did snowboarding in-between trees. I would go down or fly down the dune on a crazy carpet without any hesitation but standing on a board or on a Brett Hull Racer no way! That end of the day picture is a hoot! You two look like you are having the best time evah - wait, You are! xo
ReplyDeleteDoes Jeff have more hair than for the beard wheel? I think so....Great pictures
ReplyDeleteWell you sand dune travelers you! What a ride.
ReplyDeleteCatch the next sand wave for me.
Lee
Jeff your post is too funny. You have your dad's sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteLove dad
oops. I mean humour, eh!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dad about your sense of humor. Those captions are side-splitting. Magge applying the heavy brake is so funny. It is even funnier when you click to enlarge the picture and you see Magge followed by a cloud of sand. Too precious!
ReplyDeleteThose hills were huge and steep! Jeff and I were some of the few to actually do them all, so I don´t feel ashamed :-P
ReplyDeleteThere should be no shame felt at all. Indeed, you made it all the way to the bottom. Not only did you complete the sand run you manage to keep us in stitches with your indomitable style. Well, I say, that is one heck of a feat! I could not be prouder of you, Magge! Whether you are standing, sitting or plowing down, you are my girl! :-D
ReplyDeleteDid you ski military style in Whistler when Jeffrey was taking you on the difficult black diamond runs?
I have to take y'all out to West Texas to surf the sand dunes to compare!!!! Only our surroundings will be thousands of oil pump jacks!
ReplyDeleteI am proud of you Mags!!!
As long as I get to ride in a dune buggy as well, I´m there.
ReplyDeleteI really can´t remember how I got down the black diamonds, to be honest. I´ve tried to block those memories. All I remember is cursing at Jeff a lot for taking me down hills I was totally unprepared for and trying to get me killed! I think you probably noticed nights of me not speaking to Jeff following those misadventures.
I didn't have any school today,(it is a snow day)so i spent the whole day reading your blog. Sandboarding looks like a lot fun. If i had to choose to go down the hill on my belly or my behind I would choose my belly because if I chose my behind I would be rolling down hill in a big sandball. Otherwise, it looks a lot of fun.
ReplyDeletemissing you a lot,Liam
Liam, you go faster on your belly too! We need to plan to go back and try it out together ;-)
ReplyDeletethis is amazing. and terrifying. our sand dunes were much more my style although I'm jealous at how gorgeous these look as well
ReplyDelete