The area is much less visited than the beaches further north (and closer to Lima), though it's far prettier and more interesting. We stayed at a fancy hotel that has just been completed. It was lovely, and we were not at all sad to extend our stay by a day when we heard the road to Lima might be blocked due to national protest strikes. Here are some highlights:
This glyph is known as the candelabra. It's sort of like the Nasca figures, described in a previous posting, but actually uses a different technique. Unlike those figures, this one was clearly designed to be visible. Some say it was meant to serve as a beacon to sailors or pirates, but no one knows, really.
These storks are on the beach ready to greet all the people waiting in line for a boat ride to the Islas Ballestas.
The Islas Ballestas are famous for their diversity of marine wildlife, including these Humboldt Penguins. This is the northernmost spot in which you will find any kind of penguin, and they come here following the cold waters of the Humboldt current off the coast of Peru and Chile.
The last time we visited here, there were hundreds of sea lions. This time there were only a few, including this baby who was calling for his mother. She was close by, taking in the sun.
These fishermen had caught two large tunas. They were glad, because the wind had been strong for several days, keeping away the fish and many of the birds.
These black cormorants are bathing, trying to rid themselves of bugs.
This is a pair of rare, red-footed cormorants. They were hunted to near extinction (apparently they taste good, like chicken) and are now on the endangered species list.
These are mostly cormorants, although there is one Humboldt Penguin, hunched in the middle of the group.
The gang hanging out by the boats
Our hotel pool. Though the air was warm, the water was freezing. It's winter here, after all.
We all enjoyed the hotel bathrobes. The guys liked them so much they wore them to dinner.
Boy with pink flamingos
Our Rav-4, feeling like it was in a car commercial
Addison thinks he's in a car commercial, too
It's sort of like being on the edge of the world
Sunset on the beach
On the drive back to Lima, we drove through the town of Pisco, which is very poor and was devasted by a major earthquake in 2007. Similar to events regarding Hurricane Katrina, there was much money and volunteer relief effort following the earthquake to help rebuild housing for the thousands of people left homeless. But little of that effort has bourn fruit, and many of the people live in a vast shantytown. 
This glyph is known as the candelabra. It's sort of like the Nasca figures, described in a previous posting, but actually uses a different technique. Unlike those figures, this one was clearly designed to be visible. Some say it was meant to serve as a beacon to sailors or pirates, but no one knows, really.
These storks are on the beach ready to greet all the people waiting in line for a boat ride to the Islas Ballestas.
The Islas Ballestas are famous for their diversity of marine wildlife, including these Humboldt Penguins. This is the northernmost spot in which you will find any kind of penguin, and they come here following the cold waters of the Humboldt current off the coast of Peru and Chile.
The last time we visited here, there were hundreds of sea lions. This time there were only a few, including this baby who was calling for his mother. She was close by, taking in the sun.
These fishermen had caught two large tunas. They were glad, because the wind had been strong for several days, keeping away the fish and many of the birds.
These black cormorants are bathing, trying to rid themselves of bugs.
This is a pair of rare, red-footed cormorants. They were hunted to near extinction (apparently they taste good, like chicken) and are now on the endangered species list.
These are mostly cormorants, although there is one Humboldt Penguin, hunched in the middle of the group.
The gang hanging out by the boats
Our hotel pool. Though the air was warm, the water was freezing. It's winter here, after all.
We all enjoyed the hotel bathrobes. The guys liked them so much they wore them to dinner.
Boy with pink flamingos
Our Rav-4, feeling like it was in a car commercial
Addison thinks he's in a car commercial, too
It's sort of like being on the edge of the world
Sunset on the beachOn the drive back to Lima, we drove through the town of Pisco, which is very poor and was devasted by a major earthquake in 2007. Similar to events regarding Hurricane Katrina, there was much money and volunteer relief effort following the earthquake to help rebuild housing for the thousands of people left homeless. But little of that effort has bourn fruit, and many of the people live in a vast shantytown.
Somewhat inland from Pisco is an Inca site called Tambo Colorado. This was a sort of outpost, situated along a trade route between the coast and Cusco. It's in a very pretty valley that is very green thanks to a river and underground water. The site was originally covered in painted designs, you can see a few remnants of the red, yellow, and white pigments that once covered the whole structure. There is a large palace, ceremonial square, religious buildings, and other buildings.
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