Sand gets everywhere!!

Sand is like glitter. It is hard to resist touching and playing in it, gets everywhere, and never ever seems to come off even after a couple of showers.

After an 18 hour bus ride (which feels like nothing to me now), I got to Huacachina, which is a small town near Ica surrounded by huge sand dunes. I have never seen so much sand before in my life. And the softest sand ever too. I was only planning to stay one or two nights there, but ended up staying 4 days cuase I just couldnt resist the sand. It was the first time too in a month and halfish that I felt the heat. I got to walk around in my bathing suit all day long, swim in my hostel pool, relax, and play in the sand.

The thing to do there is to go sand boarding, so I rented a board one day with some other travelers i met and we climbed up the huge dunes and zoomed down the hill on our stomachs and butts. Such a rush. Sand boarding is apparently a profossional sport or something. Like snow boarding but on sand. However, I am definetly not professional and see no career in my future in this sport. It was more fun for me to climb up the dunes (really good calf work out), look at the sunset and contemplate life and then roll or run down the slopes.

I met this one Israeli girl (there are tons of Israelis in this town) that became a walking legend in Huacachina. She was really proud to tell us all her story about how two weeks ago she almost died sand boarding. Pretty crazy story actually. She was sand boarding with her friends and was going too fast on her stomach. I am not really sure why she did not just roll off her board to stop, but she apperently did not see that there was a hostel right below her and crashed straight into it! She lost consiousness for two hours, bruised her enter body and still can not walk right, and cut open her head. The security cameras were on and there is live footage of her crashing right in between a tree and the ledge of the pool. Super lucky she survived. Apparently there have been deaths of tourists there.

Although she had such a truamatic experience, It seemed to work out for her benefit in the end. The hot bar tender at our hostel came to her rescue and "nursed" her back to health. She had decided to stay an extra week there to recover/hook up with him before her flight home to Israel. She seemed pretty pleased to be the talk of the town. And although she could barely walk, we all went to this salsa club in the city together and got our dance on.

I had met this other guy from Isreal in Huacachina,named Avi, who went with us to the salsa club. He was one of those super honest stereotypical Israelis that thought he knew everything. He was a punkish dj with side bangs who definelty had no idea how to salsa and was pretty uncomfortable among all the peruvians in the club. But we hung out with each other alot and had loads of fun. There as been a suddle shift now between seeing lots of Argentinians to Israelis. Israelis come in waves and I think it is about to crash into South America.

I have loved every place that I have been and have decided that I could also live in Huacachina for a while and just chill out, play in the sand all day, and build up my calf muscles by hiking up the dunes. After running down the sand dune for the last time i forced myself to leave and headed on my way to Arequipa. I am making a slight detour down south becuase my pops is coming to visit me!! I cant wait to see him. It will be a nice break from the shit hostel pillows and greasy cheap street food. My dad refuses to stay in hostels, so 5 star hotels it is and ceviche every day! He is also resupplying me with good netrogena sunscreen and soft toilet paper! I saw my first starbucks today in arequipa and got a soy latte. Side note: i have been randomly eating things with cheese and milk products in it, and have been feeling okay. maybe i am slowly becoming un-lactarded!