Paracas was a bustling resort town for Lima's elite. In 2008, there was a massive earthquake that devastated the region. Once the humanitarian aid left, the area has remained poor and off the beaten path. There are some homes on the water, and Hotel Paracas has been rebuilt, but all for the wealthy who do not live in Paracas year round. It really felt like a ghost town. At our little motel, there was only one other family staying there. Granted, we were in Paracas in the dead of winter.
Paracas is known for its deserts, and the typical tour includes sand dune buggy riding and sand-boarding. We felt like we were on a roller coaster flying over the dunes in the buggy with our driver Wilber as the sun set. Sand boarding is just like sledding in the snow, only not as cold and wet. Wilber took us back to our motel after our ride, and because there are not many shops, drove us by his sister's neighborhood mart in her living room, to buy water and snacks for dinner. All the little boys and girls came running when they saw the vehicle to get a better look at us. We very much stood out in this town.
The next morning we took a boat to see the other Paracas sight: Islas de Ballestras, or the "Poor Man's Galapagos". The small islands are a sanctuary for birds with crashing waves that are a result of the Paracas Bay and its currents. Boats sail around the islands, but tourists are not allowed to disembark. The large number of birds leads to an abundance of guano, or bird poop, which is allowed to be harvested every 3 years for export. The smell is overpowering. There is a small research station on one of the islands, and one person is stationed there for months at a time to guard the islands. They have no outside contact.
The islands are home to many species of birds and animals. We saw guanay guano birds, Peruvian boobies, tendrils, pelicans, cormorants, seagulls, seal lions, and Humbolt penguins. There is a lone penguin in the middle of the picture getting ready to hop in after his friends. Below that picture, there are penguins standing in a group on the top of an outcropping. The picture looks washed out behind the penguins, but the rock is actually teaming with birds.
The sea lions are LOUD! Their barks sound like a cross between a loud burp and those low-sounding blow horns that people have at hockey games. They were the island greeters and have a lot to say!
I am amazed that I saw all of these creatures. We teach our children about the animals, and research their characteristics, needs, and habitats, but never see them in person. My class did a research project on the sea life of Chile for our non-fiction unit last spring (yes- 6 and 7 year olds can do research!)...now I can actually show them pictures and tell them stories.
I loved this experience, but on the ride back to the dock, I started thinking about this wonderful ecosystem and my students in Villa. It is practically in their backyard, and most of them will not even see it. In America, our students travel the world through books, internet sites and videos, first hand accounts, and trips. How much of that do students in Villa experience? Then I was struck by another thought: I spend the week with the children and then jaunt off to these amazing places (Machu Picchu and Paracas) on the weekend with the thought that I only have so much time, and it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Life has a way of punching us in the stomach and putting life in perspective sometimes. I struggle to process the feelings and disparities.