Central and South America 2018: Pisco/Nazca Lines, Peru (Thursday, March 01)

The fog horn ceased during the night and we awoke to clear weather.

We docked in Paracas near Pisco making the Pisco Sour the drink of the day.

. Annual rainfall here is about seven one-hundredths of an inch. We risked not take an umbrella.

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Today's Tour: THE PARACAS NATIONAL RESERVE

The National Reserve of Paracas is one of the most important protected areas of Peru. Its conservation is fundamental for the protection of the coastal-marine biodiversity. The Reserve protects a part of the coastal desert of the subtropical Pacific and waters of the Humboldt Current, which is characterized by one of the highest levels of productivity in the world because of the coastal upwelling. We explore it by taking a panoramic drive through the park, interspersed with photo stops to check out the best views along the way.

The Paracas National Reserve presents one of the most beautiful desert scenarios of the Peruvian coasts. The numerous desert mountains change their colors each day from different tones of yellow to pinkish-reds. The coastal cliffs offering scenic attractions like the famous "Cathedral" (la Catedral), an impressive rock arch which collapsed during the 2007 earthquake, but is still impressive to see. Another impressive sight is the "monk" – a stone pillar located on a small rocky outcrop in the sea . Many species find refuge here such as seals and sea lions, Humboldt penguins, sea otters, dolphins and porpoises, and more than a hundred species of seabirds, both resident and migratory. Some of the latter are the Andean condor, flamingoes, cormorants, blue-footed boobies and pelicans. However, please keep in mind that the reserve spans a large area, and there are no guarantees that birds or other wildlife will be visible from the route.

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Before we were even out of the port, there was no question that we were in a desert.

In mental contrast to our arid surroundings, our guide Ronny told us about the extensive scallop farming industry in the coastal waters here. Whereas Peruvian fishermen prefer colder water, the scallop farmers get a better crop from warmer water. The arrival of El Nino is therefore a bane to the former and a boon to the latter.

As we rolled into the Paracas National Reserve, other than tire marks in the sand, signs of life got ever fewer.

Our first stop was to see some very small fossils, which in isolation were a yawn. The earth around them was a mixture of light white sand and a heavier material with a high iron content. During a sandstorm, the white sand gets blown away, while the darker, heavier material remained, thereby rising to the surface and giving the desert floor a somewhat darker color. Okay, not the most fascinating information I've ever imparted, but more interesting than tiny fossilized seashells.

The next stop - Cathedral Rock - was more interesting if for no other reason than the views.

Cathedral Rock

A few of the millions of factories that make up one of Peru's most profitable exports - guano. Our guide told us that it can be 'harvested' from one of 22 islands every seven years. Between harvests, it gets 5-6 feet deep. That's a lot of...fertilizer.