Day 4: 4/7/12
2am.......what in the name of Christ? Am I dreaming?! Is it a bird, is it a plane, is it an elephant, is it screaming.......?????
It is an effin pensionable cockerel being strangled- his days are well over!! (Muireann's excellent descriptive vocabulary..... Yes she is awake!)
At least two hours of cock-a-doodle-doo! A half an hour of quietness and he was off again!!
According to Muireann it was the most amazing sleep of the tour yet- very similar to ballycasey orthopaedic bed!
We were up by half five, thanks to the rooster! In the bathroom, my white trousers I washed last night were now pink thanks to the t-shirt hanging beside it!! So had to do more washing! Then squeezed out my hoodie which turned the water black! They are not destined to be white any longer- no colour catchers out here (Los colourios catcherios)!
Skyped the crowd at home- hi guys!!
Had breakfast on the balcony- more bread rolls but nice scrambled eggs this time. Muir stayed away from them, all the time thinking that the cockerel had an input in them!
Tour guide picked us up at 7.45 and walked us to the pier for our ballestas islands trip. There were at least 50 people waiting to go there. The sea was rough out at the islands so we had to wait for two hours to see if it would improve. There were dogs everywhere, infested with fleas!! Not good- scratching all sides! Got some photos of guys feeding pelicans, which of course they wanted a tip for! Weather conditions didn't improve so we're going to try to go again tomorrow.
During the morning we identified the cock-a-doodle-doing culprit (who were actually culprits) in wooden cages on the roof of a house across the road! We went to the shop next door for water, took one step inside and both went 'jaysus'............. One of the unlucky roosters had met his doom by the local shop lady on the countertop. Legs were still attached, head missing!
Then we went on our Paracas national reserve tour. It is a protected area of desert. It is 50km deep from the sea to the highlands. It used to be under the sea and has many fossils from that time so there are archaeological sites there for researchers. There were big massive sharks and lots of birds back then! We went to the visitors centre (thankfully no chinese woman asleep here!) and then drove round the desert and stopped at various viewing points over the sea (bit like dun aengus). Camera definitely doesn't do this place justice as it is so vast. The untouched sands look fake against the crystal blue skyline! There were random signposts, roads and even a port-a-loo in the middle of the desert! Lots of photos taken and very nearly lost my hat in the process- my hand just wasn't quick enough, the wind swooped it off my head. Luckily Muireann is fairly rapid and nifty!!
There was a tiny village there where we stopped for lunch. We had quare looking at the menu!! And they arrived out with strange nutty looking things (see photos!) which actually tasted like burnt popcorn. We got seabass, chips and rice which was actually quite yummy! Then we watched the fishermen bring in fish from the boats, while the pelicans tried to steal them. Tiny boy, about 1, barely walking was doing his duty throwing in fish. No health and safety out here!!
Annoying yanks on the bus- mother and two kids. They were on an "educational" trip. The boy, 11, was wrecking Muireann's head- he was having a cranky day! Muir wonders what part of educational is opening the bus window in the middle of a desert and letting in a sandstorm on top of the two pale Irish heads sitting behind him. Not a good hair day- a few Ace Ventura moments!
Jesus the tour guide (that was his name) was helpful but his English was very like his Spanish. It was hard to know when to tune in!!
Back in Paracas we changed into flip flops and went down to the dock to lounge in the sun! On the way we watched some builders building a hostel across the road. There were about 20 of them,all roaring and shouting. There was a concrete mixer down the bottom and a whole train of them up along the scaffolding passing up and down buckets of concrete. Dad, how do ye get concrete up on the second storey?? Definitely this area is all being rebuilt after the earthquake in 2007. Apparently it was a fishing village up until 10 years ago, where they started a tourism business and realised there was better money in that!
We had a few minerals to cool us down at the dock. Not a sinner around really- only a few like ourselves, and the dirty dogs. Don't know where all the people waiting for the tour went! The place is gorgeous though- with boats and beach and scenery. It will probably be a huge tourist resort in another 10 years- if its not wiped out by a tsunami!
We also had to sample the local pisco sours- a cross between a tequila and a lemon sorbet. It would suit you Shell!!
One of the local women outside the restaurants was sporting an unusual brazier arrangement. We could see the back of it through her t-shirt. She appeared to have no strap on one side- We dunno which strap was where but the whole thing was strangled looking! Considerable chafing, we presume!!
We looked around the stalls on the dock. I picked two postcards I liked and before I got a chance to pay they blew off down the prom, with Muir and a little Spanish man running after them! They rescued them and had a jolly little laugh in Spanish! Muir bought a pair of sunglasses and asked for a case. She knew he was up to something when he went behind his desk and presumed a plastic bag was being produced. What we didn't expect was the roll of toilet roll of which he handed her two sheets- what a glasses case!!
By 6.30 it was dark and getting chilly so we got a hot chocolate. Very few people around and everything was shutting down again so we went back to the hostel!! Another early night it seems. The town is tiny (smaller than Headford) and there's no sign of life after 7pm.
No sign of cockerels yet- we shall await their screeching!! Muir is going to make a slingshot with a stick and her bra- not sure how successful that will be, we may just need earplugs instead!
As you can see from the humorous phrases- Muir is wide awake and full of ideas tonight!!!! Fair play for you!