I'm sitting by a small oasis lagoon watching the sun fall behind the huge sand dunes - the ones that I climbed yesterday, and sped past the day before in a thundering dune buggy. That was great fun, like a roller-coaster ride through the desert, after which we made our way back towards the oasis on sand boards, hurtling down steep hills on our bellies.

It ain't no Goa, but this village has been a good place to recharge the batteries and swap tales with other travellers before negotiating the next big city, or setting out on the next big hike. The one hundred or so residents are just as bemused as the tourists that their home is featured on the 50 soles bank note.

Posted from Huaraz, March 21st, 2012.