Our Drive To Paracas On The Pan American Highway

desert alongside the pan american highway - peru

Pan American Highway south of Lima, Peru

With our rental car topped up with gas, Bob and I headed south from Lima into the desert along the Pan American Highway towards our next stop at the village of Paracas located 15 kilometres south of the town of Pisco, in Peru.  The Pan American Highway runs along the Pacific Ocean coastline and is bordered on the left by sweeping desert landscape.   Huge hills, dare I say mountains, of sand, bisected by valleys and gullies, dominate the countryside.

Jean standing along the Pan American Highway in Peru, South America

We stopped for a break along the Pan American Highway.  Few visitors to Peru ever drive this roadway.  Most travelers head to the Andes Mountains and the Inca Ruins, or they make their way into the lush world of the Amazonian jungles on the other side of the Andes.  We will travel to all those locations on this trip, but on this day, we stopped on the Pan American Highway for a closer look at the endless desert.  Very few plants were in sight except those growing along the very edge of the highway.

Desert hills along the Pan American Highway in Peru, South America

This desert reminded us of many other deserts through which we have traveled on our trips around the world, deserts such as the Kalahari and the Gobi.  This Peruvian desert resembles a dry moonscape.

Pacific coast at Playa Sarcpampa in Peru, South America

Bob and I took a break for lunch at the beach on the Pacific coastline near Playa Sarapampa.  This coast is famous around the world as the home of the world’s longest breaking waves.  On this day, there were no surfers, but when the waves break big, this a popular place.

Beach at Playa Sarcpampa in Peru

With our car in direct view behind us, I prepared lunch on the Pacific Ocean beach near Playa Sarapampa.  My colourful gingham tablecloth goes with us most everywhere we travel.

It was a sunny, clear day when we visited this beach, but here, on the edge of the desert, it rarely ever rains.

Jean on the beach at Playa Sarcpampa in Peru, South America

For an hour or so, the sun beat down on us as we enjoyed a little picnic and walked in the surf.  Hundreds of shorebirds raced to and fro searching for tidbits washed up in the waves, but then retreated as quickly as possible to avoid getting caught by the incoming rush of water.

Desert homes near Playa Sarcpampa in Peru

Back on the Pan American highway, we came upon rudimentary dwellings that have been erected in the most unexpected locations.

Homes along the Pan Amerian Highway near Playa Sarcpampa in Peru

Adobe-walled homes, along with animals enclosed behind stone walls, sit right beside the roadway making it necessary to watch out for farm animals, stray dogs, and people pushing handcarts.

Cows in fields along the Pan Amerian Highway in Peru, South America

Our route took us past many rivers during the early part of the day, rivers such as the Quebrada Chilca, the Rio Mala, and Quebrada Omas.  All along the banks of these rivers, the desert has been turned into a lush and green border of vegetation.

Corn drying beside a tent along the Pan Amerian Highway in Peru, South America

We came upon a young boy who was guarding a field of corncobs spread out in the sun to dry.

Corn drying in dirt field alongside the Pan Amerian Highway in Peru, South America

At night, he sleeps in his teepee at the edge of the field to protect his drying corn from thieves.

Woman carries produce alongside the Pan Amerian Highway in Peru, South America

It is a common sight to see hardworking people carrying their wares to market on their backs.  As we drove through the countryside, we saw many people burdened with heavy bags of produce…

Man drives a donkey cart along the edge of the Pan Amerian Highway in Peru, South America

while others were prosperous enough to own mules and a cart.

In fact, mule-drawn or donkey-drawn carts were a fairly common form of transportation.

lumber for sale along the edge of the Pan Amerian Highway in Peru, South America

I was fascinated by the hardware stores that sell quite a different variety of products from our stores at home…various types of wooden poles and thatched mats.

Farmer workers load produce into a truck on the Pan American Highway in Peru, South America

As we motored along, it was common to see farmers bringing their harvest from the fields in huge woven baskets to waiting trucks.

earthquake damage, pan american highway, peru

Peru is located in an active earthquake zone.

earthquake damage along pan american highway, peru

Along certain stretches of the coast, it unnerved us to see cracks or fault lines in the earth’s crust.

hotel paracas peru

Towards day’s end, we arrived at Hotel Paracas in the village of Paracas south of the town of Pisco.  In the 1940s, this establishment was a vacation destination for the elite.  It is absolutely beautiful…like an oasis in the middle of the desert except that the ocean borders the backside of the property.

walkway and gardens, hotel paracus, peru

The gardens were filled with lush green plants and punctuated with gorgeous, tropical flowers.  Lots of palm trees grow on the beach property, and given the constant onshore breeze, they undulated gracefully above the numerous swimming pools.

gardens at hotel paracus, peru

After a long day of driving through the desert, it was a real pleasure to be staying here in such a relaxing and lush, tropical environment.

Related:

Our tour of Cusco the former capital of the Inca Empire

Our tour of the Ruins of Pachacamac

Our travels to Puno on Lake Titicaca, Peru

Our Visit To Lima, Peru, The City Of Kings

Our Walking Tour Of Miraflores

Frame To Frame – Bob and Jean

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