Hospedaje Yemeyá, Nazca (leaving)

The day began early: we started our sandboarding trip at 3 a.m. We were picked up at the hotel and drove for about 30 min into the mountainous region. We started hiking at an altitude of 1400 m. Luckily it was not pitch dark at this early hour, because it was full moon. So most part of the hike we did not even need our flashlights. The hike took us 3 hours. The first hour was going up very steep on a rocky surface with many different cactuses. The area is a desert, so either there is no vegetation or only such succulent pants can be found here. The second hour was more or less flat, with little elevation and the third part was the toughest, because then we have reached the sand dunes. Climbing on a sand dune is very exhausting. We reached the top for sunrise and finally we saw clearly the surroundings. They were bare mountain peaks. And in the middle of it was our giant sand dune. It is a very weird sight, but also amazing. No clue how such a huge amount of sand could have gotten here. Why is there no sand in the neighbouring area? Where did that sand come from? Please tell us!!!

The sandboarding was not as much fun as it was in Namibia. The equipment was basically a wooden board with textile straps screwed to it as bindings. As for boots we used our hiking boots and as for waxing we had to rub candles to the bottom of the boards. The main problem was that the wax did not last long, so after sliding down some 50 meters the board got stuck on the slope, no matter how steep it was. And believe me the final stretch with an altitude difference of 800 meters was very steep!!! Even if you just sat on the board and tried to use it as a sledge it got stuck... The other problem was that making turns with such an equipment was impossible, not only for us but also for our guide. He actually told us that turns don't work... Not that he was such an expert, but still was more experienced on that terrain.

Although the sandboarding part was disappointing the trip provided many breathtaking views, so it was worth it. We even saw a desert fox in the morning and a small scorpion on the dunes. After the sandboarding finished we hiked back to the main road where we were picked up and taken back to town. The rest of the day we spent relaxing at a swimming pool of a hotel.

And once again our bonus question: how was that giant sand dune of Cerro Blanco formed?