Back to the Dunes

There’s something decadent about returning to a favorite destination a second time. You don’t have to fret about how much a taxi should cost, or checking sights of the list, or how you can creatively blog about them (maybe that one is a little me-centric) — you already figured that out the first time. Instead you can focus on soaking up the atmosphere, revisiting your favorite meals, and enjoying the place at a slower pace.

Which is exactly why I was so excited to return to Huacachina. I knew from the moment I arrived the first time with Zoe that I’d be back here again as I eventually circled back to Lima. This time, with a new travel buddy in tow.

As I hinted at previously, I returned to Cusco in order to meet Anders and two of his Swedish friends, who had just arrived in Peru. Almost as soon as they landed they took off on the Salkantay Trek, and so the period that I refer to as the Scandinavian Giant Tour portion of my trip did not really begin until we all arrived in Huacachina together off an overnight bus from Cusco.

Can you see where I got the name from?

We spent two sunny days in Huacachina, and while I stayed behind at the delightful Banana’s Adventures and worked while the boys took off on a wine tour I couldn’t resist but join them for another sandboarding/dune buggying adventure. It was just as fun the second time around.

I didn’t think there was much more to discover in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Huacachina, but on the suggestion of an Instagram commenter I had a very memorable breakfast one morning at La Casa de Bamboo. The food was great, yes, but what really struck me was the English-born owner, who had spent the last fifteen years living in this microscopic town. She was a wealth of information about the South coast, and it was worth the price of breakfast just to chat to her.

While I’m not sure if another Huacachina visit will be in my future, I certainly loved my time in this Peruvian backpacking oasis.

Goodbye, Huacachina!