Now, this is podracing!

The new batch got to know our truck Cameron as we left Lima and headed south. First stop of the day was a little coastal town outside Paracas. The idea was to go by boat to Ballestas Islands, but unfortunately the sea was too rough. Instead we got in a minibus and drove into Paracas National Park. Flamingoes, pelicans, vultures and sealions were on the menu on this park were the desert meets the ocean. Tim sank knee deep in the mud by the shoreline and dropped his cap in the process. It was later retreived though, through the process of a plank and a well-balanced Ben.After a very tasty sea bass lunch we headed off to the main event. In Ica there's a big and beautiful oasis in the sand dunes, and from there operates Desert Adventures.We got into a dune buggy and it set off into the desert in ludicrous speed. It felt like I was on Tatooine, and I was half-expecting to see Tusken raiders ride their banthas in single file a distance off. The ride was like a rollercoaster and it was impossible not to laugh throughout. It was recommendable, though, as the air was almost as full of sand as the desert was.Suddenly we came to a grinding halt at the edge of a steep slope and braced ourselves for the thrill of a lifetime. Surely the buggy couldn't go down a slope that steep? Well, that was irrelevant, for here came the sandboards! With no prior experience we threw ourselves headfirst down the dunes.And how we laughed.The entire afternoon was spent alternating between thrilling dunebuggying and equally thrilling sandboarding, and soon we stopped to enjoy the amazing sunset over the desert.As night fell, we dug in to an amzingly tasty barbecue and plenty of piscocolas. The group sat around the fire, got to know each other a little better and entertained each other through traditional music from Ireland, Sweden, Korea and Canada. As the metaphorical sandman entered, we simply lay our sleepingbags down and slept in the dunes. I still have sand in my... everywhere, but what do I care? This was all in all a bloody brilliant day.And I thought Tatooine had two suns?