June 14th - Huacachina/Ica II

Hello everyone,

Well, if you've heard about the earthquake in Chile, rest assured that it was barely felt here. We did, however, have a little earthquake of our own at 4:30 this morning. It was only 5.0, centered just outside of Ica, and was enough to wake me up, but not enough to knock over my lotion bottle or to get me out of bed. The guides at all the archaeological sites mention how the architecture is cleverly constructed for seismic strength, and I knew that this area had a long standing history of rocking and rolling, but still it's always interesting to experience it first hand. Please don't worry though, my hotel is long established and sound. It was just a little early for a wake up call.

Today I took a 'city tour' of Ica. And, once again I was the only person on the tour. We started in the outlying village of Cachiche and went through an area which is locally famous for its traditional healers. I got to meet one fellow and tour his place of business, which was really interesting. This man brings synchronic healing to a new level. He was taught by his grandmother, and incorporates aspects of traditional Andean practices with many metaphysical concepts and a good shake of new age mysticism. He has constructed a pyramid of earth and rocks, which is 3.142 meters square, and of a high proportional to the ratio of the distance between the earth and the moon and the earth and the sun. The apex features a large crystal, and in the base there is a small earthen oven for burning herbs appropriate for the treatment of the individual in question. He was working on incorporating water as well, with a constant fountain effect flowing down the sides of the pyramid. The floor had copper tubing coiled below, to route the energy through. However it sounds, it honestly was a really peaceful and powerful place. He also had a pen of black guinea pigs out back, for healing purposes, and indoors he had a wide assortment of crystals, tarot cards, herbs, and aromatic oils. I had a really interesting time talking with him, but soon had to head back out, and it was on with the tour.

After that we went downtown and visited a beautiful catholic church and then the Plaza de Armas, and from there we hit the bodegas (wineries). The first we visited was a large industrial winery established in 1889 (or something like that), called Tacama. I got a complete tour of the facility - the nursery, the vinyards, the crushing and aging tanks (big cement tanks that made me think of Strange Brew), the casks, and the bottling. And then I got to sample their work. I must say, they do alright. It's interesting how different regions classify their wines. In France, it's about the earth the grapes are grown in, and wines are named by region. In California, it's all about the variety of grapes that were used. In Peru, it's about sweetness - some wines are blended, others are a single varietal, but all are named based on whether they are seco (dry), semi-seco, or dulce (sweet). After Tacama, we went to two artesanal wineries, where the conditions were much smaller, but the process was very interesting.

The last place we stopped was established in 1809, and little renovating had been done since. Bodega Lazo continues to bottle several Piscos and fortified wines, using traditional earthenware casks for aging, and housing everything in ancient barns, along with an extensive, eccentric, and very dusty collection of various Peruvian artifacts. The only light was sunbeams streaming down through the dusty air, illuminating the bees which were very interested in the sweeter varietals, and casting amazing light over the Moche metalwork and fencing masks and wagon wheels and colonial oil paintings and Nazca pottery and the old casks. Needless to say, it was a photographer's dream, and I burned through quite a few shots. I brought my 35mm camera, but was really wishing I knew a few more tricks with it. The light was just amazing (or it could have been the Pisco...?).

In any case, we returned to my little oasis, and I had a lovely lunch overlooking the lagoon and a peaceful afternoon. And now I'm here, writing to you.

Tomorrow I plan to check out some local museums, and who knows, maybe I'll hit the dunes. Until then, keep those cards and letters coming!

Karen