Down by the Bay

A three hour car journey and we felt as if we had left Peru to alight on some other tranquil, foreign, shore. We stayed at the new Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Paracas.
The funny thing is we never knew it was the inauguration with rumours of the President attending/celebrity chef and plenty of TV coverage. We turned up early evening when all that was over looking like the Griswalds on parade. How many bags does one really need for a 2 night stay? The poor guy with the luggage trolley had to take the corners and ramps like a Nascar pro to stop all wheelie bags/boogie boards/laptops/handbags/backpacks/ice chest(drinks and snacks a must)/snorkeling gear and DVD collection from toppling over. I am not saying we needed all those things we just took them in case!
Anyway a good time was had by all. The hotel is built in a U shape and the view from reception is a calming one with a colourful strata that starts with the tiled terrace, turquoise pool and segues into chalky, crushed, sea shells followed by sand ,blue sea and ochre undulating mountains.
We were lucky enough to have a corner room with pool and sea views. In the early morning the water is like a mill pond the only ripple a pelican diving or if you're lucky dolphins playing. By afternoon the wind is up and the kite surfers are out. At night the sunset is a photographers delight and the stars entrance. We wiled away time sipping drinks on the veranda.
Sadly lacking was warm or even cold water. We could still flush the loo but they had to work all through the night to repair whatever the problem was. When we dared to mention the inconvenience of this we had to listen to their sob story of the troubles we've had and how long we worked blah blah blah. Your troubles? You want to know trouble, try sharing a room with teenagers who need to wash/dry/straighten/shine and style their hair daily and cannot do so.
After much raising of eyebrows and shuffling of papers (why???) a small reparation was made. Despite this hiccup we will be going back.

Summer Holidays

As the chicas summer holidays segue in to February my joy of lazy summer days is waning. I think we are all ready for a change in temperature and scenery.

Everyone seems to be surfing and going to the beach. I like it as much as the next person but I hate the fighting for a parking spot and sitting on pebbles. Sand can be found further along the coast but there is limited space as all the surf schools are out in force.

My job this week was to snaps photos and take action videos of chica 2 hitting the waves. Easier said than done. Over 20 kids all in black wet suits, horizontal and a mile from shore they start to look a lot alike (mini seal lions). The camcorder tends to focus on incoming breakers and not the tiny blob bobbing on the cusp of the Big Kahuna! Well that's my story and I am sticking to it. I do not claim to be an expert.

I am rather impressed with chica 2 as it is hard work out there lots of paddling for the odd moment of Yipee. Still she tells me it's worth it.

We leave for Colorado soon and trying on ski clothing in the humidity isn't much fun. The only thing that keeps us going is the thought of being cooler.

This week all forms of media were head lining the "Big Brit Chill" and Snowfall. I spoke to Chica 1 and she was ecstatic about a day of missed school and snowball fights on the lawn. Seems even teenagers are not too old to play in the snow. So as we dream up images of snowflakes, sleigh rides and Starbucks Cocoa I am sure all those affected by the Big Chill are dreaming of summer.