Microclimin' in Lomos de Lachay

What a weekend!  First traveling through the less well-known parts of Lima to tour Pachacamac, then a day trip to Lomos de Lachay.  .  Lomos de Lachay (hills of Lachay) is a national park that is a forest 2-3 miles east of complete desert and is fed by the moisture from the ocean.  The park is one of literally hundreds of different microclimates spread throughout the western deserts of Peru.  Its located about 60-70 miles north of Lima.  Needless to say the stark contrast of driving through “Lawrence of Arabia” sand-dunes to green mountains filled with plants and animals was mind boggling.  Even more incredible was the journey out of Lima.

Part I: Getting out of Lima.

Our friend Daniel invited us for this day trip odyssey with his co-workers Miguel and Melissa who were kind enough to drive.  In return for their generosity offering to drive, Rachel and I introduced Miguel and Melissa to the concept of the Photobomb http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=436298727595&set=a.436298567595.230014.740032595. 

So we set out from our apartment around 9:30AM, met Daniel in a cab that took us to San Isidro to meet up with Miguel and Melissa and off we went.  The drive was supposed to take about 2 hours, most of that time was spent just getting out of Lima.  Neighborhood after neighborhood, Lima seemed without limits.  I think the term “city” should be applied loosely to Lima as neighborhoods vary from urban metropolis with tall building, paved roads and mass transit to shantytown settlements with nothing but wooden homes spread out amongst sand dunes.  Towards the outer limits of Lima proper, we saw whole communities comprised of nothing more than wooden boxes evenly spaced across an arid and inhospitable landscape with no evidence of utilities of any sort such as electricity or plumbing.  Part of me, upon witnessing this, thought to myself “Is this what the frontier of the US must have been like?” and on a less serious note “So this is what Tatooine is like?” 

Interestingly, we were informed that these collection of wooden shacks are in fact settlement communities that are eventually incorporated into the city of Lima.  These settlers, usually poorer people from the mountains (but sometimes middle-class individuals who wish some land of their own),  simply arrive and set up shop.  Over time the government of Lima city, if these individuals take care of their wooden frame homes and make improvements, recognize groups of these houses as legitamite communities and develop infrastructure to accommodate them.  Honestly, I was amazed at the patience and resilience of these settlers to come and live in a wooden box in the middle of the desert in the hope that sometime, someday, the government would recognize them.

The first brave pioneer...

Then, a few more brave souls set up camp...

Soon enough, a community is born...

And then it thrives...

Part II: Arriving at the Park
So after leaving Lima we drove for quite some time through the desert on the Panamerican highway, stopped for a quick lunch at a gas station and then proceeded to the park.  As I mentioned earlier, the park is located about 2-3 miles east of the highway.  The trip from the highway to the ranger station was like travelling into another world.  As we travelled east, the yellow desert sands turned slightly dark and then black (sign of algae and small plant growth), we then noticed grass, followed by shrubs and then trees…all within a 5-10 min. drive!!!  Furthermore, the clouds started to get closer and closer the higher and higher we drove into the mountains and without knowing it, we were driving through them with what was the dry air now heavy with moisture.

View from the car

Forest in the foreground...desert in the background

Netting set up to catch condensation from the clouds

We parked our car in the general parking area and then set out.  The first thing that struck me when we got out of the car was the silence.  Even though Rachel and I arrived in Lima not more than 2 weeks prior, I had completely forgotten what silence sounds like.  It was great to hear my own thoughts again against a backdrop of the wind. To give an example of the how quiet it was, during our first few minutes on the trail the silence was broken by the sound of a brass orchestra playing a slow march.  After zeroing in on the source, we realized that it was a funeral procession across the valley from where we were.

Funeral procession from across the valley

The hike was pretty much on dirt paths that were very well kept.  Initially, the incline was pretty substantial as we were hiking up onto the top of a ridge.  All along the trails going upwards, there were these amazing boulders that basically looked like they had their innards scooped out.

I went up to look at one and noticed that they had a fair amount of bat guano so I quickly retreated.  After we got up onto the ridge it was pretty straightforward.    What was interesting was that we were hiking through dense cloud cover.  Visibility was about 10-15 feet which made for a pretty ethereal walk.  Fellow hikers coming in the opposite direction were appearing and disappearing in the dense fog.  At one point, I think someone asked if “this what purgatory was like” to which someone replied “if so, I hope we are walking the right way”.  Towards the end of the hike, we came across a pair of large nets at the very top of one of the mountains we climbed.  These nets were used to catch moisture for the clouds to water the vegetation below.   Pretty ingenious idea.

Misty road to ????

Fellow travelers from a distance

Part III: Lunch
After the hike, we returned to the parking area and decided to have some lunch.  Fortuntately,  there was a small restaurant that had in front a rather large rack of some meat cooking over a wood fire.  Daniel informed me that it was chicharon which is a Peruvian pork.  In addition,  there was a 50 gallon drum also set over a wood fire that contained within it roast duck (Pato de cilindrico).  With my mouth watering over the prospect of duck, I quietly mentioned that I would be fine with eating here.  This was pretty much the most amazing lunch I have had in Peru since I have arrived.  Rach and I had the roast duck with a beet salad, rice and potatoes (of course)  while Daniel and Melissa had the chicharon (with what else but rice and potatoes).  The duck was covered in this really delicious teriyaki-like sauce that had a slight kick of hot pepper.   Although the main dishes were amazing, I think Rachel was a little turned off by her starter dish which was a chicken soup which had a few too many chicken parts still left over (like a foot).  In addition to the taste, the price was also amazing…Half a duck with beet salad, potatoes and rice and a starter…8 soles (<4 dollars USD).

Now that is what I am talking about.

What the what??

Part IV: The wrap up
After lunch, we got back into the car, all super tired.  We all talked the entire way back, me in English, everyone else in Spanish, just to keep us awake on the drive.  All in all, this was a great trip…we got to meet some great people, see some pretty amazing stuff and above all, have some pretty kick ass food.   This day outing has got me super excited to explore the many other national parks and outdoor spaces this country has to offer.  Best...Morgan and Rachel.