Huacachina Peru 秘鲁瓦卡奇纳绿洲 – 3/2017 (7)

21/3/2017. An hour’s drive from Paracas, the public bus arrived at Huacachina, South America’s only oasis. The place looked quite ridiculous. Bizarre, really, a little pond in the middle of nothing but sand and sand hills that almost arched over the pool of water. The scene appeared to be a painting by an artist trying to be funny.

This was a hot place. I looked super cool wearing slippers to walk around. I did not realize the desert sand at 1 p.m. is hot enough to roast nuts. After staring at the pond of water, as usual, I ventured beyond the center. I ascended the hill arching over the pond, trying to see it from above. As I climbed those steep slopes, my feet sank into the sand and started to get fried. I wanted to scream for help, but no one was around. There was no cushion I could step onto; I was in a sea of burning sand. I was an ant in a frying pan. At that moment, I quickly stepped onto some tire tracks left behind by the sand buggies. That saved my feet. My feet could have been badly burnt, and I could have perished there. No exaggeration. At a sundry shop, I bought a bag of ice cubes and soaked my feet in the bag as I rode a taxi back to the hostel.

Didn’t they advertise this was an oasis? I had this image of a mirage that was supposed to be cool and welcoming.

21/3/2017 – 离开帕拉卡斯小镇，我乘大巴一小时半后到这美洲唯一沙漠绿洲，瓦卡奇纳。四周都是沙，就在中间凹处一池水，好像上天搞错了。四周的沙丘就在水池四周高高围起，更显错位。为抓拍镜头，我穿着凉鞋，爬上后面沙丘。当时一点多，烈日当头，这沙已暴晒的热喷喷，细如粉，可炒坚果；而我这凉鞋就一片塑料鞋底，烫沙当然不请自进，当时就如热窝上蚂蚁。危急当儿幸好找到过山车辗过的车迹才得以安全下山。脚板有点烫伤，在小铺买了一袋冰块，在回住宿的士里把脚一直泡在冰块袋里。卖冰块的女孩笑破肚皮，还有这么笨的华人。

老天也实在不该在这么烫的地方盛了诱人的一盆水。