chincha: a photographer's fever dream in the desert haze

i landed in chincha on a tuesday, the bus from ica creaked into town like it was surprised to still be running. the air hit me first - thick, salty, heavy. i'm a photographer who lives out of a backpack, and this humidity meant my lenses would fog every time i stepped out of the shade. just checked the weather: 22.9 degrees c but feels like 23.3, humidity at 76%, pressure steady at 1012 millibars. that extra point four degrees might sound silly but try carrying a 5d mk iv and a 35mm prime while your shirt sticks to you. it's the kind of day where you either embrace the sweat or stay inside editing.

the map says i'm around -13.45 latitude, -76.1333 longitude. that puts me smack in the middle of the peruvian coast, a few hours south of lima.

see that blue strip? that's the pacific. i keep meaning to rent a motorbike and cruise the panamericana, but the traffic here is its own beast - combis packed like sardines, taxis honking at anything that moves. i tried to cross the street once and a three wheeler nearly turned my shoes into souvenirs.

i'm here because i heard whispers about the old colonial streets near the plaza de armas. supposedly the light at sunset bounces off the yellow walls in a way that makes film look like magic. turns out the rumors were half right - the walls are indeed yellow, but the sunset's a bust most days behind a blanket of coastal haze. still, i shot a few rolls anyway; sometimes the grainy texture of that haze adds a mood that a clear sky can't buy.

if you're getting bored of chincha's laid-back vibe, a quick bus ride north lands you in ica, where you can sip pisco sours that taste like liquid sunshine (or so they claim). further south, nazca calls with its mysterious lines - i'd love to get a aerial shot but the little planes make my stomach flip. maybe i'll just stick to ground level.

i've been asking locals about food. someone told me that the best ceviche in town is at a place called 'el mar' on the malecon, but another local warned me that the fish there isn't always fresh; they get it from the early morning catch but on slow days they keep it overnight. what do you do? i went anyway, ordered the ceviche mixto, and spent the next 12 hours questioning my life choices. note to self: ask for the catch of the day and watch them filet it. also, the price? 35 soles. not cheap, but the view of the fishermen mending nets kinda justified it.

i've also been hunting for photo spots. the desert just outside town is a goldmine. i hiked out to the dunes with my tripod, waited for the moon to rise. the sand was still warm from the day, and the sky turned that deep indigo you only get far from city lights. i shot a long exposure, the stars turned into dashes. i'll post that on my instagram soon - if the internet here ever stops buffering.

there's also an old hacienda nearby, san jose, that's now a boutique hotel. i sneaked in (okay, i paid for a coffee) just to photograph the courtyard. the palms, the fountain, the peeling paint - it felt like stepping into a 1950s travel poster. they have a cat that roams the grounds; i named it lensflare because it always photobombs.

the reviews on tripadvisor are a mixed bag. i read one where someone complained the wi-fi was too slow and the cat hair on the bed was offensive. i'd take that cat hair any day. the same review said the staff were lazy, but i found them super helpful; maybe the reviewer was just hangry. here's that thread: TripAdvisor - Chincha Hotels. for real-time eats, yelp has a few entries but they're outdated; most places here don't even know yelp exists. still, i check: Yelp - Chincha Restaurants. a better bet is the community board at peruthisweek.com - they post weekly menus and pop-up art shows. Peru This Week. also, if you're a photographer trying to decide what gear to bring, i swear by my polarizing filter for the desert glare. here's a quick guide from a site i trust: Photography Gear for Coastal Deserts. (that last link's a bit generic but it's got some good tips on protecting against sand)

anyway, i've got to go develop these rolls. the lab in town charges by the scan, and i'm running low on cash. next stop? maybe a marathon runner's perspective? no, i'll just sit on the malecon, watch the pelicans dive, and hope the humidity doesn't melt my camera.

wait, i forgot to mention the neighbor thing properly: if you're itching for a side trip, ica's like an hour north, and the nazca lines are a two-hour haul south. pack sunscreen, water, and a healthy disregard for road rules.

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