Travel photography - Peru Week

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY - PERU WEEK

PERU WEEK - DAY 1 You requested it so here we go into Peru week.
So back in 2010 we went on our honeymoon to the other side of the world. It was a very tight call between a few weeks in Peru or the sights of China. You can see what won out and it was an amazing experience. These two were taken on day 3 of the trip after some acclimatising in Lima, a flight to Cusco to drop off the Inca trail walkers, we flew on to a grass strip in the jungle (Puerto Maldonado) followed by 2 hours in a ‘bus’ to the river. Then 5 hours on a boat to the middle of the most stunning place I have ever been too. The banks of the Madre de Dios river deep in Tambopata Nature reserve. ( https://lnkd.in/eZNexUW ) From wild capybara, camen, tucans, saddleback tamarins to name just a few. We didn’t see giant otters or jaguars but to know they were close was just amazing. The photo of the boat has one of the most interesting people I have ever met, Delford, our guide. He was so knowledgeable and knew exactly where to go to see just a small amount of the wildlife that is out there. Its times like these being around true experts that you have to just smile and listen. I may have to write a few more of the crazy stories at some point

PERU WEEK - DAY 2 An amazing vibrant city with so much to see and do, Cusco is the gateway to the sacred valley and of course Machu Picchu. this was our home for a few days acclimatising and getting the feel of being around people again after the wildlife of the jungle. My memories include the colour of the whole city and crazy things like the alpacas, llamas and vicuna walking about the ruins! The altitude sickness did hit me hard but the cocoa tea eased after a few days. 

PERU WEEK - DAY 3 - OLLANTAYTAMBO Today we are drifting up the scared valley to the land of the terrace and an immeasurable amount of varieties of corn and potatoes. Can you spot the ruins of a storage room halfway up the mountain side?
This was a strange and historic place that made you contemplate the scale of this ancient civilisation. Our guide pointed out a neighbouring mountain (10 miles behind this photo) which was where some of the massive rocks we stood on were cut from. How these were moved felt like the age old question about the stones for the pyramids! After the hustle and bustle of Cusco (including the fun of Paddy’s ‘highest Irish bar in the world’ Tony Palmer) this was a serene experience.

PERU WEEK - DAY 4 - MACHU PICCHU
Yes, you all knew it was coming, after Lima, Puerto Maldonado, Cusco and the sacred valley, we got to see the place that we had always wanted to see.
We arrived in the afternoon to have a full guided tour of the whole site before the early morning start to seeing sunrise through the sun gate. My resounding memories of these days was both the serenity of the whole place but also how the photos I have seen of the ruins really don’t do it justice. This photo helps a little bit but if I was going back I would be looking to get much higher up the mountain to look down over the valleys neighbouring the site. 90 % of the photos you see are from the middle of the main site with Huayna Picchu in the background, this is still stunning but look at the drops on either side! I really didn’t appreciate the full location until I got there. Even now I try and always look for another angle or view that gets people thinking. 

PERU WEEK - DAY 5 - ON THE ROAD Well, I have enjoyed looking through some photos that I really should have done more with when I took them, there is a lesson there!
It’s easy, as I have proven to myself this last week or so, to forget how quickly memories return on seeing photo. This one, for example, was from a bus window and one of the last ones I took on route back to Lima. It feels like the end of the trip for me even though we did Tipon after. The symbolism of driving away from Machu Picchu and the sacred valley, leaving memories and smiles behind to face the flights back to the UK, bring back the feeling of ‘will I ever make it back?’. Now in my head, I have always known we will be back on that 12-hour flight from Madrid with the shakey door over the wing, but at this moment looking at the skies and the locals in their traditional attire I kinda wasn’t sure. this is a money thing, its the other side of the world so money is really the only barrier. Maybe I need to get through lockdown and get some more hashtag#travelphotography booked in! Have an awesome weekend.