The wild, rural and rugged beauty of the Isla del Sol…
Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia – Day 2
Category Archives: Landscape Photography
Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia – Part One
From Copacabana it is a simple boat ride across to the Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun), 20 Bolivianos (approx £1.90) secures passage on the 1 1/2 hour voyage from one of the few jetties I didn’t photograph on … Continue reading
Into Bolivia – Copacabana, Lake Titicaca: Ch’alla and Jetties at dusk
So, finally into Bolivia – its only a few hours from Puno, Peru to Copacabana (the Brazilian one was named after this town on the shores of Lake Titicaca), Bolivia. You go over a land border in which you get your exit visa stamped into your passport on the Peruvian side and then walk 20 yards to the Bolivian side to get a Bolivian entry visa stamped in (I forgot to ask for a longer 60 day one so will probably have to pay a small fine when I leave Bolivia as will have slightly overstayed the 30 day visa granted).
After checking into my hotel and failing to get a decent internet connection I headed into town and starting getting amongst it. This is the Bolivian weekly ritual of blessing ones vehicles (known as Ch’alla) in which families bring their car up to the Plaza in front of the Cathedral to decorate their drive with flowers, ribbons and douse it in alcohol (plenty of which is usually left over).
In a few days the Fiesta de la Virgen de Candelaria would begin, I was here to shoot it but until it began I could content myself photographing the Jetties, Ch’alla and paying a visit to the beautiful Isla del Sol…
Weekly ritual of blessing vehicles known as ‘Ch’alla’ outside the Cathedral, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Traditional Bolivian dish of Trout with chips and rice, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Table football tables, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Copacabana Beach in the late afternoon, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Jetty on Cobacabana Beach at dusk, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Lone boat in water, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
View from Cerro Calvario of Copacabana at dusk, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
View from Cerro Calvario of Copacabana at dusk, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
The Colca Canyon & Cabanaconde
From Arequipa the bus winds through valleys and hamlets. We drove through a blizzard, and we passed a local festival that looked so fun I was tempted to jump out and stay, but the destination at the end of the … Continue reading
Wonders of the World #1 Machu Picchu, Peru (Day 9 & 10)
Like a beacon this lost citadel rises from the clouds. Wayna Picchu stands majestically above it and the Urubamba river flows beneath. We left the hotel in Aguas Calientes (the closest town to Machu Picchu) at 4.30am to begin the … Continue reading
Day Seven – Deeper into the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo Peru 16-01-2014
As the Spaniards invaded Peru 500 years ago they pushed the Inca’s deeper into the sacred valley, west from Cusco. The Inca rebels set up base and fortifications at the perfect location in Ollantaytambo – with its steep cliffs around the river valley it was a tough place to assault, as the Spanish conquistadors found out when they arrived in the town to be met from all sides with a hail of spears and arrows. We found a more subdued welcome upon arrival in the sleepy village square. For many this is a quick stop before boarding a train to Machu Picchu, or beginning a trek, but it well worth spending a night or two here, enjoying the cobbled traditional Inca town layout, the gushing river, the village market and of course Incan ruins remaining on the steep hillsides.
Las Salinas (Salt Pans), Sacred Valley, Peru
Las Salinas (Salt Pans), Sacred Valley, Peru
We hired a taxi to pick us up from the Hotel (Sol) at 5am to get out to the Salinas (Salt Pans) for dawn, the trouble with being in this part of the world in January is that despite it being their summer there are a lot of overcast days. Frustrating but I will trade a week of them for one good session at Machu Picchu at the weekend…
I met Josephina in the small marketplace in Ollantaytambo, she was sitting with her family at their stall, the picture below is of her sister Edgar. (Both shot with a Nikon 135mm f/2 Prime lens at f/2.8.)
Portrait of Edgar, Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley, Peru
Portrait of Josephina in traditional dress, Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley, Peru
Street scene, Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley, Peru
Day Six – The Sacred Valley, Peru 15-01-2014
Another 4:45am alarm bell goes off, the destination – the same as yesterday at dusk, hoping to get some clearer light to do justice to the spectacular sight of the Pisac Ruins. 25 Sols pays for a taxi one way … Continue reading
Day Five – Pisac, Peru 14-01-2014
Up early again, this time heading east from the lodgings in Cusco, the sky looks overcast from the bedroom window but it might be worth heading out, I walk down the pathways and come across a viewpoint looking towards these … Continue reading
Dia uno – Lima, Peru 10-01-2014
Day one in Lima, fog lingers over the city throughout the morning. During my first exploration I find little in the Miraflores area of interest. A visit to Huaca Pucllana provides distraction for an hour but this is a modern, … Continue reading
A cold November morning on Hampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath in winter frost, London, UK
BEN PIPE PHOTOGRAPHY 