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Peru: Macchu Pichu

Written by Jerry Riley

Saturday, 27 September 2008

I traveled to Peru to see the Inca ruins at Macchu Pichu; in search of landscapes. Here I was captivated by street scenes, a new palette, another culture living in the shadow of great mountains: the Andes.

There is also that use of colour: buildings, vehicles, clothing, the texture of life. I wander the streets of Cuzco and Lima, looking at daily life.

Macchu Pichu is possibly one of the most breathtaking scenes I have witnessed, not only stunning when you gaze upon the entirety of it from a hill top, but inside the ruins there was architectural genius: terraced fields on the mountaintop, rooms with running water, hand cut stones that fit together with the precision of every modern technology. It is a major tourist destination for every traveler to South America.

You can see my pictures from Peru here.

The challenge was to make non-tourist pictures of a place that catered to hundreds of people every day. They arrive around 11 a.m., are all feed cafeteria style by the government-run hotel, turned loose in the ruins when the light is at it's worst - directly overhead, bleaching out all character of the place.

I found a shady spot, protected from the sun by the ancient wall supporting my back, and rested. At 3 p.m. the visitors scurry to the train that will return them to Cuzco. At 4 p.m. the sun starts to drop. I am alone in the place but for a lone figure sitting on a large stairway, dwarfed by the scale of the ruins. The light is magical and I capture a view that few must have seen. I stayed overnight nearby, and entered the ruins early the next morning when the caretakers opened the gate. I was alone again but for one other figure in the distance and the dozen or so men cutting the grass. The mountaintop is enveloped in cloud, a massive swirling stew of whites and grays. As the sun rises above the peaks, the cover burns away to expose Macchu Pichu in yet another light. The tourists will be here soon.

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written by Stephen Wanyama , September 27, 2008

The pictures are stunning, and a further adornment to these pages. I have heard a lot about Macchu Picchu, this even though I have not been anywhere in South America.

Pity that one has to go to such lengths to get proper photographs, but happpiness is being able to have you share these glimpes with us.

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