THE PROMPTS FOR THE MONTH
MONDAY 1st WINDOW: These ornate but often tiny windows
are an essential part of the ancient architecture of Cusco. This one is too
small to enable anyone to actually stand on what appears to be the balcony but
the window is often open and people peer out into the street below especially
when there are parades and street performances as there have been today as it
is a public holiday for May Day / Labour Day and celebrations abound
TUESDAY 2nd NO FILTERS: We had the perfect day
weather-wise for our ten hour guided bus tour from Cusco to Puno. These Inca
ruins in the Archeological Park at Raqchi were one of the included stops and a
fascinating addition to the insights we gained at Machu Picchu. This shot is
exactly as it was taken with my phone: no filters, no cropping and no edits of
any kind
WEDNESDAY 3rd SKYLINE: Where the water meets the sky
at Lake Titicaca, it creates a skyline of serenity, which sharply contrasts
with the bustling chaos of Puno town. Our first glimpse of the lake this
morning didn't disappoint but at 3,800 meters the going is slow and we are still
acclimatising
THURSDAY 4th INSIDE MY HOME: This was a difficult one
since we packed up this lovely home in Thimphu and left on Dec 31st and have
been living out of suitcases, staying with friends and family and travelling
ever since. After four months of adventure and five countries later, we are
still loving it. So it's an archive shot of our much-loved living room in
Mothithang Thimphu where so many dreams took flight and happy memories were
created.... a hotel room simply isn't a home
FRIDAY 5th ON MY PLATE: at breakfast this morning was
this selection of fresh fruit: Peruvian passionfruit, peeled prickly pears and
kiwi fruit.
SATURDAY 6th NATURE: As an Aussie the desert and
beaches are the nature I am most familiar with but the majesty of the mountains
always leaves me spellbound. Years in Bhutan admiring the Himalayas has taught
me to appreciate their beauty and the possible terror they can hold. The Andes
are another formidable range. This was the view from The La Raya viewpoint on
our way into Puno 4 days ago. At 4,335 metres above sea level it its the
highest road pass in the country and the hint of snow on the peak just adds to
the allure of nature’s mountains as far as I am concerned. Funnily enough this
shot reminds me of the paramount pictures logo
SUNDAY 7th WISH: My only wish all day has been that we
would sail through immigration both out of Peru and into Bolivia at the land
crossing Kasani and that is exactly what happened. We also got the bonus of
this beautiful view as we checked into our hotel on Lake Titicaca
MONDAY 8th PAINT: after several attempts we did find
the vegetarian/ vegan restaurant Hostal Joshua, recommended to us in Puno. It's
unmarked and in an unlikely location but we were seated at a table by the wall
that someone had taken a lot of trouble to paint this mural on. Again things come full circle and "om" blessings appear
TUESDAY 9th STAIRS: The rough-hewn, rock stairs
leading to the peak of Isla de Luna on Lake Titicaca this morning, look as if
they are leading directly to the clouds
WEDNESDAY 10th I LOVE….. : to travel and this latest
adventure has been a reconfirmation that the best travel experiences prompt one
to recall previous adventures and inspire new places to visit. Today we
climbed to the lookout point over Copacabana and Lake Titicaca and marvelled at
the views
THURSDAY 11th EYES: We have seen these knitted masks
in both Peru and Bolivia and even saw people wearing them in a street parade in
Cusco. Hanging here among other textiles and souvenirs the eyes almost look
real
FRIDAY 12th WIRE: The tangle of wire above is
mind-boggling here in La Paz. Everywhere you look there is overhanging wire and
I am constantly trying to avoid getting it in photos. In less than 48hours in
the city this is the fourth worker I have seen grappling with the electrical
and telecommunication wires. Luckily we have not experienced any blackouts or
electrical problems but it must be a nightmare for the workers. Makes me
grateful for the predominately underground cabling and uncluttered views we enjoy
in Adelaide
SATURDAY 13th FREE CHOICE: Returning from the Mamani Mamani
Gallery where we saw countless examples of Roberto Mamani Mamani’s work we
spotted this mural on the wall of the central market in La Paz. It was painted
and signed by him in 2012. His work is significant in its use of Aymaran
indigenous tradition and symbols. It therefore seemed appropriate to see an
indigenous woman walking by at the same time. I love the simplistic, geometric
quality of his imagery
SUNDAY 14th QUIRKY: These llama fetuses hanging on the
stalls in the Witches Market in La Paz are not only quirky but also creepy.
Bolivians believe they bless the construction if buried beneath the foundations
of a house
MONDAY 15th BEGINS WITH A: In this part of the world
it just has to be Alpaca
TUESDAY 16th STREET ART: This lovely simplistic street
art in a back alley caught my attention a couple of days ago. I'm thankful I
took it now as we will be in a bus all day and all things going according to plan
back in Peru by nightfall
WEDNESDAY 17th CLOUDS: We have crossed the temperate
tundra through the Andes this afternoon and there has been an ever changing
display of clouds but this ominous cloud above the volcano in the late
afternoon seemed to be an arrow head pointing to our destination- Arequipa
THURSDAY 18th PASTEL: South America is a place of
bright, bold colours and this had me stumped for a while today but then we
stopped for a late lunch early dinner at Omphalos Vegetarian Restaurant and these
pastel pots with herbs growing in them were on the wall of the lovely open
courtyard
FRIDAY 19th LEARN: Today we took a day trip to Colca
Canyons specifically to see the Andean condors. My heart sank when the guide
said that sometimes there are none to be seen but I am trying to learn
mindfulness and positive thinking so rather than dwell on his words I focused
on the fact that it was a beautiful day and the condors live there so why wouldn’t
we see them and we did. I learned that they are majestic and that it is very
difficult to capture them when you are so in awe of seeing them
SATURDAY 20th MUSIC: The music we have heard most
often in Peru is created by the panpipes and this is a photo of a painting we
saw today of a player. However when I looked up "Ayarachi" I
discovered both the drum and panpipes are used for this type of music and the
accompanying dance and it is mostly performed at festivals or funerals and
seems to belong to the Quechua ethic group
SUNDAY 21st MEMORIES: For me my significant memories
are the places I have lived and travelled and the people I have met along the
way. I hold them in my heart and revisit them through the thousands of photos I
take and keep and often look at when I recall specific events and experiences.
Maybe that’s why there are almost 50,000 photos in my computer these days
MONDAY 22nd SOMETIMES I.....: look at the completely
incomprehensible menu and think well it's all vegetarian so take a wild guess
at what it might be and try your luck. After a scary plane ride to the capital
and equally hairy taxi ride downtown to arrive at the oddest hotel yet in Peru
(think Fawlty Towers and prime real estate in faded glory) why wouldn't dinner
be a Spanish guessing game
TUESDAY 23rd SIMPLICITY: After spending so much of our
time at home disposing of possessions and downsizing, I have resisted the urge
to buy souvenirs in Peru until yesterday. This baby alpaca open weave burnt
orange scarf was simply too good for me to resist. Bold single colours and
quality yarns and fabrics are certainly me and this is the simplicity of style
I adore
WEDNESDAY 24th HAT: Ian wearing his new Peruvian
Panama hat looking out over Plaza San Martin from our room in central Lima
THURSDAY 25th LINEN: This is the monogrammed bed linen
in the hotel we are staying in in Lima. The really weird thing is there are two
hotels with almost the exact same name and now that we have stayed in both we
know they both have the same monogrammed linen and towels but are completely
different establishments. Our devices even connected on arrival at the second
one so the Internet passwords are also the same. Hotel Belen and Belen 1084,
what's going on here???? Love a mystery
FRIDAY 26th QUOTE: This quote has resonated with me
for years. It makes me more mindful and appreciative. Today we leave Peru and I
am reflecting on the many moments that have taken my breath away in this
beautiful country. The photo is of the harbour at Copacabana, Bolivia, where we
spent 5 days admiring the views and sunsets just 2 weeks ago
SATURDAY 27th SHOP: I'm not big on shopping and
airport shops are the worst. We spent several hours in the George Bush Airport
in Houston today. I guess markets and bookshops are the exception to the rule.
I pottered about in this bookshop today but escaped without purchasing anything
SUNDAY 28th DEPTH OF FIELD: the beautiful living
freesias on the table in sharp focus in front of the print of the Brooklyn
Bridge hanging on the wall in McKenny's lovely West Hollywood apartment. I love
that the Brooklyn Bridge is an iconic image I have long admired and enjoyed. I
even chose it for the only postcard I purchased in NYC
MONDAY 29th I WANT TO EAT THIS.....: scrambled eggs
with onion, baby spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, red capsicum and cheese served
on crumpets with Vegemite is a rare Aussie treat for this nomad on the loose. I
definitely wanted to eat Ian's famous big breakfast served in West Hollywood
this morning and certainly did
TUESDAY 30th IN MY HAND: are my passport and the
currency we will need in the next 24 hours. Leaving our travel phase behind and
as Peru fades slowly into the background of beautiful travel memories, we enter
the next stage in our nomadic existence. Moving on with a positive outlook and
optimism
WEDNESDAY 31st SOMETHING RED: Well maroon is deep
brownish red, so I think it counts. This is an oryx, the symbol of the Qatar
Airline. We are in Hamad the International 5 Star Airport in Doha. After a
smooth and uneventful 16 hour flight, we now just a couple of hours to wait and
another 6 hour flight and we will be back in our old stomping ground in Bangkok
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