oNe PhOtO a DaY MaY 2017

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