Travel Peru : Exploring Andean Culture in the unknown Andes (and a bit of the jungle)

Travel Peru : Exploring Andean Culture in the unknown Andes (and a bit of the jungle)

How great it feels to be out exploring for the purpose of photography again! Peru is so incredible and so unique in this regard. The geographical diversity is like nowhere I’ve been, but above all, the Andean people and their culture… What I regularly see here is special.

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Back Into the Andes!

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Back Into the Andes!

If you’re in Peru and you want to truly enjoy nature, to have fun in it – the jungle without a doubt is where it’s at. We had some great family bonding moments here. In a jungle hot spring pool, Mia learned to swim. We made new friends, visited countless waterfalls, and swam some more.

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At the end of the jungle road

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At the end of the jungle road

The city itself was never our final destination, it was simply the direction in which we were heading. We looked to take as many side roads as possible. To explore and, to enjoy the warmth of the jungle and the myriad of rivers and waterfalls.

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Further into the jungle

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Further into the jungle

The jungle area of Peru is very different from the mostly desert coast. The distances between settlements are much shorter. There’s so much fascinating diverse geography – lakes, rivers, forest reserves…

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From the coast for the jungle!

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From the coast for the jungle!

I’d already been to many regions in Peru, but, I still had not really spent time in the jungle. So… that’s what I wanted to do. It’s what my family wanted to do after spending almost two months by the coast.

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The wild, the amazing & the forgotten coastline of Peru

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The wild, the amazing & the forgotten coastline of Peru

Much of the Pan-American Highway in Northern Peru is incredibly unexciting. Straight for tens of kilometers, it weaves its way through farms, desert, and some non-descript villages. But, mostly, it’s desert, and not the spectacular type, with huge sand dunes.

What I managed to photograph in 2020 (part III)

What I managed to photograph in 2020 (part III)

Early March, and we were still making fun of Covid with our Belarusian friend. This whole thing was a joke we’d say, a scam to get people to buy masks and hand sanitizer. When she left back to Belarus, she said that things were turning mad in Europe.

What I managed to photograph IN 2020 (PART I)

What I managed to photograph IN 2020 (PART I)

Unless you’ve personally experienced a war or a natural catastrophe, you’ll likely agree, for you, 2020 has been the worst year… EVER. For me - someone who’s identity has in large part been defined by travel, this has been a miserable year.

Accidentally chasing the carnival in the Andes

Accidentally chasing the carnival in the Andes

Just a couple of weeks before all the madness with Covid-19 began, I was having the time of my life. Joined by our friend Tata, from Belarus we were traveling the mountainous regions of Peru. The carnival season was finishing, but… as we now look back at everything, it was inevitable that we’d come across some celebrations.

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Leaving the Caucasus for… a while

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Leaving the Caucasus for… a while

The Caucasus region was meant to be a stop on my way to Mongolia. But, I stayed. Fell in love with Georgia. Came back, stayed longer. Fell in love with Armenia. Over the past three years I’ve been leaving – coming back, spending months at a time here.

My love affair with South America

My love affair with South America

I had dreamt about this continent for almost 15 years. So much I heard, so much I read and saw in pictures. I was connected to South America. Through friends. Through my university Spanish teachers. I can’t believe I put off coming here for so long. 

Hanging out at the animal markets of Boyacá

Hanging out at the animal markets of Boyacá

Boyacá. Beautiful, mountainous. The climate is cool, there aren’t mosquitoes and, it’s safe. Or at least there isn’t someone always telling you to watch your back, as happens almost everywhere else in Colombia.

All images text and ideas © Mitchell Kanashkevich 2017

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