This first photograph is by far one of my all-time favourites.
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| Local Woman. Ventilla, Bolivia. 2010. |
I took this when our bus stopped just outside of Ventilla, Bolivia. Our driver got out and started talking to a local man and this charming lady watched their conversation unfold over the wall. The look of pure joy in her expression made a very bumpy bus journey worth every minute.
We were on our way to complete the Takesi trek (we booked through Elma Tours, who were extremely helpful and kind) when I took this photograph. The takesi trek was strenuous, both physically and emotionally, but the landscapes we encountered were spectacular and worth the extra effect we put in.
Picture this: 8 hours of trekking (mostly uphill) having to set up camp in the dark on the edge of a mountain. We were all drained of energy and rather cold. After that, a sleeping bag seemed like the only thing that could lighten the mood. Well, we couldn't have been more wrong. That night some of the girls on the trip were very ill which resulted in very little sleep and nine grumpy girls.
This picture sounds awful and believe me none of us were in the mood to continue trekking the next day but that negative atmosphere quickly changed when we opened our tents. We were greeted by the morning sun slowly rising behind the now cloudless mountains. A beam of sunlight hit a neighbouring mountainside and it was breathtaking.
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| The Andes. Bolivia, 2010. |
Jx
