TheWorldinLight Gallery of South America Photos
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Photos of South America
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My photos of South America include people from Peru and Bolivia, landscapes from Venezuela and Peru, and wildlife
from Venezuela and Bolivia. The high altitude in the Andes and the exposure to the sun's uv rays causes the deeply
creased faces seen in these photographs of the people from Peru and Bolivia, giving an interesting character to
their faces. My landscapes include a scene from Los Nevados and the Roraima Tepui in Venezuela, and the Inca Trail,
Incan ruins, and Machu Picchu in Peru. Our wildlife images were captured from the Rio Yacuma in Bolivia, and Los Llanos in
Venezuela.
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Old Woman
This old woman was photographed at a market in Calacoto, Bolivia
just south of La Paz. A travelogue of my trip through Bolivia can be
read at Bolivia Travelogue.
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Child With Churango
The land-locked country of Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South America. Entire families
are homeless here and often will beg for food outside of restaurants. This boy played a churango on
street corners for tips.
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Calacoto Market
This is a vegetable market in Calacoto, Bolivia, just south of La Paz.
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Los Nevados
Los Nevados is a quaint little village in the Andes Mountains of Venezuela. The most popular way
to reach Los Nevados is to first take the longest cable car ride in the world from Merida,
Venezuela - getting off at the next to last mountain stop. Then it's a long beautiful hike to
the village. If you choose to return to Merida by jeep, you'll ride some of the most dangerous
mountain road anywhere.
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Piranha
This is a close-up photograph of the face and teeth of the infamous Piranha.
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Anaconda #672
I waded swamps in Los Llanos, Venezuela for hours looking for the famous anaconda. We found two, coincidentally spaced only
perhaps fifty meters apart from each other. Thankfully, they both had very recently eaten, probably within hours. The largest
of the two - both of which were enormous - was perhaps 6-7 meters long.
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Machu Picchu #5451
The Incan ruins at Machu Picchu are extensive and elaborate. It's easy to spend an entire day
exploring the site.
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Colorful People
The people of Ollantaytambo, Peru are very proud of their Incan heritage. The Incan ruins present there are the site
of the only Incan victory over the invading Conquistadors. On the face of the rock cliff overlooking Ollantaytambo
there is a sculpture - probably several stories tall - of the face of an ancient Incan king.
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Children of Cliza
This group of happy children played on the streets of Cliza, Bolivia.
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Cusco at Night
This is a photograph of the very nice fountain in the Plaza de Armas of Cusco, Peru.
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Anteater #626
This is a tree anteater that I photographed in the Los Llanos region of Venezuela.
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Anaconda #671
It's sheer speculation what this anaconda had eaten. Perhaps it was a Capabara, perhaps a Caiman. In any case, the
curves and lumps in its enormously stretched belly was something that had been alive very shortly before we encountered
this snake.
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Mother and Child
In Cusco, Peru where tourists flock to visit ancient Incan ruins such as Machu Picchu, the local people eke out a life
by selling trinkets and crafts to foreigners. This woman carried her child throughout long days to sell finger puppets
to tourists.
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Machu Picchu #5466
The weather at Machu Picchu changes often and quickly. The ruins are often encased in clouds and
fog in the early morning and sometime throughout the day. However, even then, the sight from the
Gate of the Sun can be spectacular.
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Machu Picchu #5500
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a one-way hike. This prevents trekkers from passing so many
other trekkers and reduces the appearance of crowding on the trail However, I have done this hike
twice - in 1998 and 2006 and I can assure you the trail has become much more crowded. Peruvian
controls have supposedly set restrictions on the number of trekkers, however they now also control
the amount that porters can carry, so there are far more of them.
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Incan Ruins
The Incan Trail is one of the premier treks in the world going along the magnificent
Andes Mountains past several sets of Incan ruins and ending at the most famous of them all -
Machu Picchu.
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Machu Picchu #29
Machu Picchu is the most famous of the Incan Ruins of Peru. Located on the peaks of mountains
near the village of Aguas Calientes, Peru, Machu Picchu is arguably one of the most beautiful places
on earth.
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View From Roraima
Roraima is one of the strange and unusual tepuis of Venezuela. First explored by man in the early
1900's by an expedition sponsored by the National Geographic Society, it was found that half of all
life forms on the tops of this ancient inaccessible mountain were unique, found nowhere else on
earth.
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Anteater #629
The Tree Anteater moves very slowly, almost like a Slow Loris. This one was photographed in
Los Llanos, Venezuela.
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Anteater #627
Los Llanos, Venezuela is home to a highly diverse population of wild animals. The area is full of Caiman, Capabara,
Anteaters, Anaconda and monkeys. Birdwatchers from around the world come here because of the number of different
species of birds here.
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Brothers
These boys played in the Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru.
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Machu Picchu #5540
The 500-year old Incan ruins of Machu Picchu were only re-discoverd in the 1930's. Now nearly
fully restored, the site is one of he most popular tourist attractions in Peru, and perhaps in
all of South America.
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Machu Picchu #5584
Machu Picchu is located in an absolutely stunningly beautiful setting in the Andes Mountains of
Peru. The ruins can be reached by a multi-day trek through the Andes Mountains via the Inca
Trail, or by train to the town of Aguas Calientes at the base of the mountains followed by a
bus ride up.
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Robert Stephens
TheWorldinLight Photographic Gallery
P.O. Box 893
Sterling Heights, MI 48311
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All photographs are the property of Robert Stephens and TheWorldinLight Photographic Gallery. Unauthorized reproduction or use is prohibited by US
copyright law. |
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