The Highlands of Peru - pt1

The Highlands of Peru - pt1 · 09:07 PM

The coastal areas of Peru are very dry and essentially desert. Inland, the foothills of the Andes Mountains, are called the Highlands. Ranging in altitude from a few thousand feet to 10,000 feet, the Highlands have distinct rainy and dry seasons. The Highlands are the farming area of Peru and relies on the rain to grow crops. We traveled through the Highlands at the end of the rainy season, when the fields were a magnificent color, and at the same time as the harvest in many areas. In these areas, almost all the harvest is done without the benefit of machines. Below are pictures of some of the farming areas in the Peruvian Highlands.
K20 + DA 16-45mm

**Mallee Boy** · 05-07-2009, 10:21 PM

Wow, beautiful country Frank. It would be interesting to know how productive these farms are as in do they feed the local village, the wider community or just subsistence plots.

With scenery like that you would think tourism would have to outstrip farming as a profitable industry.

Thanks for sharing and well taken btw.
Cheers
Grant

Tommy · 05-07-2009, 11:15 PM

Very nice pictures! Makes me want to go there even more. Had a trip to Peru planned in 2003 which we cancelled because my wife got pregnant (my fault, I guess...). I haven't been able to get Peru out of my head since then. Some day...

roentarre · 05-08-2009, 02:10 AM

Truely beautiful images in deed. Wonderful!

JMR · 05-08-2009, 06:09 AM

Excellent work, Frank. Love the landscapes with the dappled light. And I really like no-4, which is outstanding for the scene alone, but you managed to include the yellow flowers on the left, which beautifully compliments the people in the red hat and yellow shirt.

JMR

daacon · 05-08-2009, 06:09 AM

Great landscapes and interesting commentary. Without machines makes for a tough harvest season I am sure. Thanks for the tour Peru may make my bucket list of places to visit.

Jonson PL · 05-08-2009, 08:02 AM

wow, beautiful

deadwolfbones · 05-08-2009, 08:22 AM

#3 is my favorite but they're all great.

**xs400** · 05-08-2009, 08:43 AM

Originally posted by Mallee Boy

Wow, beautiful country Frank. It would be interesting to know how productive these farms are as in do they feed the local village, the wider community or just subsistence plots.

With scenery like that you would think tourism would have to outstrip farming as a profitable industry.

Thanks for sharing and well taken btw.
Cheers
Grant

I think most of the farming is to feed the local village. The roads many parts of the highlands are not very good, so moving large amounts of agricultural goods is not always practical. Also, we were told that in the highlands the land is community owned, with everyone from the local town working in the fields during planting and harvesting. After the harvest, everything is distributed to the people in the community.

We were told that hunger is not a problem in Peru. Peru is an exporter of food, but most of the exports are from the coastal areas which rely on irrigation. The coastal areas also have much better roads. In the highlands, food in incredibly inexpensive. At a market in Puno, a small city in the highlands, a kilo of rice was selling for less than a dollar.

Jimbo · 05-08-2009, 08:48 AM

Great shots Frank. #3 is a stand out. Nicely done. JIM

**xs400** · 05-08-2009, 01:26 PM

Thanks for all the comments everyone. I truly appreciate all your remarks and comments.
Frank

gawan · 05-09-2009, 11:31 AM

Stunning scenes! They are all excellent, imo, but I think the third is my favourite!

netuser · 05-09-2009, 12:12 PM

Just love the color on #1 and #3.
All handheld, right ?

**xs400** · 05-09-2009, 02:35 PM

Originally posted by netuser

Just love the color on #1 and #3.
All handheld, right ?

Thanks for you comments. And 'Yes', all the the shots were handheld.

**Heinrich Lohmann** · 05-10-2009, 07:06 AM

Frank, what a wonderful set of photos I`m not going to pick a favourite. Thanks for posting this series, I really did enjoy it.

xs400
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05-07-2009, 10:21 PM	#2
Mallee Boy Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,904	Wow, beautiful country Frank. It would be interesting to know how productive these farms are as in do they feed the local village, the wider community or just subsistence plots. With scenery like that you would think tourism would have to outstrip farming as a profitable industry. Thanks for sharing and well taken btw. Cheers Grant

05-07-2009, 11:15 PM	#3
Tommy Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 195	Very nice pictures! Makes me want to go there even more. Had a trip to Peru planned in 2003 which we cancelled because my wife got pregnant (my fault, I guess...). I haven't been able to get Peru out of my head since then. Some day...

05-08-2009, 02:10 AM	#4
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783	Truely beautiful images in deed. Wonderful!

05-08-2009, 06:09 AM	#5
JMR Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 3,332	Excellent work, Frank. Love the landscapes with the dappled light. And I really like no-4, which is outstanding for the scene alone, but you managed to include the yellow flowers on the left, which beautifully compliments the people in the red hat and yellow shirt. JMR

05-08-2009, 06:09 AM	#6
daacon Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 20,914	Great landscapes and interesting commentary. Without machines makes for a tough harvest season I am sure. Thanks for the tour Peru may make my bucket list of places to visit.

05-08-2009, 08:02 AM	#7
Jonson PL Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Copenhagen Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,842	wow, beautiful

05-08-2009, 08:22 AM	#8
deadwolfbones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: La Crescenta, CA Posts: 7,450	#3 is my favorite but they're all great.

05-08-2009, 08:43 AM	#9
xs400 Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,929 Original Poster	Originally posted by Mallee Boy Wow, beautiful country Frank. It would be interesting to know how productive these farms are as in do they feed the local village, the wider community or just subsistence plots. With scenery like that you would think tourism would have to outstrip farming as a profitable industry. Thanks for sharing and well taken btw. Cheers Grant I think most of the farming is to feed the local village. The roads many parts of the highlands are not very good, so moving large amounts of agricultural goods is not always practical. Also, we were told that in the highlands the land is community owned, with everyone from the local town working in the fields during planting and harvesting. After the harvest, everything is distributed to the people in the community. We were told that hunger is not a problem in Peru. Peru is an exporter of food, but most of the exports are from the coastal areas which rely on irrigation. The coastal areas also have much better roads. In the highlands, food in incredibly inexpensive. At a market in Puno, a small city in the highlands, a kilo of rice was selling for less than a dollar.

05-08-2009, 08:48 AM	#10
Jimbo Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Maple Ridge BC Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 11,368	Great shots Frank. #3 is a stand out. Nicely done. JIM

05-08-2009, 01:26 PM	#11
xs400 Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,929 Original Poster	Thanks for all the comments everyone. I truly appreciate all your remarks and comments. Frank

05-09-2009, 11:31 AM	#12
gawan Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Helsinki Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,400	Stunning scenes! They are all excellent, imo, but I think the third is my favourite!

05-09-2009, 12:12 PM	#13
netuser Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Azores Islands, Portugal Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,236	Just love the color on #1 and #3. All handheld, right ?

05-09-2009, 02:35 PM	#14
xs400 Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,929 Original Poster	Originally posted by netuser Just love the color on #1 and #3. All handheld, right ? Thanks for you comments. And 'Yes', all the the shots were handheld.

05-10-2009, 07:06 AM	#15
Heinrich Lohmann Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Airdrie, Alberta Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,097	Frank, what a wonderful set of photos I`m not going to pick a favourite. Thanks for posting this series, I really did enjoy it.