Cannboys 

19 creative works found

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  Machu Picchu
  by Ben Ryan

  The traditional, iconic image of Machu Picchu, with Huayna Picchu in the background. Machu Picchu, Peru

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  Machu Picchu 2
  by Ben Ryan

  Detail view of the iconic Machu Picchu citadel. Machu Picchu, Peru

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  The Finca
  by Ben Ryan

  On the altiplano between Arequipa and Chivay, Peru, there is a small roadhouse of sorts, where travellers can get refreshments. If they are starting to feel the effects of soroche (altitude sickness) at this relatively low altitude (approx 2500m), this is their last chance to obtain the remedies, be they pharmceuticals or Mate de Coca. From here, the road climbs to almost 5km above sea level. Nearby, a peasant market sells crafts and textiles to the tourists, whilst in the distance, this abandoned shed and yards stands bleached and slowly decaying.

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  Llamas
  by Ben Ryan

  On the road between Arequipa and Chivay, Peru, the colour of the tassles on these llamas (pron: jamas) is visible from a great distance against the dull brown and green of the highland Andes. The Inca had bred the llamas so selectively, their fleeces naturally produce 27 different colours (though not on one animal), ranging from white to dark brown and black. One of four camelids indigenous to the Andes, they were the pack animals of the Andes (and still are), as well as providing wool (though not as fine as that of the Alpaca).

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  El Misti, Peru
  by Ben Ryan

  On the road between Arequipa and Chivay, stopped at a roadside market/roadhouse before the major ascent to 4900m. In the distance, the perfect cone shape of El Misti is visible at right, with the rambling mass of Picchu Picchu (on Arequipa’s south-eastern flank) in the bottom left. The sky here is almost completely clear and blue. One of my favourite areas of Peru.

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  Colca Cacti
  by Ben Ryan

  Hanging on a rocky outcrop in the Colca Canyon (Cañon del Colca) in Peru’s south, this cacti stands almost 2metres high. The rocky slopes of the Colca Canyon are covered with bushes and other rugged plant life that manage to survive in this dry, cold, high altitude environment, but few of them rise more than half a metre. This one is the exception. The blurred rockface in the background, is actually close to a kilometre away, on the other side of a deep gorge. In it’s deepest point, the Cañon del Colca is over 3km deep, twice that of the Grand Canyon, making it the second deepest canyon above sea level in the world (the deepest is also in Peru).

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  Machu Picchu 3
  by Ben Ryan

  Another detail view of the famous Inca citadel – Machu Picchu, Peru. This view overlooks the modern day town of Aguas Calientes/Pueblo Machu Picchu, nested far below in the valley on the banks of the Urubamba River, one of the major tributaries of the upper Amazon. The terraces in the background are each approximately 2 metres high, the steep drop-off into the valley below impresses just how easily defended the site would have been (the invading Spanish never found it, rather, it was abandoned after the Inca civilisation collapsed). In many places, the terraces fall away into chasms several hundred metres deep. Machu Picchu, Peru

• 

  Colonial Steps
  by Ben Ryan

  After viewing the display of Juanita (a mummified child sacrifice discovered in the crater of a volcano) at Arequipa’s Museo Santury, I found these steps just off the main courtyard. The museo is housed in an old colonial building in the central region near the plaza de armas, in Arequipa, Perú.

• 

  Colonial Courtyard
  by Ben Ryan

  Arequipa’s Museo Santury is housed in a large old colonial building just off the Plaza de Armas, in the city centre. On a hot sunny day (as many are in this part of the country), some time in the shade, away from the chaos of the street outside, was a welcome relief. The building retains its classic colonial style, with the central paved courtyard, with rooms and functional areas feeding off it. Whilst the building has been extensively renovated inside to house the museo, they’ve done a great job in keeping the building’s original character. The museo’s most famous inhabitant is Juanita, a 13 year old child sacrificed in the crater of a volcano to quell the Gods who inhabited the mountain. Her death is estimated to have occurred shortly before the Spanish conquest of Peru began, but her mummified body was not discovered until the volcano erupted in the 1990’s, and the ice encasing her body melted. Up to a dozen other corpses of children have been discovered in similar situations in the area, heavily populated by active volcanoes. Arequipa, Peru

• Lowering my standards
  by Ben Ryan

  Never thought I’d end up doing this, but I’m now spamming my watchlist to ask that Ok, I’m coming 2nd in the “Latin America book chall…

  Never thought I’d end up doing this, but I’m now spamming my watchlist to ask that Ok, I’m coming 2nd in the Latin America book challenge AND the Latin America Calendar challenge There’s just a few days to go with the voting. My image of Machu Picchu needs your vote. ...I feel so dirty.

• My last week here
  by Ben Ryan

  ...well, kinda. Althought I will no longer be working for RedBubble beyond the 26th September, I’ll still be using the site I guess, I’ll…

  ...well, kinda. Althought I will no longer be working for RedBubble beyond the 26th September, I’ll still be using the site I guess, I’ll just be keeping my head down and staying focussed on my groups, and perhaps getting more artwork online. It’s been kind of ironic that as I’ve been drawn deeper and deeper into the RB quagmire, my creative output has diminished. So in that regard, I’m kinda glad to be moving on, as the lack of motivation to do somthing creative has been a bit depressing. At the moment I’m really not sure where I will be moving to, I have to decide between two firm job offers and both have their good and bad points. Have to make a decision in the next few days.

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  Red Fargo
  by Ben Ryan

  Old, beaten up vehicles are the norm in Latin America, where everything seems to be kept alive for decades longer than in the 1st world, despite the rougher roads and less than favourable driving habits of some locals. Machines are held together by grease and rust, though in the dry regions of Andes, it’s possibly the combination of altitude and low humidity. Shot on the streets of Arequipa, Peru

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  Chachani
  by Ben Ryan

  The southern Peruvian city of Arequipa is bordered by several volcanic cones. This one, Chachani, is the northern-most of the mountains. The Arequipa airport sits at its base, and being an open tarmac, you get a good, up close view of the mountain when walking to and from your plane. Numerous lava flows from past eruptions can be seen on the flanks of the volcano, whilst in the foreground, the Río Chill cuts through the desert.

• 

  El Misti, Peru
  by Ben Ryan

  The southern Peruvian city of Arequipa is bordered by several volcanic cones. This one, El Misti, sits in the middle of the range, and dominates the eastern horizon from anywhere in the city (it is also the closest to the city). Rising to over 5000m above sea level, it is one of the view active volcanoes in the region that has regular treks to the summit. Numerous lava flows from past eruptions can be seen on the flanks of the volcano, whilst in the foreground, the Río Chill cuts through the desert.

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  El Monasterio de Santa Catalina
  by Ben Ryan

  Despite what the name may suggest, the Monasterio is in fact a convent, and still in use by the order of nuns who founded it in 1580. It is a city within a city, with rambling narrow stone streets such as this meandering around the site, located in central Arequipa, Peru. The main streets are named after the major cities of Spain, and each has a different character about it, ranging from the deep blue of the sky, to brilliant white, and the stark reds seen here.

• 

  El Monasterio de Santa Catalina
  by Ben Ryan

  Despite what the name may suggest, the Monasterio is in fact a convent, and still in use by the order of nuns who founded it in 1580. It is a city within a city, with rambling narrow stone streets such as this meandering around the site, located in central Arequipa, Peru. The main streets are named after the major cities of Spain, and each has a different character about it, ranging from the deep blue of the sky, to stark reds, and the brilliant white seen here.

• 

  Puruchuco Alley
  by Ben Ryan

  Peru’s capital, Lima, is littered with ruins of civilisations that preceded the conquistadors, and not all of these are of Incan origin, though at the time of the Spanish conquest, they had been occupied or overun by the Incan empire. This one, Puruchuco, is nested at the base of a stony mountain on the eastern flank of the city. The remnants of an Incan fortress stand at the top of the mountain, high above these restored buildings. The complex is relatively small by Peruvian standards, but there are still numerous narrow stone alleys that open into darkened rooms, sprawling plazas, or end suddenly.

• 

  Ice Cream
  by Ben Ryan

  In Peru, ice cream vendors can be found all over the city, cycling around on these bikes with a decent sized esky on the front. I took this photo on the outskirts of Lima – he was headed out of town, possibly going home, or possibly leaving the city to his luck on the roadside.

• 

  Puruchuco
  by Ben Ryan

  This is Puruchuco, nested at the base of a stony mountain on the eastern flank of the city. The remnants of an Incan fortress stand at the top of the mountain, high above these restored buildings. The complex is relatively small by Peruvian standards, but there are still numerous narrow stone alleys that open into darkened rooms, sprawling plazas, or end suddenly. The walls follow a symmetrical grid of criss-crossing narrow alleyways, hemmed by high walls made of adobe mud brick. Peru’s capital, Lima, is littered with ruins of civilisations that preceded the conquistadors, and not all of these are of Incan origin, though at the time of the Spanish conquest, they had been occupied or overun by the Incan empire.