vicuñas
A few days ago I witnessed Peru’s national animal in the wild. As we drove through Pampa Galeras National Park high in the altiplano, four vicuñas surprised us as they walked along the side of the highway. They would only be the first of many. I wasn’t prepared to photograph wildlife on this trip (no long glass), but I still managed a few roadside snaps of these beautiful animals. Back in the 70s they were endangered, but the population has since recovered. In the national park alone I heard estimates of about 80,000. Once you start looking, you realize they are everywhere, grazing on the hillsides and blending in with the color of their surroundings.
sheepish
Near Oxapampa, Perú
la rural in buenos aires
Just a few blocks from where I am staying in Buenos Aires I came across a piece of South America that reminds me of my North Dakotan childhood. I’m in town to attend the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop, and during some story hunting Oscar Durand and I stopped by La Rural. It’s a giant livestock show (think state fair on crack!) in its 125th year. Cattle, ducks, horses, sheep, pigs, llamas and alpacas abound, as well as the same “sweet” smell that filled my nostrils when I visited the livestock unit as a kid.
The artisanal food products rocked: alfajores made with chocolate and whiskey, whole dried pears and peaches, Patagonian-made dulce de leche. Loved trying some national products as well as watching the gauchos drink their mate while sporting their distinguished berets.
Buenos Aires is unlike any other place I’ve visited. As I walk from neighborhood to neighborhood, I feel as if I’m switching continents. From posh Puerto Madero that reminds me of Toronto to a small cafe that reminds me of Italy, it’s a country that has absorbed the influence of its many immigrants. Looking forward to one more week here.
five endangered amazonian manatees released in peru
Originally published by Living in Peru on May 23
In 2008 Juliana lived in Barrio Florido along the Amazon River in Perú. Tourists paid to see her, an Amazonian manatee, a gem of the jungle. As her owner’s wallet grew, her health withered.
In 2009 Victoria was up for sale at the Mercado de Productores in Iquitos. The 57-pound manatee could have fed a family for weeks.
In 2007 Centro de Rescate Amazónico — a collaboration between NGO Acobia-DWAZoo, the Dallas World Aquarium and regional government — opened in Iquitos to help endangered species in the Amazon. Juliana and Victoria were rescued. Manatees that came before Juliana and Victoria weren’t as fortunate. El Centro de Rescate Amazónico is the first of its kind in Perú.
On April 22, 2011, after more than three years of rehabilitation, Juliana, Victoria and three other manatees were released into their natural habitat deep in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. This was the first release of the endangered species in Perú.
With the financial support of the Dallas World Aquarium the center was able to keep the young manatees alive with a lactose-free milk formulated for orphaned mammals. Previous attempts to rescue manatees with cow milk and other substitutes failed.
In 1970, the species (Trichechus inunguis) was first listed as endangered. The mammal was once hunted commercially for its meat and oil. Despite laws that now protect the dwindling population, natives continue to hunt the manatee.
Javier Velásquez Varela of Centro de Rescate Amazónico says more important than saving the animals is educating locals about the mammals’ value. Putting five manatees back into the wild every few years won’t be enough to keep the species alive, he says. So the center uses education to create awareness of the manatee in the community and hopefully reduce the number of manatees taken in as pets, used as tourist traps or killed for meat and oil.
In addition to the education program, the center welcomes tourists and volunteers. The visitors get the chance to help at feeding time, holding the bottles for the manatees as they drink.
The Amazonian manatee is the only freshwater species of manatee and lives in the lakes and rivers of the Amazon Basin in South America, a system that contains 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. The manatee plays a vital role in controlling the population of aquatic plants on the surface of the water, which is important to water quality and the survival of other species. If aquatic plants crowd the surface of the water, they keep light from reaching life under the surface of the water. The fish that depend on plants below the surface are the lifeblood of the Amazonian communities. If these fish become as scarce as the manatee, communities will go hungry and lose their economic base.
the hairless peruvian dog
This is the dog the Obamas missed out on. Back when the family was searching for the perfect White House dog, the Association of Hairless Peruvian Dogs in Lima offered one of their kind to the first family. They opted for a Portuguese water dog instead. I’ll admit, my relationship with these creatures can’t be classfied as “love at first sight,” but I have become fond of this lady who lives at my favorite photo store in Lima. Touching her is like rubbing up against warm leather. And the rock to her right? She uses it like most dogs use tennis balls. Ouch!
chanchamayo goodness
Back in December during a trip to Chachamayo a beautiful woman took me to a beautiful waterfall. Se llama velo de la novia. Veil of the bride. After visiting the waterfall we stopped and ate some delicious anticuchos next to a tied up tigrillo. Anything can happen in Perú!
the synonomy of llamas and perú
I’ve been in Perú for more than a month and haven’t yet shared a photo of a llama. Forgive me, Perú! Aquí está ; )
Near Lake Titicaca hipódromo de monterrico
I’ve never been to a horse race in the United States. Heck, I’ve never even put on a fancy hat to watch a race on television, but about two weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the stables and horse race track here in Lima. I made a few images but spent most of the day watching. The horses. The people. The luck of the way things worked.
tupin
On the way back from the central rainforest of Perú, we stopped for one night in the mountain town of Tarma, known as the Pearl of the Andes. It’s known for its delicious cheeses and manjar blanco (what we know as dulce de leche). Instead of staying in town we opted for a hacienda on the outskirts of town called La Florida. A short walk from the hacienda was the small town of Tupin, full of livestock, houses of mud and smiling, weathered faces.
caldo de gallina – the real thing!
It’s basically chicken noodle soup, except fresher, especially when you buy the hen from the neighbor and kill it minutes before you cook it. You can find caldo de gallina everywhere, in nice restaurants, roadside stands and in the homes of many Peruvians.
If you want to make your own caldo de gallina, here’s a good looking recipe. Add some fresh parsley right before serving it. Delicious!
(Forgive me for being so excited to eat that I didn’t photograph the main event – the actual finished caldo!)
Natividad prepares caldo de gallina in her home in Alto San Juan in the department of Junín in the central rainforest of Perú.
