Fam Tour Peru
PERU FAM TOUR
Story and Photos by Lori BaltonAs location professionals, the more of the world we explore, the better information source we are for production designers, producers, and directors. This trip, sponsored by PromPeru, a division of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, provided an in-depth look at diverse country. With deserts (the world’s largest dunes), Andean mountains, tropical coastline, Amazon jungles, Peru boasts 84 of 104 known ecosystems on the planet, as well as primitive villages and cosmopolitan cities.
With the incredibly capable Bruno Canale and Jose “Chino” Luy as our guides, Mexican line producer Jose Ludlow (Kinema Films de Mexico), Karen Watts of “Shoot Latin America,” and LMGA scouts Stuart Barter and I, had the trip of a lifetime. The logistics were impeccable; along with locations, we experienced vibrant festivals, parades, and demonstrations. We traveled by plane, train, foot, pickup truck, motorcycle taxi, bus, and boat, spending a fair amount of time in high altitudes. We packed a lot into twelve challenging days.
A nation of mixed ethnic origins, Peru is a melting pot of ancient civilizations with rich Colonial, Asian and African influences. The sophisticated blend of culture, music, textures, flavors, colors is fascinating. You step seamlessly back in time: mystical ancient ruins, Incan salt mines and farm circles, villages of stone houses--and yet there is always a great internet connection back at the hotel.
Lima, the capital and largest city in Peru features early colonial, Spanish Baroque, and modern architecture. We toured lush villas and mansions, as well as faded barrios and the “pueblos jovenes.” Lima can double for most Latin American cities, and in certain areas, cities in Europe and the States.
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Arequipa, “the White City” (for the volcanic stone used in its impressive colonial architecture) is within reach of the world's deepest canyons and smoking volcanoes. We explored the Santa Catalina Monastery, built in 1580. This city within city is guarded by imposing walls and is one of the most amazing colonial religious buildings in Peru. The mazelike convent features Moorish architecture in a complex of ascetic living quarters and picturesque plazas, with narrow twisting cobblestone streets, vividly painted walls, ornate fountains, and hidden staircases.
In the Puno region is the world’s highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca, at the Bolivian border. This high-elevation altiplano lake features the storybook floating islands of the Uros, where indigenous people continue to live on islands built of indigenous totora reeds, and the (literally!) breathtaking climb up Taquile Island, ruins in the foreground, Bolivian volcano in the distance across the sparkling blue water.
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The mystical city of Cusco, in the Urubamba (Sacred Valley) of the Andes Mountains, was the capital of the Incan Empire. The gateway to Machu Picchu, Cusco is home to the fortress of Sacsayhuaman—incredible stonework without mortar that has survived for centuries. Like Cusco, neighboring towns of Pisac and Ollantaytambo illustrate ingenious Incan planning, with narrow cobblestone streets that have been continuously inhabited since the 13th century. The patchwork of fields, rimmed by vast terracing and complex stonework—intricate terraces, water ducts and steps cut out of solid rock is mystifying.
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The jewel in the crown is awe-inspiring Machu Picchu, the lofty Incan citadel perched on an isolated mountaintop. One of the new Seven Wonders of the World, enigmatic Machu Picchu took our breath away. Bruno and Chino regaled us with tales of recent film shoots at this popular tourist site.
From the Andes, we headed to the jungle—not the thick Amazonian jungle, but rather, the accessible jungle around La Merced and San Ramon--an easy 6-hour drive east of Lima. It’s accessible and it’s an easy and less expensive trip to transport equipment,crew and cast. For VIPs, helicopters can be easily arranged from Lima. Bruno Canale summed up the area’s advantage succinctly: “You can get 360 degrees of jungle without fighting bugs, rafts, or dangerous animals!”
The road back to Lima from the jungle took an unexpected turn, reinforcing the importance of having local production support. The indigenous people closed the road with a demonstration of solidarity with Northern Amazonians over a dispute about natural resources. Our guides successfully negotiated our passage. Stuart Barter explained: “The way Bruno and Chino got us through the road block outside La Merced represents some of the best on-the-spot thinking and ingenuity that I have ever seen. It was brilliantly thought out and perfectly executed with timed connections moving from motorbike taxi, to van, to van at night in Andean Villages—all hooked together by last minute cell phone calls. It was indescribable, like being refugees in some Film Noir movie with a happy ending!”
A happy ending, indeed….I cannot wait to return! For more information: www.peru.info, www.shootlatinamerica.com