Holy City of Air
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Raymond Ravinsky
international photographer
Born and bred in Johannesburg, South Africa, I have also lived in Holland and Israel, and, for much shorter periods of time, in North America.
Having graduated in International Law from the University of Amsterdam in 1984, I worked at law for several years and then went travelling, which included several months in New Zealand and sailing from there to various islands in the South Pacific.
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In 1995 I arrived in Israel and spent my first year there herding goats in the Galilee, followed by teaching English for seventeen years. My last teaching job was in a Youth Village for ‘youth at extreme risk.’ This proved to be the most challenging, but very rewarding, teaching experience I have had.
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And now I continue travelling...I write and I take pictures. And I hope to share a lot of my experiences and impressions with you, and the wider public, in as experiential a way as possible.
Aymara woman overlooking the ancient site of Tiawanaku in Bolivia
Festival dancers in Cusco, Peru
(in black and white & full color)
Mother and daughter having their picture taken in Urubamba, Peru
Rainbow on trek to Mt. Ausangate, Peru
Mt. Ausangate
Mt. Ausangate
Rainbow on trek to Mt. Ausangate, Peru
Church at Maca, Peru
Santa Catalina Monastery, Arequipa, Peru
In the early 1990’s I was drawn to a work by Michael Harner, ‘The Way of the Shaman.’ It fast became my little ‘bible,’ and exploring Peru was my dream.
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Finally, after a long wait, the opportunity arose and my dream came to fruition. I think it’s honest to say that I was awe-struck by Peruvian sights and sounds, from the first moment - I felt immersed in a world of beauty, mystery and wonder.
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During my first stay of three and a half months, in 2017, I took thousands of photographs. And again in 2018, during my second visit, this time for six months, I took thousands more. I also crossed over, into Bolivia, for a short sojourn, and my sense of feeling wonder-struck became deeper.
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It hasn’t been easy, selecting a small number of photographs, to present an impression of the beauty, mystery and wonder. After all, it’s all in the eye of the beholder.
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Ausangate, the Sacred Mountain
Even though I spent 9 and-a-half months in Peru, I feel I barely began exploring the countless sites of natural beauty and mystery.
I am deeply grateful that one of my trek destinations was Mt. Ausangate, the sacred mount, considered as the Guardian Spirit, or Apu, of the Incan Capital, Cusco.
Ausangate is quite fabulous. Our small, guided group started the trek in the tiny village of Pachanta. The moment I laid my eyes on the snow-capped mountain peak in the distance, I became aware of tears rolling over my cheeks. It was obvious to me that something (from) deep in my being was connecting with the being of this amazing mountain. Feelings of other-worldliness pervaded. And to top that, we witnessed a rainbow, on our way.
Mt. Ausangate, at 6,384 metres (20,945 ft), is the highest peak in the Vilcanota Range of the Andes. As we drew closer to the mountain, we passed by the 7 magnificent lakes, which Ausangate is famous for.
Part of me will always be with Ausangate, and I shall always be in awe of this amazing spot on earth.
For more information on Mt. Ausangate:
https://www.andeanlodges.com/en/ausangate-the-sacred-mountain/
https://www.tripsavvy.com/the-apu-mountain-spirits-4135987
Outside the Museum of Peruvian Cultures, Calca, Sacred Valley, Peru
Statue of Pachacuti on Plaza de Armas, Cusco.
17th Century group portraits in the Hermitage Museum, Amsterdam
I keep on coming back to this magnificent city, which I have come to know intimately, over several decades. I have lived, studied and worked here and feel very much at home here.
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There are so many angles from which to view this wonderful city – sheer aesthetics, deep-seated Amsterdam liberalism, leadership in world-class art and more. I trust I am able to present a sense of what excites and inspires me about Amsterdam.
hyacinth field,
nearby Lisse, Holland
The sun starts to set on Amsterdam, seen from close to Central Station
Marina at Oudeschild, Island of Texel (Holland)
Rijksmuseum (Rijks Museum)
(relates to pic # 4 of the Amsterdam slide show)
The main building of the Rijksmuseum was designed by Pieter Cuypers and opened in 1885. One can hardly imagine Amsterdam today, without this imposing landmark. And for me, a visit to Amsterdam is hardly thinkable, without including the Rijksmuseum. It’s more like a pilgrimage.
As with all major museums in the world, the Rijks houses far more objects than you can possibly wish to view. But what’s easy about the Rijks, is that the greatest ‘world heritage’ artworks, that the Museum owns, can be viewed in the central ‘passage-gallery.’ Rembrandt’s ‘Night Watch’ is surely the crowning masterpiece, on the wall at the very end of the gallery, with Vermeer, Hals, Steen and many other breath-taking Golden Age Masters in alcoves on both sides, leading up to the ‘Night Watch.’
But I love the exterior of building itself, too - a particularly photogenic bit of Amsterdam, no matter what time of day or what season of the year. And how exhilarating to cycle under the central part of it, or walk around it, admiring the baroque style gardens.
For more info. on the Rijksmuseum:
https://www.amsterdam.info/museums/rijksmuseum/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijksmuseum