Comments on: Machu Picchu? Not Yet. A Slideshow of the Other Peru

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 13:49:44 +0000

In reply to Magda.

Magda, although some of these places may sound scary and remote it just takes one trip to change your mind 🙂 Huancavelica was certainly way out there. In fact, some of the villages we visited were not connected yet by roads. But, we loved it.

As for Lima, just remember not to always be aware and not wander around aimlessly at night. We really liked the Barranco neighborhood and felt it was safer/more laid back than other areas. Enjoy your trip there with your fiancée! You will certainly eat SOOOO well!!

By: Magda

Magda — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 23:23:34 +0000

Awesome story. I am originally from Peru (Lima) and have never thought about venturing so deep into the mountain villages, though my mother is from Antabamba, a village in Apurimac. I am a scaredy cat when traveling, unfortunately. We’re actually traveling to Lima and Cusco in 2 weeks and I’m very nervous about the crime in Lima, especially since I’m traveling with my fiancée, who is American.

Anyhow, just wanted to commend you on making it all the way to Huancavelica! My best friend’s parents are living there, doing missionary work and she tells me it’s definitely way out there.

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 06:42:21 +0000

@Mary: Thanks so much for your kind comment! In all the work that we’ve done with microfinance organizations we’re always so humbled and inspired by the spirit and resourcefulness of the women involved. And the importance of support and community cannot be underestimated.

By: Mary @ Green Global Travel

Mary @ Green Global Travel — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 22:19:58 +0000

What an amazing and inspiring story! These woman are phenomenal, creative, hard working business women and its’ beautiful to read how supportive they are of eachother in times of need! Thank you for sharing your experiences in Peru as well as these stunning images!

By: Adriana

Adriana — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:55:58 +0000

It’s great to find places like your article, which get aid money for small business development and employment generation. We hear much of it, however it has little knowledge of its existence. Would be nice if future aid reaching other remote locations where there are also needs. Very good article

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:03:37 +0000

@Carmen: It's interesting that you mention that what you hear about microfinance in the States is on an intellectual or theoretical level. I found the same when I was searching for blogs and websites about microfinance. A balance between the theoretical and reality on the ground is best. Yes, we would love to get the contact info for your aunt in Columbia - we hope to visit next year.
@JoAnna: These are the projects and experiences that keep us going on this journey. Interesting question about people in the west (Europe/US) being more closed. When we meet them on the road, I find them to be very open. But, perhaps it is the anonymity of the road that promotes this. Although we haven't lived in the States for eight years, I understand what you're saying about people not knowing their neighbors. Perhaps it has something to do with people moving frequently and the way communities are set up where you have to drive everywhere. That said, there are still many communities in America where people actually know their neighbors. Our old neighborhood of North Beach, San Francisco was certainly one of them. Regardless, we'll look forward to returning someday to do a compare and contrast with what we've witnessed on our journey.
@Hal: Like you and your wife, we find it really fulfilling to be able to use our skills to promote worthy organizations and programs. We have two microfinance photography projects in Bolivia, so stay tuned for the next microfinance installment.
@Lola: Glad you're still enjoying our microfinance installments! Sometimes I feel like maybe we post too much about this topic and readers will start getting bored.
@Blake: Our camera equipment (Nikon D300) was fine, fortunately. Even in Nepal at 5,400 meters, our Nikon held up great but a few other trekkers with Canon DSLRs had problems. Our iPod is several years old (G4), so it's a platter/spinning hard drive. I imagine altitude does not affect flash-based iPods at all. You can find out more about the microfinance organizations we have worked with here. Idealist.org is a great resource as well - just enter the type of organization you're interested in and the geographic area for a list of relevant organizations.
@Neha: Thanks for the kind words about our work!

By: neha

neha — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:55:08 +0000

beautiful pictures! so much character … and great story as always … very inspiring.

By: Blakesjourney

Blakesjourney — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:11:34 +0000

I absolutely love your intimate compositions for the portraits. The candid shots came out really well too. Did you find that your photo gear was effected by the altitude? I don’t know what type of iPod you have, but perhaps the ones with a spinning hard drive (iPod Classic, I think), are the only ones effected.

What fantastic work these organizations do! Industry, ownership, education- Where can I find out more about these NGOs that participate in Mircofinance?

Blakesjourney / TBD

By: Lola

Lola — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:43:27 +0000

How inspirational. Love reading your impressions of micro-financing and the real lives being touched.

Excellent shots as always.

By: Hal Amen

Hal Amen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:35:36 +0000

Microfinance projects are so fascinating, and your idea to photograph the beneficiaries is a great one. My wife and I did something similar in Bolivia, photographing the people and landscapes serviced by a nonprofit green energy org and using the images to create a promotional book. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to get as immersed as you.

Thanks for sharing this.