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CELEBRADA / PHOTO: JOHN FARNSWORTH
Join
painter/photographer John Farnsworth for a trip back in time, on Peruvian
Pasos, supplied by Peru’s leading breeders of the world’s smoothest riding
horse. (Not your usual rental horse!)
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Explore ancient Inca Ruins
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Sprawling Indian markets
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Historic haciendas
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Incredible ranchos
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Museums of art and archaeology
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Enjoy exceptional and distinctive Peruvian cuisine.
• Ride
on sandy beaches, through desert and mountain terrain, along the main
streets of timeless villages, and through farmlands and country side where
tourists seldom venture. Our days will begin with a lecture and a
demonstration of either watercolor sketching or photography, followed by
time for your own artistic endeavors with John’s assistance and
encouragement. After lunch, we will ride for two to four hours, followed
by free time for relaxing, painting, photographing, shopping, and surprise
special events. There will also be many exciting photographic
opportunities while we are riding.
Both
riding and art/photo instruction are designed for all experience levels,
from beginner to advanced. Even those who have never ridden are said to
experience none of the aches and pains of riding on other horse breeds.
The Peruvian Paso is a sturdy horse, and its natural, four-beat, lateral
 gait
is, without question, the most comfortable ride in the world. Many people
who have had to give up riding due to a bad back find that they can go on
thirty mile trail rides on these wonderful, beautiful animals with no
problems as a result. Pasos are also among the most beautiful horses, and
make great models for the painter as well as for the photographer.
While film photographers are welcome, those using digital will have the
advantage of seeing and discussing our work at each day’s end. You must be
familiar with your camera. We will focus on the artistic, seeing side of
photography, rather than on the technical. John will be available at all
times to help with framing, composition, lighting, planning, correcting
for conditions, and finding the heart of your subject.
 We
will be traveling with a staff whose purpose
is to make our trip as
enjoyable and as carefree as possible. We will be treated royally, with
our horses brought to us saddled and ready to go. At the end of the ride,
we trade our trusty steeds for a cool drink. For those who don’t care to
ride on any given day, a myriad of other adventures await. When traveling
other than by horseback, we use the Mother Ship (an air conditioned
Mercedes Benz bus complete with reclining seats, video and cool drinks).
There is NO camping involved. We will stay in the finest hotels available,
all with showers and sometimes spas, swimming pools, and even massages
available. We enjoy memorable meals found only in Peru, a country known
for some of the world’s best dining. |
PERUVIAN
ODYSSEY
John Farnsworth
Feb11-20, 2005
$2900
 We will
spend three days in LIMA and experience the extravagant Gold Museum,
President’s Palace, Old Town, China Town, and private tours of local
artists’ studios. We will visit ruins, such as: sacred Pachacamac, Huaca
La Centinela, built by the Chinchas (1200-1450 AD, later influenced by the
Inca, and Tambo Colorado in the Valley of Pisco, the best preserved Inca
monument on the coast of Peru. The Indian markets of Lima and the smaller
villages, with their profusion of colorful native costumes will provide
great opportunities for sketching and photography.
 In CHINCHA, our base will be the lovely 16th Century Hacienda San Jose,
with its hundred year old farming and building equipment still in use,
where the lovely gardens, the picturesque old capilla, and the catacombs
will inspire us, and the food will delight us. We will also visit the
beautiful working hacienda, San Fernandito, owned for generations by the
Pescheria family to photograph and sketch natives and horses at work. We
will take our cameras and sketchbooks to the Museum and Caves at Paracas
National Reserve, an unspoiled natural paradise where desert sands reveal
the treasures of ancient civilizations, and to the Island of Ballestas,
breeding and birthing place of Sea Lions, Humboldt Penquins and Peruvian
Boobies, as well as to see Flamingos, Sea Wolves and thousands of other
marine mammals and birds.
"(We) rode out onto
the dirt roads lined with old eucalyptus trees and ancient adobe walls;
passing through lush farmland where cotton, asparagus, corn and citrus
were growing in abundance. The old Incan irrigation ditches flowing with
water, turned the dry desert into a lush garden. Late in the afternoon,
the natives were returning to their small plots of land; herding sheep,
goats, donkeys laden with corn stalks and small, rangy cattle into small
corrals. Our Peruvian horses passed through the braying, mooing, baa-ing
crowds of animals barely turning an ear; the riders reflecting on what
would happen if their horses back at home happened onto this sort of
strange rush hour traffic."
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