A Poor Man’s Machu Picchu

Gianluca Drago

Well-Known Member
The forecast promised fog — perfect weather for photographs. I get up early, sling the camera over my shoulder, hop on the bike and head towards the edge of town. A dirt track runs along the river; there isn’t a soul about.

The floodplain is thick with tall, dark trees. At one point I notice strange little mounds in the undergrowth — artificial, almost like a tiny Machu Picchu waiting to be discovered. I can’t see how to reach them: the guard rail runs unbroken and there’s no sign of a path. So I climb over and make my way down.

I like the place, but I can’t work out who might have shaped those low, curved hills. Then it clicks: it’s a BMX trail. I spot a couple of signs — “The River Trail” and “No digging, no riding.”

It must be a group of local kids who, with shovels, wheelbarrows and bits of salvaged material, have quietly built themselves a small playground — something to enjoy without bothering anyone.

I like that idea.

Here are a few photos.
 

Attachments

  • om-1 mark ii-3027791.resized.jpg
    om-1 mark ii-3027791.resized.jpg
    586.5 KB · Views: 6
  • om-1 mark ii-3027830.resized.jpg
    om-1 mark ii-3027830.resized.jpg
    666.3 KB · Views: 7
  • om-1 mark ii-3027835.resized.jpg
    om-1 mark ii-3027835.resized.jpg
    1 MB · Views: 6
  • om-1 mark ii-3027845.resized.jpg
    om-1 mark ii-3027845.resized.jpg
    633.7 KB · Views: 7
And in black & white even...

You mentioned black and white and it made me think of colour. Four colour photos to bring the scene to a close.

Note. The sign reads:

NO DIG – NO RIDE
TRTR – The River Trail Rulez


• Respect the trail
• Wear a helmet
• Don’t litter
• Ride the right bike
• Respect nature and your surroundings

LOVE – BMX
 

Attachments

  • om-1 mark ii-3027786_01.resized.jpg
    om-1 mark ii-3027786_01.resized.jpg
    727.5 KB · Views: 4
  • om-1 mark ii-3027793_03.resized.jpg
    om-1 mark ii-3027793_03.resized.jpg
    781.4 KB · Views: 4
  • om-1 mark ii-3027817_01.resized.jpg
    om-1 mark ii-3027817_01.resized.jpg
    547.3 KB · Views: 3
  • om-1 mark ii-3027831_02.resized.jpg
    om-1 mark ii-3027831_02.resized.jpg
    824.6 KB · Views: 4
What an interesting comparison. The B&W ones are so much more mysterious.

Yes, exactly! I took quite a few photos in that spot, sometimes choosing more suggestive, mysterious compositions and at other times more descriptive, documentary ones. Editing the first set in black and white and the second in colour seemed like a good choice to me — in a way, the two series complement each other, don’t they?
 
Back
Top