Arturo’s Travel

A Peruvian around the world.

This week I would like to share the story of Arturo, a young man who has traveled the world with his camera. Hope you like it!

Hello everyone!

My name is Arturo, I am from Iquitos-Peru. When I was still a child I had to emigrate with my family to Madrid, and since then that has been my home. I have spent almost all my life there, until one day, the desire to live new challenges and adventures took me to London, an incredible city that has welcomed me very well. Here I have work, friends and above all ... here I found the love of my life, my unconditional friend who I've traveled with to many countries, the perfect travel companion.

My hobbies are sports, reading, traveling and of course, photography. I entered the world of photography 10 years ago, when I was living in Madrid taking photos in the night clubs, so I took many photos of the crazy nights in Madrid. It was a very fun stage where I met many people, especially different photographers who helped me a lot by giving me advice. My first camera was a Canon 550D. Now I have a 5D Canon with EF 50mm, EF 24-105mm lens and Speedlite 580EX II flash.

Despite having started photographing the world at night, what I really like is landscape photography.

I have been lucky enough to visit different countries around the world and in these days of COVID-19 what I miss most is traveling, so here I leave you some of my favourite photos of some cities that I have visited. I hope you like it!

Iceland

I went to Iceland to celebrate my birthday, nothing better than traveling to celebrate it. My girlfriend and I stayed at a hotel in Reykjavík city. I have never been so cold in my life, there were days when we were at -10 °!

We rented a car to travel around the country, and you know what? There was a small sign on the door of the car that said: "Be careful when opening the door, the wind can tear it away." What a crazy country! I could not believe it, the adventure was guaranteed, anything could happen!

We went with the intention of seeing the famous Northern Lights, but instead I found this wonder. The small Church of Strandarkirkja is located on the southern coast of Iceland. It is known as "the miracle church" because of the ancient belief of the locals that it has deep and divine powers.

To take this photo I had to climb some rocks next to the sea, which cost me a lot since the wind did not help, but it was worth it. The colours of the sunset are really spectacular, with the sea and the snow around ... imagine how cold it was.

Another place that impressed me in Iceland was the Blue Lagoon. They are hot springs that are on top of a mountain, in a lava field. The water temperature was 38 ° and the ambient temperature was -15 °! One last! You end up really relaxed after taking a bath here. Fully recommended!

I would return to this beautiful country a thousand times, its landscapes are simply spectacular.

Paris

People says that Paris is the city of love, and I think it’s true. Romance is present throughout the city. From the cobbled streets of Montmartre to the banks of the River Seine and the small restaurants and cafes that offer excellent cuisine. The food in Paris was just delicious, but be ready to pay for it because it is quite an expensive city.

There are many points around Paris that allow you to enjoy the views of the city. In my opinion, the best time to enjoy them is at sunset. And one of the best places to watch the sunset is the Arc of Triumph, located at the end of the prestigious Avenue des Champs-Élysées. From the top you can see the incredible views of the city, including the magnificent Eiffel Tower, which lights up at the end of the sunset to mark the beginning of the night.

Despite the cloudy day, we were lucky enough to see for a few minutes the sun that filled the sky with colours. It was really beautiful. Imagine having a photo with your partner with that background. What better place to dream than Paris?

New York

New York was just as I imagined it, as they show us in the movies. New York was an unrepeatable journey.

We stayed at my cousins' house in Harrison, New Jersey.

To get to New York we had to take a train that in 20min left us in the centre of the city. When we got off the Broadway subway I saw these two street performers and I couldn't resist taking a photo of them. Fortunately, I had no problem because the moment was perfect. The men's faces say it all, they were enjoying the music they made. It didn't take long to edit the photo since all I had to do was lower the saturation until I got the perfect black and white.

Here in New York I was able to make one of my childhood dreams come true: to watch an NBA game at Madison Square Garden, amazing!

If you want to take photos of the famous skyscrapers, I recommend you go to the Top of the Rock, an observatory that is in the upper part of the Rockefeller Center, one of the best viewpoints that the city has. From here I could see New York with all the lights on, it was certainly a gift for the eyes.

And of course Chinatown, which is 4 times bigger than London!

Here I could breathe the true spirit of Christmas, and take the opportunity to travel to other cities such as Philadelphia and Washington. A highly recommended trip!

Fano-Denmark

This is Fanø, a small island next to the city of Esbjerg in Denmark. My second house because my girlfriend is from here :)

To get to this wonderful island you have to take a ferry from the city that takes approximately 10 minutes. Fano is part of the Wadden Sea National Park, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is beautiful to walk along the huge beach and to be able to enjoy the sea birds. In addition, from spring to autumn a large group of seals come to rest here and it is easy to see them.

The streets of Fano have a lot of history, since in World War II the Nazis occupied the island for 5 years. Today you can still see the German bunkers scattered around Fanø.

Its streets reminded me of the movie Lord of the Rings, don’t they?

Budapest

This is the Hungarian "Statue of Liberty" on the Gellért Hill. It is a 14 meter high bronze statue. It was built in 1947 to remember the liberation of Hungary by the Soviet Union during World War II. It is one of the most visited places in Budapest, but I remember that it rained a lot that day and, therefore, there was nobody there. It was the perfect time to take this photo, one of my favourites because the rain and the lighting created a special atmosphere, giving more solemnity to the statue.

Budapest is a truly impressive city, with a lot of history and incredible buildings. You cannot miss visiting its spas, the Opera, the citadel which is the highest point of the city to take general shots and, of course, you have to take a cruise on the Danube river at sunset. Truly one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Oh and you have to try a sweet called kürtőskalács, it's really delicious!

London

London is the city where I have lived for more than three years.

I could write thousands of pages about my second city, but I will be brief. The sunsets here are magical, almost similar to those in Paris.

There are innumerable places that I recommend you visit. One of my favourite places to relax is around the Tower of London. The views of the River Thames and the bridge are magnificent. Another amazing site that has great views is St Paul's Cathedral and the best place to hang around is of course Chinatown.

In addition, you should not miss the British Museum, the oldest museum in the world; the National Gallery; The London Eye, the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe at 135 meters high and therefore the best viewpoint in London.

In summer the days here are endless and whenever I leave work I look at the sky and fall a little more in love with this city.

I leave you a photo of one of the busiest streets in the centre: Piccadilly Circus

Malta

Oh Malta! How beautiful this experience was in that great country.

I went to visit a friend I worked with in London. We stayed on the island of Gozo, which is the second largest island in the country because Malta is made up of 3 islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino.

Malta is the largest island, its capital is Valletta and it is a beautiful city. You can easily explore it by public transport or even by bicycle. All its beaches are incredible, but what really struck me were its streets, so clean and its people, always so friendly and cheerful. Here I took this photo where you can see one of the many alleys, and in the background the sea with the colours of the sunset. I really enjoyed wandering around Valletta. The photo is as is, without editing because it does not need any editing. They say the best photos are the ones that are not edited. Well I think it's true, don't you think the same?

I had the opportunity to visit the Blue Lagoon that is between the small island of Comino and the islet of Cominotto. It is one of the most beautiful places where you can go to spend the day, it’s essential! It is a paradise of transparent turquoise blue waters, like a postcard!

This photo was taken by our friend Elaine who lives in Malta. We are on the seafront in Sliema, a beautiful city located on the east coast of the island of Malta. Along the promenade there are several benches where you can sit and enjoy the relaxing views of the sea. We are at the furthest point from the seafront, from where you can see Valletta, the capital of Malta.

For me, photography is the best way to capture those unique moments in your life. When I grow up and look at the pictures of the trips I have taken, I will know that everything I did was worth it.

By Arturo Burga

Instagram: arturo_bburga

English correction: Rebecca Brown.