The View from Peru

NPR: Peru's Exotic Jungle Fruit

2010-07-09T12:59:00.002-04:00

This NPR story on the jungle fruit aguaje's popularity was reported from Peru's jungle city Iquitos. Besides their being delicious, the fruit is thought to make women more beautiful.

Experts are concerned that rate at which aguaje is being harvested is straining the Amazon forests.

NY Times Travel Blog features Arequipa!

2010-07-08T13:07:00.003-04:00

Seth Kugel of the NYT's travel blog covered Arequipa over the weekend and will soon write on northern Peru.

There were a few things missing--pisco sours and a trip to Majes valley/Cotahuasi canyon--but overall, it's a pretty good article.

I can, however, confirm that this "frugal traveler" definitely got ripped off; I've never taken a taxi to anywhere in Arequipa for more than 6 soles.

NPR: Oil in Peru's Amazon Basin

2010-07-01T12:48:00.002-04:00

So I'm back in the States for a few months (family events). But I want to keep the flow of Peru news at least at a steady drip...

...so here is a story on NPR's Morning Edition on the effects of oil drilling in Peru's Amazon basin.

One year after Bagua

2010-06-24T07:15:00.000-04:00

Even a year later, the broad ramifications of the Bagua incident (see post "Free Trade and the Amazon: the Case of Bagua") are still being seen.

Amnesty International called on Peru to drop charges (of rebellion, conspirancy and sedition) against Alberto Pizango, an indigenous leader.

He was involved in last summer's demonstrations against the opening of the Amazon to foreign companies that led to the deadly clash between police and indigenous protests.

Peru to surpass Colombia as biggest cocaine exporter

2010-06-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

According to last Sunday's NYT article (its eighth on Peru in 10 months), recent and dramatic increases in Peru's production is "making Peru a contender to surpass Colombia as the world's largest exporter of cocaine."

In other words, U.S. anti-drug efforts in Colombia have not stopped production, just displaced it. And worst yet for Peru, the violent, anarchist Shining Path guerrilla groups still lurking in Peru's jungle are growing bolder and stronger with the money.

While I'm glad this article made it to the World Section (way overdue), it fails to differentiate between coca and cocaine (see my earlier post "I drank cocaine?").

Coca leaves (used to make cocaine) have a special cultural significance here, especially for indigenous people. They have used coca for centuries, to chew in social settings, to brew in teas and to make spiritual offerings. Today, coca leaves are sold in most markets.

The legalization of coca production is a controversial subject in Peru. People who support its cultivation are perceived as propping up the drug trade. People who oppose it are seen as ignoring the cultural and historical significance of the plants, as well as undermining the livelihood of legitimate coca growers.

The NYT ignores this oh-so-important cultural detail, presenting only the USG's position that coca production should be eradicated, which Peru eventually bowed to under pressure. I'm just an observer here, but even I can tell that this issue is a little more nuanced than that.

But the NYT does do a good job to remind us where demand for these drugs come from--the U.S., Brazil and Europe.

(NYT posted a slideshow of related photos)

Turning 25

2010-06-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

My birthday was like a month ago, but this is just too funny not to share.

Halfway through cooking my "American" birthday breakfast, the kitchen table broke, sending raw eggs, bacon, juice and pancake mix all over the floor:

I would have given up, but Sergio stuck with it. One hour later, I had this wonderful breakfast on my 25th birthday:

Thanks, Sergio, for making my birthday a memorable one!

Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca

2010-06-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

I almost forgot! On our trip, Ben and I also visited one of the islands in Lake Titicaca--Taquile:

The turtle-speed, three-hour boat ride out to the island was worth it. From the island, we could see the lake's more expansive portion not seen from Puno. You can tell from the map that we also weren't too far from the Bolivian border:

What the map doesn't show is the Cordillera Real in Bolivia. We were able to see it from the island. Let's just say my photography skills don't do these mountains justice:

What impressed me most was the island culture. While most islanders in the region speak Aymara, the people of Taquile speak Quechua, and have for centuries. They maintain their unique culture, although surely tourism helps that.

The men of the island are expert knitters, and make their own stocking (pajama-like) hats--red ones for married men, white for bachelors. The wives also weaves their husbands a wide belt, which is worn with calf-length pants and a white peasant shirt.

We ate lunch there and then took a quick walk over to the Peru-facing side of the island to catch our boat back another three hours. Here's the view towards Puno:

Doing Machu Picchu, etc... on a shoestring budget

2010-06-20T07:16:00.001-04:00

Because of the international demand for trips to Machu Picchu, prices for everything from laundry and postcards to hotels and transportation are through the roof. Some of those costs, like the Boleto Turístico (the $40 ticket to all the sites) and the $40 Machu Picchu entrance fee can’t be easily avoided. Others can. Here’s some tips for travelers looking to save a few bucks:

Tip #1: Ignore your guidebook’s recommendations on hotels. Those places are overpriced. When you arrive in Cusco, the Sacred Valley or Aguas Calientes (the base town for Machu Picchu), hotel advertisers will hassle you to come see their places. They aren’t luxury, but you can negotiate the prices down more with them than with established hotels. However, definitely check the room and its hot water.

Tip #2: Unless you’re really needing a treat, or comfort food, ignore your guidebook’s recommendations on restaurants too. You can find a perfectly delicious Peruvian lunch (drink, soup, main dish) for less than seven soles on your own. In Cusco, we liked Restaurant “Egos” on Loreto off the plaza.

Tip #3: Don’t take taxis in or around Cusco unless you’ve asked two-three people what the price should be. They charge outrageous amounts to tourists who don’t know--which happened to us once admittedly. A taxi from the bus terminal to the plaza, for example, should cost two or three soles.

Tip #4: Take the provincial buses to the Sacred Valley. They cost three to five soles whereas a taxi might cost 70 soles or more. Buses for Pisac leave from Puputi street in front of a green garage door (take a taxi for two soles to get there). Buses from Pisac on to Urubamba are two soles. You can take another one in Urubama for Ollantaytambo for two soles.

Tip #5: While I didn’t do this, I want to: Lonely Planet says you can get to Aguas Calientes without doing the Inca Trail (expensive) or taking the train ($43 each way). Take a bus for Quillabama from Cusco and get off at Santa Maria to stay the night in a simple lodge run by Lorenzo Cahuana. Catch another bus in the morning from Santa Maria to Santa Teresa. Walk two hours to the hydroelectric plant and another two hours along the old train tracks to Aguas Calientes.

Tip #6: Don’t take the $15 bus up the hill from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. Walk the 20 minutes to the park gate then do the (extremely steep) hour hike up the hill. ALSO: If tickets to Waynu Picchu are important to you (another part of the ruins), you should probably leave the hotel at 3:00 am for your hike. Taking the bus won’t get you there in time to reserve one of the 400 tickets they give each day.

An abridged history: Cusco and the Sacred Valley

2010-06-19T07:15:00.000-04:00

Regarding the previous post, f you’re saying, “wait, where?” here’s the abridged version:

The Incan civilization extended from Ecuador to Argentina during the 1200-1500s, and was eventually conquered by Francisco Pizarro and his conquistador crew in 1536.

Cusco was the Inca’s capital city. Their impressive architecture remains the foundation of Cusco’s center, on top of which the conquistadors constructed Spanish-style buildings with red-tile roofs. Cusco is a living record of two cultures colliding, like you can see in the photo below:

The city sits at an elevation of 10,912 feet in a high mountain valley bordering Peru’s Amazon. Jungle fruits and vegetables are often seen in Cusco’s markets. Yet from a good viewpoint in the city’s hillside neighborhood of San Blas, snow-covered peaks with elevations reaching almost 21,000 feet.

Thanks to its location near Machu Picchu, Cusco is now an international tourist mecca filled with hotels, travel agencies and pricey restaurants. More than 2,000 tourists visit the ruins each day. Others visit the city for its known special spiritual energy, magnetic forces and evidence of extraterrestrial visits.

But Machu Picchu aren’t the only ruins in the Cusco area. Just a short walk up the hill from Cusco is Saqsaywaman, the Incan fortress that protected the city. From there, the Incans laid siege on the Spanish in Cusco, before finally being defeated and retreating to Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley (pictured below).

The Sacred Valley, only 45 minutes from the city, contains various small villages surrounded by elaborate Incan ruins. There’s also the villages of Pisac, Urubama and Chincheros that are worth seeing.

This is a picture of Pisac's market:

What every Peru blog needs

2010-06-18T19:51:00.008-04:00

...is pictures of Machu Picchu. Now my work is complete.

Wait--what is Machu Picchu?

In 1911, British adventurer Hiram Bingham mistakenly thought it was the lost jungle refuge of the last Incan emperor. More recent evidence however, including the discovery of a similar structure (Choquequirao), leads us to think it was a vacation estate for the emperor.

In other words, Machu Picchu was the equivalent of the American president’s Camp David--only way cooler, obviously.

My friend Ben and I (hi Ben!) started our hour hike up the steep trail from the Urubama river.

We arrived at around 7:30, when the mist of the cloud forest still hid the ruins from our view.

While waiting, we hiked to see the Inca drawbridge. Built on a dizzying cliff, no one can cross it anymore after a tourist fell to her death a few years ago.

As the morning went on, the site emerged bit by bit.

Finally, we could see all of it:

Machu Picchu, and even more so its surrounding views, definitely live up to the hype.

Getting a work visa for Peru--check!

2010-06-18T18:34:00.009-04:00

Congratulations to me! After two and a half months and $275 in fees (not to mention travel, photo, copying and notary costs), I finally have my work visa and foreign resident card!

Even after visiting a few blogs (expatPeru and The Ultimate Peru List were great), the process was a mystery to me, so I thought I would post what my process was, just so there’s more information out there to consult.

If you are an American and trying to get a work visa in Arequipa (or any other southern city), the following might serve as a guide for you, although fees do increase periodically:

1) Permission to sign contracts

(Arequipa, Jefatura de Migraciones Urb. Quinta Tristan 2do Parque, José Bustamante y Rivero, 1 week)

a) F-004 (download from migraciones.gov.pe)

b) Banco de la Nacion payment #1814 S/. 12.43

c) Banco de la Nacion payment #01643 $50.00

d) Passport copy

e) TAM (Tarjeta Andina Migratoria) copy

2) Work contract approval by the Ministerio de Trabajo

(Arequipa, Ministerio de Trabajo, 1 week)

a) Contract signed by you and your work

b) Original, legalized copy of Bachelor’s degree or any other relevant degrees

c) Notarized copy of passport

d) Notarized copy of TAM

3) Visa solicitation

(Arequipa, Migraciones, 1 month)

a) F-007 (download from migraciones.gov.pe)

b) Banco de la Nacion payment #01857 S/. 57.51

c) Original or copy of the work contract approved by the Ministerio de Trabajo, with an expiration of no less than one year

d) Notarized copy of passport

e) Notarized copy of TAM

f) Sworn, legalized statement declaring no police, judicial or health history and confirming your address

3.5) Picking up the visa

After I dropped off my solicitation papers, Migraciones told me to pick a Peruvian Consulate outside of the country where I would pick up my work visa. I chose Arica, Chile because it’s the closest to Arequipa. Migraciones told me to call back in three weeks to see if my papers were waiting for me in Arica. After three weeks, I called Migraciones. They then told me to call the Peruvian consulate in Arica, Chile, who confirmed that my visa was waiting for me.

4) Pick up visa in Peruvian Consulate

(Arica, Av. 18 de Setiembre 1554, 1 day)

a) Payment of $82

b) Copy of work contract and its approval

c) Passport copy

d) 3 color photos, passport size

5) Inscription in Foreign Registry

(Arequipa, Migraciones, 10 days)

a) F-007A

b) Sworn, legalized statement declaring no police, judicial or health history and confirming your address

c) Banco de la Nacion payment #01873 S/. 36

d) Banco de la Nacion payment #02682 $15

e) Copy of work contract

f) Copy of work contract’s approval by the Ministerio de Trabajo

g) Notarized copy of passport

h) Notarized copy of TAM

i) 2 profile/3 frontal color pictures w/ white background, passport size

6) Letter from Interpol about criminal background

(Lima Av. Velasco Astete 1491, Surco; 1-5 days, but ask if they can do it faster since you’re coming from “provincia”)

a) Banco de la Nacion: 73.44 soles

b) Giro al extranjero of $30 (pay it at the Banco de la Nacion in Caminos del Inca/Benavides--4 blocks from Interpol down Caminos del Inca)

c) Copy of your passport, your TAM, and your work visa

d) Numero de expediente given to you by migraciones after they processed your inscription (first page of F-007A). To get this, you've got to go to Migraciones in Arequipa before coming to Lima.

7) Processing of Foreign Resident Card

(Lima, Av. España 730, 3rd floor, Breña, 1 day)

a) Bring your original letter from INTERPOL plus one copy

b) Copy of the letter with the original goes to Mesa de Partes on the first floor; they give you the copy back with a sello and you take that to the third floor

c) Banco de la Nacion payment of $35 paid within Extranjeria

d) Original passport

Note:

*To apply for a resident visa, you must have a work contract for at least a year.

*While with your resident visa, you cannot be out of the country for more than 183 days (6 months) or its like you’re not living in Peru a majority of the year and you lose your visa. To leave the country while having your resident work visa for any amount of time, you must have completed the above process and also have a notarized letter from your work saying that you have permission “sin goza de haber” to be gone for that time.

Planeta Agua: Learning Portuguese in Peru?

2010-05-19T08:17:00.000-04:00

The more I learn about Latin America, the more I learn about the importance of Brazil in South America. I wanted to learn more, so a few months ago, I started taking a Portuguese class at a Brazilian institute here.

I'm still at a basic level, but I understand enough to interpret this beautiful song about water. By Guilherme Arantes, it's called Planeta Agua. My favorite line is the one about the water always returning humbly deep within the earth, after giving us so many awe-inspiring phenomena.

Água que nasce na fonte serena do mundo

Water that's born in the serene spring of the world

E que abre um profundo grotão

And that opens a deep canyon

Água que faz inocente riacho e deságua na corrente do ribeirão

Water that makes an innocent creek and consumes the current on the riverbed

Águas escuras dos rios que levam a fertilidade ao sertão

Dark waters of the rivers that bring fertility to the desert

Águas que banham aldeias e matam a sede da população

Waters that bathe villages and kill the thirst of the population

Águas que caem das pedras no véu das cascatas, ronco de trovão

Waters that fall from the rocks of the waterfalls, thundering down

E depois dormem tranqüilas no leito dos lagos, no leito doslagos

And afterwards sleeps calmy on the lakebed, the lakebed

Água dos igarapés, onde Iara, a mãe d'água é misteriosa canção

Water from the , where Iara*, the water's mother sings her mysterious song

Água que o sol evapora, pro céu vai embora, virar nuvem de algodão

Water that the sun evaporates, then makes into cotton clouds

Gotas de água da chuva, alegre arco-íris sobre a plantação

Drops of rain hearten a rainbow over the plantation

Gotas de água da chuva, tão tristes, são lágrimas na inundação

Drops of rain, so sad, are the tears of the flood

Águas que movem moinhos são as mesmas águas que encharcam ochão

Waters that move mills are the same waters that fall from the cliff

E sempre voltam humildes pro fundo da terra, pro fundo da terra

And they always go back to their humble state, deep in the earth, deep in the earth.

Terra, planeta água (2x)

Land, water planeta

*Iara is a fabled mermaid in Brasil who enchants sailors with her beautiful sea song. Those who hear the song never return.

A day in old Arequipa: Mollebaya

2010-05-18T08:28:00.004-04:00

Last weekend Noelia (a friend from the English institute) took me to the outskirts of the Arequipa, to one of the traditional villages that are not yet part of the sprawling urban growth that has overtaken the city's countryside in recent years. Her best friend's father is the mayor of the town, which must have less than 100 people living in it.

When we arrived, we went walking to buy some water. On the way to the store, everyone said "Buenos dias" to me, which, only 30 minutes away in downtown Arequipa, is not common. We passed a family pulling their two cattle behind them. The community's cathedral had finally been rebuilt after the steeple fell during the 2001 earthquake.

From there, we hiked about 30 minutes to the hill overlooking the town. Noelia and I could see Misti, the volcano, the Chachani mountains in the distance, and the green fields that surround Arequipa, a city of 1 million.

Noelia, pictured here, and I talk mostly in English because when I'm around her I get all shy about my Spanish. She spent two years in Parker, in my home state of Colorado, as an au pair, so we have a lot to talk about. We also have the same taste for hiking. I think I found myself another good friend.

Where did she go? To work..

2010-05-17T08:46:00.004-04:00

For the three people that read my blog, you might have been wondering where I've been the past month. It's almost as if I had found a life or something.

Well, I've been here, the Peruvian-American Cultural Center, where I now work:

Since November, I had been giving a Conversation class at the "Cultural" in exchange for a Spanish class. They had offered me a teaching job there starting in January. Why did it take until April to start working there, you ask?

Well, in order to work legally in Peru, I needed to get my work visa. The first step in that process is signing a contract. I had heard more than a few unfortunate stories about foreigners working at English institutes and having bad experiences: not getting paid on time (or at all) or not being given the hours they were promised. I wanted to be sure I committed to a place I felt comfortable with before I signed a year-long contract that was linked to by legal status in the country.

But after seven months observing this institute, and now working there, I can say I am more than satisfied with my choice. The Cultural is professional, dynamic and a positive environment to work in. They even offer teacher training courses, which I plan to take starting in October. Because the institute serves more than 5,000 students, you can be sure that there will always be at least one class for me to teach.

Check out the Cultural's website here to learn more about it.

For now I have four classes of widely differing levels, each 1 1/2 hours plus planning time. That doesn't leave too much time to blog. But I promise to be back here soon.

In the meantime, here is a photo of a few of my Peruvian colleagues that I snagged from the website. Claudio, left, and Giselle, middle, were also my Spanish teachers!

Majes Valley: Witchcraft, Dinosaurs & Shrimp

2010-05-16T00:09:00.000-04:00

Bryam and Briggitte (who I met through basketball) have become some of my favorite people in Arequipa. Also our neighbors in Miraflores, they are down to earth, sweet and always up for an adventure.

A few weeks ago, they took us to Majes valley, about three and a half hours through the desert from Arequipa. Briggitte, Bryam, Bryam's friend Oliver, Sergio and I loaded up and headed out on Sunday morning around 8:30.

Located on the dusty road to Cotahuasi canyon--the deepest in South America--is this breathtaking, fertile oasis. Southern Peru is full of river valleys like this.

Majes valley, however, is particularly attractive. Pre-Incan petroglyphs (called Toro Muerto) are located nearby. The freshwater shrimp, as well as Majes brand piscos and wines, are famous. There are dinosaur tracks etched in the rock. But what really caught my hear was the area's reputation for witchcraft.

As Briggitte told me, one of the smaller towns is known for producing towns of curses. You always have to be careful to accept food and drink there with the left hand, because if you accept something with your right, you could be cursed. Many people in Arequipa come to the Majes valley to visit the witches, and have a love curse placed on someone they're infatuated with. At the least, I can vouch for the bewitching scenery and energy in Majes.

We drove through the valley floor until we found a patch of shrimp shacks that Oliver had heard about. But before we settled down to eat, we took a walk out to the river nearby. A group of boys were getting informal swimming lessons near this wooden bridge where Oliver (red) and Bryam (pink) are standing. You can see the boys in the background.

Explorer Sergio immediately found the shrimp nets, made of bamboo, I think?

After we'd played around in the water enough, we found our shrimp shack. For, I think it was, $7 we each had a *giant* plate of freshwater shrimp. Here's Briggitte with some Inka Kola showing off all of our plates:

Afterwards, we took a drive up the valley to see the dinosaur tracks. Here Briggitte and Bryam are pushing each other up the hill, with the impressive footprints in the background.

And of course, what would a dinosaur park be without a giant T-rex model?

We spent the whole day in the valley and had even more fun on the drive chatting. Thanks again Briggitte and Bryam for a wonderful weekend!

The Matadero: The Prince

2010-04-19T17:27:00.006-04:00

[[Preface: So for the three people that read this thing, sorry for being MIA these past two weeks. Life was calling me.]]

Finally, I have friends here--about five in total, but still! A few of them have seen my blog and, as native Arequipeños, had a few important corrections to make.

They immediately noted that my previous post--"Mataderos=Back of a Chevy?"--lacked mention of the most notorious sleezy hotels for young couples: El Principe or The Prince.

Obviously, we had to go there immediately and take a few discreet photos:

Why everyone knows about this little one that's a bit out of the way still puzzles me, but I sure liked the name, and the matadero coat of arms.

Thanks Bryam and Eder :)

Miguel Angel's Emoliente

2010-04-18T17:10:00.003-04:00

Usually after closing the downtown bakery stores for the night, on our way back up the hill to Miraflores, we stop for a bit of Miguel Angel's emoliente (herbal tea).

Miguel Angel is 14 years old; he works most nights from 8-11, or until his emoliente runs out. He sells each glass for about $0.20 and comes with a yapa (an extra glass full). When we came with the camera, he was a really good sport.

Someday, when I understand my computer, I'll put subtitles on it, but in sum, Sergio is explaining what different herbs Miguel Angel puts into his emoliente.

I thought I would try and find a recipe, but someone much more qualified beat me to it. This Oregonian culinary artist visited South America and thoroughly researched emoliente recipes. Here is his take:

I have asked various vendors about the ingredients and I have squeezed the secrets out of a few guys about what they use:

The main ingredient is linasa (flax seed) which is well known for being a source of Omega-3’s and lignans (heart-healthy, anti-cancer, blood sugar stabilizer)
Aloe vera, scraped right off the stem.
Cola de cabello/Horse tail (it grown near streams and wetlands in the US too) (a diuretic good for the kidneys and bladder and may help with senility due to the high silica content that balances the aluminum in the body)
Chanca piedra (helps with the kidneys (especially stones), the liver and is an anti-viral that fights intestinal parasites)
Barley (good source of selenium, phosphorus, copper and manganese and can help combat diabetes, high cholesterol and colon cancer)
Boldo (cleanses the liver, aids digestion and fights intestinal parasites, among other things)
Una de gato/Cat’s claw (the inner bark of a jungle vine that helps boost the immune system as well as colds, arthritis, tumors and digestive problems)
Alfalfa juice (a superfood high in phytonutrients that also can aid in digestion, diabetes and anemia)
Lime juice (um, Vit C)

The drink itself has a surprisingly viscous consistency, but always seems to settle my stomach after too many chicharrones and I sleep like a baby.

Near Arequipa: Police/Miners Clash Leaves 6 Dead

2010-04-06T00:06:00.005-04:00

Six dead. 29 injured. Dozens detained. Thousands more stranded on the highway for two nights.

Halfway between Lima and Arequipa on the Panamerican highway, more than 5,000 informal miners blocked the highway on Sunday, impeding the thousands of passengers heading home for work on Monday after Holy Week.

Protesters reject the government's new laws protecting the environment against damage caused by informal mining. But the clash had a violent outburst. First on Sunday, Peru's RPP radio was reporting rumors of thirteen deaths. Six deaths have now been confirmed by authorities and witnesses.

Here's an excerpt of Reuters' reporting on the conflict that appeared on the NYT and WashPost websites today:

Thousands of Peruvian wildcat miners were locked in a tense standoff with police on Monday after six people were killed during a protest against stricter environmental controls imposed by the government.
The violence broke out near the town of Chala, 372 miles south of the capital Lima, on Sunday when police tried to clear a roadblock set by the miners on the Panamerican Highway leading to Chile.
Two of the dead were bystanders, including a taxi driver struck by a stray bullet and a woman who suffered a heart attack. Police said 20 protesters and nine officers were injured in the country's latest conflict over natural resources.

Congressional delegation met with strike leaders today, but didn't arrive at any agreement. Peru's President Alan Garcia also responded to the protests, saying that his policy toward informal mining would not be changing. He pointed to the polluted rivers of the jungle province Madre de Dios as his defense.

America TV's Cuarto Poder filmed the following from Chala, including eyewitness accounts of the shootings:

Today, traffic in Arequipa's downtown was shut down all day by widespread protests denouncing the violence against the miners.

And as for our side of the story, Sergio's brother just arrived back in Arequipa after 48 hours stuck on the Panamericana. Protesters had blocked the national highway from here to Lima. They'll have to fly to Lima and then take an overnight bus to Huaraz tomorrow morning, arriving to work two days late.

The Pope's Easter Words on Latin America

2010-04-04T11:50:00.003-04:00

(Reuters)

In his Easter mass today, Pope Benedict XVI's words on Latin America made headlines across the continent, or at least in Peru.

He expressed solidarity for earthquake victims in Haiti and Chile. To those Latin American and Caribbean countries that face increased danger from drug trafficking-related crime, the Pope hoped Jesus would bring renewed peace and respect for the common good. While he didn't specifically say Mexico, his Americas audience knew what he was talking about.

But Pope Benedict didn't address the recent scandals, as was the headline on most U.S. news websites this morning.

Good Friday: Mazamorra and Processions

2010-04-03T12:40:00.009-04:00

"Tuca" with his mazamorra y arroz con leche

The tradition in Arequipa for Good Friday is to watch religious movies (which are on every channel) and eat a delicious purple corn-based desert called mazamorra morada.

Sergio's dad (alias "Tuca" for his toucan-like nose) taught us how to cook it. We also made arroz con leche to go with our mazamorra, the "classic" combination.

In searching online for a recipe, I found an AMAZING blog dedicated to Peru recipes that I will surely be referring to more. Anyway, here is the mazamorra recipe it provides, as well as one for arroz con leche.

As we were eating, this small, neighborhood procession passed by the house. I grabbed a 10-second video of it.

Juliana, who is Catholic, explained it to me. Carried overhead first is an apostle (we couldn't make out which one), followed by Jesus' body and the virgin Mary dressed in black. All of the participants walk in silence and hold candles, mourning the death of the savior.

On Sunday, all the apostles from the various processions will be carried downtown and finally meet. The virgin Mary will take off her black dress and return to her regular clothes. While Juliana didn't tell me, I can assume Jesus won't be in the glass coffin anymore.

Holy Thursday in Arequipa

2010-04-02T19:13:00.014-04:00

David, Juliana, Mario, Me, Sergio

Sergio's brothers arrived to Arequipa just in time for Semana Santa (Holy Week), the commemoration of the last week of Jesus' life and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

While Sergio's family is protestant, they took advantage of the national holiday on Thursday to cook a delicious lamb leg, potatoes and sweet potatoes in the bakery's traditional oven (see earlier post):

To digest the surfeit amount of meat we consumed, and experience an Arequipa tradition, we joined in on a pilgrimage on foot from church to church within the city.

It's called "las estaciones." The most dedicated Catholics walk to fourteen different churches located across a city of one million people, paralleling the fourteen stations of Jesus' crucifixion. At each church, believers beg forgiveness for their sins, the walk further cleansing them.

We followed the crowd from Miraflores to downtown, visiting the five churches along the way, including the famous cathedral located on the main plaza. Check out all the people:

All the streets were closed to vehicles. Vendors took their place, selling delicious treats including chocolate-covered strawberries, candied fruits, sandwiches, chocolate eggs, etc...

On a street flanking the Cathedral, vendors had set up tables. There we stopped and drank two popular teas: ponche (various fruits) and diana (milk, coconut and almond).

Here is Sergio, happily drinking his yapa (free second serving) of ponche as the crowds heading to the plaza pass by:

Sergio and his brothers assure me this Holy Thursday pilgrimage can only be found in Arequipa. If so, what a beautiful community tradition.

Health Care in Latin America

2010-04-01T17:17:00.003-04:00

I've been following health care reform in the U.S., and it just occurred to me that it might be interesting to write about what health care in Latin America is like.

I plan to find out more about Peru, but this general video is a good start:

Machu Picchu Opens April 1!

2010-03-30T15:10:00.002-04:00

It's back to business on Thursday, April 1, at Machu Picchu. They expect daily visitors to drop by half, from 2,000 to 800, but Cusco is anxiously waiting to get back to business.

The tourism industry, the pillar of Cusco's economy, was deeply damaged by flooding in January that left 26,000 families affected, 4,500 homes destroyed, 39,500 acres of crops decimated and $100 million+ in damages to the region.

But even though the rains have subsided, tourism has decreased significantly. That's why Peru has invited star actors to campaign on behalf of Cusco. Susan Sarandon and Anthony Hopkins arrive this week to juice up the interest around the ancient Incan capital.

High Maternal Mortality in Peru, and the US!

2010-03-30T10:33:00.003-04:00

Tonight, I'll be watching online PBS Newshour Ray Suarez' report from Peru on the country's high maternal mortality rates, one of the highest in the Americas.

Amnesty International is also on the case, having recently released a report on maternal mortality in Peru:

You'll be shocked to learn that maternal mortality is also a large problem in the States, according to Amnesty's recent report on the issue.

"Maternal mortality ratios have increased from 6.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006. While some of the recorded increase is due to improved data collection, the fact remains that maternal mortality ratios have risen significantly...

...The USA spends more than any other country on health care, and more on maternal health than any other type of hospital care. Despite this, women in the USA have a higher risk of dying of pregnancy-related complications than those in 40 other countries."

Staying Green: Peru's Informal Recycling

2010-03-22T14:10:00.003-04:00

Littering: A slap in the face

One day on the bus I got whacked in the face with a candy wrapper. The woman in front of me had tried to throw it out the window and, apparently, didn't calculate the trajectory very well.

This littering offender fits the norm in Peru. Trash is often seen flying from both sides of the buses, thrown out by it's passengers. On the street itself, many Peruvians have little shame in tossing a receipt, wrapper or plastic bottle on the ground.

Some of the worst littering, however, comes from businesses and individual homes that dump their trash pile by Arequipa's main river or in a gully, like this one near our house:

The younger generation in my English classes hate this. They seem to place real importance on the environment, the importance of instilling a culture that encourages recycling and discourages littering.

Chatarreros and Street Cleaners

With this kind of trash management, recycling must be non-existent, you might think. But actually, Peru recycles a lot--informally.

The chatarrero--a person who collects chatarra or trash--rides up and down the streets calling "I buy batteries! I buy glass! I buy bottles!" The people who want to get rid of stuff, come out on the street and sell him their junk. We recycled our bottles with this chatarrero pictured below:

And when the trash truck comes by in the morning, people following it (not associated with the company) separate out the plastic bottles to sell to a recycling company.

After 8 p.m., on the commercial streets downtown, many people walk around with large bags. They sift through the trash thrown out by business owners, collecting plastic bottles that they will later sell for a few soles.

Sergio and I wanted to recycle our plastic bottles, so we've been collecting them to someday bring downtown and give to one of the many people on the street.

While recycling in any form could be seen as positive, there are some very negative aspects of this trash collection. The people, often times children, are exposed to disease, toxins and other things than affect their health as they dig through the trash.

There are rumors that the recycling plastic bottles are refilled with imitation sodas, or even medicines, that are usually sold in poorer areas. These products could be contaminated or even dangerous. I've poked holes in them with the hope that I'm not facilitating the black market.

Is Peru Greener than the States?

While trash litters the street, out of necessity, people reuse and reduce like few Americans I know. The fact that more than 35% of the population lives in poverty demands that the people reuse things instead of buying new ones.

The zapatero (shoemaker) for example, still thrives in Peru because you can get your $30 shoes fixed for $1. Many of us, myself included, are known to throw away old shoes because it's more expensive to get them fixed than buy new ones.

Another example: Coca Cola and other soda companies provide their drinks in glass bottles, which they later collect from vendors, clean and refill for reuse.

From my calculations, the average American produces seven times more trash than the average Peruvian. You wouldn't guess it by the trash on the streets here, but who's greener?

Addressing the Trash Management Problem

Much of the trash management problem in Peru comes down to poor municipal management and a lack of national laws protecting the environment. There are no anti-litter laws or community clean-up projects, although you can see some people do want their neighborhoods clean, as demonstrated by this Miraflores mural that says "No Littering":

While four districts in Lima do have a public recycling program, a public option for recycling doesn't seem viable in Peru, at least to me. The first thing that needs to happen is stricter and more efficient trash management, but local governments don't have the resources to manage trash, much less ensure consistent water and electricity.

But one NGO, Ciudad Saludable de Lima, is pushing local businesses to manage their trash privately. The organization employs 150 people, serves three million people and educates people about their environmental obligations. It has helped make clean so many Lima neighborhoods that the NGO received international recognition for its work.

Video: The Candelaria

2010-03-17T12:18:00.001-04:00

February's Virgén de la Candelaria is said to be one of the most important cultural events in South America, along with Brazil's Carnaval. And it's held in the continent's "folklore capital"--Puno!

While the Catholic festival (melded with Andean highland traditions) lasts for 18 days, we made it only for one weekend to see the dance competition.

More than 70 dance groups (including live bands) competed in the event held in Puno's stadium. Dancers and musicians traveled from Lima, Cuzco and even Bolivia to take part in the festivities.

The most famous of the dances, the "Diablada," is fabled to have originated with local miners, who, stuck at the bottom of a mine, entrusted their lives to the Virgén.

But the Candelaria is not an experience to write about. You need to see the costumes and hear the music to get even a taste of what this annual festival in Puno is all about.

Thus, here's my amateur filmmaker attempt to show you the dance competition, only one weekend in the two-and-a-half-week celebration:

My first piece in a real newspaper

2010-03-16T17:46:00.004-04:00

Latin American News Dispatch was started by four NYU graduate students, and covers news from Latin American, the Caribbean, U.S. foreign policy and Hispanics in the U.S.

It's seem like a pretty cool idea, and they've got some talented writers and photographers contributing content.

Except for this new girl, Laura Spann. With articles like this one, let's just say that I hope she doesn't quit her day job.

Surprise Visit from the States

2010-03-13T14:23:00.001-05:00

I got a Facebook message from my spontaneous friend Phil last Sunday: "Hey Laura. I'll be in Arequipa on Tuesday. Want to hang out sometime?"

While a week before Phil had told me he was coming to Peru, it wasn't in his plans to come to Arequipa. What a surprise to eat lunch with a good friend here! He even played basketball with my morning crew.

Enjoy your travels, Phil! Thanks for the visit!

Peru's First Winter Olympians

2010-03-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I know winter's melting away, but I still think Peru's first time in the winter games is worth posting, even late.

Roberto Carcelén, Seattle resident and Peru's Olympic cross country skier, started practicing his sport only five years ago. Check out this great Seattle Times feature on him, and how he ended up in the U.S. competing for Peru.

Also competing for Peru this year were 16-year-old Manfred Oetti Reyes and his 18-year-old sister Onetta competed in slalom.

Peru has won four Olympic medals (three in shooting and one in women's volleyball) in it's history. While no medals were won for Peru in Vancouver this year, getting a few in the running was an exciting step for this mostly jungle country.

La Recoleta

2010-03-11T19:45:00.002-05:00

This post, along with many recent ones, are belated reports from January and February. Mom and I went to another Arequipa monastery, La Recoleta.

La Recoleta is a remnant of the Franciscan missions to Peru, and was built in 1648. In it's time, it must have had a front row seat on the Chili river that runs through the city. Now, the church faces an odd neighborhood with a mix of nice homes and shoddy shacks.

I'm not a big museum person, but this monastery actually had some amazing, although small, exhibits. One included pieces from the church itself, like this crown:

Another room had artifacts from the Franciscan missionaries' trips to the Amazon, including spears, traditional indigenous wear and other things.

One room was full of stuffed jungle animals. If I didn't have a phobia of spiders, snakes and giant insects, I would have stayed and studied the exhibit. Pretty interesting.

But my personal favorite from the Amazon collection was this ridiculous missionary map, which has a line dividing Peru's coast with the "The Fearsome and Mysterious Jungle Full of Savage Tribes":

The monastery also had pre-colonial artifacts and artwork from the famous Cusco School. This mummy, one of many Incan sacrifices found atop one of the many southern Andes peaks, sat in a glass cabinet in not the best conditions. She reminded me of 500-year-old Juanita, only without all the show.

La Recoleta has some beautiful courtyards too, and this chomba (chicha jar), supposedly the oldest found in Peru.
Reading in my Lonely Planet guidebook as I write, I come to find out that the monastery has a huge library of 20,000 books, some from as early as 1494. I guess I'll be going back there to check it out soon.

Peruvian Flute Bands on South Park

2010-03-10T13:19:00.000-05:00

I'm not a South Park fan, but someone was telling me about this Peru-themed episode where the boys form a Peruvian flute band to make some dough. I thought I'd watch it and then share with you guys.

The show is pretty ridiculous. The boys are quickly arrested by Homeland Security, along with the other Peruvian flute bands that are part of "global Peruvian flute band pandemic." But they soon realize that the Peruvian flute bands were the only thing saving the world from giant guinea pigs. They go to Peru to save the world from the giant guinea pigs.

The full episode is here, but below I included just a short clip of the boys in their chullos (woven hats) with their zampollas (flutes):

Best U.S. Ambassador to Peru Ever

2010-03-10T09:20:00.002-05:00

It's been about two weeks since my mom--now an international traveler and fresh bread snob--came to visit us in Peru. Here she is with Sergio and his parents, Raúl and Delia:

During her trip, I got to be a tourist for awhile. Together, we trekked in Colca canyon...

...visited the floating islands in Puno (sorry mom; this photo was too good not to share)...

...stared in awe at the costumes at the Candelaria celebration (see blog post with video), toured the Recoleta monastery and Founder's Mansion in Arequipa and enjoyed at least 76 hours in bus travel together.

Unfortunately, there was no Machu Picchu visit due to the disastrous flooding in Cuzco, but my mom's quite the explorer in her own right.

She spent a day shadowing Señora Delia in the bakery (and blogged about it) and checked out the Santa Catalina monastery (see Oct. post), among other things. Sergio's dad took us to the Avelino for a day of mercado shopping.

We visited Arequipa's yarn factories and shops, where she bought plenty of alpaca threads and got to work on a shawl for Sergio's mom.

Of course, Peruvian cuisine is a tour in itself. Mom got the recipes for kapche de habas and chicha morada. She tried for herself various treats from the Perez Fuentes bakery, Inca Kola (see Oct. post) lúcuma ice cream (see Dec. post), Sunday's only abodo de chancho (see Oct. post) and alpaca steak, seen here:

She also fell in love with rocoto, aji and their various spicy pepper cousins:

Another important part about traveling is being an ambassador for your own culture. Mom definitely did that, if not through her kind and open nature, but through American cooking.

Sergio's family had pizza, hamburgers, fettucini alfredo, fajitas, as well as some family dishes like Grandma Lois' Swedish meatballs and breakfast biscuits and honey. Obviously, it wasn't so bad for me either to have some American comfort food.

It was wonderful to have you around, Mamá. Thanks for being the best U.S. Ambassador to Peru ever.

9.9 Peru Earthquake Rumor Debunked

2010-03-09T16:16:00.000-05:00

Only a few days after the 8.8 Chile earthquake, Sergio came into our room looking like a ghost after watching one of Peru's evening news channels.

North American geologists predicted, the broadcast said, that biggest earthquake in history--9.9 magnitude--will hit southern Peru this September. The segment quoted as its source an article from El Pais, Spain's elite newspaper.

We couldn't find any such news, so we, well, googled it.

It took about three minutes to figure out that this panic-generating rumor could be chalked up to poor newsroom research.

You see, when you search "Peru earthquake prediction," this 1981 El Pais article pops up. That's right--January 28, 1981. And for your information, there was no 9.9 earthquake in Peru in 1981, so we can now confirm that the prediction was incorrect.

The rumor has had its run on Internet forums as well. The title of the article gets 3,400 hits on Google, many posted within the past few weeks. For example, this reposting of the El Pais article--unfortunately lacking the original date-- appeared on one of Univision's forums.

I don't know which came first--the bad TV coverage or the Internet rumor. But it's got some Peruvians preparing for Armageddon in September 2011. Their reaction is understandable, given the recent catastrophes in Haiti and Chile, not to mention Peru's own history of disastrous earthquakes.

I haven't heard about any correction being broadcast, so the panic is sure to continue until someone gets to the bottom of this scary rumor.

Bisexual Novelist = Presidential Candidate?

2010-03-09T15:41:00.001-05:00

Photo from Nautidy.com

Jaime Bayly--Peruvian author, journalist and host of the satirical political talk show, El Francotirador (The Sniper)--jokingly announced last month his intentions to run for president in 2011.

No one quite knows whether to take him seriously or not, but his announcement has generated a lot of talk. As of a few weeks ago, polls showed that Jaime Bayly garners the support of 5% of voters. Compared with the frontrunner, Lima mayor Luis Castañeda, who has 20%, that's a pretty high number.

As this article from The Economist points out, Bayly's not exactly the typical straight-shooting, politically correct candidate.

Bayly is bisexual, but most of his personal life he either openly discusses on El Francotirador, or has written about in his various best-selling books--one of the most famous being No Se Lo Digas A Nadie (Don't Tell Anybody).

Bayly's political platform, extrapolated from his many years of political commentary, would not be mainstream Peru either. Bayly supports gay marriage, abortion and the legalization of drugs. He wants to see a more secular Peruvian state, or in other words, one without a special relationship with the Catholic church.

But some of his political ideas--to decrease the military budget, invest significantly more in education and the police force and reduce the quantity of representatives in Peru's unicameral Congress--are popularly supported. Bayly's reputation as a defender of social equality, which comes from his consistent insistence on the importance of education, is widely known and accepted.

Although many of his political stances are progressive, Peruvian voters so far recognize Bayly as a moderate candidate. But just this perspective worries many political analysts. They say that if Bayly truly is running for president (and he hasn't confirmed it yet), he will win just enough votes from the middle to throw the election to more extremist candidates, or in other words, Ollanta Humala.

I, for one, am entertained, if not supportive, of Bayly's game he's playing right now. He's got the politicians and journalists on their toes. And me as well.

Plus, I like his sexy hairstyle and his baby boy face (see video with subtitles).

I'll be interested to see if this is all just a trial ballon or another novelist/politician (Peru's had one before) who couldn't take the status quo anymore.

Interesting aside: Bayly also still holds a U.S. passport from his days as a CBS and Telemundo political commentator in Miami. (He went there during the 1990s, when journalists were highly censored during President Fujimori's decade-long dictatorship.) He'll have to get rid of that if he seriously runs for president.

Weekend at the Beach

2010-03-08T09:55:00.005-05:00

From mid-December through early March, thousands of sweaty Arequipeños escape the dry summer heat each weekend and go to the beach. On Saturday, Sergio and I decided to see what the beach fever is all about.

Two towns are fairly popular, and each a three-hour (and $3) bus ride through rocky desert from Arequipa: Camaná and Mollendo.

We went to Mollendo because it's not on the Panamerican highway and therefore possibly less crowded. But it's near Matarani, the port town where the Peru-Brasil interstate highway (still in progress) ends, and should be a pretty busy place in a few years.

Mollendo is a charming colonial town very alive with bars, restaurants, hotels and concerts in the summer, and silent in the off-season. We found a hotel for $17--the high season price.

The beaches were very crowded, even though students returned to school last week. On a tip from a friend, we first went to Catarindo cove, pictured here.

After the sun went down, we explored the market streets and checked out the beachside restaurants. This bar, "El Mar De Copas," attracted me, mainly because of the early 20th century building, so I tried a Chilcano de Pisco (pisco, lime, sugar, cane syrup and soda) there.

We found this sign for tsunami evacuations. Luckily, Mollendo hasn't suffered any recent tsunamis, but many properties in neighboring Camaná were damaged by a tsunami following Arequipa's 2001 earthquake.

On Sunday, we got up early to get some privacy along the beach.

But even at 7:30, the place was pretty crowded. This crazy old mansion that looks over the area caught my eye.

In the afternoon, we took a taxi down to Mejia, the more elite resort area:

Trip highlight? Transportation:

Returning from Catarindo to Mollendo, we rode in the back of a truck along with an ice cream cart and its vendor. Then, our taxi driver to Mejía stopped the car in the middle of a long stretch of highway to take a 10-minute phone call. On the way back, squished between farmers and beach vendors in the combi, the middle-aged woman taking our fares made inappropriate (but hilarious) comments to everyone. We had fun.

"Stitch & Bitch" in Lima

2010-03-06T11:00:00.006-05:00

"Stitch and bitch" is a phrase women often use to describe their weekly sewing groups. They get together to sew or knit, as well as "bitch" about their jobs, husbands and other frustrations.

Well the idea is not uncommon in Peru either. This PBS Newshour article (thanks Aunt Marsha) talks about a knitting circle in Lima called "Mujeres Unidas." They stitch great hats and other pieces out of alpaca yarn.

And they bitch as well. But their complaints, that of a poor district of Lima, are a bit different than those of the quilting group in my hometown. They vent frustrations about not having water in their homes, and instead having to wait in line at 4 a.m. to get enough for their basic needs.

Beyond sharing friendships and knitting needles, the group generates an annual profit of $600 for each individual. Their hand-knitted hats are sold internationally, and make another important source of income for many of the group's participants.

Read more about this cool group and its interesting story here.

8.8: Peruvians in Chile

2010-03-05T21:24:00.000-05:00

An estimated 80,000-100,000 Peruvians live and work in Chile--the largest immigrant group in the country. Because Chile has one of the most prosperous and stable economies in Latin America, Peruvians seek opportunities there, often cleaning houses or streets.

You can see, then, why the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that shook central Chile last week had a very real and personal aftershock in Peru.

President Alan Garcia went to Chile this week, in part to bring humanitarian aid, but also in part to help the more than one thousand Peruvians left homeless. Because they didn't have family nearby to take them in, Peruvians are many of those living on the streets after the earthquake (see 30-second TV Chile clip).

Around 160 people without homes were brought back to Lima within the past few days, reunited with their families.

But some did not come out alive. One 25-year-old Peruvian mother and her daughter were lost in the quake.

Post-Colca Note

2010-03-04T21:21:00.004-05:00

I thought my goodbye was the condors, but it turns out, Colca had left a little surprise in my digestive system.

As could be predicted, I spent the next 12 hours praying to the porcelain god. That brings my total tally spent upchucking in Peru to three days.

But don't worry, it was worth it.

Day 3: The Ascent, the Rainbow, the Condors

2010-03-04T20:57:00.002-05:00

At four a.m. I stuffed down a Twix bar and started the four-hour vertical ascent out of the canyon. The word "ascent" sounds too gentle to really capture the pure horror I had those first few steps. "This was a mistake! I'm not qualified for extreme tourism!" I thought.

But it turned out that all those hours of basketball had paid off, and I made it up the to the top of the canyon without having a debilitating leg cramp or passing out. Ha! Here I am about halfway up, looking about as exhausted and sweaty as I felt.

It was almost in that exact moment that my mom, comfortable and dry on her mule, passed by. Great timing!

She and a few other hikers from our group had elected for transportation up the hill. They got to leave an hour later and arrive up top an hour earlier. I truly regret not being faster with the camera and getting a photo of mom on her mule. Next time?

But just as our spirits were getting low, the sun's rays peaked out over the volcanoes and caught the rain clouds, forming an awe-inspiring rainbow that stretched across the canyon. Most of us stopped to absorb it. Within 10 minutes, it was gone.

I'm not sure the picture I took does it justice:

Here is the view from the top of the canyon:

After a quick breakfast in the town of Cabanaconde, we drove on down to the "Cruz del Condor," a popular spot to catch a glimpse of the giant and majestic condors that live in the canyon.

The condors left us with a memorable goodbye before we took the bus back to Chivay for lunch, and then to Arequipa.

Day 2: The Villages

2010-03-03T23:18:00.000-05:00

We woke up on the second day to this view of Colca canyon. See that tiny trail clinging desperately to the canyon wall and hugging the rocky outcroppings? That's the one we hiked down by moonlight the night before.

These were our bungalows that we shared with four other women on our tour. But we only spent a short nine hours at this small resort before moving along the canyon floor.

We walked for six hours, absorbing the impressive scenery and stopping to learn about the regional flora, including these delicious cactus fruits called "tunas." Yum!

The group was in no hurry to get to the next resort. We stopped often to rest, and even more often to let pack mules and their owners pass.

Our 23-year-old tour guide Ruth didn't even sweat, that I saw, as we made one big vertical climb for the day. She does this hike as much as every day during the high tourism season (May-September). Here she is showing us some crazy bugs that live on the cactus and, when squashed, make a brilliant dye used in cosmetics.

The highlight of day 2 were the four or five villages along the route. With no motorized access, the few hundred people in these towns climb in and out on foot to get basic supplies.

One of the towns names caught our attention. While I don't remember the word, it meant "sickness" in Quechua (Peru's principal, and widely spoken, indigenous language). Why? A few decades ago, malaria was brought into the town and infected many of its inhabitants.

And their lifestyle is still centered around subsistence agriculture, as this entrepreneurial woman showed us in her quaint, yet fantastic museum. In this photo, she's demonstrating weaving.

These containers are made from bull testicles and used to carry money and other necessities.

Electricity just arrived to these villages less than 10 years ago, and yet some houses still had satellite TV, like this one.

Before dropping into another section of the canyon floor to rest and relax at the "Oasis," our appropriately-named resort, we caught this beautiful view of the valley looking south. I'll leave you with that for today.

Day 1: Bus Breakdown/Moonlit Descent

2010-02-23T20:52:00.008-05:00

Mom and I left Arequipa at 4 am for the six-hour ride to Chivay the northern-most town in Colca Canyon. At around 6:30 am, we were jolted awake by a loud crack and the bus rolling to a halt. The bus had hit one of the many potholes along this dirt road and broken something having to do with the axel.

We, along with the 20 other tourists on the bus, loaded off and sat among the barren landscape of the altiplano for two hours while the guide and bus driver desperately looked for a solution. The bus driver tried to fix the bus while our guide flagged down every passenger bus that passed to see if they could take us.

One bus did end up taking about ten people, but there wasn't enough room for their things, so they had to leave their backpacks with us.

Meanwhile, the bus wasn't completely fixed so we tried going at 10 mph.

It took us until 2 pm to arrive in Chivay--where we should have been at 8 am.

We ate our group lunch, and were told it would be until 3 pm before the bus was fixed. Three turned into 4 pm and finally at 5 pm we were on the bus again.

Driving two more hours farther into the canyon as it grew deeper and deeper, the bus got quiet. Everyone was absorbed by the incomparable views--small pueblos, Inca terraces, snow-covered volcanoes and the sheer canyon walls.

But now we had to make a decision--hike down into the the second deepest canyon in the world at night or wake up early the next day and hike eight hours.

The group decided for a night hike. And what luck we had--a full moon!

We descended five hours, hugging the steep canyon walls. Finally, the group arrived at our bungalows in the canyon's bottom at midnight. I'm not sure we really understood the hike we had made until we awoke the next morning. But that's for day two.

Destination: Second-Deepest Canyon in the World

2010-02-22T22:02:00.000-05:00

The department of Arequipa is known as Peru's "Canyon Country." It is home to the world's deepest canyon, Cotahuasi, twice the depth of Arizona's Grand Canyon, and Colca Canyon, the world's second deepest canyon.

Colca Canyon is 11, 150 feet deep at some points, and, according to Mario Vargas Llosa, is a "Valley of Wonders."

A string of volcanoes line the canyon on both sides, one of which is the second highest in Peru and where the 500-year-old mummy Juanita was discovered. The terraces that line the walls and base of the canyon were first cultivated by the Incas more than 1,000 years ago.

Beyond being filled with the wildlife Peru is known for (llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and condors), 14 pueblos sit in Colca Canyon, some of them only accessible by mule trails.

The women wear traditional Colca clothing, intricately embroidered and brightly colored skirts, vests and hats. Many locals speak Quechua as their first language.

Colca Canyon is only six hours by bus, a popular option for tourists. So Mom and I decided to go investigate.

With Sergio's help, we contracted a three-day trek into the canyon's base. The guided hike cost $60 and includes transportation and food, except for one lunch.

The plan was to leave from Arequipa for Chivay and finally Cabanaconde (see map below). That's where our five-hour descent on foot down into the canyon starts.

Inventory: Six Months in Peru

2010-02-18T00:01:00.005-05:00

So folks--I've officially been in Peru for six months. What do I have to say for myself so far?

Let's take inventory:

118 hours traveled by bus
1,569 pieces of bread eaten
2 friends made
174 out of 180 days without rain
40 days of traveler's diarrhea and 2 with food poisoning
16 pirated movies bought and watched
3 cases of altitude sickness (including one upchuck in the bus bathroom)
53 hours spent hand-washing clothes
50+ cups of maté de coca and 17 pisco sours drank
Approx. 10 (yes, 10) two-pointers sunk by yours truly on the courts of Arequipa
One million blessings counted; one million more questions about life

What can I check off the travel to-do list?

Get scammed into visiting fake pre-Incan ruins--check!
Visit a village built on floating islands at Lake Titicaca--check!
Skip on down to Chile for a few days--check!
Venture into the labyrinth tunnels of ancient ruins at Chavín--check!
Say hello to the highest mountain in Peru--check!
See one of the biggest folklore celebrations in South America--check!
Hike the second-deepest canyon in the world--check!

Reflections:

As my Spanish improves, I understand less and less of Peruvian culture.

Culture is like an iceberg. There are facets of it you can see from the surface: language, food, dance, religion, music, celebrations, dress, etc...

But there are vast layers below that aren't seen until you crash right into them: practices in punctuality, professionalism, gender relations and ideas about personal space, for example.

Some parts an outsider may only get a glimpse of, or miss completely: the influence of a culture's history on the individual; group-wide prides and embarrassments; perceptions about love, family, money, friendship, political life; and ethics and morality.

How much of a people's beauty, ingenuity and diversity is hidden underwater? I think there's a lot more "lost in translation" than the phrase implies.

Video: Peru in 1937

2010-02-16T21:16:00.003-05:00

From 1937, this eight-minute "TravelTalk" by James Fitzpatrick was featured on El Comercio's website today.

If you can overlook the paternalism and gross simplification, this video does have some interesting views of Lima, Arequipa and Puno from almost 75 years ago. Plus, it's in technicolor:

It finally rained!

2010-02-15T10:40:00.001-05:00

As you might remember (see post: "I must be really thirsty."), as of mid-Dec, there had not been a single drop of rain since my arrival to Arequipa in mid-August.

While we were gone to Huaraz for 10 days, we heard rumors that there had been a day of rain here. But as there was no evidence of such an event, I decided to wait to see for myself. After all, it is "rainy season," so more should be on the way...right?

Well, now almost two months more have gone by, and I haven't seen much more than a 10-minute drizzle.

Except last week while we were in Puno, it rained a LOT here. Finally! And the evidence was impossible to refute--Misti the volcano had put on what Arequipeños like to call "his poncho":

The mountains off to the north had done the same thing:

But within a day, the poncho was gone. All evidence of rain had been dried up by the desert sun.

"El Cupido Panadero"

2010-02-14T10:24:00.004-05:00

Pictured above, "el Cupido Panadero" (the baker cupid) delivered his *love* dough to all the pizza restaurants in Arequipa last night.

Today, hundreds of Arequipeña couples will share small heart pizzas over lunch, thanks to Señora Delia, Sergio and all the worker cupids at the Miraflores bakery.

Hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love...and warm bread!

National Pisco Sour Day...

2010-02-13T12:38:00.005-05:00

...was last Sunday, February 7, but why don't you celebrate with me this Sunday? Only a week late--I think that falls within a reasonable holiday grace period.

Pisco sours have won my heart, and I think they will win yours too. In fact, if you haven't permanently traded in margaritas for pisco sours by Monday, I'll give you your money back.

This family recipe for this traditional Peruvian drink I snatched from a Lonely Planet guidebook on Peru. Try it out:

Ingredients

3 parts pisco (a Peruvian rum-like liquor made from grapes, see "Pisco is Peruvian, carajo!")

1 part freshly squeezed lime juice

1/3 egg white

1 part sugar (or Cane syrup)

Angostura bitters

Directions

Combine the lime juice and pisco in a blender. Add sugar to taste. Add plenty of ice and blend. Spoon in egg white and blend again. Serve immediately. Add a drop of bitters to the top for decoration.

The First Academy Award Nomination for Peru!

2010-02-12T12:39:00.002-05:00

When you cuddle up to watch the Oscars on March 7, keep your eye out for La Teta Asustada (English title: The Milk of Sorrow), the first Academy Award nomination ever for Peru.

At least everyone here will be watching. In the "humble Lima neighborhood of Machay" where the movie was filmed, residents--many of whom were extras in the film--will come down to watch the ceremony on a big screen in the plaza.

The lead actress, Magaly Solier, sings in Quechua in the film to earn money. But she says she might also sing in Quechua and English for the awards ceremony.

Magaly plans to chew a coca leaf for luck, and in solidarity with the Andean people of Peru, she said on her website. I don't know if she knows that the U.S.G. won't let her bring even one leaf to Los Angeles. Maybe she can chew on something else.

I would give my personal reaction to the film, but unfortunately, I haven't seen it. (The version we could find here was pirated in a movie theatre, complete with sounds of people munching on popcorn and whispering comments so loud that we couldn't hear the dialogue.)

But in any case, here is a trailer of the film for you to preview.

Uh, what is Machu Picchu anyway?

2010-02-05T01:02:00.000-05:00

It wasn't the Incan capital. It wasn't their last refuge either. What was Machu Picchu?

If you just read my two posts (see Feb. 3 and Jan. 25) and thought to yourself, hmm, I've heard of Machu Picchu before, but what is it, really....

...well this PBS documentary, "Ghosts of Machu Picchu," is definitely for you.

Or even if you already know about Machu Picchu, well, the video is free and online, so why not?

Matadero=Back of a Chevy?

2010-02-04T01:06:00.002-05:00

I started noticing an interesting trend in Arequipa's hotel industry.

Why is there a strip of hotels hidden only a block away from Dolores street, where most of Arequipa's salsa clubs are? Why are there various hostels all the way up here in Miraflores, a primarily residential neighborhood? Why do so many of these places look so shady?

I mentioned my observations to Sergio, and he explained to me about "los mataderos"--literal translation="slaughterhouse."

The sign says hotel or hostal (hostel), but just by looking, any Peruvian can tell the difference between a real hotel and a matadero--one frequented by young, local couples.

In Peru, it's normal to live with your parents through college and until you get married. Even then, you and your husband or wife might still find yourselves living in a part of your parent's house.

But even though at 19, 20, 26, you still live with your parents, those hormones don't just control themselves. So where do you take your girlfriend for a romantic evening? You take her to a matadero. You can even rent these rooms by the hour.

Sergio and his brothers mock these places a bit because they are a bit unkept. But they seem to be very popular, as indicated by the booming "hotel" business in Peru.

In most Peruvian cities, there are at least a few decent hotels, hostels and hospedajes (communal homestays) to choose from. But you can always be sure you'll find a plethora of mataderos at all prices and locations.

The most concentrated areas of mataderos are definitely near the main bar and club areas, where I imagine these rendezvous are less romantic and more like one-night stands.

It would be interesting to do a mini-survey: how many Peruvians were conceived in a matadero?

Come to think of it, how many Americans were conceived in the back of a car? I bet we'd come up with similar results.

U.S. media coverage of the Cuzco flood crisis

2010-02-03T19:15:00.002-05:00

When 400 American citizens are stranded at Machu Picchu, people want news about what's happening to their neighbor or family member. I can understand that a U.S. paper needs to sell to that audience.

But being in Peru during Cuzco's floods gave me a different look at the U.S. media's coverage of the floods in Cusco--an embarrassingly shallow analysis of a serious crisis.

By the way the articles framed the flooding, I would have thought that a Peruvian losing his home and a year's crop was somehow comparable to tourists being "bored" and not able to use their credit card for four days.

Here's the facts of the flood:

The rains in Cuzco left 26,000 families affected, 4,500 homes destroyed, 39,500 acres of crops decimated and $100 million+ in damages, said Peru 21. At least 14 bridges were carried away by the raging flood waters. Two thousand tourists were stranded after the railway and roads to Machu Picchu were gutted by mudslides. The area was placed under a state of emergency.

Machu Picchu will be closed for at least two months while they repair the roads and railways, costing the 175,000 people dependent on tourism in Cuzco an estimated $1 million per day. That's not to mention the entry fees collected by the government--2,200 people per day each paying 70-something bucks.

While the rains have been strongest in Cuzco, flooding has caused deaths, lost homes and lost crops in seven other central/southeastern departments in Peru. According to AFP, the death toll across southern Peru had reached 20 by Saturday, with five people were missing.

This, however, is what the U.S. media reported back:

On Monday, January 25, the AP covered the 2,000 trapped tourists at Machu Picchu. They included one sentence close to the bottom of the article about the damage and Peruvian deaths in Cuzco. At this point, a state of emergency had already been declared, but there's no mention of that.

The next day, the AP did finally mention the Peruvian deaths due to the flooding in the context of the deaths of a tourist and his guide. Only in the last sentence of the article was it mentioned that the flooding in the region had caused $172 million in damage.

As the last tourists were flown out of the Machu Picchu pueblo, the ruins' "base camp," the AP again focused on the poor tourists' plight, leaving one sentence about the devastating flood damage affecting average Peruvians in the area. There was nothing about the deaths.

CNN gets the prize for the most obnoxious headline: "Stranded tourists battle flooding, boredom in Machu Picchu." Boredom, seriously?

This bit on a Dutch tourist exemplifies the media's strikingly shallow analysis:

"The only inconvience for him is being able to use his credit card at businesses such as restaurants, but he expects to get to the capital city of Lima in time to leave for a jaunt to Africa "if everything goes well."

"We're just bored," Fredrik told CNN.

Or maybe this story wasn't shallow at all. Maybe CNN's Joe Sterling was trying to poke fun at this tourist? Because on this AP video, you can see that some foreigners weren't bored--they were actually helping out!

Anyway, CNN did mention the regional crisis a bit faster than the AP; only a third of the way into the piece, a paragraph addressed the seven deaths and houses and crops destroyed.

I was most disappointed in The New York Times' only story on the flooding. It finally appeared on Thursday, January 28, just a day before everyone was evacuated and the "tourist crisis" was over. The article mentions briefly the 10 deaths in the region and that houses were lost, but fails to mention that the Cuzco region was under a state of emergency, thousands of crop were destroyed. Nor does it place the Machu Picchu situation in perspective by discussing it's effect on the region's tourism-dependent economy.

U.S. media coverage wasn't an entire sham: Dow Jones' newswire had a good article that really covers the breadth of the flood's impact in southeastern Peru.

But, as I shame U.S. journalists, I should disclose that the title of my last blog post on the issue was, "Stranded at Machu Picchu?" Yeah, that's the one where I was all sad about how this was affecting my travel plans. Touché?

*Sigh.* I guess I thought you might actually click on it if you saw that headline. So did CNN and the AP.

Update: It's not U.S. journalism, but The Economist finally did a good piece on the flooding.

If your french fries could talk....

2010-02-02T09:46:00.000-05:00

...why would they speak Quechua?

Where does the potato come from?

Why is it that in Peru there are 5,000 different types of potatoes and we Americans eat only the white ones?

This one-minute video, part of the PBS series Latinos in 60 seconds, explains a bit about the origin of the potato.

Why you should know Mario Vargas Llosa?

2010-01-26T12:09:00.000-05:00

Beyond the fact that he will surely win the Nobel Prize one of these years, Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa also ran against Alberto Fujimori in the 1990 presidential elections.

I just finished my third book of his, The Feast of the Goat, a narrative about the Trujillo government in the Dominican Republic.

I also read his Death in the Andes, about terrorism in Peru during the 1980s, and The Bad Girl, a story of obsession that starts in Peru and follows the characters through Europe. They're all worth reading, but The Feast of the Goat is by far his best book in my opinion.

Vargas Llosa's page on the New York Times is pretty interesting, with articles going back to the early seventies. You can see the ups and downs of his political and literary career.

The high (or maybe low) point of his political career was his run for president in 1990. He lost to no-name Alberto Fujimori, who would then become one of the most controversial Peruvian presidents in the last century.

The presidential contest took place in a country torn by terrorism and rocked by economic instability. In the 1980s, inflation remained above 50% and an estimated 30,000 people had been murdered by domestic terrorists called The Shining Path.

Vargas Llosa, running from the right, campaigned on a politically-weak but possibly economically sound argument--that the economy needed drastic (and neoliberal) reforms that would be hard on Peruvians.

Needless to say, most Peruvians didn't see the famous novelist and world-traveler (he lived in Europe for many years) as "one of them." Nor did they see his plan for Peru as anything more than an attempt to lay the country's burdens on the poor.

But they did see "el chino" Fujimori as "one of them," surprisingly, considering his Japanese heritage. Ironically, as soon as Fujimori won the election, he was convinced by international lenders that the only way out of Peru's economic meltdown was to take just the measures that Vargas Llosa had campaigned on.

Fujimori's economic reforms were seen as a positive step for the country. He was credited with ridding the country of terrorism, but Peru paid the price. Fujimori suspended the constitution and dissolved the Congress. In 2000, he fled to Japan after his cohort Vladimiro Montesinos was caught on tape bribing various Congressmen. Fujimori was recently convicted of grave violations of human rights in his campaign against the Shining Path.

But enough about Fujimori. He'll get a dedicated post of his own soon.

Who knows what decisions Vargas Llosa would have made in his place, or if Peru would have been better off. But one thing's for sure. It would have been hard to be president and keep up this wonderful literature. Thanks for the books.

He's coming out with one about the Congo soon, so keep your eyes open.

Stranded at Machu Picchu?

2010-01-25T22:07:00.005-05:00

We had it all planned to go to Cuzco tonight. I would finally see the Incan capital. I'm glad we didn't.

Cuzco, and another department called Apurimac, have declared a 60-day state of emergency due to the worst torrential rains in 15 years.

Already, two people have died and more than 120 houses have been affected, some completely washed away, by the flooding.

Flooding has also blocked off the highway from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes, the last stop on the road to Machu Picchu. Almost 2,000 tourists were stranded there, many of whom were flown out today by helicopter. I'm not sure what to think about the helicopter tourist show, besides the fact that it could have been us!

So I finally understand what Peruvians mean when they say that there are only two seasons here--dry and wet. It's even sprinkled in Arequipa for the first time in five months!

2010: The real "Coca" Cola?

2010-01-24T12:13:00.005-05:00

Remember when "I drank cocaine" back in September? Well, now there will be more than just mate de coca for me to choose from.

Inca Kola News wrote about this upcoming product from Bolivia:

In 2010, a factory in Cochabamba Bolivia will start producing an energy drink made from coca leaves that will go by the name "Coca Colla" (a play on words, as indigenous Bolivians are sometimes known as Collas or Kollas that comes from the pre-Colombian Colla people of the Antiplano region, esp around lake Titicaca). No packshot yet, but apparently it's going to be dark coloured, sweet and fizzy. Remind you of anything?

Here's a longer story on it, which the "Super Snarky" Latin America blog linked to.

In Peru, the cultivation of the coca leaf, the principal ingredient in cocaine and an important piece of Andean culture, is a controversial subject. This five-minute LinkTV video talks a bit about the problem.

Kapche de Habas

2010-01-22T14:05:00.003-05:00

As part of our week of face-stuffing, Señor Raúl taught us how to make Kapche de Habas, a traditional Cuzco soup made with special beans, milk, cheese and potatoes. We tried as best we could to scratch down a recipe, but we had difficulty identifying some of the ingredients. Here's what we managed to write down:

Ingredients:

8 lbs habas verdes (Lima beans but bigger)

18 papitas negras (they're tiny, so if you're using white potatoes, maybe just four)

1 purple onion

1/4 cup oil

1 clove of garlic

6 cups water

6 huatacay (mint on the stems)

1 cup of chopped huatacay

1 teaspoon of palillo (similar to tumeric, or if you can't find that paprika)

1/4 cup of pimienta dulce (whole allspice)

1 large can of evaporated milk

4 egg

Optional: 1/2 lb of queso de paria (or whatever mild white cheese you can find)

Directions:

1) Separately, boil 18 little potatoes. Let them cool and then peel them by hand.

2) Remove eight lbs of habas verdes from their pods. Then peel the beans and spilt them in half.

3) Sauteé 1/2 of a chopped onion in a large pot in a thick layer of oil.
4) In a blender, mix 1/2 of a chopped onion, a clove of garlic and water. Add it to the onions being sauteed in the pot.

5) Add palillo, pimienta dulce and whole huatacay to the pot, along with six cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil.

6) Add the habas verdes to the pot (enough to cook the beans and maintain a soupy consistency to the mixture). Let them simmer until the beans are cooked.
7) Remove whole huatacay from the pot.
8) Add chooped huatacay.
9) Add four whisked eggs and the can of milk.

10) Once the whisked egg has cooked, add the peeled potatoes.

11) Let it simmer for 5 minutes.

12) Optional: add slices of queso de paria on top before serving.

Guest Post: Pray for the Yeasties

2010-01-21T18:00:00.003-05:00

"When I bake bread I think of gardens and music,

grandmothers and God,

and I pray for the yeasties."

--Anonymous

(Guest post by Mary Porter--Laura's mom, international traveler & fresh bread snob)

The smell of fresh baked bread invokes the same feelings in any country or culture. The aroma is of comfort and home and simplicity.

That same welcoming smell was the first of many gifts awaiting me as I arrived to my house for seven weeks, the home and panaderia (bakery) business of the Perez Fuentes family in Arequipa, Peru.

I first stepped into the home/bakery through the front door, shown behind these two bakery practicantes (interns):

This is a work room off the side of one of the kitchens, where I was surprised to see a couple hundred pizza crusts in the process of being wrapped and organized for delivery. There was also a large rack of ciabattas fresh from the oven and a bin with karamanducas (bite sized crescent rolls).

The dishwashing station, two more kitchens and several more racks of fresh breads, cakes and cookies were around the corner. The cookies looked like they would melt in your mouth. Before I even met the family, I thought of snitching one but Laura suggested I meet everyone first.

The stairs to Laura and Sergio's part of the house went straight up from there. Our rooms are right above the bakery, and my room is directly over the ovens. Their pipes pass right outside my window. There is bread baking at all hours of the day, so my bedroom smells delicious all day long. If only I were a paying customer!

Being an amateur baker myself, I asked Señora Delia--Sergio's mom and la duena (owner) of the bakery--if I could shadow her for a day. At 5 am, I was awakened by Sergio to accompany them on their morning deliveries. The bakery on Tarapacá does not have a store front. Señora Delia has two stores in the center of the city and many restaurants and hotels that need fresh bread early in the morning.

The delivery van was already loaded so Sergio, Señora Delia and I set out. These stops took a couple of hours and a couple of trips around the city, including one to the Coca Cola plant to drop off their daily rolls and mini-pies for employees.

By the time we returned, the kitchens were a beehive. I counted ten employees and fifteen different breads at various stages of preparation.

There was karamanduca dough in the mixer:

There were balls of pizza dough being flattened, trimmed to size and placed on baking sheets.

There were french rolls rising in the fermenting area and coming out of the oven:

There were loaves of wheat bread cooling to be sliced.

The queques (like a sweet quick bread) and quequitos (sweet bread minis) were finished and ready for packaging.

There was pie dough waiting to be rolled for the pyes de manzana (little apple pies):

There were those same decadent sugar cookies that tempted me when I first arrived--alfajores. They needed to be filled with manjar (caramel), like a sandwich, and then rolled in coconut.

I was put to work helping to shape the little karamanducas. The dough was already cut in equal pieces by a machine. I learned, eventually, to roll them into small oblong pieces with my hands, and then roll out four at a time with a metal pipe and curl them up all at once into a crescent shape.

They probably had to sell mine at a discounted price.

In the meantime, the master baker, Alfredo, and his helper, Percy, made six mixers full of ciabatta dough. They put it all together in one giant blob of dough on the table, then shaped it into about two hundred rolls.

After my lunch at 2 pm, I went back to work. Señora Alejandra, the right hand woman at the bakery, prepared lunch for the crew. Meanwhile, they baked pizza crusts, made chifones (cakes)...

...rolled out and filled the mini-pie tins with dough...

...and to finish them off--added the fresh apple filling and topped them with a fancy lattice crust. The mini-pies are delicious, but, in my opinion, as much work as a regular size pie for only a single serving. That makes them very, very special indeed.

I didn't last as long in the bakery as Señora Delia, who took orders for the next morning's deliveries from 7 to 9 pm and finally went to bed around 11.

The night crew arrived at 6 pm and started on the pan de queso (cheese bread) and pan de yema (bread with egg yolks).

The pan de lema is golden, shaped like a leaf and topped with sesame seeds. My personal favorite is mil hojas, a "thousand layer" pastry made with a flaky dough similar to phyllo with manjar and cream layers.

The team of bakers finally wrapped things up around 2:00 in the morning!

Most of the breads and pastries baked here are from many different countries. The alfajores are typically found in Latin America, as well as the karamanduca. Laura has another post about the rustic triangle shaped bread, pan de tres puntas (three points bread)--a traditional Peruvian bread baked in a very unique oven.

With the exception of tortillas--which Peruvians don't eat--I have consumed more bread in the last two weeks than I ate all of last year. It appears fresh on our table every morning. I am relishing every bite of this simple pleasure without an ounce of guilt.

I am thankful for my daily bread and for live yeasties.

Homemade chicha morada

2010-01-21T12:53:00.003-05:00

Remember the purple corn we bought at the Avelino market? With Señor Raúl's guidance, mom and I used it to make chicha morada two days in a row.

Chicha morada--one variation of the Andean corn beverage, which is often fermented--is pretty easy to make.

We boiled about seven cobs of dried purple corn in a full pot of water for 15 minutes, and the liquid that emerged was the purple corn drink itself. With a bit of sugar and fresh lime juice, it was ready to serve.

Sergio, drinking our chicha morada out of his dad's traditional chicha glass, looked a little frightened at first by our new interest in brewing, but he drank it all!

Postscript: If you're interested, this New York Times article on Peru chicha explains all about the various types, as well as the traditional picanterias where Peruvians go to drink chicha along with their spicy meals.

Christening the new oven!

2010-01-20T16:20:00.000-05:00

Big news at the bakery! The traditional oven, which has been under construction for almost a year, is finally ready for use!

Arequipeños like their pan de tres puntas, a special rustic bread cooked only in a traditional wood oven. As a competitive bakery, having this oven is essential.

But you can't just heat the new oven up the first day you want to cook bread. Over a month, the oven must be heated gradually before it can be used at full capacity.

Señor Raúl figured those daily heatings shouldn't be wasted, so Wednesday, we ate a feast of marinated lamb leg and potatoes.

And in the process, we learned how the oven works, and why few bakeries go to the trouble to have one.

The tiny oven door shown below is chest high. It opens into a small, concrete chamber where the wood is burnt down to coals and then pushed aside to insert the bread--or in this case, our lamb, as Señora Delia is doing below with a 7-foot-long paddle.

Below the open chamber is the complicated stuff. Glass shards, then a special clay, then bricks fill the bottom cavity that maintains the oven temperature.

This special contraption costs about $4,000, no small price here in Peru. But Señor Raúl predicts that over time, less and less bakeries will have traditional ovens, making pan de tres puntas a valuable commodity.

Chile, and the rest of Latin America, swings right?

2010-01-18T12:59:00.001-05:00

Last month I wrote about the Chilean presidential elections, and didn't really follow up. Sorry about that.

Turns out that on the first round, no candidate won the majority. So this past Sunday, the two candidates that won the most votes--Sebastian Piñera and Eduardo Frei--faced each other again at the polls for a deciding vote.

Piñera won the election, which has confirmed commentators' observations that Latin America is swinging right, including The New York Times and Real Clear Politics. Even as early as last summer, news analysts (The Guardian and Newsweek) were pointing to the coming Chilean elections as an important political barometer for the Western hemisphere.

Why is this a big deal? Less than five years ago (I think), the barometer was wavering more to the extreme left, with leaders like Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales gaining popularity. A big turn to the right might mean that the region's voter are tiring of populist leftist leaders.

But some Latin American experts have another perspective. Borev.net poked fun at this pretty lackluster comment by the Inter-American Dialogue president, for example.

In any case, Peruvians are watching to see what Piñera will do. They hope that, as a newcomer, Piñera will be more amenable to improvements in relations with his northern neighbor.

Sunday at the Mercado

2010-01-17T14:17:00.000-05:00

I'd always seen the Avelino--Arequipa's giant maze of a market--on my way to the bus terminal or to deliver pizza dough with Sergio. But I had never actually walked the congested side streets until this Sunday. What a chaos of vendors, shoppers and smells. One moment you caught a whiff of the tastiest fried something. The next smell made you want to puke.

Since arriving in August, Sergio and I have been shopping at Arequipa's grocery megastores--Plaza Vea, El Super and Franco--for two reasons: 1) we're in the American supermarket habit and 2) we don't know good meat from bad meat at the open air market.

But Señor Raúl finally convinced us that we hadn't seen the best of the markets in Arequipa. He took us a part of this giant market along Avelino Caceres (they call it "el avelino" for short). It was called "Mi Mercado."

While it was probably informal at one point, the vendors are now incorporated as a real supermarket. The only thing that was missing were walls. It had shopping carts, a section for pets and pet food, fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, dried goods and cleaning supplies.

The four of us, my mom, Sergio, Señor Raúl and I, shopped for at least two hours, comparing prices on carrots, onions and tomatoes. My mom was even brave enough to take a lick of the reddest spice we found. It turned out to be paprika, but I thought for sure she would burn her tongue off!

We also found some new produce, including purple corn used to make chicha morada (a popular drink here) and these psychedelic potatoes:

Sergio was our official negotiator. He uses his charm to work the vendors. "Nada menos?" ("Nothing less?") he usually asks right off the bat. He was pretty good at finding a deal. Most veggies and fruits were 60 cents/kilogram.

We brought back three giant bags filled with green beans, potatoes, choclo (hominy), carrots, onions, cucumbers, papaya, purple corn and more. The shopping made us so tired that we left everything uncooked and went out to lunch down the street.

500 years of history in one house

2010-01-15T15:55:00.007-05:00

Finally, with my mom here, I had another reason to tour this city I live in. I had read in my guidebook and heard from locals that La Mansión del Fundador, Founder's Mansion, was a sight worth seeing.

We drove to southwest to Huasacache, what surely used to be a small village outside of Arequipa, but has now been eaten up by the urban sprawl.

On our drive, we witnessed the interesting contrast that characterizes the city--a lush pasture still feeding cattle and growing produce squeezed between upscale neighborhoods with high fence. On the arid hill above the pasture, poor have squatted the land and built shacks made of plywood, cardboard and tires.

The view from the mansion itself captures these contradictions:

The founder's mansion sits in a beautiful meadow surrounded by Arequipa's dry hills, with a spectacular eastern view of the volcano. Up this winding old road, the mansion was hidden from slight.

What interested me most about the mansion was less the volcanic rock architecture and more the vast survey of Peruvian history this one building tells.

It was built in the 1500s by Arequipa's founder Manuel de Carbajal, who was awarded the land as part of an encomienda (land and labor grant) he received from Spanish rulers.

During the 1600s, the mansion was a Jesuit retreat before the Spanish kicked them out of Peru. A large chapel can me found on the north end of the mansion:

The property passed through many hands before it ended up with Spaniard Juan de Goyeneche, a prominent military and political leader, in the 1800s.

Under yet other ownership in the late 1800s, the mansion was occupied by the invading Chileans. Drawings of Chilean soldiers etched into the cupboards by a household employee testify to that part of the home's history.

Somewhere along the way, the colonial home acquired a wide collection of European furniture, as you can see in this photo:

In the 1980s, a group of six enthusiasts restored the crumbling mansion and made it available for public visits and events.

In 2010, my mom, Mary Porter, came all the way from another continent to see it:

A gringa playing street ball in Peru?

2010-01-14T16:42:00.004-05:00

(That's me in the pink shorts dribbling horribly.)

So joining the local women's basketball league in October (see earlier post) didn't work out exactly how I thought it would. It turned out even better!

I was looking to get some exercise and make some friends. As I learned, the league plays only one game a week. And while my team was in a severe "rebuilding year," only two girls bothered to come to practices. It was hard to get to know anyone. Plus, having not played for six years (and never being that great anyway) I sat out during most of the games.

The whole thing started to remind me of my high school basketball experience (ouch). I was feeling dissatisfied, but hadn't given up yet.

One day after practice, the cab driver started up a conversation about basketball and then invited me to play in the morning at 6:30 am with a more informal group. Even though I was the only girl that came that morning, I knew I had found my niche.

For two and a half months now, I've been playing street basquet for two hours every morning. I even managed to make my first Peruvian friends and get a job teaching English! Some other girls have started to come as well.

When I was gone to Huaraz the past few weeks, we left so quickly that I didn't even tell anyone where I was going. I got back this week and my basquet buddies all asked where I had been. Had I fallen off the earth? Had I gone back to the U.S.? Why didn't I tell anyone?

It hadn't occurred to me that they might miss me! I'm sure they hadn't missed my awful dribbling, but maybe my funny accent?

Cows on Parade in Lima

2010-01-10T19:18:00.000-05:00

Peruvians love their evaporated milk. In fact, when you ask for milk, that's what you get--a can of it!

Gloria, a Peruvian milk company headquartered in Arequipa, produces evaporated as well as fresh milk (the kind most Americans dig). While we were in Lima, we came upon their big advertising campaign in Lima's parks--the cow parade!

Pictures explain better than words, so I included the highlights: the bovine taken straight from the insane asylum and the one whose protected against swine flu. There were many more whose photos I didn't include.

Click on any of the pictures to check the cows out in detail.

Lima puts it's best face forward

2010-01-09T19:53:00.002-05:00

Lima put it's best face forward for my mom's arrival on Saturday.

Blue skies are a rarity in the panza de burro city, and we had a whole day of sun.

Plus, my mom saw a different view of Lima than I had (see previous post). We stayed in Miraflores, a swanky neighborhood 15 minutes from downtown--a sample of developed-world Lima located along la costa verde (the green coast) on the ocean.

In Miraflores, the vast inequality that defines Peru--and Latin America--was blatantly apparent. Five-star hotels and lavish condos along the beach, compared with the cardboard makeshift homes in Lima's outskirts, testify to a painstaking reality: the rewards of Peru's strong economic growth has only been reaped by a few.

One example is this shopping center on the ocean--complete with a Chilis, North Face and other American stores--and the Marriott that towers over it.

This image of high rises, shiny Nissans and young professionals returning from a shopping spree captures the essence of Miraflores:

Hugging the squeaky-clean central park are European-style patio restaurants filled with Peruvians taking a long lunch:

In the nearby beach neighborhood of Barranco, this gorgeous church is the center of another strip of expensive restaurant selling ceviche:

While Miraflores may have been more comfortable physically, it was less than comfortable for my conscience.

Goodbye to Huaraz: Llanganuco Lakes

2010-01-08T21:06:00.000-05:00

Our last day in Huaraz, we traveled to the frigid Llanganuco lakes positioned above Yungay on the north face of el Huascarán (the highest mountain in Peru).

Most tourists go on a guided tour, but we decided to take a different route. We grabbed a combi (van) to Yungay, then contracted a taxi driver, who, for about 13 bucks, took us the 1 1/2 hours up the steep mountain roads to the lakes.

Beyond the enchanting scenery, the most interesting part of our trip was Dionicio, our taxi driver. 22 years old, Dionicio lives in the small village on the ridge just below the lakes.

He showed us his home, and his dad outside--a small adobe place surrounded by animals. Electricity just recently arrived to their pueblo in 2002. Most of the community does subsistence farming and maybe a small business.

After showing us the lakes, a sight to see, Sergio asked Dionicio if he knew of a good place to eat trucha (trout), and it turned out that his cousin Aire, recently opened up a roadside restaurant near the pueblo.

Aire, shown below, immediately welcomed us into their small picnic table and kitchen. She chatted with us about life in her town. While they often went to Yungay (45 min down the mountain), Aire had never been to Huaraz (two hours away).

Quechua is her language, but through broken Spanish (on her part and mine), we shared in conversation. This was my first time being somewhere in Peru where Spanish was the (far) second language.

Sergio ate what he claimed was the best trucha of his life. We thanked Aire and her family and headed back down the road.

Before Dionicio left us, he asked Sergio for his number just in case he decided to take the job he offered him in the bakery as a driver.

You see, on the days Dionicio does manage to get a customer, he takes home only $5 of his $13 fare after paying gas and the car's rental. At the bakery, Sergio said, Dionicio would have a room, board and $10/day to keep (double what he makes taxiing). Even though Arequipa is 26 hours in bus from Yungay and he had no family there, it seemed Dionicio was going to give the offer some serious thought.

Maybe we'll see him again someday, but if not, I was thankful he wanted to share a piece of his life with us on our last day in Huaraz.

Bad chicken?

2010-01-07T20:01:00.002-05:00

(For your sake, I decided not to include pictures with this story.)

They say that the ruins at Chavín de Huántar are so powerful that they have an effect on some people. I guess that some people is me, because I woke up the next day with terrible nausea, and spent the next 12 hours puking my insides out.

Maybe that was Chavín's way of getting me on my knees. If I was praying to the porcelain god, at least I was praying.

It was probably just a serving of bad chicken and old french fries I ate at the restaurant our tour guide took us to. The Brazilian woman we ate with refused to eat the cold plate, saying that was a sign it wasn't fresh. I should have listened to her, but I was too hungry to stop.

Luckily, our cable TV in the hotel saved me with a Star Wars marathon dubbed in Spanish.

Before the Incas...

2010-01-06T18:10:00.008-05:00

...there was the Chavín, one of the most influential cultures in the Andes.

The 3,000 year old ruins of their central temple--Chavín de Huántar--was the highlight of our trip to Huaraz.

After four hours of traversing the rugged Cordillera Blanca (13,500 at the road's highest), we arrived at the ruins' location within the Callejón de los Conchucos:

While when we think of Peru, we think of the Incas, their empire only dominated the Andes for a century before the Spanish arrival in 1526. The influential Chavín culture, on the other hand, touched Andean societies from Ecuador to southern Peru from 1200 to 300 BC--a whole 2,000 years before the Incas even appeared as a small tribe near Cuzco.

The ancient temple ruins tell the story of Chavín's encompassing reach. While various cultures existed before the Incas, few, if any, united them under one common spirituality like that represented at the temple. Between 460 and 390 BC, archaelogists believe Chavín de Huántar was a major center of pilgrimage.

The most impressive piece was the Lanzón. We climbed down into one of the many tunnels that run through the temple to find a room with this white granite monolith with an anthropomorphic being--the "Smiling God"--carved into it.

The Lanzón was built into the floor and the ceiling, making many believe that the temple might have been built around it. Historical accounts says the monolith was an oracle. While I didn't get any special vibe, according to my guidebook, some people feel a special energy after seeing the stone.

Shown below, the Raymondi Stone (named for it's "discoverer") depicts the second god at the temple--the Staff God. What I thought was interesting is the spiritual value of hallucinogens alluded to in the carving. Staff God is holding a San Pedro cactus which contains mescaline, a mind-altering drug which provokes multicolored visions. Andean shamans still use the drug.

Who cares about really, really old stones with wild carvings? Archaeologist Brian Fagan explains the culture's artistic significance (found this in The Peru Reader). I'll leave you with this:

"Chavín ideology was born of both tropical forest and coastal beliefs, one so powerful that it spawned a lively, exotic art style that spread rapidly over a wide area of the highlands and arid coast. Chavín was the catalyst for many technological advances, among them the painting of textiles, many of which served as wall hangings with their ideological message writ large in vivid colors. These powerful images, in clay, wood, and gold, on textiles and in stone, drew together the institutions and achievements of increasingly sophisticated Andean societies. Such cosmic, shamanistic visions were Chavín's legacy to later Andean civilizations."

Huaraz' hidden treasure

2010-01-04T23:18:00.005-05:00

It wasn't in the guidebook. It wasn't even something locals thought was worth mentioning. But today, Sergio and I found Huaráz' real treasure--the traditional food festival held every Sunday.

Really, we arrived almost by accident. After a short trip up the Callejón de Huaylas to Carhuaz for ice cream and a tour of the market...

...everyone had pachamanca on the brain.

Pachamanca (translation from Quechua=earthern pot) was a first for me. It's a meat dish (usually pork, lamb or chicken) placed over heated stones, then buried under dirt and grass and cooked for about an 1 1/2 hours. Peruvians everywhere salivate over the thought of it, but it's rare to find and only cooked well in certain regions.

We were determined but we couldn't find somewhere in Carhuaz. David assured us he knew of a good place that sold it every Sunday in Huaraz. So, like dedicated foodies, we got back in the van and headed into town.

I didn't think much about where we might find this dish. After all, it's common for certain dishes to only be served one day of the week in Peru.

But I didn't imagine I'd find this:

On a tiny street hidden from view, and a good 15-minute walk up the hill from the plaza, we arrived upon a makeshift restaurant scene. The street is vacant for the whole week, except for Sunday, when it's transformed into a raucous traditional Peruvian food extravaganza.

There's everything you could ever want along the street. But almost all the restaurants are selling pachamanca at a reasonable price of 13 soles ($4.30). Every restaurant had it's people pounding the streets with good offers to entice customers. We walked the line of tables at least three times before deciding on a spot.

We ordered two plates of it to share. Three different meats were wrapped up in this brown paper. With it came a tamale (the same name as the Mexican one, but a lot different), a sweet potato, a white potato, choclo (corn) and a few humitas (sweet tamales):

We dove in with our hands. Inside, the pachamanca looks like this--three pieces of meat cooked with herbs.

I liked it, all. The flavors were new and different than even most Peruvian dishes I've tasted before. And the atmosphere--sharing the view of the mountains on a narrow back alley with Peruvians families on a Sunday afternoon--was unforgettable.

My recommendation to Frommer's and Lonely Planet--get this food market in your books or risk allowing so many travelers to miss out on a real Peruvian experience.

Angry Huascaran & the Yungay Tragedy

2010-01-03T16:51:00.005-05:00

Saturday, we woke up to another panetón accompanied by hot chocolate before squeezing into a little combi (van) heading north up the Callejón de Huaylas, or the Huaylas valley (see map).

Along the potholed road that winds up the valley floor, every image that passed the window was captivating. I took at least 30 pictures on the ride of the towering peaks, the steep--and yet still inhabited--hills and the modest pueblos. But I deleted them all because my camera couldn't do it justice.

Poverty is prevalent in Callejón de Huaylas, but it's a different poverty than I've seen in Lima or Arequipa. Something about the lush river valley and the strength of the Quechua culture here changes the poverty from desperate to hopeful. The small homes we passed were real adobe, surrounded by the family's animals and small crop.

The traditionally dressed women wore vibrant weaves and distinguished hats with a satin embellishment, like this señora who joined us on the bus:

The ride itself was an experience. At one point, I swear we were flying at 75 mph, swerving to miss potholes and passing on blind corners. But after an hour drive, we paid our four soles fare ($1.30) and got out at Yungay.

Yungay lies below the highest mountain in Peru, el Huascarán. At 22,204 feet, I strained my neck to look at him. At first, the giant hid his face behind the clouds, but finally as we waited for the bus back to Huaraz, el Huascarán showed his face. How little and insignificant I felt.

But this mountain, in all it's majesty, is not purely benevolent. The 25,000 people buried on the valley floor as a result of the mountain's wrath are testimony to the region's unforgiving nature.

On May 31, 1970, an earthquake let loose a landslide of ice and granite from Huascarán that engulfed the town of Yungay. This photo shows where the city once stood, and the church's facade that was reconstructed in memory of the victims:

Ironically, except for the few who escaped to the cemetery below and stadium on high ground, everyone died.

They estimate that 25,000 but they were never really sure. Whole families disappeared within minutes of the earthquake. Their remains still lay below the landslide, along with the city's rubble.

Where the pueblo once stood is a national cemetery called Campo Santo, or Sacred Land. Visitors come to see the few remnants of the old city and pay their respects to the victims. Walking through it, we saw boulders like these that came with the landslide, as well as this bus that was bent in half:

These three resilient palm trees (now dead) remain in their original places, even as the entire church was wiped away:

A new pueblo has been formed only a half-mile up the road, but tragedy and the cemetery stand as a reminder of the harsh environment that surrounds Peruvians in valley. Sergio said that the Yungay landslide may have been the most devastating natural disaster in Peruvian history--and it happened right below the country's highest mountain.

Only a day after we visited Yungay, Huascarán and his other mountain peers again reminded us of their power and wrath. A 5.7 pt tremor hit Huaráz close to city.

New year, new perspective

2010-01-02T16:30:00.001-05:00

Tired from traveling and celebrating, we woke up for a late breakfast on New Year's Day. To walk off all that chancho and champagne, we took off up the hill to the Mirador (Lookout) de Rataquena to get a new view of the city.

Juliana, David, Luz, Sergio and I climbed east up Huaraz´tattered streets until they became overgrown dirt roads lined with small plots of land for raising cows, chickens and growing crops. We found these three kids playing and caring for their sheep at the edge of town.

We climbed for an hour before arriving at the base of a graffittied cross at 12,000 feet (says my guidebook). From there, a pristine and panoramic view lay before us--Huaraz, the big mine across the valley and to the west (try to look for it in the photos below), el Huascaran to the north (the highest peak in Peru) and the rugged mountains directly ahead.

While us girls chatted, Sergio and David climbed higher still and took this photo:

After our adventures, we found a place to eat ceviche and then finally slept away New Year's Eve

and 24 hours of bus travel.

New Year's: Chancho & Yellow Undies

2010-01-01T08:06:00.005-05:00

2009 ended with a bang--on another continent, eating chancho (pork), shooting off fireworks and wearing yellow undies. Okay, I really didn't wear yellow undies for good luck, as is the New Year's tradition here.

David, Juliana, Luz, Sergio and I headed downtown in mancha (group) to check out what the street vendors had to offer. Like Christmas Eve, the main drag was filled with people selling yellow New Year's everything--hats, underwear, fireworks, you name it.

Juliana, our elected negotiator, got us a handful of sparklers and pirate hats. We were set.

Since we didn't have a big enough oven for the pig, we paid a local bakery $2 for them to cook it, and then picked it up around 10 pm.

At around 11:45, the meal was finally out on the table just in time to rush outside for the impromptu, town-wide fireworks show and a toast to 2010. David and Sergio took part.

Here was a post-midnight shot of Juliana, David, Luz and Sergio.

Behind them and across the street, we saw a very Peruvian New Year's tradition--burning a doll. The horrible smell that it emits gives you an idea of what the doll is made of--everything that symbolizes a bad year that you want to put in the past.

While my nose is no specialist, I think the closest doll was made of rotten fruits, excrement and old cloths. Supposedly, the tradition has been outlawed because of the toxic fumes that sometimes escape, but it seemed to be alive and well in Huaraz.

After a hearty meal, we left for the bar strip around 1 am, which they ironically called Barranquito (Barranco is a hip bar neighborhood). The street was crowded with teenagers and 20-somethings passing their glass of rum or beer around their circle of friends (a Peruvian drinking custom). We watched a free concert they had set up in the street for awhile before arriving home around 3 am.

There was no Auld Lang Syne (thank God, because I never understood the lyrics), nor were there resolutions exchanged. But there was a midnight kiss!

Arriving in an Andean paradise

2009-12-31T22:21:00.000-05:00

Finally, after an eight-hour bus ride overnight, we arrived in Huaraz at 6 am. I hardly slept because the road from Lima to here was so rough. Several times, the bus had to stop completely to wiggle itself out of a pothole.

But it all became worth it when I saw the white-capped Andes that encircle Huaraz.

At an elevation of 10, 170 feet, the city is flanked to the east by the unforgiving Cordillera Blanca (White Range). Towering over Huaraz are white-capped, rugged mountains, all higher than 19,600 feet. To the west, the north-south Huaylas valley in which Huaraz sits is contained by steep hills, surely reaching 13-14,000 feet in elevation. Some people say this is the prettiest part of the Peruvian Andes.

The city itself is a mix between an Andean pueblo, a mining town and a tourism hub for Europeans and other foreigners with the guts to climb the Cordillera's mountains.

Actually, David and his girlfriend are among the many Peruvians in Huaraz who came to work for the surrounding mines. David came all the way from Arequipa to work for Ferreyros, a Caterpillar branch in Peru, inspecting mining machinery. Caterpillar provides equipment for the Pierina gold mine near Huaraz. His girlfriend, Juliana, came from the northern province of Piura to work for a mining safety company.

David and Juliana, with their blackberries and brand-name clothing, wind the streets alongside many traditionally-dressed Quechuas, both dodging sunburned tourists like me who are trying to follow the guidebook and walk at the same time.

After walking the whole city to get my clogs which I had left in the bus (they're ugly enough that no one thought to steal them), Sergio and I ate breakfast with David and Juliana and their friend Luz.

David, el sureño, and Juliana, la norteña, are quite the star-crossed couple. Or at least they joke that they are. Arequipeños are known for their hot tempers, hard-working attitudes and overflowing pride. Norteños are known for their beach-like, laid back attitudes and hot foods. But the two of them seem to get along fine.

Before we finally rested for the evening in our $10 per night hotel, we caught a glimpse of the New Year's Eve sunset against the Huaylas valley.

A perfect ending to 2009.

A day in Lima

2009-12-30T20:00:00.000-05:00

After making it safely to Lima around 11:30 am, the next bus for Huaraz didn't leave for another eight hours. We took the opportunity to explore the capital city's downtown and catch up with one of Sergio's cousins.

Lima is a sore on the eyes, for the most part. A gray cloud (a mix of ocean fog and trapped pollution) hangs over the city. Author Mario Vargas Llosa once called Lima's sky la panza del burro or the mule's belly. Lima is a desert surrounded by desert hills, and supported only by the Rimac river that passes through it. Francisco Pizarro first called this capital he founded La Ciudad de los Reyes (The City of Kings). Looking at it's environment, I really can't imagine why.

Actually, at the height of Spanish colonization, Lima was the center of the Spanish Viceroyalty in the Americas. Then, when Peru won independence in 1821, it became the country's capital. The city maintained a colonial beauty renowed across South America until an earthquake in 1940 destroyed a large part of it and pollution and congestion started to clog it.

Today, the city is home to 8 million people, 30 percent of Peru's population. Most of the city's inhabitants came in waves of internal immigration from the highlands. Driving into the bus terminal, we saw the outer suburbs, most of them once pueblos jovenes (shantytowns) that have now been officially incorporated. Even further outside of that is a ring of shantytowns, houses made with spare tires, plywood and fenced in by a square of small rocks.

I spent one day in Lima on my arrival to Peru, but I only visited the nice coastal parks. This time, we went to the central plaza. While downtown was definitely more orderly than the city's outskirts, I could see a contrast between the Spanish legacy and globalization's influence.

A few blocks away from the plaza we found this giant supermarket...

...and just caddycorner from it, a worn-down colonial-style building.
On the east side of the Plaza de Armas itself is executive building, La Casa de Pizarro, where President Alan Garcia watches over his country.We took a rest downtown at a pollo a la brasa chain called Norky's. Peruvians love their chicken with french fries, as Norky's industrial kitchen shows:After lunch, we caught up with Sergio's cousin Yanira and followed her to Callao, another important area of Lima. Originally, it was the city's port and a wealthy area. Some parts of Callao are still nice, but like many port towns, not all of it is safe. Yanira told us that a few years ago, no one went to Callao because the drug-related crime was rampant on the streets.

Just before getting on the bus at 10 pm, Yanira took us to see the movie Avatar for $1.30 each at a pretty nice theatre--a tenth of what most Americans surely paid to see a huge box office hit. To be fair, though, I watched it in Spanish without subtitles.

We'll be back to Lima on Friday, January 9, to pick up my mom and head back to Arequipa. In the meantime, though, I was happy to get out from under the mule's belly and into the fresh mountain air of Huaraz.

Out the door and on the bus!

2009-12-29T17:10:00.000-05:00

Sergio and I decided to join the crowds of Peruvians traveling for the New Year, and visit his brother David in Huaraz, a small Andean city located north of Lima.

But what we did not realize until today was that buses don't go to Huaraz on New Year's Eve. So hurriedly, we are throwing some warm clothes in two backpacks and going down to the bus terminal to travel overnight to Lima, then to Huaraz for the holiday.

16 hours in the bus on the Panamerican highway before we arrive in Lima! Wish us luck!

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Year in Review: Obama and Latin America

2009-12-28T13:35:00.006-05:00

As 2009 ends, what has President Obama's impact been in Latin America?

Before Obama

When Obama took office last January, he inherited a neglected and outdated relationship with Latin America. While he initially expressed intentions to focus on the region, former President Bush focus was quickly turned towards another important region and global terrorist threat. Latin America relations then stalled. The neighboring region began to look for economic and political relationships with other world powers including Russia, China and the European Union.

The little North American influence that Latin America saw--support for an attempted coup in Bolivia and various controversial free trade agreements--fueled the flames of anti-Americanism in the region.

Good intentions

As Obama's administration took charge, there was a mutual hope for a closer, more modern relationship, one that left behind the Cold War framework. During his campaign, candidate Obama expressed his interest in lifting the embargo on Cuba, a constant sticking point in relations across the region. He wanted to recognize Latin America as "a mutual partner, not as a junior partner" in facing terrorism and building a strong global economy. Obama directly admitted that the region had been ignored during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A hopeful start

1) At the start, things were looking up. General support for the United States among Latin America, from 39% in 2008 to 51% in 2009 (see Gallup Poll from Dec. 1) . In El Salvador, where the support for the new American president was highest, 84% of Salvadoreans had a positive image of President Obama.

2) At the Summit of the Americas in April, Obama appeared to be, as The Nation called him, "a good student" learning about the current Latin situation. He accepted a book from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, took notes during a speech by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and concluded that many countries don't like the "rigid application of a free market doctrine" by Washington.

3) Beyond mere words and poll results, Obama did take some positive action. He took a posture of friendship towards the leader of Latin American anti-Americanism--President Chavez. As for Cuba, the Obama administration immediately lifted the ban on travel for Cubans and allowed for money to be sent and received between Cuba and the United States. He voted for Cuba to be included again in the Organization of American States. He also ordered his State Department team to start working on free trade agreements with Panama and Colombia.

Regional missteps

But only a year into his term, Obama has also taken some wrong turns in the path to better relations with the Western hemisphere.

1) Mexico, the United States' next-door neighbor, finds itself in a violent and costly internal conflict with powerful drug traffickers. But Obama visited Canada first in February, then, finally in April, made a quick stopover in Mexico before the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago. Especially because the United States is largely responsible for the drug consumption that fuels Mexico's cartels, Mexico should feel like a mutual partner encountering a problem that affects both countries. Instead, this diplomatic move and a lack of other support for Mexico's war on the drug cartels doesn't bode well for the Obama administration so far.

2) Actually, the U.S. war on drugs has cost $7 billion. Colombia's cocaine production has doubled since 1996. The U.S.-led effort has been called a "complete failure" by various former presidents in the region. Yet, instead of reevaluating the drug strategy, Obama has instead invested more money and military resources in the Colombian conflict.

3) On top of that, the Obama administration failed to effectively communicate to South American leaders when it decided to use Colombian military bases for activities not related to the drug war. The move broadly renewed Cold War fears of American military intervention, and gave more ammunition for Chavist anti-Americanism.

4) But the misstep that will most affect relations with Latin American is recognizing the legitimacy of the Honduras elections in November, instead of ensuring the reinstatement of sacked Honduran President Manuel Zelaya (see TIME Magazine article). While Secretary Clinton was sent to negotiate a power-sharing agreement, hurried efforts left a loop-hole through which the Honduran Congress didn't have to reinstate Zelaya for the few months left in his term.

Then, Obama was forced to choose between angering the majority of Latin American leaders and elites who opposed any solution other than Zelaya's return to the presidency, or angering a few U.S. Senate conservatives who promised to block his State Department nominations until the Honduran elections were recognized. Unsurprisingly, international relations came in second to domestic political pressures.

The decision could have regional consequences; first, it gave cover for Panama to also support the elections, which has created discord among the Central American countries. The failed U.S.-led negotiations--and the United States' subsequent unilateral position in support for Honduras' elections--left a bad taste in Latin America's mouth. Latin American leaders wonder if unilateral decision-making and support for undemocratic regime change is the precedent for a new administration's relations:

Why is Latin America important?

As The Nation puts it succinctly:

Except for civil war in Colombia and drug violence in Mexico, Latin America is at peace; nuclear weapons are not a concern; most countries are led by democratically elected presidents committed to a progressive hemispheric agenda that would downplay terrorism and put top priority on alleviating poverty, inequality, crime and environmental problems.

The United States has the opportunity to create a regional partner to defend it's mutual interests. Of course, not everyone agrees that Latin America is just a good opportunity. Some experts think Venezuela and Brazil's welcoming relationships with Iranian president Ahmadinejad means Obama should not be so naive as to think that all Latin American countries are friendlies.

Ideas for 2010

Here's a few ideas for the Obama administration to solidify this important partnership:

1) A new and effective U.S.-led regional anti-drug strategy would be a good start, including clear public support for Mexico's drug war and clear communication with South America on U.S. intentions in Colombia.

2) His administration also needs to assure that, as it pursues economic agreements with more Latin countries, the negative social consequences of free trade be minimized by strict provisions protecting labor and the environment.

3) Diplomatic missions to various Latin American countries by Secretary of State Clinton would put action behind the rhetoric.

But while the U.S. has been focused on other issues, Latin America has increased economic and political relations with Asia, the Middle East and the European Union. China, for example, just signed a free trade agreement with Peru.

More that diplomatic gestures, the Obama administration needs to be offering a unequivocally more attractive political and economic relationship than China or the EU is offering if it wants the United States to maintain its dominant influence in the Western hemisphere.

Bush in a poncho? Bike-powered washers?

2009-12-27T21:25:00.005-05:00

Christmas presents and greeting cards have drained me of my creative energy. Luckily, Peruvians don't seem to be lacking in that area, so I have something to blog about tonight!

Trend Hunter magazine published an online slideshow of "11 Peruvian Innovations," ideas that break the mold or set a new trend.

I knew that Peruvians ate guinea pig--I've tried it and it tastes like chicken--but I wasn't aware that they used the rodents to model clothing.

Somehow, Peru was able to get former Prez W. into a poncho when he came down for the APEC summit. Wish I would have thought of that.

And as you can guess from my previous post, I actually wish I had a bicycle-powered washing machine or bicilavadora:

Falling Buses & Exchange Rates

2009-12-26T21:51:00.004-05:00

Not everyone had a nice Christmas this year.

1) Peru has one of the highest highway accident rates in Latin America, partly because of the poor condition of the roads in Peru's treacherous terrain and partly because of the lack of enforcement of driving regulations in the country.

Tragically, this Christmas Eve many families personally felt it. Traveling from Arequipa back to their hometown of Santo Tomas, 40 people died when their bus plunged into a ravine. BBC News and CBS News both have the international reports on the incident.

2) Only days before Christmas, the Minister of Economy and Finance Luis Carranza resigned and immediately the Peruvian sol (S/.) fell slightly in relation to the dollar. Many people who had their money in soles, not dollars, lost a bit right before the holiday. Why?

Luis Carranza, a former executive at a multinational Spanish banking group and consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank, was well-respected for the successful economic reforms he carried out during his first term from July 2006-July 2008. He again took the post in the aftermath of the economic crisis in January 2009.

President Garcia claims that Carranza promised to serve only for one year, and that term has now been filled. But some critics have another perspective. 2010 will be a pre-election year for Peru, and with economist Carranza in charge, politics could not interfere in the "movement" of money, say toward a campaign. But Garcia, and his party APRA, need someone who might understand that, and bow to it. The minister replacing Carranza will be Mercedes Araoz, who has allegedly played a more political role in the past as Minister of Production.

In any case, confidence in the Peruvian economy was shaken a bit on Tuesday. Peruvians and investors worry what this change will mean for the next two years.

Welcome Party for Baby Jesus

2009-12-26T12:58:00.010-05:00

Overnight, this desert city melting in the heat of summer transformed into a Christmas wonderland.

Suddenly, on the afternoon on the 24th, twinkling lights appeared in everyone's windows, panetones rushed out bakery door and last-minute present buyers saturated the downtown's main avenues.

On Christmas Eve, an informal street mall formed. All the ambulantes, or street vendors, filled up the sidewalks with food, decorations, lights, presents and firecrackers. Buyers looking for gifts and Christmas dinner items packed the streets!

I was shocked! Everyone in the States had been in their warm home since sunset, escaping the winter cold. But on the streets of Peru, there was a veritable holiday mob!

I asked Sergio why, and his explanation was interesting. Many people save centavos all month until, at the last possible moment, they buy what they can for Christmas dinner and gifts. He added that it might also do with the Peruvian "I'll do it mañana" policy.

Sergio, his parents, a friend from the bakery and I ate Christmas eve dinner at 11:30 p.m. On the menu were turkey (head and feet included), mashed potatoes and five different salads.

The salads are a traditional part of the meal. From the photo below, 1) the purple salad= beats; 2) orange= mango, carrots and chicken; 3) green= broccoli and orange in a sweet sauce; 4) rainbow= marshmallows and grapes; and 5) my favorite= green bean salad with bacon and raisins! The other plate is sweet potato!

Halfway through dinner, we heard booms outside. It was midnight, we realized, as we ran upstairs to see how Arequipa welcomed in Christmas Day, and the birth of their savior:

These fireworks went on for 15 minutes across town. We woke up to a few booms in the morning too.

After dinner, we tried to eat some panetón and hot chocolate, but we were all very tired and full. Sergio's dad must have pushed down four full plates at least!

But we stuck it out to open a few presents after 2 a.m. I guess the gift exchange is not a big tradition with Sergio's family, but he wanted to share an American tradition he had brought back. I'm sure it was partly for me, too.

Sergio's dad, who can be a curmudgeon, got the nickname Grinch for most of the night. But his heart grew a few sizes when he opened up a framed photo of his three sons who, until this past August, had not been together for five years. A few tears escaped him.

And even though she could barely keep her eyes open from an exhausting day of work, Sergio's mom reacted equally to her framed photo. "Oh, mis hijitos! Chanchitos! Bebitos!" ("Oh, my little boys! Little piggies! Little babies!")

As for me and my first Christmas away from my family and snowy Colorado, it couldn't have been more memorable.

Christmas is here!

2009-12-23T10:28:00.004-05:00

The Christmas tree in front of the Cathedral in Arequipa's main plaza.

The elves are getting ready to sing.

Christmas has arrived, even at the Cathedral itself.

I decided this should be the bakery's Christmas ad, featuring Santa Sergio.

Merry Christmas from Peru to you.

Peruvian Pirates, Ar Ar

2009-12-22T12:16:00.003-05:00

They're pirates alright, except they traded in the eyepatch for a nice big copy machine.

One victim of these pirates who spoke out angrily last week is Alfredo Bryce Echenique, 2002 winner of the Spanish literary award Premio Planeta. He is known worldwide for his novel "Un mundo para Julius (A World for Julius)" that exposes classist Peru.

This week, Bryce has been throwing fireballs at Indecopi.

Indecopi, short for the "National Institute of Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property," is the government agency charged with "the mission of watching over the loyal and honest competition in Peru."

-------------

Before we continue, let me interject my relevant personal observations:

Indecopi's mission statement? Ironic at best. Without fail, every Indecopi employee must pass at least one store openly selling pirated intellectual property before arriving at work every morning.

Peruvian pirates own the books, music and DVD market here. After one week here, I was desperate for a movie. I learned that the black market is the only option. Own four DVDs for $3.30.

You might have more luck finding a legitimate book store than a movie store, but you won't find a good price. It's like the cell phone thing (see previous post)--it doesn't make economic sense to buy the real thing for three times as much, no matter how ethical you are.

It's not like these shady businesses operate undercover either. There are whole streets, whole markets purely dedicated to pirated books, music or DVDs.

----------

But back to Indecopi vs. Bryce:

Indecopi recently charged Bryce with 16 separate counts of plagiarism. His fine? $20,000.

It's true. More recently, Bryce has become notorious for plagiarizing articles by journalists, authors and diplomats and publishing them widely.

But obviously, Bryce agrees with me that the agency charging him is a sham. He published an opinion piece in the Peruvian magazine Caretas accusing Indecopi of being responsible for the robbery of at least one million dollars in pirated copies of his novels. He relates his experience of a book fair signing at which a number of fans brought pirated copies for him to sign.

Bryce doesn't deny plagiarizing. Instead, he proposes a deal for Indecopi.

He'll drop their debt to him down to $300,000 dollars instead of a million, and he'll subtract the $20,ooo for his plagiarism penalty. That way Indecopi only has to pay him $280,000.

The irony of this whole situation Bryce sums up in one line: "Why and how did I become, more than anything, the only pirate that has existed in the history of Peru?"

He's right: how is it that the world famous novelist gets the plank while the real pirates are banking on his literary genius?

Sorry Bryce. Looks like it's only Christmas for the pirates. Arrr.

Bin Laden for Christmas?

2009-12-21T21:00:00.003-05:00

How would you like it if someone gave you "Bin Laden" for Christmas? Maybe a lot. Maybe in a box otherwise known as a coffin. Maybe in a uncomfortable and dark jail cell.

In Peru, you can actually "give" Bin Laden as a gift. On Christmas eve here, people wait until midnight and then join their neighbors in the streets to shoot off fireworks. The brand names of two of the biggest fireworks sold in Peru are "Rata Blanca" (Black Rat) and "Bin Laden."

When I first heard that, I wondered if I should be offended.

But then I thought about the joy I would have in shooting Bin Laden into the air and watching him blow into bits in the wee hours of Christmas morning. I felt better.

Turns out they've also had Bin Laden Champagne in Peru for Christmas.

I must be really thirsty.

2009-12-19T19:21:00.003-05:00

Or I just inherited a keen interest in water from my Colorado family. Anyway, I found this interesting article on MSNBC's World Blog about the shrinking sources of water in Peru.

I thought Arequipa's blueouts were bad, but this piece revealed some disturbing facts about Peru's capital:

1) Lima is the second largest city, after Cairo, located in a desert.

2) Two million of Lima's eight million people don't have access to running water.

They've got some ideas to solve this water shortage, including a joint dam project (see The Economist) between Cuzco and Puno in the Peruvian jungle.

There's just one problem. The dam's reservoir would flood 120 kms of a new interstate highway between Brazil and Peru that's already under construction. A little interagency miscommunication makes for a big water problem.

P.S. It's still hasn't rained. That brings the count to 123 days without a drop.

The (Customs) Grinch That Stole Christmas

2009-12-18T13:27:00.003-05:00

This will be my first Christmas without my family, and without a big pile of gifts.

Knowing this, my wonderful grandparents (see previous awesome g'rents mention) decided to make me feel more at home. They sent me a box of presents, wrapping each individual item separately to make my present volume appear greater. As you can see, our coffee table is now overflowing with Christmas cheer!

But the customs grinch stole a large part of the excitement.

Apparently, Peruvian customs randomly selects a group of packages from abroad for inspection. In other words, they go through each one and make sure neither the content nor the recipient is suspicious.

Guess who's package was selected. Yep. I got a letter saying I needed to go down to the post office's special customs service with my passport and two copies between the hours of 8:30-10 am and 2-3 p.m.

This morning, I waited one hour. As if that wasn't grinchy enough, once I sat in front of the customs inspector, he asked me to open the box. He then proceeded to open every single Christmas present in front of me. I screamed for help!

"He's torturing me! He's ruining my Christmas!"

But my cries were only heard by other postal employees, and by their reactions, I wouldn't be surprised if "going postal" was also a problem in Peru.

Okay, I really didn't say that. But I did try to politely ask, "Excuse me, sir, will we be opening every single gift?"

He let off a little bit, and left me the biggest and nicest-wrapped present for me to open later.

I decided not to mention that if any of these gifts were drugs, that one probably would have been about the right size. I didn't want my only Christmas surprise left to be ruined, after all.

SerPost Peru, you stole my Christmas!

Real music

2009-12-17T19:06:00.010-05:00

This song "Strong Peru" gives a glimpse into

the Peruvian experience, and the pride many who've

left still have for their country.

Peru Bravo

[Acoustic] Es el flow de peruanos, estilo de limeños,

It's the flow of Peruvians, the style of Limenians,

vamos que romperla así

we're gonna break it like this.

[Sola] Mi tierra, mi sangre, mi paz y mi guerra

My land, my blood, my peace and my war
Los tantos recuerdos que queman

The many memories that burn

Quisiera contarte mi amor y mis penas

I would like to tell you my love and my sorrows

Y lo que el viento no se lleva
And what the wind doesn't take with it.

[Youngsta] Crecí en un barrio humilde así como otro cualquiera

I grew up in a humble neighborhood like any other person

Desde chico supelo que es ectaxis marihuana era

As a boy I knew what ecstasy and marijuana were

Cemento roto cuando caminaba por la acera

Broken cement as I walked on the sidewalk

Siempre ambulantes ocupando la cuadra entera

Ambulances always occupying the whole block

Los crimenes en mi distrito eran algo diario

Crime in my district was a daily thing

Y en mi vecindario las madres rezan rosarios

And in my neighborhood the mothers pray with rosaries.

Encomendándoles sus hijos al señor para no verlos en cárcel

Entrusting their sons to God so they wouldn't see them in jail

acusados por sicarios

assaulted by hit men

La pobreza el símbolo de hambre y tristeza

Poverty, the symbol of hunger and sadness

Sinónimo de no tener un pan sobre la mesa

Synonymous of not having bread on the table
Por eso hay varones que prefieren el robo porque

That's why there's guys that prefer to rob because

no encuentran trabajo

they can't find work,

Y mendigar es para bobos

And begging is for fools.

Puedes encontrar paredes pintadas de amenazas

You can find walls painted with threats

Doctores e ingenieros manejando taxi en plazas

Doctors and engineers driving taxis in the plazas.

Debido al sistema todo el mundo está en la ñuña

Thanks to the system everyone is in the ______?

Por eso lloro cuando soplo mi zampoña

That's why I cry when I blow my zampoña (flute)

Pero por más problemas que mi patria siempre tenga

But for all the problems that my country always has

Yo represento Lima

I represent Lima

venga lo que venga

come what may.

Mi historia es mucho más que corrupciones gobernamentales

My history is much more than government corruption

Mas que exportación de coca dentro de tamales

More than coca exported inside tamales
Está basada en riquezas naturales, musica criolla, carnavales

It's based in natural wealth, Criolle music and Carnaval

En Costa, Sierra y Selva y bellezas naturales

The coast, the highlands and jungle and natural beauty

Como el Macchupicchu centro del Tahuantinsuyo

Like Machu Picchu centered in Tawantinsuyu,

Imperio de los Incas y lo digo con orgullo

the Incan Empire, and I say with pride,

Casa de Tupac Amaru, el quechua y el aymara

the home of Tupac Amaru, Quechua and Aymara

Y estos hechos dieron fuerzas para que yo hasta cantara

And these facts give me strength enough to sing

Y empezara mis huellas dejara, fronteras pasara

And start to leave my footprints through borders

Con Sola y Fakta cantara, mi patria representara

With Sola and Fakta singing, my country represents

Peruanos con sabiduría real y fulgor

Peruvians with real wisdom and brilliance

Te sigo Peru bravo en la alegría y el dolor

I follow you strong Peru through the happiness and the pain

Por siempre, tu sabes, te sigo Peru bravo en la alegría y el dolor

Forever, you know, I follow you strong Peru in happiness & pain