Last night was brutual in terms of taking photos of both end-of-campaign rallies. I had found out about the events at roughly noon yesterday while waiting to be transported to an English class in Lurin, Peru (which ended up being cancelled mid route). There was literally no time available to place my name of the list of journalists and photographers, which ultimately left me fighting to take photos among the crowds.
Keiko Fujimori of Fuerza 2011 held her rally in the Plaza Bolognesi of Downtown Lima at the end of Av. Colon., while Gana Peru's, Ollanta Humala returned to the "red plaza" (as it is referred to by many locals, due in part to the communist parties who have their offices located there) or Plaza Dos de Mayo, located roughly 1km from Keiko's event. After spending an hour sardined into a small combi, I disembarked at Av. Venezuela, a few blocks from where I normally get off, thanks in part to the last minute route change. At about 8:30pm I arrived at Plaza Bolognesi with my camera gear and my press pass hoping to squeeze in among the other photographers but was shot down when I ,at that moment, learned I was not on the list and therefore was denied entry along with many other journalists who found out the hard way.
Keiko's rally was already underway and felt more like a concert than a rally thanks largely to the celebrity appearances of Eva Ayllon and Hermanos Yaipen. Av. Colon was packed with supporters and curious pedestrians as the rest of the plazas five streets were closed off. It was at this point that I was cracking my skull open to try and find a solution to my dilemma (having special press priviledges and access has spoiled me), when I received a phone call from Zdenka informing me that Humala was already giving his speech in Dos de Mayo. Not wanting to waste anymore time, especially since Keiko hadn't shown yet, I began to hoof it over to the other plaza via the disable strech of Av. Alfonso Ugarte which connects the two plazas. It was a dark walk over to Dos de Mayo, one which I was partially not looking forward to, given it's reputation as a high crime and theft spot (imagine it at night!) and I was not liking the prospect of having my camera stolen. The feeling of uncertainty was intensified as I saw a couple leaving the Plaza, where a young man was doing his best to console his crying female companion who hystarically clutched her right hand while staring horrified at her bare ringer finger. It's the kind of scene that can kill any or all remain confidence in a particularly risky situation. After passing a temporarily erected metal gate I found myself in the lions den that was Plaza Dos de Mayo, a place that was swarming with throngs of people. A sea of heads and flags was all I could make out from my initial location as I dove in among the crowd, following line of people who were pushing their way through the crowds. I was at first hesitant to reveal my camera with no viable escape route but I managed to find a spot next to a few food carts where I was able to take a few shots quickly without drawing to much attention to myself. I continued to burrow my way to Ollanta's stage but soon realized that it was going to be near impossible as it became increasingly difficult to progress through the crowds. I made the most of it and took a few more photos (still not pleased with the overall situation), when Humala finished his speech, a bad time to be among the crowd. Luckily I was able to menuever my way out before the congregation gained any real momentum. Wanting a better vantage point I entered a nearby building and was granted access to the up floors, it was here that I was able to take photos of the plaza in it's entirety. The crowd began to migrate down, what was once referred to as Av. Colmena, towards Av. Abancay on the other end of Downtown Lima (Cercado). It was unbelievable to watch such a large amount of people advance in a singe direction, almost like watching cattle being herded. Just as I was getting ready to leave one of the kind old ladies pointed out a car in the distance that was heading down the street in our direction. As it got closer I was able to see the candidate Ollanta Humala standing on top of it as it slowly made its way through the people. Quickly I switched lenses and was able to capture a few decent shots.
Once Humala had left my sight I made my way out of the building and down the street following the same path of the crowd. Police dressed in full riot gear lined the streets ready to handle the unexpected, in what would eventually turn out to be a fairly controlled rally. A long walk later, and I finally found myself on the other side of Av. Colon and as I progressed the concentration of people continued to increase as elbow room went from scarce to nil. Keiko had arrived minutes before and was well underway in her passionate and compelling (at least that's how she was trying to work the crowd) final sell. Unlike Humala's presentation, Keiko had her stage full of well recognized public figures making a real spectacle of her show, as sports atheletes to ex-presidential candidates (PPK) made appearances. The biggest difficulties of the night were met here as I made my way as close to the stage as possible, eventually stopping just short of the press box some 150 meters or so from Keiko. Giving myself the all clear approval I pulled out my camera and began taking photos when I noticed a group of people forging a path through the spectators. At first it was hardly a problem but minutes later Keiko ended her speech (with confetti and fireworks) and what started out as a non-threatening group of people trying to find a way out, soon converted into an ugly stampeed like display of young and elderly pushing (practically fighting) to get the hell out of the plaza. Instead of joining them I foolishly decided to wait and hold my position (against what was likely hundreds of desperate and impatient people), and as I waited I could feel the crowd gain strength as I found it harder and harder to stand. At one point I almost lost my footing all together which could have been disasterous for me. Not wanting to wait and see what could happen I saw an opening and fled the scene, eventually making my way back to Av. Arica and to my home.
Overall I am not thrilled with the photos I took last night but it was definitely interesting to be a part of a political rally of that size and scale. Also I am grateful that I still have my camera. :)
Today was a very full day with the trip to the Peruvian immigration office in Breña (conveniently located a block from Zdenka's parents house) to pick up our new Peruvian passports, followed by a trip to downtown Lima to pick up our OFFICIALLY translated marriage certificate (so much paperwork for a K3 visa!). Our last stopped was not a mandatory one but one of personal interest, as we both decided to head over to the Policlinica Chincha so Zdenka could get another ultrasound.
The Clinic is one of many satellite hospitals run by EsSalud and is considered one of the more popular ones to visit. Unfortunately due to its small size and the large number of patients that attend there the wait can be dreadful, luckily Zdenka had befriended the ultrasound technician during our first visit and so we were attended rather quickly (just another example that "who you know" matters in Peru).
The ultrasound office was a small one which consisted of a wooden desk, the huge ultrasound machine, the patient bed, and several windows draped with blue curtains. The room was dark with the lights off so as to help the technician (a very pleasant middle aged woman) view the ultrasound machine. Zdenka lied on the table and exposed her fairly small belly which was quickly greased up with some clear petroleum based gel. Unlike other visits it did not take long for the technician to locate Rosemary resting in an upward position with her feet pointing towards the cervix opening. We were informed that if the baby did not move from her current position before the birthing that a Cesarean would have to be performed. The whole visit only last about 15 minutes but it was wonderful to see my baby again. Definitely looking forward to the day when I can hold her in my arms!
My little baby!
Last Saturday I had agreed to help paint one of the bathrooms at Zdenka's parents home in Breña (a task which turned out to be more trivial than I had anticipated). The day was perfect, the sun was out and the sky was clear as far as the eye could see. I took a colectivo as I normally do however lately it has been fairly difficult to find many due in part to the increase in police activity (these are either official and therefore legal or they are the more common batida which is illegal since the police are only looking for an excuse to harass and extort citizens, tis the season!).
Arriving at Plaza Grau in downtown Lima I saw several guys performing some pretty amazing displays of acrobatics in front of stopped vehicles. These were just a few of many street performers that take to the city streets in order to earn a living or often just some extra pocket change. I asked them if they would mind me taking a few photos and they agreed, and as a sign of good faith I donated S/. 2.
This plaza is frequented daily by many tourists who also visit the principal plaza known as the Plaza de Armas (officially named Plaza Mayor de Lima) where the presidential palace and the municipality building of Lima are located. This area is also popular to many residents of Lima who visit the plazas which are linked by a very old and well known street called Jiron de la Union. Jiron de la Union is a commercial street that spans several blocks and is closed off to vehicular traffic. Here people are free to roam as they peruse the many stores and restaurants.
Plaza San Martin has a short history in comparison to the rest of Lima, in that it was constructed in the early 1900's following the subsequent demolition of San Juan de Dios hospital as well as a railroad station. The plaza was inaugurated in July of 1921 in homage to the 100th anniversary of Peru's Independence. The statue in the center of the Plaza was the result of a competition where Spanish artist/sculptor Mariano Benlliure won with his masterpiece which depicted war hero Jose de San Martin during his travels through the Andes, hence the name of the plaza as Plaza San Martin.
The buildings that enclose the plaza were constructed in gradual order and all share the same Neocolonial design being what was at the time popular.
**Edit** Here is an old photo of the Plaza San Martin
The chicken plays an important role in the limeñans diet and is therefore a core ingredient in most dishes served in the restaurants and homes with seafood and fish competing alongside it.
These however are roosters in the photo and are raised for the traditional and controversial "cock fights", a sport (if you can call it that) that was brought by the Spanish during their conquest / colonialization of the Americas.
Special thanks to blogger Juancho over at Camina El Autor, for posting this video made by PBS he discovered recently. The film is from the PBS TV show "A Moment of Luxury" hosted by Bill Stubbs, which has visited Lima to highlight some of the cities beautiful interiors of some of it's oldest buildings, along with other popular sites. The good news is that it's in English, something not always available on this site when it comes to videos.
The video is fairly interesting for it's footage and information if you can overlook all the additional side commentary.
One of my favorite Peruvian blogs written by Vladimir Velasquez called "Una Lima Que Se Fue" or "A Lima That Once Was", has recently posted a video from the popular Peruvian TV show "A La Vuelta de La Esquina". The video shows beautiful footage of some of Lima's most famous and oldest mansions along with some great information regarding their fascinating history. Unfortunately the video commentary is in Spanish but the footage is well worth a view. Enjoy!
A LA VUELTA DE LA ESQUINA - CASONAS DE LIMA 1-2
Cargado por vladimirvelasquezgonzalez. - Mira más videos de TV y películas.
A LA VUELTA DE LA ESQUINA - CASONAS DE LIMA 2-2
Cargado por vladimirvelasquezgonzalez. - Mira películas y shows de TV enteros.
Chinese food or "Chifa" ( the word is derived from 酒饭 chī fàn, or "eat meal" in Mandarin)as it's known by most Peruvians could be considered a cuisine epidemic, in that the restaurants are widespread throughout many coastal cities (not very common when you go to the sierra or the jungle). Lima by far holds the record for most Chifas in Peru (more than 6,000 restaurants), with each district containing several usually with each restaurant only a few meters from the next. Interestingly, the popularity of Chinese food in Peru could easily rival that of the US, with most Limeños eating Chifa about once or twice a week (sometimes more!). I should probably clarify that Chifa is NOT solely Chinese food but a hybrid fusion of both Chinese and Peruvian cuisine.
When did Chinese food arrive in Peru? The Chinese first arrived to Peru in the late 19th Century as contracted laborers to work in sugar cane plantations, guano mines along the coast, the development of Peru's early railroads, and in the Amazon working in mines and agriculture, in order to replace the slaves in order to facilitate the end of slavery and the beginning of free labor. It wouldn't be until the beginning of the 20th century that non contract laborer Chinese would begin to migrate to Peru. Most Chinese upon completing their contracts would then adopt Spanish surnames and establish small businesses as many chose to settle in Peru rather than return to a communist ruled China. It was likely at this point in history that many Peruvians were first exposed to Chifa cuisine just as they were being exposed to Afro-Peruvian cuisine or Criollo.
If traditional and authentic Chinese food is what you are looking for then the Wa Lok in Calle Capón or El Dragon Rojo in San Borja on Av. Aviación are well worth a visit (note that with Dragon Rojo you will have to ask for the legendary second menu). The Wa Lok in Lima is recognized by many Limeños as the best Chinese restaurant. At the Wa Lok you will find many classic Cantonese dishes as well as a few Peruvian-Chinese dishes. The portions are perfect for families or group gatherings which helps counter the modest price range of most dishes. This is also a great place for those who are aficionados of Dim Sum, which offers a wide variety of popular favorites from siu mai to seong hoi siu lung bau (steamed dumplings). The one downside to eating at the Wa Lok which I always seem to encounter each time that I've been there is the wait staff (the service is definitely lacking in this aspect). The Wa Lok is still worth the trip not just for the food but also the experience of walking through Lima's Chinatown. Make sure you check the large food market located near the large Chinese arch.
In the process of capturing great photos often the photographer will place himself in dangerous and compromising situations where common sense usually takes the back seat. The more I continue to develop and improve my photography the stronger I feel a need to push myself and my work. Each outing that I take here in Lima is another opportunity for me to evolve and at the same time I can't help but feel that this need is what will eventually lead to the lose/theft of my camera.
Lima is a wonderful city full of life and diversity that is often unseen by those who travel here (not to mention many who have lived here all their lives), however like many large cities Lima can be a dangerous city for those who aren't careful. Awareness is the name of the game when it comes to survival in this city that never sleeps and a shiny new DSLR can draw up a lot of attention if carelessly flaunted in the wrong neighborhood or street. Just writing this I can't begin to tell you how many times I have barely escaped becoming another victim of the street, which was usually because I got caught up in the moment and in the desire to capture an image that is out of the ordinary. Being aware of your surroundings is often more than enough to keep out of troublesome scenarios, but other times there are places within a city that an outsider just shouldn't venture into (a lesson I have yet to learn myself). It's true that if you want to capture a photo that tells a strong and visually graphic story you often have to place yourself in harms way (this isn't true %100 of the time).
When we visit a foreign city or country we often know the risks involved yet we tend to conduct our own form of risk analysis (usually one the spot) to determine whether or not the shot is worth the possible lose of our personal belongings, and physical well-being. Many times we are able to get in, take the photo, and get out without too much trouble, but other times fate plays against us and we find ourselves in a situation that we can't bail out of. I believe that the risk no matter where you decide to take photos will always be there and it's something inevitable that must be accepted in order to carry one.
The buddy system doesn't just work in military squad formations, it can also be useful in urban and travel photography as well. In certain situations the photography of a particular area is to risky or dangerous that another set of eyes is necessary to evade the several other pairs that seem to follow your every movement waiting for an opportunity to gather and strike. I found myself in a highly risky situation not too long ago when I decided to go for a photowalk through the old forgotten district of Rímac (a district that is located just across from the city center, and separated by the Rímac river). I was with Zdenka and we had been at the Plaza de Armas for the National Day of Pisco when we decided to go and visit Chabuca Grande and Puente Trujillo (just behind the Palacio de Gobierno). While on the Trujillo bridge I got the idea to cross into Rímac since there was a street fair on the other side. Once there we visited the many stands and stalls all while taking in the rustic and historic scenery of the Lima's original city center. A district that once shined brightly now slowly wasting away in the cities ever-constant push forward into the 21st century. As we continued to walk further along the street the itch to take photos was strong, even with Zdenka urging me not to. A quick survey of the area confirmed that I was clear to take a fast sequence of photos (I should have taken a second look). While walking back towards the bridge Zdenka pointed out that two separate men had be eyeballing us and in a flash decision we took refuge within a local supermarket. Once inside we looked out at the band of thieves who had congregated in front of the only entrance (5 men in total). Like a pack of wolves waiting for their prey to fall into their clutches we took the only action available to us and hired the assistance of an off-duty cop who was moonlighting as a security guard. As we walked past the hungry band and into the security of a taxi cab a sigh of relief was felt by both of us as we just barely managed to escape what can only be speculated as a number of bad endings. I can easily say that Zdenka was not happy but she managed to overlook her anger and take comfort in our successful evasion.
While that moment still sends shivers down my spine it hasn't kept me from picking up my camera and heading out onto the streets, yet these days I try to be more aware of my surroundings.
In Peru when people want to raise money regardless of the need, they often throw what is called an anticuchada (where the dish anticuchos are served) or a pollada (where chicken is served). These events usually offer a plate the mentioned food at a set price in an environment that offers music and the opportunity to socialize and dance. Beer and soda are also commonly sold, as these events are also seen as an opportunity to get together with friends and family to party.
Yesterday Zdenka held her pollada in the local (a place that is offered to those who want to throw a party or event) a few houses down from hers. I managed to arrive about 2pm which was just in time to assist her father with the preparation and frying of the chickens. Thankfully most of the prep work had already been taken care of in advance so all that was really left to do was fry the chickens. For the event Zdenka had purchased around 75 whole chickens, each of which cost S/. 14 and which she sold during her event at S/. 8 per quarter piece of chicken with sliced potatoes and hot sauce (rocoto)! If you can manage to wrangle up a large enough group of attendees then you can make a good amount of money.
Probably the most tiring process throughout the entire event was the job held by Zdenka's father, who was in charge of frying all the chickens! Since one fry pan wasn't enough to take on the large task, several pots and pans, including one huge pot were enlisted. On six separate burners, four from the stove and two from the portable stove were used in order to fry about 15 quarter pieces of chicken at a time. Her father must have used about 20 bottles of canola oil to fry the 300 quarter pieces of chicken, a process which left the chicken completely covered in oil and grease.
The pollada went well although it was not as successful as the anticuchada which was held about a month and a half ago. People began purchasing beer around 5pm and the party went on until 1:30am when the event began to die down.
For my experience with these types of fundraising events I have come to learn that one can make a good amount of money but to do so requires a lot of pre-planning and labor to make it payoff.
When most English speaking foriegners travel to Lima, Peru the most common question often asked is "what kind of jobs are there for foriegners in Lima?" The response to this question is simply "teach English!" When I first arrived in Lima I was working with my father in his plastics manufacturing company in Chorrillos, while I had worked with my father in the past it wasn´t quite what I was looking for in terms of a job (though I did learn a lot from working in that particular industry). Searching newspaper classifieds and on-line classifieds I soon discovered that finding a good paying job was not as easy as I had initially thought it would be, in fact it took me 6 months of searching before I finally found an ad for English teachers.
Since I was running low on luck I decided to apply for the job and sure enough two weeks later I was called in for orientation and before I knew it I was giving business English classes all across Lima. It was through teaching English that I discovered that for most English speaking foriegners the occupation of English teacher was in fact a very popular and very available job. At the institute, the majority of my colleagues are from several different English speaking countries like: Australia, New Zealand,
The real question is "how are there so many English teaching jobs?" The reason for the large and popular demand of English is due to Peru´s interests in foriegn business and tourism which have both grown significantly over the past two decades. The rise in demand for English proficiency has contributed to the plethora of private academic institutes, whom all compete to prove that they provide the best in English education. This trend also lead to many already pre-existing universities and private institutes to adopt English classes in attempts to break into the English as a second language market. What does all this mean exactly? This means that the large demand for English has also given rise to a large demand for English teachers in Peru, which is good news for anyone who is a native English speaker.
If you do decide to persue a job in Peru teaching English I highly recommend that you take sometime before hand to research the institute or school that you are interested in working for, as many have bad reputations in terms of how they treat their employees. The last thing you want to do is take a job with a sketchy English institute that has an widely acknowledged history of not paying it´s teachers on time. For those of you who are currently considering or are currently looking for English teacher positions in Peru I highly recommend the following links.
The first link is from a well respected blog writer who has a lot of experience in teaching English abroad, the link is to an article that she has put together ranking the TOP INSTITUTES IN LIMA.
http://tefltips.blogspot.com/2008/11/top-institutes-in-lima.html
The next link is to an article that provides additional advise for those intersted in TEACHING ENGLISH in Peru.
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/esl/articles/teaching_english_in_peru.shtml
I first came to know Centro Camino Real about a few months ago when I started teaching classes in a few of the several commercial and financial torres (towers). It took a few visits before it dawned on me that the Centro was an old shopping mall similar in design to the malls of the US, complete with food court (which is still somewhat active) and a movie theater (which is currently abandoned). Just walking through the wide and largely empty halls of this once highly trafficked mall, you can almost begin to imagine what it was like back in the 80's when it was alive and bustling. Almost all of the stores are abandoned with nothing left but several unpaid bills and notices left behind. Some shops and restaurants still have all their tables and stands, almost as if they were closed for the weekend or something. The feeling you get when you walk through the mall is almost eerie, especially when most of it has been left untouched since the 90's (like Chernobyl). A few stores continue to operate inside of Centro Camino Real these days but it is obvious that most the people who visit are there because of the several private business torres that were build after Centro Camino Real's downfall.
The question that still rattles my mind is what exactly happened to Centro Camino Real to have turned this huge mall in a very popular part of San Isidro into a literal ghost town? In May of 1992, at the height of it's success, Centro Camino Real became the site of an attempted terrorist attack. The attack was conducted using a car bomb to cause $14 million USD in damages along with the death a civilian. The attack was the work of the terrorist group Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) and was only one of many sites that was targeted that year within the city of Lima (others include: the old US Embassy and the two car bombs in Miraflores). Following the attack fear began to spead among the populace as the number of people who once frequented the mall rapidly declined in response. One of the problems which may have led to it's decline was the development that occurred with both Jockey Plaza Mall in Surco and Plaza San Miguel in San Miguel. Another know problem of Centro Camino Real was that each store was individually owned instead of rented which later proved to be a problem when a proposal was made to sell the mall, leaving many owners at odds on the proposal to sell, which required a unanimous vote. Many companies have offered to purchase the relic mall but unfortunately due to the indecision of the owners no company has yet to acquire it.
I did manage to find some vintage footage of Centro Camino Real from back in the 80's
None of us our strangers when it comes to public transportation, there has been a moment in all of our lives where we have had to rely on others to get us from point A to point B. Here in Lima, Peru just like in my hometown of Portland, Oregon the people of this city rely heavily on multiple forms of public transportation. In Lima the most common forms of public transportation that one will encounter include: buses, Micros (small buses), Combi's (name was adopted from the original Volkswagon model), taxi's, mototaxi's (which is a motorcycle that has been converted to carry passengers), and Colectivos (which is a carpoolesque taxi).
All of these forms of transportation have their respective levels of risk and reward along with their varying range of transportation fares. The mode of transportation that I most frequently use are the Colectivo's. Why? There are a number of reasons why I prefer Colectivos the best three being: cheap price in comparison to taxi's, fast travel, and less passenger stops.
The Colectivo as I mentioned earlier can be best described as a public carpool service which is similar to that of a taxi. All Colectivos have their respective routes that they travel much like the buses, Micros, and Combis which, are fairly flexible to work with when trying to reach a destination in the city. The downside of the Colectivo is that there are'nt many routes avialable in Lima, with the most common ones I can think of being: Via Expresa/Chorrillos, La Parada (La Victoria), Chosica, Comas/San Felipe, and Callao (there may be others that I am not familiar). From these routes one may also have to rely on a secondary form of public transportation to reach their actual destination, fortunately for me this is not the case since the Colectivo that I take drops me off within walking distance of my home.
The most you will pay for a Colectivo I believe is 5-10 soles (again, not 100% sure on this figure) to travel to Callao and 4 soles to travel to San Felipe/Comas. I currently pay S/. 3.00 to travel from Chorrillos to Plaza Grau near the Sheraton Hotel and El Palacio de Justicia in Downtown Lima. Another benefit is that they can often be found in the early morning hours which makes it a nice alternative to taking a cab for some (again, depends on whether or not the route is in towards your neck of the woods).
Another downside is the fact that you have to carpool with complete strangers and depending on the time of day at which you decide to travel in one you may find yourself seated next to beligerently drunk guy (who apparently has lost all motor control of his body and collapses in your lap halfway through the trip). Sitting between LARGE individuals is no way to travel and gives literal meaning to the phrase human sandwich.
Lastly public transportation and recklessness are two words in Peru that are seen as synonymous with one another, so it should go as no surprise that by riding in a Colectivo you are putting your life in just as much danger if not more than riding in a taxi or combi. This has more to do with the fact that most Peruvians (YES I AM GENERALIZING, especially since recklessness and total disregard for public safety rules seem to be commonplace in Peru) seem to drive with a feeling of self entitlement (as if they owned the damn road) and could frankly give a damn about their fellow drivers, FORGET about pedestrians they don't even exist, who are they? Life Insurance is a valuable thing here, ARE YOU IN GOOD HANDS? probably not.
So if you ever find yourself with the task of deciding between taking that taxi to Callao or Chorrillos or the Colectivo, try mixing it up and saving a few soles by going with the Colectivo. You might just discover a new found respect for a form of transportation you once denied.
Earlier this month a lung was reported stolen from the "Bodies" exhibition currently in Lima, Peru. The manager Susan Hoefken stated that a theft of this kind has never happened before. Her company even offered a $2,000 reward if the lung was returned, well that was two weeks ago and since then nothing was reported until yesterday.
Thursday the media revealed the author of the embarrassing crime to be none other than (DRUM ROLL PLEASE)..................................................................................
Surprised I bet, I sure was when I found out that the alleged and reported theft was none other than a marketing stunt and hoax. Susan Hoefken had taken the lund in an attempt to generate better marketing for her company and the exhibition. According to the testimony of an ex-employee Javier Sánchez, Ms.Hoefken had instructed him to go and attend to a few journalists who had shown up. It was in those 10 minutes while he was away that Ms. Hoefken seized the opportunity to take the lung. When he returned he was shocked to find the display to be missing an organ.
The PNP (Policia Nacional del Peru) reported that they recieved a tip from an annonymous employee with the US company of the exhibit which, led them to an email that implicates Ms. Hoefken as the author of the crime.
For her dishonorable and illegal actions Ms. Hoefken was cited to appear in court today by the police. For not appearing at her scheduled court case Ms. Hoefken could be looking at a possible four years in prison. She has until next Tuesday to present herself before the Peruvian court or face harsher consequences. Will she show up? An interesting question given the fact that since she was implicated in the crime she has since gone AWOL, and aside from the police she also has the media searching for her as if she was Carmen San Diego.
It's no doubt that this woman has brought international shame and embarrassment to all Peruvians. I mean it's bad enough that Peru and Peruvian's get such a bad rap in the Latin American community so it sure as hell doesn't paint a prettier picture of us when news spreads that a LUNG of all things is stolen from an internationally recognized and popular exhibition while in Peru. If you ask me this woman deserves to be thrown in prison for four years for the crimes she has committed just like those parents of the helium ballon hoax should have their children taken away for that stupid stunt they created.
Let's just hope that some other country does something even more embarrassing and shameful (which shouldn't be long) to draw attention away from Peru.
Last Saturday I was with Zdenka and we decided to go partake in some sin and go gambling at the Atlantic City Casino in Miraflores, which by the way sucks because instead of giving you coins they give you this stupid ticket, but I won't go into details about that.
We hailed a cab on the Av. Arica in Breña at roughly 10pm and within only 2 minutes of entering a loud thump was heard coming from the back of the rickety Tico. At the time we barely remembered seeing a man pass the car and it was then that we realized that he had hit our parked car and had passed out. That's right, having exited the vehicle to inspect the scene of the crime I found our victim sprawled out on the pavement. I had to act fast since there was oncoming traffic approaching over the horizon. Luckily there was a female cop at the scene who assisted by doing absolutely NOTHING,...wait what? That's right, she just stood there and watched the entire accident and rescue attempt unfold all while wearing what I considered an ironic citizen's police vest. Apparently in Peru the police couldn't give a damn about helping drunks and homeless which was fairly apparent and as my father confirmed, they really don't give a damn. NOTE TO SELF DON'T GET DRUNK TO THE POINT THAT YOU NEED POLICE ASSISTANCE, IT WON'T COME.
In an attempt to aid the downed citizen I and two other individuals proceeded to carry the limp body towards the sidewalk. I felt bad about leaving him lying in the middle of the sidewalk so I picked him up and sat him up against the wall of a pharmacy building. It wasn't until that moment that I realized he was totally drunk of his ass (as the details of this story will obviously prove). 
I felt bad leaving the guy there knowing that he would more than likely be the future victim of robbery (which upon returning later the next day proved to be an accurate assumption as we found him lying in the middle of the street without shoes!), however I also had little sympathy for him since he chose to let the good times roll a little too hard.
Having conducted my good Samaritan deed for the year I reentered the cab and headed off to go gamble away the guilt of leaving a drunk man vulnerable in the streets of Lima, Awww LIFE!
I totally found this place by surprise and I only mean surprise because I pass this place like a billion times since I have been here and just recently happened to notice it.
It's beautiful really, two complete strangers in the world coming together to bring forth a service for the good of the community. It almost brings a tear to my eye.
Now I know where to go when I want to launder my money, ALRIGHT!
Located in the colonial district of Rímac in the Heart of Lima is the hill (cerro) San Cristobal. The Spanish had first placed a wooden cross atop of the hill in 1535 and in 1536 it was destroyed by the invading incan forces of Tawantinsuyu. A battle between roughly 25 thousand indiginous warriors and 500 Spanish soldiers ensued in Rímac valley. It was through the help of reinforcements that the Spanish were able to gain the advantage over their combatants thus causing their retreat from the battlefield. After the battle the famous Spainard Francisco Pizzaro inaugerated the second cross, naming it after the Saint Cristobal for the day in which the battle was won.
Cerro San Cristobal is situated 400 meters above sea level and provides visitors with a beautiful 360 degree view of the Lima (la cuidad de los reyes). On a clear day one can see as far as the shores of Chorrillos as well as the ships in Callao.
To reach the the top of the hill are private buses that currently charge S/. 5 per person, this covers the return as well. For those interested in heading up to San Cristobal I would recommend taking one of the many bus tour services that can found near the Palacio del Gobierno in the Plaza de Armas. I recently took the tour with my girlfriend and found it quite pleasant, not only did the service provide us with a way to reach the top from the city but it also provided patrons with a informational tour guide that discussed the history of the hill as well as the district of Rímac.
Once at the top the visitors can chose from various locations with which to view the city below. It is said that if it is your first time visiting the cross that the visitor is granted three wishes. For those of you who have been there before you are allowed one wish. The wishes are made at the shine that rests at the foot of the cross. There is even a museum that was built during Fujimori's presidency that is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 0900-2200. I would definately recommend heading up to the hill just before sunset so that the traveller has the opportunity to view the city as the sunsets, it is truely beautiful. 
I captured this photo on Monday when I was in Huachipa visiting a private recycling plant. I was there to purchase recycled plastic when I saw this small farm at the property. There were these big plants that looked kinda like banana plants and they had huge green shiny leaves. This close-up was taken to showoff the texture of the plant as well as capture the raindrops that were collected.
For those of you who don't know where Huachipa is, the city itself is located west of Lima. To get there the quickest way to take the Carretera Central which you can catch by taking the Panamericana Highway. The small city is located about roughly 20 minutes from Lima and about another 20 minutes from Chaclacayo. 
Every weekend I walk along the Av. Grau to visit my girlfriend and I always walk by the Plaza Bolognesi which has well over 200 years of history. It is located smack dab in the heart of Lima, from here you can get to any other part of the city relatively fast. Traffic can be a bit of a problem at night and during the rush hours of the morning. 
