Here is an article from a few weeks ago that I wrote about the elections but never had the time to post it.

It's been less than one week now and many Peruvians are still recovering from the shock of Ollanta Humala's victory over Keiko Fujimori for the coveted seat of power.  A total upset victory which had the two candidates practically neck and neck in the elections polls, that is until millions were stunned by the election day flash results, which painted a much different picture.  Now the reality has sunk in that Humala will be Peru's next president and like it or not there is nothing any of us can do about it.  When talking with most people I noticed that for many Limeñans what was initially a total aversion to the idea of Humala as president has quickly evolved to a lesser disdain that is transmitted through words and phrases of submission and uncertainty.  People genuinely want to believe that their predictions about our newly elect president will be wrong and that a contrary outcome could be possible, but for most those thoughts are about as possible as grandma winning the lottery.  Only time will tell what lies in store for many Peruvians as they sit playing a metaphorical game of russian roulette (except with five bullets load instead of one).

Incoherent and grammatically incorrect ramblings aside, I spent last week documenting several key political election events and thanks to poor planning had to take a most of my photos ala pedestrian.  As you read in my last post I spent Thursday night covering the end of campaign rallies that were being held downtown which was a complete blast, photography issues aside.  Sunday however was rather calm in the early morning hours, though there was a larger presence of traffic.  I decided to hit up my voting center first just to get it out of the way.  My original DNI was created while I was living in the US the address used on my ID card was the one in Portland, now because I moved to Lima I had to change my address to the one in Chorrillos which meant my voting number/code changed as well, no biggie right?  WRONG!  My father whom I reside with only votes a few blocks away from our home at some school (FYI all voting centers are at some school or university, in Lima there are a LOT), so naturally I should to right, same adress and all, but nooooooo... I have to vote clear on the other side of the F#$&ing district, nearly five to six kilometers away, in fact it's so remote for me that I wasn't sure I was even in Chorrillos anymore.  I guess the on the plus side the voting lines at IEP Tupac Amaru II are short and sweet, it took me only ten minutes to vote.  This school was also perhaps one of the few that actually let me take photos with hasseling me for such ridiculous things as credentials and permission. 




Did I mention that traffic was hellacious (please forgive the poor spelling, apparantly my British friend was unsure as to it's spelling), after about an hour I was able to get a colectivo to take me to Breña, where I met up with Zdenka.  There we hit up a few schools in the district and were forced to leave by the naval mp's and ONPE officials.  The day after that pretty much drudged on until the closing hour of the elections.  While having a late lunch at one of Lima's finest franchised establishments (KFC), everyone inside were glued to the incoming wave of flash reports that flooded every local channel and as everyone awaited for the response on the sound of the TV and the deep friers could be heard.  Then the faces of the presidential candidates were posted on the screen and in came the numbers from each department in Peru, the stress and anticipation in everyone's faces was almost similar to kind of response you get when watching for your Lotto numbers on TV.  Defeat and victory were both experienced shortly after and then just as quickly as the whole thing started it was over, and while some were unhappy with the end result little was left for them to do in response except continue about with their lives like they had been doing.

I found this rather cool video that was taken by Thermikfresser of his paragliding flight over Miraflores.  This video gives a great impression of what its like to fly over Lima's coast and might be enough to encourage those who have been reluctant to give it a try.


Paragliding in Miraflores, Lima, Peru from Thermikfresser on Vimeo.

I know this is probably old news but I absolutely love this video and just wanted to share it.  It's interesting to see a country as a brand but apparently PromPeru believes that Peru can be marketed in such a way.  What are your thoughts on this approach and what could it mean for the future of tourism for cities and countries?

That's right, I was at work yesterday when we received a phone call from RPP news (a national radio station for those who don't know), who were interested in interviewing some Americans to get their perspective on the recent death of long sought after terrorist, Osama Bin Laden.  At 11:45 they showed up at the office and with a microphone and camera in hand began their brief interviews.  The whole thing happened fairly quickly, one by one they interviewed us and got our opinions on the subject and then it was over.  Personally I didn't really expect to make the final cut since I didn't look directly into the camera but surprisingly I did.

My voice sounds awful when it's recorded for audio or video but there's not much I can do about that.
UPDATE:  after watching the video myself I just realized how lame my responses were...yeesh!

Anyways here is the video

Just like all over the world Peru being a very religious, like many Latin American countries, has been celebrating the holy week and boy has there been a turn out.  Downtown (Cercado) Lima was literally packed with thousands of devote (at least during the religious holidays, that is) Catholics who flooded the streets on Good Friday to take part in the tradition of visiting seven churches, a holiday that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, including his death at Calvary.  Here are just a few of the photos that were taken yesterday I traveled with Zdenka to visit some of these churches. 

Today marked the first day of a long over due vacation (granted it's unpaid), with plans of nothing more to do than lying around the house watching movies and hanging out with my family.  In theory it seemed like a fail proof plan with little that could possibly get in the way, but boy was I wrong.  Yesterday, after having finished my last class for the week I headed off home as quickly as possible to meet up with the wife and child who had been eagerly awaiting my arrival.  Wednesday afternoon and evening were amazingly relaxing and it was nice to spend some much needed time with Rosemary, who seemed more than content with being carried around while she gazed up at here obscure yet vivid surroundings.


Night came and Zdenka and I (like a couple of medical residents) working in shifts took one our new routine of caring for Rosemary's needs.  A process that was not willfully excepted at first by my part and which had to endure the harsh assimilation of my duties.  Though a short time has passed since Rosemary has entered this world the night shift still remains difficult for those who covet sleep and like any other night we spent it waking up at odd yet synchronized hours to change diapers and feed the baby.  Everything up until 0400 hours was going well right to the moment where Rosemary out of nowhere let out a large shriek which quickly evolved into a loud (ear-piercing) and sharp cry, one which seemed to be unstoppable.  Now I'm new to this baby/fathering stuff so my experience at this point in handling such situations is as limited as a security guards during a bank robbery.  I look over at Zdenka who lies lifeless next to me, her attempts to play dead throughout the night has been interpreted as code for "your turn".  Realizing I am on my own I quickly pick up Rosemary who is flailing her little body like crazy, I employ my method of swaddling while walking around which seems to work at first until I make the premature move of placing her back in the crib before she is fully asleep, she cries again.

For the next five hours this would be the scene, where baby would cry, one of the parents would get up in their ogrish and drowsy state to pick up the baby, a comforting method would be executed, the baby would suspend crying (an enticing trap for the parents), parent would foolishly place the baby back in bed, said parent would quietly tip toe back in to bed where they would flop down lifelessly onto it, baby would resume crying shortly after, and rinse and repeat.  A stressful and daunting situation for the noob parents as tensions run high and the will of an adult is crushed leaving them crying pitifully in the corner while the rock themselves for comfort.  By the time the sun had risen both of us were exhausted and defeated as the baby who apparently could not be consoled continued her rain of terror.  Another hour went by and suddenly there was silence in the house, an almost eery silence that left us unsure what to do, terrified to trust our instinct and take advantage of the situation.  There she lied in her mothers arms, resting peacefully, like an angel she smiles and the tension is cut, Rosemary is gently placed in her crib and with no words exchanged both of us veered off into separate rooms to enjoy the comfort of a bed all to ourselves.

Not being able to sleep I managed to take a few photos with my camera and grabbed a quick peek of Zdenka curled in a ball under the covers of the bed in the next room, not even an earthquake could have pulled that woman out sleep.  After that rest became the decree of the day as everyone took to sleep in their own respected beds, so as not to disturb each other.  Hours went by and soon a refreshed family emerged with an insatiable hunger which was dealt with by visiting a local cevicheria just a few blocks down the street.

Being the holy week and all, fish was the preferred item for a late lunch and was well received.  The place we ate (of which I can't remember the name) had a wonderful open environment and great service but what really made it a winner was the high quality of the food.  We ordered two popular favorites one being Tiradito tres tiempos (a dish of thinly fileted fish cooked ceviche style and served under a blanket of three popular pepper sauces), and the other fried calamari.


The rest of the day has been rather relaxing and I am confident that last nights experience has definitely put some hair on both our chests in regards to child rearing.

Just saw this on the internet a few minutes ago.  The Lima photo event was started last year apparently and has returned for it's second year along with a photo competition for any interested photographer who would like to enter one of their works.  The Spanish oil company Repsol is sponsoring the competition and will be giving away to prizes to the two top finalists.  First place offers a prize of $3,500 while second place receives a fairly modest $1,500, all in all not bad for just submitting one of your best photos.

I may just very well be participating in this competition since it would be my first time competing in a photography event.  Those of you who are in Peru and are photographers should definitely consider competing in this event.  The deadline for submissions is June 15th and must be sent to Centro de la Imagen located on Av. 28 de Julio in Miraflores.  If you are interested checkout the rules on their website here.

I saw this video on Facebook today and wasn't the least bit surprised at what I saw.  The video is old (posted in 2008) and shows just how bad traffic can get in the capital city of Peru.  There may be laws that supposedly enforce traffic but when the police don't even follow them how can you expect the general public to take them seriously.

So a few weeks ago a bunch of my co-workers, Ryan, and I headed out to the famous Plaza San Martin in downtown Lima to produce a small film about the highly underrated nightclubs.  I personally had no clue that there even existed nightclubs in the Plaza, aside from the well known bars and pubs.  Some of the bars turned out to be really cool while others were nothing more than average dark and crammed meat markets. I was in-charge of photos that night and with the constant flow of free drinks that I received while working I can honestly say that the quality began to take a downward spiral fast.  The video was taken by The Break's very own videographer, Carlos who did an excellent job putting the film together. 


Noches en el centro de Lima from The Break on Vimeo.

If you have been checking this website since early last month (which you probably haven't) then you may have noticed a lack of articles being posted.  I would normally blame this sort of behavior on good ole procrastination but luckily I actually a good excuse this time!  As most of you don't know my wife Zdenka gave birth to our daughter Rosemary, on March 3rd at around 12:05pm.  She was born at about 8 months and weighed in at 2.6 kilos roughly.  A few colds and stuffy noses aside, her health is great and she has really grown in such a short period of time.  Since her arrival home there have definitely been many and I mean MANY sleepless nights which have rendered both Zdenka and I certifiably dead from exhaustion.  Sure she looks like an angel during the day while she sleeps with little difficulty but once the sun sets over those coastal hills she transforms into this tiny insomniac child who will stop at nothing to keep her parents from catching one single hour of uninterrupted sleep.  All in all it has been a real joy and learning experience to have this girl in our lives and I for one look forward to all future trials and tribulations that she will unwilling bring.

On another note, work has began to breathe new life as the classes start to roll in (just when I was getting accostomed to my prolonged vacation).  I also obtained a rather interesting and fun part time job working for Living in Peru.com, a very well known English website about all things Peru.  Aside from some rather menial computer work there is the more interesting aspect of the photography work I am paid to do.  This usually involves a few hours of my weekend but has been really fun.  My photos mostly comprise of popular events occuring in Lima.  As of so far I have had the opportunity to photograph (GAG!!!, sorry I'm sitting next to my aunt who reeks of a stripclub ashtray) crazy events like the 2nd annual pillow fight which sounded lame at first but was rather amazing to witness, or the nude bike march that happened not to long ago where many Limeñans bared all in a fleshy displayed protest against the horrible conditions of Lima's traffic and it's loose laws.  What makes the job so great is that it affords me the ability to gain more experience as well as build up my photographic resume for the future, which are both BIG pluses in my book.



Lets see, my college friend and Phi Delt brother from Portland, Oregon surprised me with a visit after his long stay in South Korea.  I have been showing him around Lima and corrupting his precious little mind with the day to day lifestyle that most citizens of Lima have to indure.  Just like me he also has a lust for sick perversion that is photography and has been snapping away photos and putting regular tourists to shame, and with roughly 3,700 photos already accumulated since he arrived March 15th you can bet his Facebook albums are going to be HUGE!  Interestingly enough since he first set feet in Lima his wishes were that he experience a slice of what it's like to be a Peruvian living in Lima and he sure has been fulfilling that wish with everthing from working in a plastics factory, to dropping of merchandise at local markets, to drunkenly arguing with taxi drivers at 2 am, to eating sketch and suspect street food.  The street food was a two for one deal since it left him immobilzed for a few days short of wearing Depends everywhere.






I know that I have neglected my readers by not providing you with the nurishing sustenance of my insightful and deep posts, but looking back I understand that my hands been tied tighter than a guy in a bondage dominatrix film (and that's without a safety word).  Granted things are expected to slow down here in the next few days as my friends heads home to the US before his return back to Korea (they apparently pay really well there...), but I do intend to keep feeding you with the same quality brand product you've come to love.  Rest assured my friends, rest assured...

Saw this really well put together video by limafotolibre.com.  The video shows footage of many Limeños celebrating day of the dead at Santa Rosa de Lima cemetery in Chorrillos.  The photos used in the video were taken November of 2010.

It's February here in Lima and for those living below the Equator's belt it's summertime, but Marco you say "what makes summer in February so special?"  The answer is simple my loyal readers, CARNIVAL!  Now I'm not going to go into detail about carnival in Lima just yet but I have managed to find a few videos that provide a good visual base to what I will later discuss in more depth.





 

Well Zdenka spent the past week in the hospital all thanks to her wonderful screw-up of a gynecologist who through his several years of incompetence and blatant negligence spent the past few months of consults merely checking the babies heartbeat, measuring mommies stomach and taking her blood pressure, all while ignoring (not answering) Zdenka's questions and concerns and rushing her visit just like he did every other maternal patient during his shift (which unsurprisingly is the last of the day).  If this guys passion for medicine was a candle flame then it's safe to say that it burnt out probably somewhere around his over-the-hill party.  Now I'm guessing there definitely isn't anything medically exciting about the field of gynecology and after seeing your fair share of vaginas you've eventually seen them all so it's perhaps no surprise that this guy's sold his soul to his profession a long time ago.  Now if I sound a little forgiving trust me that's not where this rant is heading, I mean here is a man who pretty much is killing time at work like any other demoralized employee yet what makes it so bad is that he is in a profession that dangles with peoples health and the health of their soon to be born children.  Luckily we had the sense to change doctors though I wish we would have realized a bit sooner rather than two months before Zdenka's due date but hey, better now than never right?  ANYWAYS... the good news was that Zdenka's new gynecologist (which surprisingly was a woman, not to many of those oddly enough in the field) was a young gal with a good head on her shoulders who when was informed of the atrocities of said previous doctor decided that the only solution was a temporary stay at the hospital in order to perform several tests (you know the ones that are fundamental of every pregnant women who spends 9 months in consultation visits...minor details really).

The week went by and while the experience for me was less than uncomfortable, Zdenka unfortunately had to deal with nurses, doctors, and the dreaded medical interns whose noob status in the medical realm makes their hands very shaky when it comes time to draw blood from the patient in the room next door.  A true battle of wits in a place where the medical staff are desensitized to the point that they see patients as impatient whinny moochers rather than people who have paid for their health care and are less than satisfied with their medical experience.  I am still rather green to the whole public health care system, a concept all to foreign to me and yet as I spend more time within the walls of the EsSalud hospitals I begin to realize just how unpleasant the reality of a well intentioned system can be (I begin to wonder if perhaps this is what the reality of such a system would be if it existed in the US).  Friday came and thankfully Zdenka was released giving her the satisfaction of freedom from medical beds and clockwork patient checkups every hour, though happy and ecstatic to be out we both knew that it would only be a matter of time before we would have to return, and like many others excepted our reluctant dependency to the health care system. 

It's experiences like this that makes me ask the question: "what is the lesser of two evils?"  A country with private hospitals and insurance companies where people without insurance can't even afford to pay for a simple consultation let alone the medical bills for a blood test or a country with a public health care system where the health care staff are underpaid and demoralized, the facilities and hospitals are in shit conditions, and the people are unhappy.  I shutter to imagine what the future holds for man in his ever continuous quest to solve the age-old puzzle that is health care.

The blog Una Lima Que Se Fue is a vault full wonderful artifacts from Lima's past.  As the city of Lima continues to evolve the relics of a beautiful city slowly begin to erode from sight.  Thankfully this website is doing what few others have attempted and that is archiving the cities history and past, through the many aging photographs and documents. 

Today I found a photo that really caught my eye and just had to share it with you.  I'm not quite sure who the hooded women behind the baby is but the title reads: "Another Wet Nurse".  I'm not entirely sure what a wet nurse is but she looks like some kind of nanny.  Look it up on Wikipedia if you really want to know.

Tom Filipowicz in Chiclayo gives us the rundown on the popular Amazonian destination of Iquitos.


Article brought to you by Mochica Hostess Tours


Back in the forties and early fifties the movie houses always showed ‘news shorts’ before the main feature. Frequently there were 30 second clips on the ‘Amazon Jungle and the mighty Amazon River.’ The jungle had lots of monkeys and huge snakes and other dangerous things, but even worse were the Jivaro head hunters. These guys were fierce. I mean, before you could say “Hello, my name is…” Whap! - your head would be in a pickling pot with your lips sewed shut. We kids (and quite a few adults) used to fantasize about the Amazon and vowed that when we grew up we’d go there. It took more time than expected, but I finally made it.

Iquitos is a city on the Amazon accessible only by air or boat. It is the place I would recommend to anyone who could visit Peru only once in their lifetime, because Iquitos is a composite of almost everything Peru has to offer.

The city itself has three ‘faces.’ The inner city is not much different from any of Peru’s major cities or larger towns. Anyone from Chiclayo, Arequipa, Cajamarca or even Lima would feel a familiarity walking the streets.

A second facet of the city is the river shore inhabitants. This would include Belen to the south and the fringe area bordering the city’s east side, as can be seen while walking the malecònes Tarapaca and Maldonado.

A third distinct segment is what appeared to me to be new communities being carved out of the jungle on the city’s south side. I say “appears to be new” because in Peru what looks new may be ancient or vice versa, probably because the architecture and building materials don’t change. Houses in this section are being built with untreated lumber and thatched roofs as they have been for centuries.

Several characteristics stamp Iquitos with a distinct personality. First would have to be the comparative scarcity of taxis and other private autos. In their place are thousands of moto taxis and motorcycles. Only in the jungle or outskirts of the city can you escape the sound and smell of these metal beasts. The heat and humidity were to be expected but still, the first step off the plane at the airport was like being confronted by a hostile living force. Another difference is the speech pattern of the Iquiteños, which is sing-song and melodious compared to coastal city dwellers.

And speaking of the residents, I would bet that as a percent of the total population, Iquitos has the largest gringo population of any city in Peru. There is almost never a time when several are not in view. Some are tourists, but the majority we saw were unquestionably residents, with many of them projecting an image of having ‘gone to seed’ over time. Whatever it is in Peru that brings out that ‘free spirit’ look, Iquitos has more than its share. There is even an English language newspaper – the Iquitos Times.

There is more to do and see in and about Iquitos than I expected. We managed to see everything we wanted to in five days, but just barely. A trip to the excellent tourist office will provide the visitor with maps and most of the standard tourist options.

Among the standard attractions we saw were the Manatee Rescue facility, sponsored by the Dallas World Aquarium, and that same day the nearby Quistococha zoo/lagoon/park complex. Both were worth the time. One of the attractions I reluctantly agreed to was a boat ride up the Momòn River to visit the Yahùas tribe. I was reluctant because I expected to see a theatrical production followed by various approaches to extract the last penny from my pocket…which for me is exactly what it turned out to be. Enough said about that. Subsequent days found us at the Amazon Sculpture museum in the city, and the ‘Serpentario’ located on the Nanay River, also enjoyable experiences.

The Belen market is worth seeing, but it is not a pleasant area in terms of sight and smell. Most people we talked with told us to avoid the area after 5:00pm because of pickpockets.

The activities we enjoyed most were ones we created ourselves. Boarding a colectivo at one of the terminals and riding it to its destination terminal is a good, inexpensive way to see the city. It’s also a cooling experience during the heat of the day as colectivo windows have no glass.

If you’re willing you can walk a long way along the river front in either direction from the Boulevard. Each step reveals a different perspective of the river shore inhabitants and their daily lives/activities. It was interesting to watch the river boats being unloaded at the Produce Market. It was mostly bananas and charcoal we saw being unloaded.

One of our favorite activities was to ride a moto taxi to the port of Nanay, and there to charter a peque-peque to take us to various destinations we selected on the Nanay and Momòn Rivers. We were told they don’t go on the Amazon as the current is too much for a peque-peque to handle. You don’t need a guide. Simply point to the place on a map that you would like to go and then negotiate the price with the captain.

Though there is lots of boat traffic on the rivers, riding on the Momòn River instills the feeling of a wild river and jungle environment without having to travel for many miles at significant expense. Incidentally, during our five days in the city, on the river and in the jungle we never saw a mosquito.

Walking the boulevard; stopping for a meal or cool drink (camu-camu became our favorite) and people watching is a relaxing pastime, especially toward sundown when the place comes alive. It reminded us a bit of the bohemia feel of Lima’s Kennedy Park and of Mancora.

I can understand why people would be attracted to Iquitos. It’s got something for most everyone plus there’s the attraction of the wild jungle just around the next bend in the river. The Jivaro head hunters are gone, but hey!...you can’t have everything!

Tom

If you’d like to experience events like this and get a taste of real daily life in northern provincial Peru, speak to Tom & Maribel via Mochica Hostess Tours