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

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.

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.





 

I was on Chase Jarvis's awesome blog today and I saw a video posted where famous actor Kevin Spacey explains to what seem to be students about what it takes to achieve our goals in life.  Very motivational words!

The video is short but well worth a watch.  I highly recommend it!

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.

Today while reading one of my favorite local photography blogs PeruFotoLibre, I came across this YouTube video about Photojournalism in Mexico.  The video is in Spanish but the photographs are amazing and well worth a look in my opinion.

Watching it makes me want to dedicate even more time to photography if I could only figure out how.

I found this rather cool promotional video put together by the Spanish bank BBVA, who is owner and operator of the Peruvian bank Banco Continental.  The video is about an educational program that was created a few years ago by BBVA to help promote reading in Peru, which would help to increase the literacy rate in Peru.

The artist in the video has some amazing drawing skills and it's fairly entertaining just to watch it, even if some of you don't speak Spanish.  Check it out!

The second installment of what is possibly the best independent filmed short series ever, has finally been released!  As always this one is just a funny as the first.


English Teachers - Episode 2 "(Un)equilibrium" from Nameless Media and Productions on Vimeo.

Came across this hilarious parody about English teachers in foreign countries.  What makes the film so funny is how well it parodies the stereotypical English teacher types that are likely found all around the world.  A great video in general and well worth a watch!


English Teachers - Episode 1 "First Days Suck" from Nameless Media and Productions on Vimeo.

I realize how random this post must seem since it has very little to do with Peru, but I was teaching one of my English classes today and I promised a student that I would post a video on how to make scrambled eggs.  We have all had scrambled eggs before and most of us know how to make them but few of us know how to make those really delicious and creamy eggs that we often find in restaurants or at buffets.

Since I enjoy cooking I often read several blogs about food, this eventually led me to discover a YouTube video which features the famous British chef, Gordon Ramsey preparing a traditional scrambled eggs.  It´s very simple to prepare and I have done it several times since I have watched the video.  The only downside to preparing scrambled eggs this way is the cleanup afterwards.

Anyways, here is the video.

When I actually manage to find free time to watch TV during my busy week there is one particular show that I absolutely adore watching, it's called "A La Vuelta de La Esquina" (english: Just Around the Corner).  The popular series which airs weekly on the channel PlusTV and takes viewers on a historical and cultural adventure through the vast depths and nether regions of Peru's capital Lima.  The show is hosted by the joyful Gonzalo Torres, who scours the cities several districts and plazas in search of interesting tales from Lima's past. 

As most of you already know I live in the district of Chorrillos which is located in the Southern Cone of the city (Spanish = Cono Sur).  The show is in Spanish but it will give the viewer an amazing tour of the place I call home!  I will also be posting other episodes of other districts for those interested.


The video is located below FYI.

I found this wonderful and inspiring video put together by the Pacific Northwest's very own famous photographer, Chase Jarvis.  The video features world renowned adventurist and mountain climber, Helen Thayer.

Yes the video is commercial done for a private company called "Russell Investments" but the message given by Ms. Thayer is very inspirational and well worth the watch if not for her words of wisdom then for Chase's amazing photography/video.

Chase has also provided a bit more information regarding Helen Thayer on his website, which is rather interesting as well.

With the increase in Peru's popularity over the years and hordes of travelers from around the world, it is no surprise that a US TV show like No Reservations would come to Peru to film.  It's not just the tourism that is also helping Peru gain world recognition but also it's cuisine, something which American chef Anthony Bourdain has recognized since his trip to Peru.
I have posted today from YouTube the episode of No Reservations where Anthony travels to Peru in order to sample the countries best dishes and to gain an appreciation of the Peru's culture and heritage.  It's an old episode for those familiar with the show but I couldn't help but not show it here.

The episode has "Tony" (as he is often referred as) traveling to several different regions of Peru's topographical geography.  Enjoy!

Thanks to TravelProject for posting the videos on YouTube http://afarperu.blogspot.com

Anyways, I came across this video which was put together by TV Peru which is a national (government) television channel in Peru.  The video that I managed to discover was one that delved into the world of Lima's nightlife and introduced some of Lima's more famous and historical bars.  I would love to talk more about the video but I think you should just watch it instead.  Again, unfortunately it's in Spanish but I still recommend watching it.

While enjoying my wonderful day off from work I found this AMAZING website called cebichetv.com

This website is totally awesome, it has almost every popular Peruvian TV channel as well as some other favorites from Peruvian Cable.  The site also has several links to Peruvian radio stations that offer live streaming radio broadcasts.  In general, this website is in my opinion the ultimate resource for everything relating to Peruvian media.  It's perfect for fellow Peruvians (also great for those who aren't Peruvian) who currently live abroad and would love to brush up on the latest local news or watch one of their favorite Peruvian shows.

For those of us who currently live in Peru, the website offers recordings of popular Peruvian sitcoms and shows all categorized by month.  For example, the new Peruvian sitcom Los Broders,(a show which revolves around two Peruvian detectives (inspired by the American series Starsky & Hutch) who fight crime in the mean streets of Lima, Peru) is just one of many shows that are offered.  This is perfect for those who work all week and party all weekend and don't have time to usually sit down and watch TV.  Cebichetv.com currently offers several popular programs like: Al Fondo Hay Sitio, El Francotirador, Puro Corazon, Recargados de Risa, etc.

If you love Peruvian radio, news, TV, music, then this website will be a real treasure to you.