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Features / archives for : art, culture, lifestyle
27 January, 2010 13:50:04
Living in Huanchaco: Find the joys of tranquilo
By Jessie KwakPhotos by Robert Kittilson
Huanchaco’s sunsets in the early spring months are not the Technicolor radiance of tropical postcards; they are pastel confections of slate gray and pale pink, the sun a bloody disk swallowed up by a sea that boils like mercury, reflecting the rose and bronze of the sky. I could sit on the beach and watch those sunsets forever.
Sunsets on the beach are a novelty for a desert-born girl like me. They were half the reason I wanted to stay in Huanchaco in the first place, but when we told people where our new apartment was, they looked at us like we’d been had. “That’s so far from the beach,” we were told over and over again. “But it’s only five blocks,” we replied. They just shook their heads.
Welcome to Huanchaco. It’s mellow, tranquilo. The locals use the word to describe why they live there, the foreign surfers use it to describe why they’ve stayed so much longer than they intended. For some travelers, though, it’s pejorative. Recently arrived from partying in Máncora, they shrug: Huanchaco is too tranquilo.
27 January, 2010 13:29:33
Paijan and the Legendary Peruvian Paso Horse
By Charles Sizemore
Driving north on the Panamericana highway out of Trujillo, you pass through several small agricultural towns that break up the seemingly endless expanse of sugar fields that flank both sides of the road. Some, such as Casa Grande, have rather impressive histories. Prior to Peru’s agrarian reforms of the late 1960s and 1970s, the Casa Grande hacienda was one of the largest private landowners in the world, stretching from the Andes to the Pacific Ocean. The hacienda was, for all intents and purposes, a country within a country, and for better or worse, it is unlikely that anything like it will ever again exist in South America. It was one of a kind.
Generally though, you’re not missing much if you drive through the towns without stopping. Most are characterized by what seems like one never-ending solid wall of colorless cinderblock buildings punctuated by the occasional gas station.
From the Panamericana, Paijan might at first appear to fit this description. But if you turn off the highway and into the old colonial core, you will find a real gem of a town.
Paijan has a surprisingly long history. It was founded by the Spanish in 1540, and the pre-colonial history of the area goes back much further. The nearby temple compound of Las Huacas del Sol y Luna attest to the sophistication of the pre-Colombian culture and is definitely worth a visit, as is Chan Chan, a nearby archeological site that holds the distinction of being the world’s largest adobe city.
Within Paijan itself, the traditional Plaza de Armas is a pleasant place to stop for an ice cream or a Coke. The plaza has a series of well-manicured gardens separated by wrought-iron fencing and park benches, and despite the bustle of the town it is surprisingly peaceful.
Still, Paijan is most famous today for the reputation of its Peruvian paso horses, bred by the local Vásquez family.
22 January, 2010 18:44:42
What is that in my food!
Beware: Read only if you have a strong stomach!By Marie-Louise Saina
When I eat lunch alone, I sometime like to pick up some Peruvian traditional dishes from the supermarket Wong. The variety is excellent and the quality is normally good. I say normally because of what I found lurking in my plate the last time I had food from this establishment.All my friends know how I get totally sick if I find a hair in my food. Since I have such a sensitive stomach I am inevitably always the one to find something that does not belong in my food.
Fortunately, the worst things I have come across over the years are hair, a piece of plastic, egg shells or, as in my last meal from Wong, a dead bee and a dead black fly in two separate dishes, on the same day. How lucky am I?
20 January, 2010 11:59:27
Alpaca wool goes high fashion
By Janne NielsenThe Incas knew it, as did generations before them – wool from Peruvian alpaca has a lasting quality superior to many other fabrics. This fact was not lost on Peruvian and Danish designers Adriana Anardo and Laerke Skyum, who in 2006 started a company aimed at promoting the unique qualities of the alpaca and the traditions of Peruvian handicrafts. Four years later, the company Anardo & Skyum now presents their fashion collection at the prestigious fashion fair Pret A Porter in Paris in March 2010.
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The Peruvian Alpaca is a noble creature with a smooth and elegant walk. A member of the South American dromedaries along with llamas and vicuñas, they inhabit the high Andean zone, above 3,800 meters. In order to resist the difficult conditions of the highlands, alpacas are protected by wool formed by fibers of unique quality, with extraordinary thermal characteristics. The alpaca has been sheared for centuries and used by Peru’s textile artisans to create knit work, like the famous mantles of the Paracas culture.
15 January, 2010 17:32:03
The tale of sunken colonial gold: Who deserves it, Spain or Peru?
In May 2007, US company Odyssey Marine Exploration discovered $500,000,000 of Peruvian gold and silver coins from the sunken colonial ship Nuestra Señora del las Mercedes. Spain immediately claimed the bounty as property of the Spanish crown, as did Peru. The saga begins more than 200 years ago, and is one that is only now coming to an end....en Perú
The 5th of October 1804 was a day that began just like any other. The sea was calm and there was a light wind. The weather conditions that accompanied the frigate named Nuestra Señora del las Mercedes gave no clue to the events that were to unfold that day. Major Diego de Cádiz y Ponce de León was up early and wrote in his log that from the highest parts of the ship they could just make out the coast of Cádiz.When the crew had already begun preparing for landing, at 8 o’clock in the morning, the Clara, one of the three other frigates that accompanied the Mercedes, announced the dreaded sighting of British warships.
15 January, 2010 15:34:40
Photos of Novalima at La Noche in Barranco
LivinginPeru.com
Last night, Novalima gigged in Lima, the first time since touring the US and Europe after releasing Coba Coba. (See our preview article and interview with the band here.) Photographer Joshua Kristal attended the concert for LivinginPeru.com; he sent in these photos. Enjoy.
(Visit Joshua's Peru blog, Machu Picchu This.)
Last night, Novalima gigged in Lima, the first time since touring the US and Europe after releasing Coba Coba. (See our preview article and interview with the band here.) Photographer Joshua Kristal attended the concert for LivinginPeru.com; he sent in these photos. Enjoy.
(Visit Joshua's Peru blog, Machu Picchu This.)
15 January, 2010 13:07:14
Pedal biking the Amazon: Brazil to Peru
By Rodney L. DodigPhotos courtesy Douglas Gunzlemann
Three days after finishing an incredible biking adventure from the coast of Brazil through the Amazon and the Andes to the coast of Peru, Douglas Gunzlemann was still cleaning the orange colored dust from beneath his nails. I sat across from this focused young man in awe of his accomplishment. It was hard to know where to begin with the questions in my interview. I knew that he had amassed an astounding amount of experiences on this journey and putting them into perspective would be hard for him so quickly after his journey’s end. Doug had a ready smile and easy way about him; he made the interview process very easy for me. He was excited to share his story with the world.Doug got the idea for this incredible adventure reading a National Geographic article. It took him three years to put together the money and equipment he thought he would need for this trip. Then it was a matter of talking his boss into letting him have the time off to do this. He had no idea how tough this would be on his family and friends. He commented that his going away party was more like a wake than a festive occasion. All his family and friends could think of were the things that could go wrong on this trip. None of this deterred him though; the purpose of this trip, bringing attention to the destruction of the rain forest, kept him focused on his goal. He started his adventure on his birthday, Sept. 24, 2009.
6 January, 2010 13:02:13
Bars in Peru have discounts for La Semana del Chilcano: Cheers!
LivinginPeru.comDuring the balmy summer nights in Peru, it's hard to beat a chilcano. It's refreshing and delicious. It's an unpretentious, practical drink. Simple for sure: pisco, ginger ale, lime and bitters on ice. The name even has spunk: otro chilcano, por favor.
Before we get caught up with the poetry of it all (... and don't you love the weeping condensation on the chilcano's heavy lowball glass?) let's give the good news: January 11 to 17 is Peru's first Semana del Chilcano, a week to celebrate the drink with promotions and discounts in bars in Lima, Cusco, Asia beach and Ica.
4 January, 2010 15:25:14
The Second Tongue: Communicating in a bilingual relationship
By Larry J. Pitman
I haven’t a clue what you are saying. Que me dijiste?
What did you say?
No te entiendo. Que dices?
I don’t understand. Please repeat.
That’s not what I meant at all.
These are parts of dialogues from couples suffering from “The Second Tongue.”
A second tongue? It sounds like some horrible disease.
It's not, but it could cause you and your life partner some difficulty.
This condition occurs when, for example, you are a native speaker of English and your spouse is a native speaker of Spanish. In order to communicate, one of you has to speak with the other in a second tongue.
1 January, 2010 21:26:40
Peru's turbulent politics in 2009
LivinginPeru.comAdapted from El Comercio
During 2009 several political conflicts plagued Peru. For some, 2009 will be the year that former president Albert Fujimori stood trial and was sentenced to 25 years of prison for crimes against humanity. Others will remember the case of the Peruvian military who was found to be spying for Chile, or the numerous scandals made by the members of Parliament, or the social conflicts and the case of the “petroaudios.” This year, Peru has had to withstand a very turbulent political agenda. Here are the ten most notable.Categories
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- A Peruvian UN officer in Afghanistan: Reflections on overcoming terror
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- Enjoying the sites, smells — and just surviving — as a pedestrian in Peru
Last comments
- In What is that in my food!
Ronald Sommer says :
20 March, 2010 15:34:35
When I was a teen ager in the United States I had a job in a factory that produced pickle relish.&nb ... - In Wanted: Who stole my laptop at Starbucks yesterday morning?
says :
20 March, 2010 12:33:57
Thanks for the info on being able to lock your laptop to the table. I' ... - In A Peruvian UN officer in Afghanistan: Reflections on overcoming terror
Mirtha says :
20 March, 2010 07:58:23
Gonza: Love your article, congrats!!!!!
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