Sin Nombre: Relevant, Intense, Heart-Wrenching
SUMMARY: I review Sin Nombre, the best film I’ve seen in a long time about a Mexican gang member trying to escape his past and help an innocent Honduran girl safely enter the United States. Themes discussed include MS-13, immigration and human rights, love, and more.
I wasn’t going to include this post on this blog (only my other blog), but WordPress.com apparently doesn’t allow embedding YouTube videos so I’m posting it here as well because I spent a lot of time finding those fucking videos!
Sin Nombre is the best film I’ve seen in a long time. It’s also the first Spanish-language movie I watched without subtitles. They weren’t available at the pirated DVD market where I bought the disc. Fortunately I had no trouble understanding. … Read more
Photo Exhibit in Bogota
SUMMARY: Colombia’s National Museum of Photography had an exhibit in Plaza Lourdes last month. The images were compelling enough to devote a blog post. Each picture tells a story uniquely Colombian.
Chapinero in Pictures
SUMMARY: Profile and pictures of the coolest neighborhood in Bogota, Chapinero.
La Candelaria in Pictures
SUMMARY: Brief profile and pictures of the famed neighborhood, La Candelaria. Crazy murals included.
Save Barranco!
SUMMARY: Profile / description of the coolest neighborhood in Lima. Sections include SALVEMOS BARRANCO!, Kaminu Hostal, Galería Lucía de la Puente, Pedro de Osma Museum, and Help Retro Bar. This post is mostly pictures.
Being the hipster wannabe that I am, I skipped the Miraflores scene when picking a Lima neighborhood to stay in. I settled on Barranco, which is just south of Miraflores along the coast. I fell in love with this part of town. Beautiful, clean, safe, and with an artsy personality not found in Miraflores.
Between our hostel and Barranco’s pasaje of bars, we were offered weed an average of five times per day; the average fluctuated with how much time we spent in the neighborhood. Barranco also features the best murals in the city … Read more
Lima City Rocks
SUMMARY: Profile of and stories about Lima, Peru (finally) after one week in the city of 8 million – also my last week in Peru. Sections include La Molina, Magdalena, Larco Museum, Miraflores: #1 Gringo Destination, Chorrillos: The Beach, Callao: Gangsta!, Water Park, Lima Nightlife, or Other Pics.
Due to Arequipa hometown pride and dislike / jealousy of Lima, I had only heard that Lima was big, congested, gray, and dangerous. The only good thing Arequipeños say about Lima is that the food is better. However, I found Lima to be a great city. Of all the things people say about Lima, nobody ever says that it is beautiful. Which is a shame, because it is a beautiful city! Read more
Santa Catalina
SUMMARY: I describe Santa Catalina monastery, arguably the principal tourist destination in Arequipa. Pictures.
Nicolas and I went to Santa Catalina during my sobriety streak. Besides Plaza de Armas and La Catedral (which are free), Santa Catalina is the top tourist destination in Arequipa and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Santa Catalina was a monastery built in the 16th century in operation well into the 19th century. It takes up two square blocks of downtown Arequipa. Inside is a small town – a city within a city – closed off to the outside world. It’s a concrete maze of hallways leading to living quarters, dining rooms, kitchens, and gardens – beautifully painted with bright colors. … Read more
