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.
Barranco Murals
This post features photos of the murals in the Barranco neighborhood in Lima, Peru (also the last post on the Peru chapter).
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
Arica: Chillin’ in Chile
SUMMARY: I take a trip to Arica, Chile, a charming little coastal town in northern Chile. I encountered some nice bribery action at immigration, met a bunch of friendly locals including some lovely Chilenas, and learned a (very) little about the local history. Sections include The Border Incident; Chile, Pinochet, and the Chicago Boys; The Chilean People; La Represión y Daniel Menco; and Pictures.
The Border Incident
I took a bus from Arequipa to Tacna, a pueblo on the Peruvian side of the Peru-Chile border, and arrived around 3am. Collectivo taxi drivers sell trips across the border. I was solicited the second I exited the bus terminal. I asked how much and the guy replied “30 soles.” I agreed.
We walked two blocks to his early-80s model Chevy Caprice and I put my suitcase in the trunk. The driver returned to the terminal to find more passengers. I noticed a small sign on the windshield advertising “Tarifa” for 20 soles or 4000 Chilean pesos. Hmmm… … Read more
Wild Weekend in Bogotá
SUMMARY: I meet Dennis for a weekend in Bogotá. The weekend is wild. Sections include The City, The Play by Play, The Women, The Aftermath, and Pictures. Long story.
TEASER: So this should bring us to where I left for the brothel. Your favorite hapless romantic had been dreaming and drooling over the women all weekend long. This was my last night and there was only one kind of place open. Plus, Dennis had made out with four women by this time. If we were competing, I’d be losing 4 – 1. A perfect storm developed of my insecurities in losing the game combined with a strong desire for these Colombian women, combined with the fact that I probably wouldn’t have been able to go to bed at 2 am after two nights drinking until dawn.
The taxi took me to the curb and pointed out the door. A mustached man dressed in a suit came to the cab and opened the door for me, gesturing me in politely and confidently. This mustached man came to be my primary caretaker in my time here. Resembling a Latino version of Borat, he ushered me into the place, sat me down at a booth, and brought me a Heineken. … Read more
