Chronicles of On The Road Travel

Brasilia - A futuristic city of the 50's in the middle of Brazil

This first time I'd heard of Brasilia as a notable destination was while traveling through Brazil. Oddly enough it was hardly recognized as the Brazilian capital which achieved its federal status when the capital was moved from Rio de Janeiro in order to promote development in central Brazil. Rather, the group of architecture students I met were making their way to Brasilia because of its status as an urban planning icon.

The seed of Brasilia was planted by Juscelino Kubischek the Brazilian President who dreamed of creating a modern Brazil. But it was Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer who provided the genius behind the design. Together they tested unprecedented ideas including streets without transit and buildings that float off the ground (supported by columns).  Before long Niemeyer's work had caught the eye of famous architects such as Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Write and was invited into the limelight hanging out with the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre and Fidel Castro. He went on to design the University of Constantine, the headquarters of the French Communist Party (he was a member of the Brazilian Communist Party), and the Penang State Mosque -- all while living in Paris in exile from Brazil's military dictatorship.

The Guardian recently printed a great interview with Niemeyer who is 100 years old and living in a penthouse in Rio.

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Great Photo Slideshow of Buenos Aires

Thanks to Astrid Perkins, who is the Director of Think Argentina, a branding agency in Buenos Aires, for bringing this video to our attention. Enjoy!

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An Update on the Earthquake Recovery in Peru

Although many parts of Peru have recovered from the recent fatal earthquake that shook the nation, many of the southern coastal areas such as Pisco have suffered severe damage. 80,000 people were left without shelter by the powerful 8.0 quake which brought down schools, hospitals and nearly 34,000 homes. Road blockages have kept relief from reaching more remote areas in the countryside, further delaying recovery efforts. On a positive note, the Peruvian government has announced that the recovery efforts will create 8,000 jobs which will be designated to townspeople who survived the disaster. A US$95 million fund has been established to carry out these plans. Donor nations and relief agencies have pledged a total of $40 million. At this point a director has been appointed to FORSUR, the government committee responsible for rebuilding plans. Analyses have been completed and it is hoped that construction on new homes for the victims will begin in mid-October.

In the meantime travelers can help out by supporting the Peruvian economy and carrying on with their travel plans. Although travel agencies have been re-routing their itineraries to avoid the southern coast, it is still possible to visit (and stay in) Nazca. Flights over the Nazca lines are operating as usual. However, visits to the Paracas Reserve and Islas Ballestas are scheduled to be reopened in November, as the area was severely affected. Other parts of the country frequented by travelers, such as Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lima, Arequipa and the North are all open for business and welcoming travelers with open arms.

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Skip Starbucks - Go Directly to the Source For Your Coffee

Now you can buy fresh Guatemalan coffee abroad from As Green as It Gets, one of our tour operator partners in Antigua, Guatemala. As Green as It Gets is an organization based in Guatemala that provides training, technical services, marketing, and financing to hard-working proprietors enabling them to lift themselves out of poverty.  The organization places a strong emphasis on protecting the environment and land restoration as an integral part of business management.

Those of you planning to visit Antigua should definitely consider a coffee tour where you can pick, process, and roast your own coffee. Give a small, independent Guatemalan farmer a hand with the steps of coffee harvesting while learning to process your very own coffee.

Click here to purchase coffee and find out about the farmers who planted it.

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The Real World in Rio de Janeiro's Favelas

Those of you who watched Favela Rising over the Labour Day holiday might be intrigued by this well-publicized sub-culture of Brazil - and Rio de Janeiro in particular. As this recent article in the Economist points out, Rio's police force is largely to blame for the violence that persists in these areas. You would think that the fact that Rio's violence costs Brazil over 5% of its GDP would be enough to encourage any politician to focus on stomping out crime. Unfortunately, deeply rooted corruption has kept this from taking place year after year.

This summer's Pan American games went off without any major disasters, which is a victory for the city. An unprecedented amount of security was brought in for the occasion. President Lula da Silva claims that 75% of the gear brought in during this time will remain in Rio to stamp out violence for good. It remains to be seen how effective this will be.

What does this mean for travelers? Well, increased safety would be a bonus, obviously. But every calm period in Rio has inevitably been followed by a stormy outburst of violence somewhere down the line. Yes, Rio de Janeiro is a dangerous city. But like many others, it is quite visitable as long as you are careful. It would be a shame to miss its beauty and vibrant culture. Staying out of the favelas is a great start, but even that might be a bit too cautious.

Favela Tours is a wonderful way to get an unusual perspective and a deeper understanding of Rio and of Brazil. The company founder, Marcelo Armstrong, knew that there could be some value in helping people understand the reality of the abstract idea of “favela”. He is the pioneer in the industry and is connected enough to ensure that travelers under his watch are 'kept safe'.

The Maze Inn provides travelers the opportunity to stay in luxury and comfort among the favelas. When British artist and journalist Bob Nadkarni’s wanderings brought him to Rio some 30 years ago he decided to build an art studio and community center in Tavares Bastos. high above the downtown neighborhood of Catete. Yes, Tavares Bastos is considered to be a favela, but unlike most favelas, there is no drug dealing, no violence, no guns, no muggings and, as a matter of fact, no illegal activities to speak of. This is due, at least in part, to the presence of the Rio police SWAT Team headquarters, which are located right next door. Staying here provides you with a truly unique perspective of the city and puts you closer to many museums and cultural centers than you would if you stayed in Leblon or Ipanema. The Maze is just up the hill from the hopping nightlife of Lapa and one of the best museums of the city: the Folk Art Musuem (Museu do Folclore Edison Carneiro) on Rua do Catete.

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Presidential Elections in Guatemala

Guatemala's presidential elections will be held on September 9^th, but if the current polls are accurate, there will likely be a 2^nd vuelta on November 4^th between the Union Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE) lead by Alvaro Colom (41.1%) and the Partido Patriota (PP) lead by General Otto Perez Molina (38%).Throughout the year, the candidates covered the country with their political propaganda, leaving no lamppost, wall, or even rock untouched by their parties’ colours and slogans. The three parties at the head of the polls all went over the allotted campaigning amounts and with the elections less than a week away; smear campaigns have become more common.

The electoral process has been plagued by violence since the campaign start with 49 political activists murdered, and no arrests have been made as of yet. To ensure the safety of voters and the integrity of the electoral process, over 19,000 police, 11,000 army units and 70,000 observers will be monitoring the democratic process on Sunday September 9^th; but there is a substantiated fear of violent outbreaks, especially in the 30 municipalities catalogued as most “conflictive”, once the votes start being tallied and preliminary outcomes are made public.

Rigoberta Menchu’s candidacy was greatly anticipated, and although her campaigning efforts and proposed plans have not been enough to place her at the top of the polls (she is at a distant 5^th place), her participation has helped to further dialogue on issues affecting Guatemalan society like gender, interculturalism (specifically in education) and indigenous rights.

General Otto Perez Molina’s slogan “con mano dura” (with a strong hand), Alvaro Colom’s “Tu esperanza es mi compromiso” (Your hope is my commitment) and Giammatei’s “porque los buenos somos mas” (because we, the good guys, are majority) reflects voters’ main preoccupation: the increasing violence in Guatemala (mainly gang related) and a faulty judicial system. Each party has tackled the issue in different ways but the Guatemalan voters will ultimately decide the effectiveness of their campaigns at the voting booths on September 9^th.

This article was posted by Yvonne Faass, our editor in Guatemala.

Gastón Acurio Coming to San Francisco

I just read in our ever-informative San Francisco Chronicle that Gastón Acurio, famous Peruvian chef, will be opening his first US restaurant right here in San Francisco! According to the newspaper's Inside Scoop column, La Mar Cebichería Peruana will open in the newly renovated Pier 1 1/2 - just north of the Ferry Building (a must see for San Francisco Visitors - especially on market day).

For those who aren't familiar with the name Gastón Acurio, it sounds like its time to put it in your culinary repertoire. He is famous for, among others, Cevichería La Mar, in Lima, Peru, a modern cevicheria where you will find classic ceviches and seafood dishes plus a number of modern variations like sushi and Asian-flavoured dishes. It sounds like the San Francisco location will somewhat replicate the open air feel of the original restaurant. The rear of the restaurant will open onto a marina for water taxis and other small boats.

Fans of Peruvian Cuisine can travel to Peru and learn first hand the art of this culinary craze. Travelers should note that Lima, Cusco and most other parts of Peru are open for business despite the recent earthquake. Areas of the Southern Coast which were affected are doing their best to bring things back to order and those hotels that withstood the tremors (see our list here) could use the extra support during this time.

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Roughing it in Luxury

While thousands of people were mourning the premature burn of Burning Man's namesake in the Nevada desert this Labour Day Weekend, we explored the California wilderness with a little camping of our own. Let me preface this by saying that although we travel frequently and have done our fair share of backpacking in the past, we are not avid 'campers'.  In fact the last time we set up a tent Seth spent a good portion of the night sleeping in our Jetta.

So, in an attempt to ease into our long weekend at Big Basin with friends we drove down the coast to Santa Barbara for some 'luxury camping' at El Capitan Canyon. We had visions of secluded cabins, luxury cooking facilities, outstanding views, ipod speakers, walks on the beach, etc. We were disappointed to find that for the price of an outstanding B&B we had a fairly basic cabin, located 30 feet away from another basic cabin that was overflowing with kids, that featured a run down picnic table, an empty barrel for a fire (without wood), no views and definitely no iPod dock. It took a day of wishing we'd chosen the luxury B&B up the coast before it dawned on me... El Capitan was a great idea for true campers who just wanted an extra touch. It was not a good choice for people like us who were looking for a luxurious entry to the campground. After spending two nights on a lopsided tent floor in Big Basin I realized that the small luxuries El Capitan did provide (clean bathroom, jacuzzi, comfortable bed) were a valuable proposition. Just a bit too pricey for my vacation expectations. A closer look at the website shows that they do not actually describe themselves as a luxury campground - this is a term that was used in an article we'd read way back when.. The site more accurately describes the campground as "Enjoy services and amenities typically found in a traditional resort, yet it’s minimalism without deprivation…comfort without over-indulgence. The glories of nature without the overbearing manufactured hand of man."

Travelers to Peru can now take advantage of a similar luxury. Mountain Lodges of Peru has just launched its Lodge to Lodge Hike to Machu Picchu, which allows travelers to hike the Inca Trail with the luxury of finishing your day at a beautiful lodge located on private land. The six day guided trek costs US$2,500 per person (including lodging and meals) - a significant premium to the traditional Inca Trail Trek, but may be just the thing for those who want to rough it in luxury.

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