Chronicles of On The Road Travel

Carnival 2008 Photos

While Rio de Janeiro is recovering from a Carnival hangover, Lee Weingast, our editor in Rio, has posted these photos from the event..

Carnival 2008

Beckham's Brazilian Resort to Support Aspiring Local Soccer Stars

The New York Times this weekend reported that soccer star David Beckham is building a luxury resort for athletically-inclined travelers in Brazil. Located near the coastal town of Natal, the resort will feature a professional training center with eight soccer fields and a stadium that seats 10,000, in addition to three hotels, a spa, fully equipped gym and private residences.

The complex will also be home to the third David Beckham Soccer Academy, a camp for young aspiring athletes. A five-day session at the US campus costs nearly $1,000, however the Brazilian Academy will offer a scholarship program for Brazilian children. Click here to read more about soccer in Brazil.

Travel Advice & Recommendations From Local Experts

Panama City: The Five Hour Tour (Part Two)

You see? There is alot you can squeeze into five hours! We left off at Cerro Ancon in Part 1...

My quick tour of the city left me pleasantly surprised. Despite the fact that nearly every corner of the city is under construction, anxiously awaiting another condo development or high rise to add to the competition, there are some areas that ooze charm and welcome visitors with open arms.

Panama City has the benefit of a great location, tucked in along the Pacific Coast. Avenida Balboa runs along the Bay of Panama from Punta Paitilla in the east and feeding through to Casco Viejo at the western tip of the Bay. Casco Viejo is a colourful neighborhood filled with European architecture and beautifully restored buildings (many still in progress). These unique features are surely the reason it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

I had visions of exploring every nook and cranny and discovering wonderful art galleries to bring home authentic gifts, but sadly a 5 hour tour doesn't allow for authentic discoveries. Instead we did a quick runthrough of all the highlights, from parks to museums to the beautiful views from Plaza de Francia, where we treated ourselves to much-needed sno-cones. From here you can see the bay, the city, the opening to the canal and the Bridge of the Americas. I was pleasantly surprised by the Museum of the Panama Canal, which caught our interest for its modern approach. For the $2 entry fee, it's worth checking out, even if you do the 15 minute breeze-through as we did.

We were excited to hear that Nacho had a cancellation and would be able to accompany us for another hour or two. We hopped in his car and headed to the Miraflores Locks, a tourist-accommodating platform for viewing ships as they enter and exit the Canal. The Miraflores platform is perched above the Miraflores Locks, with several floors of observation deck and of course a restaurant and souvenir shop. I was a bit skeptical about this one.. after all, how exciting can a big set of locks be when you're being trampled by paparazzi-like tourists on a mission? But the Canal and the locks had caught my eye while we were preparing to land on the flight from Bocas and I figured: how can you go to Panama City without seeing the Canal? It was actually fascinating to see the boats coming through and realize that they actually were tailor-made to squeeze through this exact canal. Barely an inch to spare on either side (or at least from our vantage-point!). We could also see where they are beginning construction on a larger, parallel canal to accommodate more modern, larger ships.

With an extra 45 minutes to spare, we made our way to the Amador Causeway at the western tip of the city, which connects three small islands filled with restaurants and shops, and offers outstanding views (great for sunset!). We capped off the day with a drink at Nacho's favorite restaurant on Flamenco (the farthest out), watching the sun set over the multi-million dollar yachts in the marina. As we were leaving, two Lamborghinis flew by... not the Panama City I had been expecting.

Read more about 5 hours in Panama City and see photos here..

Travel Advice & Recommendations From Local Experts

Lots to Do in Lima, Peru

This past weekend's San Francisco Chronicle featured a great article about Peru's cultural capital. Christian Mesia, a Peruvian native and a consultant to Peru's National Institute of Culture, reveals his favorite spots around town -- from archeology sites to restaurants to the beach.

OTR's Veronica Montero, who is also a native of Peru, recently returned from a visit and brought us a list of great day trips from Lima.

For more recommendations and articles, check out our relevant readings for Lima.

Ines of My Soul

Ever since I finished The House of the Spirits, I have been seeking the opportunity to read more of Isabelle Allende's work. I took advantage of a week without electricity in Panama to dive into her latest novel, Ines of My Soul. I love reading historical fiction, even more so when it is based in my favorite region of the world, Latin America.

This story follows the life of Inés Suárez, a woman of great power and accomplishment during the time of the Spanish conquest in Latin America. She is an actual historical figure and events in the book are 'creatively' based on documented historical facts. I am far from being a lit. major or book critic, so any attempt to explain the story's strengths and weaknesses would be much less useful than the reviews you'll find on Ines of My Soul. I can tell you that it was a great read, and highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in Latin American history, or who is planning to travel in the area.

If you're the type of person who likes to read books about the country you're in or are traveling to, check out our recommended readings sections for Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala and Peru.

Travel Advice and Recommendations From Local Experts

Carnival's Grande Finale

Today, terça-feira gorda (Fat Tuesday) is officially the big finale for Carnival but true to Brazilian style, the party won’t be ending when it should. Blocos (carnival street bands) will be parading in various areas of the city until next Sunday.

Here are some options for prolonging the carnival festivities: 

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Banda de Ipanema. For over 40 years this group has been flooding the streets of Ipanema with a stream of creatively costumed revelers. The Banda is known for extravagant costumes and a gay-friendly atmosphere. Gathering: 3pm in Praça General Osório. Parades along Avenida Viera Souto (Ipanema beach)

Rio

Maracatu. It’s not all samba here in

Rio

. This group brings maracatu, a traditional drumming and dance form from Pernambuco state in

Northeastern Brazil

, to Ipanema beach. Gathering: 3pm in Arpoador, by the big rock point at the end of Ipanema beach. 

The

Rio

Branco parade. This is the popular, non-commercial, less glittery version of the famous Sapucaí version of carnival. Blocos from

Rio

’s suburbs complete with scantily clad dancers atop floats make their way down the canyon of the major downtown Avenida Rio Branco. The parade starts around 7pm at Avenida Rio Branco and Avenida Presidente Vargas and makes its way down in the direction of Cinelândia square. The last two blocos –Bafo da Onça and Cacique de Ramos- are the most famous and attract thousands of participants and viewers. Parade ends somewhere around 1am.

Vem ni me que Sou Facinha. This bloco, whose name means “come to me, I’m easy”, will play traditional marchinhas and samba tunes in Ipanema’s Praça General Osório. Gathering: 5pm at Rua Prudente de Moraes, #10. 

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Me Beija que Sou Cineasta. It’s important to understand the name of this bloco: “kiss me, I’m a filmmaker” because participants will be given color-coded bracelets depending on kissing preference: blue for those who kiss only men, red for kissing only women, green for both sexes and black if you kiss anything that breathes! This bloco’s merrymaking also includes a dip in the fountain. Gathering: 8am in Baixo Gávea (the square near the Jockey Club).

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Voltar pra Quê? Parade through the streets near Cinelândia (downtown) with this traditional bloco whose name means “why go back?”. Gathering: 8pm on Rua Alvaro Alvim, at the famous “Beco da Cirrose” (“cirrhosis corner”). 

Friday, February 8, 2008

Só Tamborims. This band consists of only tamborims (a small, tambourine-like instrument which creates quite a loud sound when hit with a plastic stick). Gathering: 9pm at the Travessa Mosqueria, at the corner of Avenida Mem de Sá (in Lapa).

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Bafafá. This traditional bloco meets at 5pm at Posto Nove (lifeguard post 9) on Ipanema beach. 

Mulheres do

Chico

. Meets at 5pm in the Praça Antero de Quental (in Leblon).

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Monobloco. Hundreds of drummers and percussionists attracts even more revelers with their lively, percussive versions of popular Brazilian songs. Gathering: 9am in front of Hotel Sofitel, Posto 6, on the Avenida Atlântica (along Copacabana beach).
 
Barangal. While the name means “ugly woman”, this bloco attracts folks of all types and is a great option to end your carnival with a bang. Gathering: 4pm at Posto Nove (lifeguard post 9) on Ipanema beach.

For more events in Rio de Janeiro check out our calendar of events.

A New Reason to Visit Guatemala's Tikal Ruins

Yvonne Faass, our editor in Guatemala, recently returned from Peten, home of the Tikal Ruins, where she was scouting out new highlights for OTR Travelers. Here are some of the highlights she found:

Flores is usually regarded as just a stopping point on the road to Tikal, but the town’s charm is attracting more and more visitors for its own beauty and activities. Flores is located on a small island on Lake Petén It’za giving most restaurants and hotels a beautiful waterfront location and colorful sunset views.

The town recently added a boardwalk which will circle the island by mid-2008 (the first part is already finished) adding to the existing Caribbean vibe of the colorful houses and hot climate. There are plenty of activities for visitors aside from the obligatory trip to Tikal, like spelunking, swimming and hiking.

Only a fifteen minute walk from Flores (5 minutes in tuk-tuk) are the Actun Ca’an caves or Snake caves. Caves in Guatemala have a very spiritual meaning: according to the Mayan culture they are the entrance point to the underworld and it’s not rare to encounter real Mayan ceremonies taking place. The caves are open to the public form 8am to 5 pm and there is a Q.15 ($2) entrance fee which includes a guide.

El Mirador and Tayazal archeological site, 5 minutes by boat form Flores, might not be impressive after visiting Tikal but the walk through the lush vegetation, the small “playa” (beach) and view of Flores from the “mirador” are worth the hike.

For a less physical pastime try a one hour boat tour around the lake for about Q.80 ($11), especially beautiful around sunset! Or visit Flores’ central park where locals go to hang out and play basketball and do some shopping at the neighboring market place.

Find out more about Flores and Tikal here...