Chronicles of On The Road Travel

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.

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Peru to Host World Tourism Day 2008

Peru has been elected to host World Tourism Day in September 2008, an event that will address climate change and its effects. Mercedes Araoz, Minister of Tourism, said this event will be an opportunity to, once again, bring the attention of the world to Peru and its several tourist destinations.

The secretary of the World Tourism Organization, Francesco Frangialli, said he was very pleased to have this event take place in Peru and has highlighted its enormous tourist potential together with the various archeological sites and vivid culture.

In addition, Peru will host the 3rd International Conference on Tourism and Handcrafts, which will take place next March.

This article was posted by Andrea Tello, our editor in Peru

Inca Archaeological Pieces Return to Peru

The mayor of Urubamba has formally requested that the archaeological pieces that are now in Yale University, are not only brought back to Peru, but brought to the place from where they were originally taken, the Citadel of Machu Picchu.

He also declared that the Municipality of Machu Picchu will adapt a safe, special place for the exhibition of these pieces to the tourists that visit the Citadel daily.

Last September, the Municipality of Cusco announced that a museum to exhibit these pieces could be built inside the premises of the National University of Cusco, located close to the city’s main square. This announcement caused an reaction of protest from the people of Aguas Calientes, which relies heavily on traffic from visitors to Machu Picchu in order to fuel its economy.

This article was posted by Andrea Tello, our editor in Peru

Singapore Airlines Nixes the Mile High Club

Singapore Airlines has taken specific steps to discourage clients from getting 'action at altitude' following the unveiling of their new Airbus 380. The largest jumbo jet ever, the 380 features 12 'first-class suites' that come equipped with double beds, but don't include sound-proof walls. One passenger complained, "They seem to have done everything they can to make it romantic, short of bringing round oysters". Perhaps this feature would have been better reserved for Virgin Airlines?

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Brazil to Host World Cup... Finally!

Granted, they were the only one's bidding, but Brazil achieved a victory this week in its nomination as Host Nation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Despite having won the tournament 5 times, Brazil has not hosted the event since 1950. Rio de Janeiro had a warm up event this summer with the Pan-American games -- despite a rocky start they pulled it off without too many issues. 

Given the national importance that is devoted to the sport, it will be no surprise if Brazil pulls off a spectacular event. In Rio de Janeiro a Carioca isn't a true Carioca if he or she doesn't cheer fanatically for a team. There are four main soccer teams in Rio. The most popular team in Rio is Flamengo, wearing red and black colors. Flamengo is adored by all classes, and hated by the other three teams. A "clássico" (extremely important game) is played between Flamengo and Fluminense, also called "FlaFlu". You'll see people drinking and cheering at bars, restaurants and streets when a FlaFlu is on and you may take your life in your hands if you go to Maracanã to see the game live -- saying that the crowds get riled up would be an understatement.

Vascaínos, as the Vasco crowd is called, is another legion of great, older soccer admirers and Flamengo haters. Botafogo is the fourth largest team in Rio, mostly made famous by its soccer genius Garrincha (better than Maradona, many Brazilians will say). If you happen to be in Rio before 2014, be sure to head to Maracanã  and check out what all the World Cup hype is about.

Argentina's First Lady

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Argentina’s current first lady, avoided a runoff situation by claiming over 40% of the vote in this weekend’s election, to become President of Argentina. Dubbed the ‘Clintons of the South’, Fernandez and her husband, current President Nestor Kirchner, have recently been accused of manipulating Argentina’s inflation data which is suspected to be double what the official rate indicates. This is particularly impactful for a country that carries nearly 40% of its national debt in inflation-based securities.

Argentina’s working class was well represented in the winning vote for Fernandez, particularly in the Northern provinces where her husband had strong support thanks to job creation following Argentina’s economic meltdown in 2001. Many similarities have been drawn between Fernandez and Evita Peron, wife of former President Juan Peron, who is remembered as a symbol of the working class. Fernandez’ Peronist policies have helped her gain instant support throughout the country.

When Fernandez takes office in December she will be Argentina’s second female president – the first being Isabel Peron (Juan’s wife following Evita) who took over upon Juan Peron’s death and served for nearly two years leading up to a military coup.

Cultural Events This Month in Antigua, Guatemala

The rainy season is just about over and the city of Antigua is welcoming the sun with a series of cultural events that will be of interest to any traveler. El Sitio will be featuring an exhibit of paintings and photos by  Guatemalan artist Elvira Méndez. Mosaico Cultural is sponsoring a tribute to Frida Kahlo at the Sala Quiroa, and Welten has an exhibit of photographs, paintings and sculptures by Lissi Habie, Francia Monzón & Igal Permuth. For details and more events check out our Calendar of Events for Antigua.

Day of the What?!?

While folks in the United States were celebrating Columbus Day last week, those in Latin America confusingly pondered a holiday that represents the downfall of the continent's indigenous people. El Día de La Raza (the day of race), much like its sister holiday to the North, commemorates the encounter between the Europeans and the Native Americans. In an effort to create awareness of what the holiday really symbolizes, a group of Native Americans came together in 1992 to declare the day 'The International Day of Solidarity With Indigenous Peoples'. A decade later, in 2002, Venezuela furthered the meaning by signing a decree which declared the event ' El Dia de la Resistencia Indigena' (the Day of Indigenous Resistance).

Last Friday,  thousands of indigenous people marched through the streets of Guatemala City to support what they call 'The Day of Continent-Wide Indigenous People's Resistance', their version of a justifiable name for this holiday. Before the  name gets any longer and the idea behind the holiday completely lost, perhaps we should all consider the suggestion of Argentina's anti-descrimination agency and call it 'The Day of American Cultural Diversity'.

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El Señor de los Milagros

Every year in October, a large number of Peruvians walk for hours within cramped parades, forgetting their exhaustion. Tears, prayers and applause are the framework of the most popular religious celebration in the country: El Señor de los Milagros – Lord of Miracles.

The image of this saint, which congregates the largest number of devotees in South America, dates from the 17^th century when it was painted by an African slave on the walls of an abandoned estate in Lima. Despite earthquakes, floods and various attempts to erase it, the ‘miraculous’ image has remained intact for more than three centuries.

Every year an oil paint copy of the ‘Cristo Moreno’ – Black Christ, due to its many Afroperuvian devotees – is taken through a procession, followed by thousands dressed in purple ‘habitos’, singing, praying and burning incense.

LimaThis celebration is a good opportunity to enjoy the ‘Turrón de Doña Pepa’ (a traditional cake eaten throughout October) and ‘picarones’ (fried donuts made from pumpkin). In addition, to honour the ‘Señor de los Milagros’, the bull-fighting season is opened in the Plaza de Acho in Lima, featuring the most prestigious ‘toreros’ of Spain and America

Insider Tip: tourists are not recommended to participate in the processions, the crowds are heavy creating a wonderful opportunity for pickpockets.

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Shakira To The Rescue

Columbian pop singer Shakira has announced that she will contribute $40 million to help her native Latin America recover from recent natural disasters. Many of you have closely followed the aftermath of the recent earthquakes in Peru and the subsequent damage caused by Hurricane Felix in Nicaragua. The funds will come from the foundation she co-founded, the Latin America for Solidarity Foundation (ALAS), with fellow Columbian Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the nobel prize winning author.

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