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LOOSE CHANGE With Raul Castro’s continuing reforms, Cuba is once again feeling the subtle winds of change.By Anastasia Broms. Photo essay by Michael Marquand
TIME & PLACE
South America’s street artists are among the worlds best. No surprises there. By Adrian Martin
LOVE PARADE Hot, wet and loud. Zika or no Zika, Brazil’s Carnival stops for no-one. By Mel Parkes
TIME SPENT A common greeting in Costa Rica is ‘Pura Vida’ and is certainly a concept worthy of export. By Sidney Wilson.
WEIRD WEIRD WEST
The latest trend in travel. Freak-tourism. When you just can’t look away. By Adrian Martin
PERUVIAN LOVEJUNK
From the Crack Cocaine of sugar to termites in a tree, here are five foods to get into bed with. By Adam Watts
ERRATIC ROCK
Colossal glaciers, formidable mountains and turquoise lakes and five days to conquer them. By Monica Račić
JUST ACT NATURAL
Brianna Morton doesn’t do bucket lists as it implies a deadline. For her, the time is now.
POWER OF TWO
The famed Tango was almost lost to the ages through fear and conformist politics with only a handful of devotees keeping the underground alive. By Janice Stanislav
2016 EVENTS A year of good times
THE GOOD LIFE Regional cuisine by Daniel McPherson
CHARACTER STUDY Films that will take you there
LIQUID LUNCH Mexico’s best dive sites By James Dunsmith
CONTRIBUTORS Monica Račić is the multimedia editor of The New Yorker. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
With fingertips at the ready, these brave souls have fearlessly dragged themselves through picturesqe locales for an ever - inspiring story. Poor things.
Monica.nyc Adam Watts is a travel blogger from the UK on a mission to rid the world of Hotel restaurant reviews, posts about inspirational gap years and new lives as ex-pats. : comedytravelwriting.com Brianna Morton is a chronic Australian traveller, armchair philosopher and deferred student in Fine arts. When she’s not talking someone’s ears off on a road to no-where, you can find her in any good pub or cafe in London talking someone’s ear off. Daniel McPherson is an aspiring foodie having recently graduated from Fast Food aficionado in his home state of California.After 3 years of Pizza-fuelled study-sessions and exams and a succession of part-time jobs, the open road beckons. Mel Parkes is a recent business graduate taking a trip around the world, or as much of it as possible and maybe have a ‘Eureka’moment along the way which will pave her way to riches either literally or philosophically. Anastasia Broms is a former office worker who hopes to never see an office ever. Recently completing travel management, she’s setting her signs on every horizon.
Sidney Wilson is a 24 year old Las Vegas-based writer/blogger originally from the beautiful Seattle, Washington. A fan of Writing, travel, food, dancing, fitness, people, a well made margarita and occasionally laughing at her own jokes. : sidneymarenwilson. wordpress.com Michael Marquand is a commercial and editorial photographer from Seattle, Washington who has been living and working in New York for over a decade. His work has been published in Conde Nast Traveler, Lonely Planet, Wine Spectator, Vanity Fair and l’officiel Voyage among others. Michael recently spent two months working and traveling through Bhutan. : marquandphoto.com Kiwi, James Dunsmith just entered his 24th country: Mexico. Having been on the road for nearly three years, there are no plans to stop though settling in one place with a job might be acceptable. Maybe for a month but that’s his limit.
Janice Stanislav lives her life on the road having been away from her Canadian home for six years. Having kept a diary the whole time, she’s now looking to bring those stories to the world.
All you need is love apparently. It’s a nice thought and true enough but you can’t get by on that alone. We need music and lots of it: drums, horns, guitars and even those head-splitting Vuvuzuelas that caught the world’s attention during South Africa’s hosting of the FIFA world cup. Crazy Frog on the other hand would not have been missed. Gotta have dance: every kind be it Samba, Lambada, Breaking, Pogo-ing, Vogueing, Tango or Tapping and even the Macarena has it’s place (somewhere, I’m sure). Colour of course almost goes without saying but say I will: An essential ingredient in the recipe for a full and healthy life or as is procaimed throughout Costa Rica ‘ Pura Vida!’ and indeed the life lived in this part of the world is pure as is possible. Latin America is all this and more. One big, year-long festival on the move, stopping occasionally, pulsating, breathing heavily then moving on; sometimes toning it down, sometimes ramping it up. Rio De Janeiro’s Carnival celebrations are clearly the gold standard when it come to Latin festivals (or festivals anywhere for that matter) with five days of Samba, costumes and great cuisine all against a shimmering, sundrenched backdrop. A mosquito-borne virus would never be allowd to stand in the way of this cultural explosion of colour and music. The Love Parade stops for no-one...
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2016 EVENTS FEBRUARY Carnaval. The continent’s liveliest Carnaval festivities are held in Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, and, most famously, Brazil. In Salta, Argentina, citizens throw a large parade, which includes caricatures of public officials and “water bomb” fights. In Oruro, Bolivia, Christian and indigenous myths and legends are woven into the fabric of the elaborate costumes and dances, which helped garner a UNESCO World Heritage rating in 2001. In Uruguay, Montevideo is the center for the main events, including parades, dance parties, and widespread debauchery. In Brazil, it’s the party to end all parties -- all life comes to a halt for 4 days of nonstop singing, dancing, drinking, and general over-the-top merrymaking. Generally celebrated during the week before the start of Lent. Panama’s most revered holiday is Carnaval, the 4 days that precede Ash Wednesday. The largest celebrations take place in Panama City and the Azuero Peninsula, with parades, floats, drinking, costumes, and music.
MARCH Iberamerican Film Festival, Bogotá, Colombia. One of the world’s largest theater festivals (and South America’s biggest) is held every 2 years from mid-March to early April in Bogotá.
Over 520 theater companies from around the world are invited to participate.
APRIL Festival Internacional de Teatro (Caracas International Theater Festival). This festival brings together scores of troupes and companies from around the world and across Venezuela for a 2-week celebration of the theater arts. Performances are held in a variety of theaters (and a plethora of languages) around Caracas, as well as in the streets and plazas. Begun nearly 30 years ago, this is the premiere theater festival in Latin America. For more information, contact the Ateneo de Caracas (tel. 0212/573-4400). Early to mid-April. Tomorrowland Brasil Our number one needs no introduction: Tomorrowland’s Brazilian takeover fuses EDM and trance with minimal house and techno, and after a storming debut
this year, it’s back again in 2016 raring to step up to the next level. Indeed it may not be the Tomorrowland, but its South American arm spares no change, with its army of visual and staging experts providing an unrivalled backdrop to the world’s biggest DJs. When & where: 21 - 23 April 2016, São Paulo
MAY Feria de San Isidro (La Ceiba, Honduras): Hundreds of thousands of revelers flock to this north coast town for the Honduran version of Carnaval. Parades march through the downtown streets, the constant beating of drums is everywhere, and all-night partying occurs on the beaches. The week preceding the third Saturday of May.
JUNE Lobster Festival (Placencia, Belize). You’ll get your fill of this tasty crustacean during this extended
weekend celebration of the opening of lobster season. In addition to gorging on lobster, you can also take in concerts and street parties and an arts fair. Check www.placencia.com for the latest details. Late June.
the world, Medellín’s biggest annual celebration includes a long list of events such as the Cavalgata de Caballos (Horse Parade), Desfile de Carros Antiguos (Antique Car Parade), and -- the most famous and well known -- the Desfile de Silleteros, Festival Corpus Christi, La Villa de Los where young and old come out to Santos, Panama. This Panamanian show-off their hand made silleteros, town explodes with activity for a or flower designs, in an hours-long 2-week religious festival known for its parade. This festival is one of a kind elaborate dances led by men in devil and excitement rivals that of Carnaval masks. Forty days after Easter. in Barranquilla or Cartagena. First week of August. Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun). This Inca Festival of the Sun -- the World Tango Championship, Buenos mother of all pre-Hispanic festivals Aires, Argentina. Tango aficionados -- celebrates the winter solstice and from all over the world converge on honors the sun god with traditional the Tangolopolis of Buenos Aires to pageantry, parades, and dances. In strut their stuff and try to walk away Argentina, celebrations take place in with the coveted first-place prize. towns throughout the northwest on The less agile can watch or attend the the night before the solstice (around hundreds of events scattered across June 20). In Peru, it draws thousands the city celebrating Argentina’s most of visitors who fill Cusco’s hotels; valued cultural export. the principal event takes place on June 24 at the Sacsayhuamán ruins SEPTEMBER and includes the sacrifice of a pair of llamas. General celebrations continue for several days. In Ecuador, Inti Raymi merges with the fiestas of San Pablo and San Juan to create one big holiday from June 24 to 29 in the Otavalo area.
JULY Fiestas Patrias, Peru. A series of patriotic parties mark Peru’s independence from Spain in 1821. Official parades and functions are augmented by cockfighting, bullfighting, and Peruvian Paso horse exhibitions in other towns. The best celebrations are in Cusco, Puno, Isla Taquile, and Lima. July 28 and 29. La Fiesta Nacional Indígena de Guatemala, Cobán, Guatemala. This is one of Mesoamerica’s greatest celebrations of Maya culture. The city of Cobán features a steady stream of street fairs, concerts, parades, and parties. This is celebrated for 2 solid weeks in late July, sometimes extending into early August.
AUGUST Feria de las Flores, Medellín, Colombia. Likely the largest flower festival in
Festival de la Mejorana, Guararé, Panama. This nationally famous folkloric festival features hundreds of dancers, musicians, and singers coming together for a week of events and serious partying. Last week of September. Independence Day and Armed Forces Day, Chile. Chile’s rich cultural heritage comes to life with plenty of drinking, dancing, rodeos, and military parades. This holiday can stretch into a 3- to 4-day weekend, and the best place to witness celebrations is in the Central Valley south of Santiago. September 18 and 19. Rock in Rio Narrowly missing out on the top spot is Rock in Rio - Rio’s very own rock festival, that since its inception in 1985, is now Brasil’s biggest musical export, with legs in Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas. So popular, it is estimated that 1.5 million people
attended the first event, headlined by Queen, AC/DC and James Taylor. Nowadays, the festival does open itself up to the other genres, a-la Reading & Leeds, having seen the likes of Beyonce, Rihanna and Justin Timberlake perform, however, it is still inherently rock, which is refreshing for die-hard fans. Belize Independence Day, celebrated throughout Belize. Patriotic parades and official celebrations are mixed with street parties, beauty pageants, and open-air concerts. September 21. Fiestas Patronales, Masaya, Nicaragua. The handicrafts capital of Nicaragua finds reason to celebrate year-round. The biggest festival date is September 20, though, with the opening of the Fiestas Patronales, weekend parties in different neighborhoods that carry on until December.
OCTOBER El Señor de los Milagros (Lord of the Miracles), Lima, Peru. Lasting nearly 24 hours and involving tens of thousands of participants, many of whom are dressed in purple, this procession celebrates a Christ image painted by an Angolan slave that survived the 1746 earthquake and has since become the most venerated image in the capital. October 18.
NOVEMBER All Souls’ Day and Independence Day, Cuenca, Ecuador. The city celebrates both the Day of the Dead and its independence day with parties, art shows, parades, dances in the streets, and food festivals. November 2 and 3. Day of the Dead November 1 & 2. (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and acknowledged around the world
in other cultures. Even though this coincides with the Catholic holiday called All Soul’s & All Saint’s Day, the indigenous people have combined this with their own ancient beliefs of honoring their deceased loved ones. They believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children (angelitos) are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2, the spirits of the adults come down to enjoy the festivities that are prepared for them.
DECEMBER Ferias de Cali, Cali, Colombia: Known as Colombia’s hardest partying city, Cali really shows what it’s made of during its famous ferias. For 2 long weeks each winter, the streets of Cali become a virtual party ground,
full of street vendors, performers and merrymakers. Book your ticket in advance during this time because hotels fill up. Between late December and mid-January. New Year’s Eve, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Copacabana beach is ground zero for an event that attracts more than one million people. The roughly 10km (6 miles) of sand are jam-packed with New Year’s revelers, and the entertainment never stops, with concerts and performances all night long leading up to the best fireworks display in the world. The evening is also an important one in the African Candomblé religion; it’s the night to make an offering to the sea goddess Yemanjá. Candomblé followers, all dressed in white, offer small boats loaded with flowers, candles, mirrors, jewelry, and other pretty trinkets to the sea in a candlelit ceremony with music and dancing. The sight on the beach is truly spectacular. Dec 31.
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A re-established US embassy in Havana is yet another step in Cuba’s progression, but how far it goes really depends on what you’re driving.
LOOSE
CHANGE
images by michael Marquand
WORDS BY ANASTASIA BROMS
Famed for it’s Communist iconography, crumbling facades and automobiles, CHANGE AND CUBA ARE NOT often PART OF THE SAME SENTENCE.
At the time Fidel took power 1959, there were approximately 150,000 cars on the island of which around 60,000 are still on the streets today in various degrees of roadworthiness along with some newer imports. Among the many rules enforced under Castro, restricted ownership left you without any way of transferring ownership aside from simply swapping and a strict, US enforced trade embargo saw the Detroit auto giants (and North American manufacturers in general) forced to stop sending goods to Cuba. But times, they are a changin’.
And so for much of the past half-century, Cuba’s streets have been filled with Pontiacs, Studebakers, Oldsmobiles, Chevrolets as well as Soviet imports all maintained through a network of friends, mechanics, neighbours and random strangers, all highly skilled in the fabrication of backyard replacement parts. Up until recently, if you were an official, doctor or had government connections The Ché Guevara image was you could get permission to purchase an newly imported car while everyone else shot on March 5, 1960, at a had to make do with what ever was there pre-revolution or get creative. funeral service for the 136 With some of the recent economic reforms brought in by Raul Castro, Cuban people who were killed when citizens no longer need permission to purchase imported cars though with the a French ship carrying arms to average working family earning around $20 a month, it may be a while before Havana was sabotaged anyone drives to the beach in their new wheels. All this of course means an end and blown-up. albeit a slow one - of an era.
The Cuban government does quite a handy job of exploiting the nostalgia that overwhelms foreigners upon arrival renting spiffy reconditioned old convertibles for visitors to cruise around in.
Cuba’s drivers however aren’t the only ones to benefit from Raul’s recent changes. In previous years under Cuban law, foreigners had no choice but to stay in state-run hotels (unless of course you were a spy or commando and had other arrangements), and it’s in these hotels that your every whisper, scratch and passionate murmur could be and almost certainly was recorded by an agent of the state, you know, just incase you were planning to launch an impromptu version of the Mikado or something. Economic reforms implemented in 2011 have allowed people to establish small privatelyowned businesses beyond allowing families to establish restaurants and rent out rooms in their homes. As a result, a walk along the ten blocks of Sun Street (Calle Sol) in Belén reveals a mixture of state-owned businesses, cooperatives and small private enterprises though importantly, an individual is only permitted to own one place of business thus preventing a monoploly and ensuring businesses remain locally-owned and rooted in the community. Airbnb has also started operatiing here though the service is only available to US citizens who hold the required license to visit. Where hotels are concerned, some has changed since ‘59 yet little has been built since the revovlution resulting in a dearth of high-end accommodation though newly-renovated buildings exist in various neighborhoods of the old colonial section of the city and within you’ll find boutique hotels,restaurants, bars and shops. US and Non-US passport holders are still subject to a range of conditions if entering Cuba from the US so check before booking anything. And with all the paperwork done, it’s down to the finer points of Cuba.
Cuban hotels are well known for maintaining a pre-60’s design style for such as the Hotel Riviera, once the pleasure palace belonging to 50’s Mob boss Meyer Lansky offering breathtaking views of the Atlantic ocean from nearly every room and if you can, get one of the remodelled rooms with imitation Fifites furniture, restored original lamps, and rainshower bathrooms in replica Fifties pastel yellow and pink tiles.The pool has the shape of a coffin and the diving board is the original one installed in the 50’s Hotel Raquel sits in the heart of Old Havana with a fanciful baroque facade and lobby studded with a forest of pale pink Corinthian columns. Very much an Art Nouveau hotel, The Raquel is known locally as ‘the Jewish hotel’ where Jewish symbols are incorporated into the restaurant mampara doors by local artist Rosa María de la Terga. The Hotel Capri was the third mob hotel erected before Fidel Castro took power. Quinta y 16 Much like the rooms at the Hotel Riviera, go for one of the junior suites. Decked (Casa del Habano) out with imitation Fifties-era charcoal grey suede sofas, and monochrome Light up a cigar and hear a photographs, it it an experience you cant refuse. This is actually the hotel depicted variety of non-traditional music – in The Godfather Pt 2 where the Corleones negotiate before escaping the mainly jazz-based, but with other Revoloutionary mayhem though filming really took place in Santa Domingo in the influences like rock and trova. Dominican Republic. The rooftop pool that earned itself the title a cabana in the There’s no salsa or reggaetón sky has been remodelled but still is more than worth the hypnotic, daze-inducing here! Instead, you’ll find a slew of views of the artsy Vedado neighbourhood’s villas. young musicians, who are mainly When it comes to old-world class and opulence, the Hotel Nacional in Havana interested in alternative music tops the list and you would be hard-pressed to find many hotels like this around and fusion, getting together and the world. Considered a part of the Cuban culture, it’s played host to presidents creating new sounds. and celebrities around the world for close to 100 years. The rooms have been re-
modelled a number of and are presetly draped in golds and maroons while the well 5th Avenue at 16th Street, kept gardens and pool are to die for. Do whatever you have to stay here or spend Miramar a day at the very least. All of the hotels within Havanna have some form of Jazzoriented entratainment most nights of the week but for true Cuban atmosphere get walking. The Saratoga hotel located on the fringes of Old Havana is the prime spot to enjoy your first Mojito. With views of the Capitol building, baroque Grand Theatre, and the Atlantic ocean all in one sweeping panorama, it’s equally intoxicating
*Hotel images sourced via Creative Commons
Right: Hotel Nacional Left: The Hotel Riviera Bottom right:Hotel Raquel
The Hotel Sevilla (above) is a colonial masterpiece . Traditional European architecture, combined with a hospitality traditional to Havanna.The Patio Sevillano (Sevillian Yard), recreates an authentically Spanish atmosphere with Mudéjar (Spanish Arab) influence.
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connectivity The internet is still relatively new in Cuba and it’s very much to their credit there are no pictures of cats. Unable to install any kind of cable from USA due to the embargo, a failed attempt to run a fibre optic cable from Venezuela to Cuba was later repeated with success in 2013. As a result, there is Internet access in Havana (though not always reliable) and very recently public Wi-Fi hotspots have popped up in parks and plazas throughout the country. It also led the government to slash the cost of access from $4.50 an hour to $2.00. There is now an almost permanent presence of people in parks and plazas armed with their iPhones, tablets and laptops. The economic reforms of recent years that are so evident in neighborhoods such as Belén though managing that change over time will be the proverbial litmus test of Cuba’s socialist ideals.
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With a renowned history for artistic passion in numerous disciplines it’s hardly a revelation that South American urban artists have been emerging in their dozens in recent years.
time
and
place
Here are some of the most prominent and extremely talented street artists that this continent has to offer, from Argentina to Brazil.
JAZ JAZ is all about BIG. A truly remarkable and very wellknown street artist from Buenos Aires is most recognized for his enormous and slightly tripped-out murals. Starting out in the late ‘90s as a member of a generation largely influenced by ‘fileteado porteño’, a popular Argentine design style. This marriage of styles has seen JAZ experiment with a range of new techniques with his work becoming more ambitious as time passes.
STINKFISH (NEXT PAGE) Hailing from Bogotá, Colombia, Stinkfish is best known for his almost Dali-esque murals of mind-boggling beauty. Beginning with tags at the age of 16 (his was ‘Stink’). Stencils followed the tags and after a few years of constant development he has established himself as one of the most prominent contemporary artists working in South America.
Martin Ron, Buenos Aires
MARTIN RON Also from Buenos Aires, Martin Ron is known worldwide for his large scale, hyper realistic murals of surrealist imagery and great visual impact. The scale and realism of his work combined with his nutter-like imagination come together to present astonishing pieces can be seen on large walls around his home town of Buenos Aires, but also worldwide such as the London Street Art festival (inset).
INTI Internationally recognized in cities from Lebanon to Paris, INTI from Santiago, creates detailed images of clowns, religious idols and political slants,his work is constantly a commentary of the ongoing struggle of poverty within his home country and around the world.
L7M Luis Sven Martins, better known as L7M, is a São Paulo based Brazilian street artist of exceptional talent. He started spraypainting graffiti as a young teenager and over the years developed new techniques and styles by experimenting with different materials such as acrylic, pastel, latex and china ink. Keep your eyes open to not miss the chance to see L7M’s art which is covering numerous walls all around the world.
OS GEMEOS Identical twins Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo make up the creative extravaganza that is Os Gêmeos (The Twins). From tags and grafitti in the late ‘80s to culturally inspired murlals today, these highly influential artists are responsible for various commissioned large scale public works on buildings across the globe such as this one in Portugal which portrays their signature yellow skin characters.
I like it hot. I like it wet. And I like it loud. Very very loud.
LOVE PARADE BY MEL PARKES
Rio de Janeiro can, will and most certainly does fulfil such desires at any time of the year but come Carnival time during the first week of February, you’re entering the big leagues.
Few would disagree that South America’s most famous city is also the most thrilling within the region. Having been immortalised in song more than a few times, the warm tropical climate, spectacular scenery, pumping nightlife along with a Samba soundtrack make for a sensory rollercoaster like no other. Carnival for me has been a bucket list item since before I knew what a bucket was. It’s one of my first memories from about 4 years of age watching a tv show in Australia called ‘The World around us’ where hour long documentaries such as the one on Brazil would have us glued to the television every sunday evening, marvelling at the unbelievable things going on around the world. ‘January River’ as it’s translated, was first encountered by the Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos with it soon becoming a main export route for gold and precious stones and later with the relocation of the Portuguese Royal family becomingit became the political, economic and artisitic centre of Brazil. With 10 days here, I decided to break it into themes per day: a food day, music day, museum day and a beach day with the remaining days to do anything I’ve jotted down in my notebook when not recovering from the nightly activities. Food is a central part of the Rio experience,observing the locals and their zest for life. Cariocas, as Rio locals are called – are known for their friendly and welcoming disposition.
Previous page: Pé sujo is the name given to the innumerous ‘hole-in-the-wall’ bars found Trams at Saint Teresa (left) throughout Rio and it translates as ‘Dirty Foot’ and as standard fare in all of Bar Do Gomez them is a simple Cerveza and fried shrimp pastel. In terms of atmosphere, I was around 4pm advised by my concierge that a visit to Bra do Gomez should be passed up. Much like any city that is awarded the honour of hosting an Olympics, Rio’s gastro scene has perked up a little more than usual in the lead up to the games with a new breed of chefs are bringing a more diverse yet affordable spirit of adventure to the city’s tastebuds most notably in the offbeat gastro-hub on the edge of Botafogo and Humaitá. Dining al fresco dominates here and Irajá Gastrô and Oui Oui are among the most highly recommended in terms of Brazilian Fine cuisine.
Brazil is one of the world largest beef exporters leading to a steakhouse in almost every neighbourhood though Fogo de Chão is among the more scenic being located on the harbour. Even if you are a vegetarian, make a stop here, grab a cocktail and laze about on the sundeck. Churrascaria rodízio is the Brazilian term for steakhouse meaning all-you-can-eat steakhouse with the accompanying the ethos being ‘tirando a barriga da miseria’: releasing the belly from misery. Getting around to the various neighbourhoods of Rio can be overwhelming or exciting depending on your perspective. Some of Rio’s bus drivers are known to display a kind of driving style akin to Japanese Kamikaze pilots while others are chilled as a bus driver can be in an environment such as Rio (my driver was fine) and as a rule, ride the buses during the day and you’re fine but in the evening maybe not. At all time there’s the potential for petty theft but... well, the welloff don’t ride buses much.
A Steakhouse even the most hardened Vegetarians can enjoy. Fogo de Chão
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At the mouth of Guanabara Bay is Sugar Loaf mountain, part of a peninsula that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean. At 396 meters (1,299 ft) above the harbour, it’s among the worlds most famous natural landmarks.
Overlooking Guanabara bay, the Niter贸i Arts Centre sits proudly as one of Oscars most astounding works. Designed in 1996 when he was 89 , the buidling is surrounded an 817 square metre reflecting pool
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If you were to take a food tour of Latin America, it’s a safe bet that actually completing it would mean never going home again such is the diversity and history of this part of the culinary world.
THE GOOD
LIFE LATIN AMERICA
BY DANIEL MCPHERSON
Through centuries of colonization and migration, this region has developed an amazing cuisine: flavourful and always inventive
Anticuchos de Chorizos: Colombian Chorizo Skewers with Cilantro Pesto
Ingredients
1/2 bunch parsley 1 bunch cilantro 1 cup olive oil 6 garlic cloves, chopped 1 cup toasted pumpkinseeds, ground 1/2 cup small diced Mancego 1 lime, juiced Salt 3 air-dried chorizo links, sliced 3/4-inch thick 3/4-inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water
This really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as Latin cuisine – in a similar way to Mediterranean - is an accumulation of colourful cultures and gastronomic evolution starting with the Mayans and Aztecs to European colonizers and some more recent inventions through the application modern food technology and a broad range of ingredients ranging from potatoes, corn and other native crops to imported African meat stews, sausages and seasonings. Of course recipes and techniques vary from region to region but the stapes found on almost any table are the tamales, arroz con pollo, plantanos and salsas. What makes Latin American food such a thrilling journey are the traditional neighbourhood dishes that that embrace that area’s fresh seafood, unique agriculture. Here we offer you but a mere sample of its vast offeringsjust to get you in the mood for all things deliciously Latino.
Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru The sea, the highlands and the jungle are what mostly defines the cuisines of these countries. Typical of the Valle del Cauca region of Colombia and the Afro-Colombian culture of the area near the Pacífic Ocean is the ‘Valluna’; a cutlet of pork or also beef or chicken with a milanesa, commonly served with rice, sliced tomatoes, onions, chopped fried plantains. The sierra, or highlands which includes parts of Colombia and Peru, where potatoes, rice and meats are prominent in many kitchens; and the Amazon, rich with rainforest-friendly fruits and vegetables, such as coconut, mango, avocado and guava. Chicken Soup includes plentiful potatoes and root vegetables and is served with a classic salsa, known as aji though Colombia’s cuisine can vary greatly and draws much of it’s influence from the indigenous Chibcha followed by Spanish, African, Arab and even some Asian cuisines. Colombia’s coffee is known for its quality and distinct flavor and is a whole other section for another time. A hearty pulled beef dish known as Pabellon Criollois found in Venezuela and is a stew of sorts, where the beef is cooked in a broth until the meat is falling apart. Locals pair the tender meat with simple white rice and black beans. A stew of striped bass and shrimp awaits you in Ecuador referred to as Chupe de Corvina y Camarones. Throughout South America, thick round corn cakes, arepas, are a staple in many households and restaurants.
Directions In a food processor, puree the parsley and cilantro with the olive oil. Add the garlic, pumpkinseeds, and cheese and pulse. Season with lime juice and salt. Set aside. Skewer 3 slices of chorizo lengthwise. Grill the anticuchos (chorizo skewers) until heated through, for approximately 1 minute on each side. Serve with the cilantro pesto.
Agua Fresca de Pepino: Cold Cucumber Drink Ingredients 3 quarts water 3 English cucumbers, peeled and coarsely sliced 7 limes, juiced to yeild 1/2 cup worth 1/4 cup sugar, or more
Directions Put 1/2 cup of water in a blender container with 1 cup of sliced cucumber. Blend. Add more cucumber and blend. Continue until all the cucumbers are pureed. Strain the cucumber juice of its seeds into a very large pitcher. Add the remaining water, lime juice, and sugar, to taste. Chill before serving.
brazil With a diverse population that includes Native Indians, Portuguese, Spaniards, Africans, Italians, Germans, Lebanese and Japanese, Brazil’s cuisine would be one of the hardest to pin down but generally it falls into four geographic regions: The northern section of Brazil around the Amazon you’ll have the choice of dishes containing fish, yams, nuts and tropical fruits. A signature dish in this part of the world is Vatapá, a soup of seafood, coconut milk and nuts. This is also where a large proportion of the world’s sugar is grown thus giving the world Cachaça, a brandy made from sugar cane. The central west and the Pantanal wetlands, local cooks rely on an ample supple of fish and game, while Brazil’s industrial heart is in the southeast, where plentiful beans, pork and corn are produced and is the traditional home of This southeast is also home to the classic comfort food Feijoada, Brazil’s de facto national dish. Internationally, Brazil is best known for churrasco, the southern region’s cowboy or gaucho cuisine. Churrascarias (steak houses) are a meat lover’s paradise and a cornerstone of local culture.
argentina and uruguay Italy, Spain, France and other European countries form a significant part of Argentina and Uruguay with strong historic, culinary connections. Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capial city there are international foods galore, but a common local favorite is the Potato Fritta with Chorizo, or fried potatoes with a spicy sausage. Argentina, like Brazil, is one of Latin America’s largest beef producers. Steak with Chimichurri and Matambre, a rolled flank steak stuffed with vegetables, herbs and eggs — are considered classic dishes and are just two examples of the area’s many beef-based delicacies. Uruguayan barbecue, or asado, is also some of region’s tastiest.
Chile, Boliva and Paraguay VIDEO CONTENT
mexico Mexican food is perhaps the best-known Latin American cuisine and certainly the most ubiquitous. Although you’ll find the familiar tortillas, salsa and tacos, much of their cuisine is relatively unknown by comarison: Pozole, a soup made from hominy and pork or Carnitas, a serving of corn tortillas and a variety of salsas and toppings and tamales of all varieties. A favoured desert and cousin of the donut is the Churros, served with a rich cup of champurrado, a honeysweetened hot chocolate.
A combination of traditional native foods (especially seafood) and Germanic and Italian are typical of Chilean cuisine. Other examples are the Cazuela, a hearty meat stew, or Pastel de Chocio, which is similar to shepherd’s pie. The cooking styles of Bolivia and Paraguay take a unique twist, blending meats and poultry with fresh fruit and vegetables. Full of flavour though spices are not common while many recipes are naturally sweet and creamy thanks to corn and yuca. Local dishes considered as ‘must-try’ include fried yuca and a variety of empanadas and Locro, a soup often made with chicken, rice and a variety of root vegetables is a Bolivian classic. Paraguay has a similar cuisine with minor neighbourhood variations. Chipa, a bread made from yucca flour and mild white cheese, is a Paraguayan staple.
Caribbean: Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba Spain anf Africa have played the biggest part in this regions palate which like most of Latin America differs depending on the what is in most abundance however celebration is a major factor and food festivieties abound here. Throughout these areas you’ll find variations on savory dishes such as Mofongo, a mashed fried plantain dish made with garlic and pork rind, and Mondongo, a tripe stew. The Cuban classic, Ropa Vieja, a delicious and tender stewed beef, is prepared throughout these islands. Two of the core elements to cooking here are sofrito, a mixture of sautéed garlic, onions, peppers and tomatoes that’s used as a base for soups, stews and rice dishes, and recaito, a green version made with cilantro.
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del Paine : TREK Patagonia
Torres
THE LAND OF ERRATIC ROCK
02884
S50.9525
Stories of Patagonia invariably conjure imagined vistas of breathtaking grandeur and the W circuit is no exception. By Monica RaÄ?ić
Colossal glaciers, formidable mountains and turquoise lakes.
S50.9980111 W73.0526079 00553 Valle de Francesis a cirque formed by the domineering walls of Cerro Cota 2000 and Cerro Catedral .
Located in the Torres del Paine National Park in Southern Chilean Patagonia, the W – named for the shape of the trail – features colossal glaciers, formidable mountains, and turquoise lakes. The challenging terrain is complicated by mercurial weather patterns, but this burden of unpredictability, I promise, is offset by astounding views.
Cerro Cota 2000 is named for its elevation; its highest contour line It is possible, with the right budget, to stay in the hotels or lodges which punctuate is about 2,000 m (6,562 ft). each leg of the circuit – offering beds, showers, general stores, and even bars and dining halls, but bookings must be secured months in advance. However, Cerro Catedral is named so most people don’t go to the end of the world to take it easy and there are plenty because its east face resembles of camping grounds along the way, many with access to public lavatories and a cathedral’s facade. communal shelters for food preparation. The Torres del Paine park is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, so the park administration emphasises that all trekkers should minimise their impact on the land and, rather than camping wild, there are ‘wilderness campsites’ – much smaller, unmanned sites, not connected to any refugios. The environmental risks posed by inconsiderate trekkers are considerable, as I would later discover. The W winds across a majestic landscape for about 60km and takes 4-5 days to complete – a schedule which also allows for delays caused by erratic weather. Depending on your pace, you should plan on trekking about 5-10 hours a day. If you stick to the trail, experienced hikers will find the difficulty of the terrain to be moderate, but the capricious weather and endurance level required compound the difficulty, making it sometimes even dangerous. I have chosen to trek from west to east, leaving the famous Torres del Paine, or Towers of Blue, from which the park gets its name, for the final morning.
Day 1: Lago Pehoé to the Grey Glacier The first leg of the trail is reached by crossing Lago PehoÉ, a lake of such vibrant turquoise that people crowd the stern of the catamaran I stand on, paralysed by the awe its surreal hue weaves. Tiny particles of silt, formed from glacial erosion that become suspended in water runoff, cause the lake to appear cloudy and lends it a turquoise colour, which has come to be known as “glacial milk.”
S50.9980111 W73.0526079 00553
Monica Račić is the multimedia Once my meditative downward stare is broken, I finally look up: towering above editor of The New Yorker. Lago Pehoé is the Macizo del Paine, the central massif of the park. The massif She lives in Brooklyn, New York. was originally formed when volcanic magma cooled, turning into granite. As the millennia passed, layers of sediment compressed over the rock and, as immense geological pressure forced the formations upwards, glaciers retreated, carving Website: Monica.nyc // away the softer sediments and forming the mammoth towers we see today. Twitter: @MonicaRacic // Although seemingly every geological phenomenon in the park can be explained Instagram: @invisibleframes // by science, there is still the unshakable sense that what you are seeing could only possibly be borne out of magic. Vimeo: vimeo.com/racic After landing on the opposite shore, full of energy and optimism, we set out for the Grey Glacier. The first hour or so of this trail is fairly flat, but as the walk progresses, it fluctuates in elevation along a rocky ridge that contours Lago Grey. This leg should only take about 4 hours, and about halfway in – if it is not too windy – you can walk out onto a ledge at the Mirador Grey, where you’ll see the glacier looming at the north shore of the lake. The Grey Glacier is part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, which runs along the southern Andes, between Argentina and Chile. It’s the third largest ice sheet in the world, after Antarctica and Greenland, and during the last glacial period it covered all of southern Chile. While I am perched out on the mirador, marvelling at this thought, a belligerent thrust of wind knocks me down. The unrelenting winds in Patagonia are notoriously dangerous, known to top even 180 km/h. Sadly, according to a local guide, there were five deaths along the W circuit in 2012. If a strong wind picks up at the wrong moment, it can kick you off the mountain. Early that evening, we reach Refugio Grey and set up our tent on the adjacent campgrounds. Without the burden of our packs, we trail-run twenty minutes north to inspect the glacier up close. This final sprint of endurance is contrasted by the immense stillness and grandeur of the Grey Glacier before us. This article originally appeared in Sidetracked magazine. To read about the remaining 4 days of Monica’s trek, visit:
sidetracked.com/torres-del-paine-w-trek-patagonia/
Certainly one of the highlights of Torres del paine,the Grey Glacier is best observed from El Paso itself or the paso campground
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No one would dare deny the passion of Latin Americans from religion, football and politics to food, love and music which, when combined with incredible scenery makes for some rather spectacular filmaking
CENTRO DO BRASIL -1998
where he earned the trust of Colombia’s Pablo Escobar and the Medellin cartel . Like many films about drug trafficking: if Hollywood makes a film about you, you probably got busted. But hey, at least you got to see the world. There are some great location shots of California and Colombia.
The Oscar award-winning Central do Brasil is regarded as one of Brazil’s most important cinematic works. An elderly woman who writes letters for the illiterate with distant families has a chance encounter with a young homeless boy whom she accompanies through the real, unglamorized Brazil on a search for his father. Winning seven international prizes and screening at more than two MOONRAKER - 1979 dozen film festivals, it won Best Film at Brazil’s annual Plot-wise, A space shuttle is stolen (while in Space) and film awards. Bond is requested to investigate. Everything in-between is standard Bond faire taking him from California to MOTORCYCLE DIARIES -2004 Venice, Rio de Janeiro, and the Amazon rainforest and finally into outer space. Just because. A few years before Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara became the iconic Marxist guerrilla commander and revolutionary, It eventually became the highest grossing Bond film ever he took to the road in search of adventure with his friend ($210,300,000 )maintaining that status until the release of Alberto Granado - initially by motorcycle - across South Goldeneye in 1995. America .The film recounts the 1952 expedition based on Ernesto’s memoir of the journey. Nominated for a raft of awards including The Oscars and BAFTA’s and winning an CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER - 1994 Oscar for best original song, Motorcycle diaries achieved This was the third film featuring Clancy’s fictional both critical and box office success for good reason. character Jack Ryan following on from The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games. It’s also the last time BLOW - 2001 Harrison Ford was involved in the franchise. In this installment, Ryan is appointed U.S. Central George Jung was one of the most if not the most prolific Intelligence Agency (CIA) Acting Deputy Director, cocaine trafficker for close to 20 years who at the age of and discovers he is being kept in the dark by colleagues ten finds himself and his family bankrupt and left with who are conducting a covert war against drug lords in nothing, learning from his father that money Colombia, apparently with the approval of the President is not important. of the United States. This is certainly a film to As an adult, George becomes a signicant Weed merchant accompany the afore-mentioned Blow. within the university scene before moving on to cocaine A scene from Motorcycle diaries.
Y TU MAMA TAMBIÉN - 2001
LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE
Falling into the category of road-trip movie with a coming of age theme.Set in 1999 against the backdrop of present-day Mexico as an uninterrupted 71-year rule by a single-party comes to an end, two best friends, live out a carefree existence in a cross-country escapade with a gorgeous older woman and in the process connect with each other, themselves and the world around them.
Being the youngest daughter in a traditional Cajun family, Jubilee is forbidden to marry. Her duty is to care for her mother until the day her mother dies so when Pete (whom Jubilee has fallen in love with) and his father, come to ask for Jubilee’s hand in marriage, Jubilee’s mother, Mama Elise, refuses instead offering her other daughter Rosie, who Pete accepts in order to be closer to Jubilee. I can’t see any problems arising out of that, can you?
In Mexico, the film earned $2.2 million its first weekend in June 2001, making it the highest box office opening in Mexican cinema history and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards in 2003 and Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globe Awards in 2002.
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
This is a documentary covering the process of bringing a legendary Cuban Jazz ensemble of Cuban musicians to record an album (also called Buena Vista Social Club) and to perform two times with a full line-up: in April 1998 in Amsterdam (two nights) and the 1st of July 1998 in the CIDADE DE DEUS -2002 United States (at the Carnegie Hall, New York City). Of course with travel between Cuba and the United States Depicting the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de quite restricted at the time due to the political tension Deus suburb of Rio de Janeirofrom the late 60’s to early between the two countries, many of the artists were 80’s, it follows two young men with increasingly divergent travelling there for the first time. The film shows their paths Rocket is a budding photographer who documents reactions to this experience, as well as including footage the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood. of the resultant sell-out concert and interviews with each José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer who uses of the main performers. Rocket and his photos as a way to increase his fame as a turf war erupts with his rival. All filmed on location in some of Brazils poorest districts, Most of the actors were, ROMANCING THE STONE - 1984 in fact, residents of favelas such as Vidigal and the Cidade Romancing the Stone is by far the least critically de Deus itself. acclaimed of the films on this list but the choice of locations is fairly spectacular : sliding through the jungle in a downpour to going over a waterfall in a car with panoramic mountain shots. A scene from Cidade de Deus (City of God)
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IMPERIAL VALLEY AND THE WEIRD,WEIRD WEST The Imperial valley of Southern California ROAD TRIP:
is not what you’d refer to as a tourist destination but more an example of car-crash-tourism
‘peak’ tourism season HERE is usually around the time of the Coachella Festival when festival punters with a bit of time on their hands stop by on their way to Palm Springs or the mexican border.
An impoverished agricultrual region with a slowly disapperaing infrastructure is amazingly is the very thing that draws thousands of people a year here whether its the eco-disaster known as the Salton sea and it’s decaying towns surrounding it or the anti-establishment, off-the-grid colony of Slab City.
The Salton sea had some success as a resort area,in the 1950’s due to the accidental inflow of water from the Colorado River while constructing irrigation canals in 1905. With the severely reduced inlow afterwards, an extremely salty lake was all that was left. This large-scale fuck up ultimately spawned the regions known as Salton City, Salton Sea Beach, and Desert Shores, on the western shore though these and many others substantially shrank in size, or have been abandoned since. I may be drawing a pretty long bow here but when Andy Warhol used a banana as imagery for The Velvet Underground’s debut album ‘Rico’ he ultimately elevated the staus of the bendy yellow fruit placing it in the upper echelons of cool psychology which might go some way to explaining why someone started a banana museum complete with figurines, statues, posters and more all in the spirit of the banana (there are roughly 17,000 items in the collection gaining it Guiness records status). Owner Fred Garbutt a.k.a The Banana King welcomes visitors with a vibrance one would expect from an such a yellow-toned environment. Look for the yellow Volkswagon.
Salvation mountain east of Salton sea is what might be referred to as a feat of improvised architecture. It’s also, according to creator Leonard Knight’s website, “a tribute to God and his gift to the world”. Reaching 50 ft at its highest point, it has become a sort of national popculture treasure having appeared in numerous films and documentaries as well as being the backdrop for a number of fashion shoots and even a Coldplay filmclip (Birds). Leonard passed away in 2014 yet his technicolor legacy lives on.
East Jesus Art Park is a “refuge for artists, musicians, survivalists, writers, scientists, laymen and other wandering geniuses� and is only a mile or so down the road from Salvation mountain. The quickest description I can offer here is a repository for Burning Man installations with a community to match.
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5 foods to fall in love with in Peru
peruvian
love junk by adam watts
After three months volunteering with Crees in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru, I developed a deep relationship with all the great stuff we ate (and drank) while I was there. A feeling of satisfaction, rarely achieved since.
Inca Kola The Incas achieved a remarkable amount when they were around, but their cola, created 300 years before Coke came in and stole the show, trumps the lot. I mean, Machu Picchu was nice and all, but I hiked up there and looked out over the lost city of the Incas built on top of a mountain, a miracle of engineering and architecture and one of the pinnacles of human achievement, and I sat down against a wall, throat parched, and thought to myself, “damn, I didn’t bring an Inca Kola with me. Bummer.” That fact ruined the moment, which sums up my love of Inca Kola. It’s the best soda ever created.
It tastes like bubblegum or cream soda; intensely sweet and full of enough E-numbers to make a coma patient wake up and waltz out of hospital. Because of that, it’s not to everyone’s liking, perhaps a taste for children and for adults who still like going to the circus.
Dulce de leche Breakfast has always been my favourite meal of the day. Whether it’s a greasy fry-up or a gloopy bowl of porridge to make your tummy feel warm and fuzzy, breakfast sets the tone of the day — if all you can get is a bowl of stale cornflakes with old milk, you might as well resign yourself to the fact that today you’re going to lose your keys down a drain or your car will break down or your puppy will be strangled by the psycho that lives next door. Something bad will happen. Thankfully, in the jungle we often had pancakes for breakfast, served with dulce de leche, which translates literally as “sweet milk” or “milk candy”. It’s made by slowly heating milk and adding a ton of sugar and is popular throughout South America, although why it’s not ubiquitous in every country in the world I don’t know; it’s so damn tasty.
Chicha morada Purple. Boiled. Corn. Doesn’t sound great, does it? But throw in some cinnamon, pineapple, ice and lemon, and you’ve got yourself the tastiest drink this side of your local liquor store. It’s also ridiculously healthy (although, unlike alcohol, it won’t grant you the sudden ability to hold a conversation in a language you don’t speak). This random site I found says Peruvian purple corn “contains 4 to 11 times more antioxidents [sic] than blueberries”, but that’s an incredibly vague amount
and the fact they can’t spell antioxidants properly suggests they’re less reliable than an electric car powered by energy-saving lightbulbs. When I first arrived at the Manu Learning Centre in the Amazon, after a long ride from Cusco by bus and boat, it was stiflingly hot and humid, but there was an icecold pitcher of chicha morada waiting for us. And after long afternoons working in our biogarden, or chopping cañabrava across the river, or exploring jungle trails (sidestepping a few sleeping snakes here and there), arriving home to that icecold pitcher was like being told by a doctor that, no, that Scouse girl you hooked up with on a drunken night out didn’t in fact you give you any venereal disease; it made a hard, stressful day so much better.
Coca (leaf and tea) If anyone ever says to you, “try this tea; it’s the best”, they’re lying unless they’re talking about mate de coca. Sure, some British purists might swear by Earl Grey, Moroccans have their mint tea, Asia in general its chai, but Andean coca tea is by far the superior product. As you probably know, the coca leaf is the base form of cocaine, but no, drinking coca tea doesn’t make you a coke-junkie, although coca tea is illegal anywhere outside of Latin America and Wikipedia assures me that even one cup of the tea will make you fail a drugs test. Some of the locals also chewed the coca leaf itself, as a replacement for eating regular food. They chewed it all day, swapping out the leaves for fresh ones every now and then. A few of us tried it too, but I don’t know if you’ve ever tried chewing leaves for an extended period of time (if you have, please stay away from me,
you freak), but it’s just as uncomfortable and gross as you can imagine, like chewing gum if the gum was coarse and bulky and tasted like tree. Wrigley’s, if you’re reading, don’t get any ideas.
sugar cane, red bananas, AND termites In the jungle, we had the chance to try various edible things we stumbled across. On one of our monthly expeditions, we visited the Queros tribe. I’m not sure “tribe” is politically correct these days but I’m too lazy to type out “indigenous Amazonian community” every time. This indigenous Amazo– no, fuck it, not doing it. The tribe showed us around their land — scrappy huts, a half built oblong building made out of bamboo that was apparently a school, a fish farm, as well as lots of crops, including sugar cane and a tree providing tiny red bananas (this was 5 years ago but I’m certain they were red bananas, although Google seems to think red bananas are an Australian thing).
Yummy Jungle Termites Besides sugar cane and red bananas, we also ate a few termites. Like, right off the tree. We pulled one off and just… ate it. Then repeat ad nauseam, which in this case was quite literal, and happened after about three ‘mites. That’s really all there is to it. If that sounds like part of a healthy diet, by all means ditch your braised pork loins, your seafood medleys, and your hazelnut and pistachio roast turnip cupcakes, and head to Peru and the Amazon Rainforest. You’d love it.
AND IN OTHER NEWS Machu Picchu is of course the most-visited attraction in Peru and features on as many bucket lists as there are buckets and though you may have adventure surging through your veins, you’re not the only one.
Timing is key to avoiding the crowds as much as possible at Machu Picchu. Ensure you allow a few hours to visit the site without rushing. Whilst day trips are possible to and from Cusco or the Sacred Valley, they are best avoided. The preferable approach is to visit over two days, spending a night at Aguas Calientes. Take a morning train on your first day, you will arrive when the tour groups are starting to disperse. By mid-afternoon, large groups and day-trippers have already left. The last bus back down to Aguas Calientes leaves at 5:30pm. The following day, head up for sunrise before the day visitors arrive on the first train. Afterwards, you can explore the parts that you did not visit the day before. The added benefit to visiting twice is the varied weather conditions. Early morning and late afternoon provide optimal light for photography.
Do not underestimate the value of travelling with a guide! They are in tune with the flow of groups and can help you skirt them, reaching that picture-perfect spot at the exact right moment. Enrich your experience with a historical overview of the site, have your guide lead you on your first day’s visit, and head off to explore independently on the second day. Venture beyond the core central ruins. It may require a touch more exertion, but fewer travellers take the time to visit these sites. Trails include the Sun Gate and the Inca drawbridge. The short walk to the bridge can be a nice way to escape the throngs of tourists. There are also two more substantial add-on treks to Machu Picchu: Huayna Picchu, and the far lesserknown Machu Picchu Mountain. For both, it is mandatory to buy tickets ahead of time; for Huayna Picchu, they tend to sell out months in advance. An ideal time of the year to visit with fewer fellow tourists is April, May or September through November. Keep in mind that rain is common all year round. Mosquitos are especially prevalent during the dry season, so bringing insect repellent is recommended.
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Diverse. Sexy. Rugged. Natural. Distinct. Pure. By Sidney Wilson
Being a country that prides itself on a simple greeting: Pura Vida or pure life, the Costa Ricans or Ticas, are truly the embodiment of it. Waking up in the morning for a surf or snorkel, catching and cooking fresh fish by lunch, having your fresh coffee in the afternoon and then ending the night with a little salsa dancing is a common way to spend your day.
It’s not hard to see why everyone you meet greets you with these words.
An evening spent surrounded by tropical rainforests, and blue waters splashing along a hot sand beach sets the tone for a perfect romantic get-a-way. Picture yourself and your honey laying on top of massage tables out in natures most beautiful backyard. The sounds of natural water falls, and the sweet songs of tropical birds send you into a deep meditative state. What could be more peaceful then that? Costa Rica has many 4 and 5 star resorts lining its shores, many of them an all-inclusive affair ( The massages are extra of course, but if you are looking to set the mood, they are definitely worth every penny!)
Like a gemini woman, Costa Rica boasts dual personalities. As serene, breath taking and relaxing as she is, she also has a wild side.
For the hopeless romantics that want to devote their eyes on each other for the entirety of the trip, staying in one of the all-inclusive resorts is the most economic deal. Like a mini shopping mall, most resorts provide you with everything you need right at your finger tips. Food, clothing, jewelry, bars, live entertainment, some even have a casino. You can stroll hand in hand and never leave your oasis in the jungle. And why should you? You came to Costa Rica to relax, forget about your 9-5, and not move unless you have to.
A gorgeous land covered in Volcanoes, you can go on a treacherous hike, and cover yourself in the exfoliating volcanic mud once you get to the top. Kayaking, Surfing, Zip lining, Water sliding (Down a man-made slide with fresh mountain water pushing your body at lightning speed! If my pants weren’t tied so tight I would have lost them!), Jet Skiing, Rock Climbing, Rafting, ATVing, Horse back riding and many many more! We picked 4 different activities and made a complete day out of it. Some of these tours are from 7 am - 4 pm so make sure you aren’t embarking without a good nights sleep! The scenery that you will take in makes every minute worth it.
Animal lovers among your group? Costa Rica has a larger proportion of it’s country designated as protected than anywhere in the world. With many Monkey and wildlife rescue shelters where you can get up close with animals that are being nurtured back to health before their release back to the wild. If you always test your limits like myself, you will try to get as close as you can to a little monkey and snap a picture, I warn you here, that they are fast and known for pocket picking! My Iphone got ripped right out of my hand and dropped before I could blink! At Corcovado park specifically, all 4 of Costa Rica’s monkey species can be seen. Another unique and rare beauty of the land, is the worlds largest Butterfly conservations, with around 4,000 to ooh and awww at. At the end of a long day all I wanted was some fresh pipa (you will find this sold on the side of the street at a very reasonable price, and let me tell you it is the most natural delectable coconut water you will drink), and a long nap.
seek the wildlife and it’s rare beauty on a deeper level. There are many guided boat tours through waters where toothed creatures lurk and wildlife parks with everything from Tapirs and Large cats, to sloths and birds.
A Siesta will only occupy you for so long. Once the night approaches be prepared to party The Ticas are happy and giving people, and as we discovered one night in Coco beach, one of Costa Rica’s most popular beach towns on the North Pacific Coast, they are more than ready to get down on the dance floor until the break of dawn. Coco beach is a small yet charming beach town that has a buzz stronger than a shot of fireball whiskey. Locals and tourists alike, flock to Coco beach for it’s night life options. The main street that goes through the city has dance clubs, restaurants and casinos on either side of it beckoning you to come in, with 2 for 1 drinks and mixes of top 40 hits in the U.S and Spanish flare. You will be able to dine on ridiculously inexpensive Costa Rican home made food, black beans, plantain, yucca, pico de gallo, meat or fish. (Cooked right infront of you with no added flavor or fancy show, the food is fresh and doesn’t need anything but passion.) After you get a meal, grab a beer and a shot of tequila and start your bar hopping. You can easily walk in an out of dance clubs/bars all night and not notice the sun rising to give you a “Shouldn’t you be in bed by now” look. There are no rules on vacation, so enjoy yourself. Other nearby beaches are Ocotal, Playa Hermosa, Flamingo and Playa Panama.
Costa Rica will take your breath away. It’s the sight of the deep blue water, and the gentle waves lapping at the shore It is the multi dimensional people that are so full of life, love and pride for their country. The Costa Ricans are singers, dancers, surfers, divers, horse back riders, mountain climbers and chefs all in one. You will be in awe of their beauty and talent.
It’s the smell of the fresh coffee grown in Costa Rica, one that makes it the most desired in the world and one of the countries largest exports. It’spotting the exotic animals as you walk through the open gardens of your hotel. It’s the proximity to the equator that cleanses and de-toxifies you in a way you never knew was possible.
IT’S HOW TIME SHOULD BE SPENT
JUST ACT NATURAL BY BRIANNA MORTON
I DONT DO BUCKET LISTS, follow my destiny or see which way the wind blows
Mostly because I’ve found that the best times are the ones you don’t plan (but do have options), arriving at the right time and for me, it’s always the right time because I’m going where I want. Fair enough, some destinations aren’t the type you pass through on the way to somewhere else, such is the case with the wild life bonanza that is the Galapogas Islands, 620 miles off the coast of Ecuador.
Alarmingly, the notion of conservation in this region is shockingly recent with large numbers of tourists flocking here particularly within the last decade with Unesco, the United Nations’ cultural agency, to place the Galapogas archiplelago on its ‘in danger list’. In the 1970’s this archipelago of 13 islands scattered over 45,000 square kilometres of equatorial water was difficult to reach with only the most ardent travellers willing to make the journey due to minimal tourist infrastructure. A management plan at the time that anticipated tourist interest posited the sustainable number of annual visitors at 12,000. Today it hovers around the 180,000 mark though it’s not so much the tourists themselves that are the risk, it’s the un-regulated tourism infrastructure that came with it and permanent (often illegal) residents with their cars, goats, cats and cattle. Over the last few years visiting the national park has become far more regimented and controlled: You’re only allowed to visit tiny pockets of the national park, you can disembark (from small boats) only at designated landing spots, you must walk only on clearly marked trails in strictly disciplined small groups, and you must be accompanied by local certified guides.
If like me you are looking to have your own Darwin moment, avoid the larger ships, and be sure to ask in advance the number of passengers per naturalist guide with 10 per guide being the suggested limit. Consisting of 13 big islands, 6 small islands, and more than 40 islets, Santa Cruz is the most populated with its main town, Puerto Ayora the major city in the Galápagos. From here, you can arrange last-minute tours around the islands, day trips, and scuba-diving excursions. Santa Cruz is also home to the Darwin Research Station, where you can see giant land tortoises. San Cristóbal is the second most populated island followed by Isabella which is the largest. It’s far from an unusual experience, I later discovered to find yourself suddenly swimming alongside sea lions and fur seals before being engulfed by schools of Yellow-tailed Surgeon fish, No scuba equipment required, such is the curiosity of the fauna and marine life here having never known a human presence to be any kind of threat. For snorkelling, Isla Lobos and Kicker Rock off of San Cristobal are excellent spots but for the divers among us, there are dozens of great spots all through the archipelago, but most notable are Gordon Rocks, Kicker Rock (León Dormido), San Cristóbal, Devil’s Crown and Champion Island, Floreana with the latter offering a visit to a sea lion colony at Champion Island.
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Above ground, Galapagos penguins are found throughout though the largest population live around Tagus Cove (in addition to 35 percent of the giant tortoises) on Isabela. You need to do some homework for these areas as most tour companies tour the souther/central islands but try to put this western island on your itinerary to see some wildlife gems. The Wall of Tears, a stone wall remnant from the old penal colony is on this island as well. Fernandina has the largest colony of marine iguanas in the archipelago along with another sea lion colony and flightless cormorants. It’s also the youngest and most volcanically active island. Try as I might, it’s near-impossible to relay the spectacle and experience of the Galapogas Islands, even Darwin had his critics.
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Mexicos best dive sites
LIQUID LUNCH By James Dunsmith
have their pros and cons so research is required There are so many places to stay Each as many are highly family oriented. in Mexico and each cater to a ridiculously wide range Cozumel a mostly undeveloped Mexican island in the Caribbean of activities but when it Cozumel, Sea, is a popular cruise ship port of call famed for its scuba diving. At comes to scuba diving Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, divers can explore a section of Mesoamerican Reef and Museo Subacuático de Arte’s submerged there are some specific the sculptures. Chankanaab is an eco park surrounding a lagoon with areas to aim for. underwater caverns, home to dolphins, manatees and sea turtles. Cozumel Reefs The national Marine Park at Cozumel is famous for it’s rich diving opportunities and plenty of colourful marine life. Majority of people come here to experience drift diving and explore the incredible cave formations (Cave diving experience not required but you will have to pay a fee to dive within the park, approx:)
Consistently ranked as one of the world’s top diving destinations, the island of Cozumel is also home to a variety of natural beaches. Cozumel has a year-round Caribbean climate, untrammeled jungle and abundant nightlife.
Playa del Carmen Playa del Carmen is a coastal resort town in Mexico, along the Yucatán Peninsula’s Riviera Maya strip of Caribbean shoreline. In the state of Quintana Roo, it’s known for its palm-lined beaches, coral reefs and scuba diving. Its Quinta Avenida pedestrian thoroughfare runs parallel to the beach, offering blocks of shops, restaurants and nightspots ranging from laid-back bars to dance clubs.
Puerto Morelos A town and sea port in Quintana Roo, Mexico’s easternmost state, on the Yucatán Peninsula. The town is at the southern end of the municipality of Benito Juárez in the northeast of the state, about 36 km south of the resort city of Cancún. The marine terminal at Puerto Morelos is equipped to handle containers and is the largest and most important sea port in the state of Quintana Roo. It has historically been the main port between the mainland of Yucatán and the Island of Cozumel, and an automobile ferry used to run from Puerto Morelos to Cozumel. The town is named after Independence leader José María Morelos. Resorts are abundant in the Puerto Morelos region along the Riviera Maya and attractions, such as the Crococun Crocodile Zoo, are also increasing in number. One hundred meters off shore lies the Puerto Morelos portion of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, designated as a National Marine Park.
Osla Mujeres Osla Mujeres is a Mexican island in the Caribbean Sea, 13 kilometers off the coast from Cancún. It’s a holiday destination known for beaches such as northern Playa Norte, resort hotels and for snorkeling and scuba diving on the surrounding coral reefs. At Punta Sur, the southern tip, there’s a lighthouse, the remains of a Mayan temple and a sanctuary for sea turtles.
Akumal Akumal is a small beach-front tourist resort community in Mexico, 100 km (62 mi) south of Cancún, between the towns of Playa del Carmen and Tulum. It is located on Akumal Bay and Half Moon Bay on the site of a former coconut plantation in Tulum Municipality in the state of Quintana Roo, and is part of the Riviera Maya area. The 2010 census showed a population of 1,310 inhabitants. The town was officially founded in 1958 as a community for scuba divers by Pablo Bush Romero—a Mexican businessman, diver, writer, historian, and archaeologist. Pablo Bush’s family still owns a portion of Akumal, including the hotel Hotel Club Akumal Caribe. Akumal is also home to ONDARTE International Artist Residency. Dos Ojos Cavern If cave diving floats your boat, head straight for Dos Ojos, a pair of intrconnecting underwater caverns in the Mayan riviera. A series of of underwater tunnels formed when the Yucatan Jungle flooded during the last ice age, Dos Ojos is unique in that you can dive with just an open water certificate though there is little in the way of marine life but the natural light more than makes up for it. Again, a fee is required Grand Cenote is the main entrance and all divers must be accompanied by a dive master. of Sistema Sac Actun or The White The Gran Cenote Cave, the 2nd longest underwater cave system in the world with Another spectacular cave dive off the coast is is the Gran Cenote, two miles more than 176km/110miles of from Tulum. What makes this site especially alluring is that the Mayan ruins at mapped and surveyed passages Cobá is on the way. Less experienced divers can stay near the entrance where and over 130 interconnected an abundance of fish awaits but go a bit deeper and you’ll find some amazing cenotes within. stalactite rock formations. The Car Wash Not far from The Gran Cenote is The Car Wash, affectionately named... From the surface nt much appears to ne going on but venture down to find an incredible underground forest; verdant green in th summer and an icy blue through the winter.
Costa Maya Costa Maya is a small tourist region in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, the only state bounded by the Caribbean Sea to its east. This municipality is close to Chetumal on the border with Belize.
los cabos Los Cabos is a municipality located at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, in the state of Baja California Sur. The Sand falls One of the best dives around Los Cabos is at Land’s End: The Sand Falls. The sand stretches out from the shore until it suddenly drops into a series of deep crevasses before a submerged cliff descends into a bottomless abyss. You can explore the cliff wall, swim through shoals of fish before returning to the shore for some sunbathing. Cabo Pulmo Rocky Reef The reef at Cabo Pulmo a little further up the coast is the perfect spot to dive where swimming with fish is concerened as there is a wide range of marine life here from tuna to turtles along with starfish, crabs and almost anything in between.
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Travel from the heights of the Andes to the exotic lowlands of the Amazon on this journey through the best of Peru. Get acquainted with the charm and grace of historic towns before hiking along ancient pathways to Machu Picchu and discovering the heart and soul of the Inca Empire. Then eyeball exotic plant and wildlife in the world’s most remarkable jungle. From vibrant cities to glorious natural wonders, this trip shows you all corners of Peru.
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2
POWER By janice STANISLAV Two to Tango? It takes more than that.
The influences and timeline of Tango is very much in tandem with that of American jazz.
Obscure theories of it’s origins and passionate advocates both emerge out of inner-city areas inhabited by the poor and the disadvantaged, in tenement blocks and on street corners, amongst people whose lives tend not to leave much trace within history record. In a similar fashion to ‘Jelly Roll’ Morton’s improvised offerings within the brothels of New Orleans, the origins of Tango and it’s progenitors would often be made up of flute, violin and guitar, or played on a solo piano in the brothels and cabarets of downtown Argentina. It was the Tango of Rosendo Mendizabal, a pianist working in a club in the 1890s that became one of the first Tangos to feature regularly on any bands repertoire and was named, after one of their regular clients who came from the province called Entre Rios, El Entrerriano.Soon after this the first sound recordings of Tango started to appear, performed by everything from a singer accompanying himself on the guitar to a municipal brass band, as well as pianola rolls. Though there was a distinct Spanish sound to them and lacked many of the influences Tango has become known for, it was very much the beginning of Tango. The earliest great Tango artist that can be named with any cetainty is a man named Angel Villoldo, attributed to a song entitled El Choclo, one of the two tunes that almost everyone will instantly recognise as Tango. Originally a comedy song which he performed himself - choclo means literally corncob,though the lyrics were replaced in the 1940s by a lyric proclaiming grandly that with this tango the ‘Tango was born’. Large scale European immigration at the turn of the century brought huge numbers of Italians to Buenos Aires with a large proprotion of them from Naples. bringing with them a lyrical style of violin playing, and the melodic influence of Neapolitan song, a key factor in the melodic beauty of Tango. sometime around 1910, the bandoneón, the emblematic instrument of the Tango, arrived in Buenos Aires,
El Yeite Tango Club Av. Cordoba 4175, Buenos Aires facebook.com/elyeitetangoclub) When to go: Mondays or Thursdays When to arrive: Around 1:30am if you want to sit down. 3am if you don’t mind standing by the bar.
Why: If you want to be part of the “scene” and see the best up-and- coming dancers this is the place to go. They go to see and be seen. A young crowd the keeps the environment and the dancing high energy. Pro tip: The milonga is held upstairs. If you go on Thursdays there is salsa and bachata happening on the downstairs dance Yoor.
When: Around 3am when everyone heads to El Yeite after leaving the other milongas Janice Stanislav lives her life on the road having been away from her Canadian home for six years. Having kept a diary the whole time, she’s now looking to bring those stories to the world
perhaps brought by German immigrants or sailors and in 1912 Tango had its first real recording star. Juan Maglio, “Pacho”, a bandoneonista, recording with flute, violin and guitar achieved phenomenal success throughout Buenos Aires and the position of the bandoneón as Tango’s key instrument was confirmed.
Located in La Boca, aka the ghetto end of town where Boca Jrs play, Caminito literally means ‘little walk way’ and has become the face of postcards in Buenos Aires and a major tourist destination.
Dance of course had always been the driving force behind the evolution of Tango and it was young men of wealthy Argentine families would be sent to Europe as part of their education . Some of these young men, not surprisingly, had spent many happy hours in the brothels, clubs and places of ill repute in Buenos Aires, where they had learned to dance the Tango. The elite classes of Paris witnessed Tango for the first time and was soonembraced across Europe at any levels of society prior to outbreak of war in 1914, ultimately raising it’s status in Buenos Aires from a dance associated with the lower classes to one of national prominence. A new age had begun.
Golden Age 1935 is seen as the beginning of the Golden Age of Tango, and the next decade was one of astounding creativity on every front. The dance matured into one of the most beautiful couple dances the world has ever seen, a subtle, heady blend of sex and chess. Composers, arrangers, lyricists and singers all hit new heights. There were more great orchestras than one could count, such as those led by Anibal Troilo, Carlos Di Sarli, Miguel Caló, Lucio Demare, Alfredo De Angelis or Osvaldo Pugliese. It was the period in the Tango’s history when all the branches of this extraordinary art were most closely integrated, and each spurred the other on to ever more stunning achievements. In the late 1940s the music and the dancing began to separate again, as musicians began to be interested in playing for a concert audience, or for records and radio programmes designed to be listened to rather than danced to. Singers, too, who
Maldita Milonga Perú 571, San Telmo facebook.com/ pasionporeltango When to go: Wednesdays When to arrive: no later than 10:30pm to get a good table… better yet, make a reservation When things get good: the orchestra starts at 11:00pm Why you should go: Orchestra Tipica El Afronte performs live every week (they are really good) and it is a really cool space. Very relaxed atmosphere. Pro tip: Write to them on Facebook to make a reservation for a clear view of the orchestra. They are worth watching as well as listening too.
were becoming stars in films and on records, wanted to be freed of the rhythmic constraints imposed by the requirement to please dancers. For a while the two schools existed side by side.
Dark age In 1955 the coup that ousted Perón brought a very different political climate, which was to hit the Tango hard. The nationalistic Peronist government had encouraged Argentine music, for example by putting quotas on the amount of foreign music allowed to be played on the radio. The new regime, instantly suspicious of anything that was determinedly Argentine, because it implied nationalism, discouraged Tango, and encouraged the importation of music from abroad, bringing Rock and Roll and the new world youth culture to the young of Buenos Aires. The coup had profound and long-lasting consequences for Argentina as a whole, and for the Tango in particular, launching the country into a kind of modern Dark Age. . By the mid-1950’s, there were laws banning the presence of minors in nightclubs. These laws were rigidly enforced for Tango clubs, but were not enforced at all for clubs that only played Rock and Roll music. In previous years, for a young man to meet a young woman was in a milonga, whereas suddenly it was much easier to meet a girl by dancing Rock and Roll. Overnight, young men stopped learning how to dance the Tango. There was no reason to spend three years learning how to dance Tango, when the girl you liked was in a Rock and Roll club instead. The generation that were 18 years old in 1955 learned to dance the Tango well and with confidence. The generation that were 13 didn’t learn it at all. Between the coup in 1955 and the fall of the military junta in 1983 after the Falklands War, practically no one learned how to dance the Tango. The Tango did not disappear. It was still possible to go out dancing, and many people did. But the Tango was pushed underground, and naturally people became very suspicious of strangers.
renaissance The fall of the military junta La Viruta, is the place for the best in Argentina in 1983 began a up-and- coming dancers. A young spectacular Tango Renaissance in crowd the keeps the environment Buenos Aires. and the dancing high energy. Suddenly everyone wanted to move. It was as though a physical weight had been lifted from them. Yoga classes were full. Martial arts classes were full. Dance classes of all kinds were full. And suddenly people wanted to learn to dance Tango, the ultimate symbol of Argentina to the rest of the world, because suddenly it felt all right to be proud to be Argentine again. The problem with the Tango was that there had never been beginners’
Confitería Ideal Suipacha 384, Buenos Aires Tel: 4328-7750/4328-0474 When: They have matinee milongas (starting at 2 or 3pm) every day of the week except Tuesdays and evening milongas (10pm) on Saturdays. Best time to arrive is between 4 and 5pm Why: Located inside a famous confitería (pastry shop) in the heart of downtown Buenos Aires, since 1912 Confitería Ideal is worth going just for the beautiful architecture. Many famous Argentine politicians and celebrities have dined there. Pro tip: It’s a great place for merienda while you watch the dancers.
La Viruta Armenia 1366, Buenos Aires lavirutatango.com When to go: Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays When to arrive: Around 2am (I said late night didn’t I?) When things get good: Around 3:30 or 4am the dance floor is at its max and everyone has arrived. Why you should go: La Viruta has the feel of a dance club that just happens to play tango music. It is something like the after party of tango – EVERYONE goes here when the regular milongas end but they don’t want to stop dancing. Pro tip: Ask the waiter to seat you or expect to be moved from your seat later. Also on Friday and Saturday after 4am they serve “desayuno” (medialunas and coffee). Don’t wait too late to order on busy nights; they have been known to sell out. All the tango dancers agree they are some of the best medialunas in the city.
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Tango classes in the Golden Age, and there was no tradition of teaching Tango. The prácticas had gone. There were no Tango teachers in Buenos Aires. There was a vacuum that needed to be filled. Gradually the people who had been dancing in the Golden Age, and who might not have danced for thirty years began to dance again. Some of them developed a passionate desire to pass on to the younger generation the dance that they loved. The dancing of the people who were dancing in the Golden Age remained unchanged, and one could still go to milongas away from the centre of Buenos Aires and see people doing the most fabulously complicated steps in a truly authentic and completely social way. But by 1995 the style variously known as “close hold”, “short steps”, La Catedral del Tango “Tango club” or “milonguero” had come to dominate the dancing of Sarmiento 4006 (casi esquina the people in Buenos Aires who were Medrano) Buenos Aires part of the Tango Renaissance.
the buenos aires tango festival The Buenos Aires Tango Festival is held for a total of 18 days and begins with a celebration of tango shows, recitals, and film screenings. The event has been coined as “the world’s biggest tango extravaganza,” and in previous years attendance has reached 400,000. The event takes place during August, throughout various venues in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but the dance competition is held at the BA Exposition Center. Participation in the opening milonga, like all of the festival’s events, is free of charge. Classes and milongas will take place daily at venues across the city and cater to everyone from the absolute beginner to the serious tanguero. The exct date is yet to be announced.
lacatedralclub.com/ When to go: Any day of the week, but Wednesdays and Saturdays are the most popular. When to arrive: The milonga starts at 11pm. When things get good: Lots of people stay after the class to practice what they have learned. Why you should go: La Catedral is an institution and one the most unique spaces in Buenos Aires with a very relaxed feel. The floor is not the best but this is what makes it a comfortable space for beginners to give it a try. They have classes for beginners everyday starting between 6 and 7pm. Contact them for details. Pro tip: Dress casually; the atmosphere is something like a dive bar.
La Catedral, A Buenos Aires institution. It oozes character, dress casually; the atmosphere is something like a dive bar.
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