Barbara
I am an American writer who lived in Lima for seven years (2007-2014), where I covered Andean traditions, melting glaciers and daily life in the capital for Miami Herald, MSNBC and Huffington Post. I now live and work in northern Florida where I champion climate change advocacy and compassionate, affordable eldercare.
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Finnish Designer Trees Bear Fruit in Andes
Last week I dropped in on a very cool Finnish design exhibit being hosted at Lima’s ICPNA center. “Northern Stars” showcases more than 100 years of innovative design from Finnish designers and design firms such as Marimekko, Arabia, Nokia and Metso. El Híjo and I were hoping to catch sight of some Moomintrolls, the eccentric woodland characters invented by Finnish children’s author Tove Jansson, but as it happened there weren’t any velvet-snouted trolls lolling about the art gallery. There were, however, some playful tree-shaped room dividers, rather like props from a children’s fantasy, that caught my eye. “The Tree,” as it’s called, is a piece of functional art created by the Finnish designer Eero Aarnio (creator…
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Soy Andina Film Premieres on New York PBS Tonight
Cynthia Paniagua (R) in Chincha (photo: Florencia Castello)Peruvian culture will get a major public-awareness boost tonight when New York PBS stations broadcast the awarding-winning documentary Soy Andina. (Sept. 10, 10 p.m.; check local listings. The film airs throughout the country starting Oct. 11.) Soy Andina is one of eight documentary films selected for the new season of Latin Public Broadcasting’s VOCES series on National Public Television, introduced by actor Edward James Olmos — and the first-ever film in the series about Peru. Soy Andina tells the intersecting stories of two New Yorkers – a modern/hip-hop dance dancer raised in Queens, and a folkloric dancer from the Andes – who embark on dance odysseys through Peru to search…
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French Fries vs. Choclo and Boiled Potatoes: Why Peruvians Aren’t Fat
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking this week about obesity in the United States vs. weight and nutrition in Peru. We’re currently exploring these topics in the conversation class I teach at UPC (see class blog, here), but really, they’ve been on my mind since I moved to Peru from Florida in July 2007. Why is it now normal to be fat in the United States? And why do you rarely see an obese person in Peru? After living here for two years, I know why: We Americans regularly eat fried, processed foods, many of them in huge qualities. In contrast, Peruvians’ regular diet tends to consist of fresh food and dishes made…
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Deadly Negligence: Peru’s Red Cross & Cold Deaths in Andes
At last count (mid August), 514 Peruvians had died of pneumonia brought on by extreme cold this year, most of them children under five. Most reasonable people would call that an emergency. Not Peru’s Red Cross, however. In a bulletin issued August 4, 2009, the Peruvian Red Cross (PRC) issued a general statement about the cold deaths in Puno, noting the low temperatures, the rise in pneumonia cases and the deaths of “113” children (a number much lower than that cited by other news sources in early August). After low-balling the number of deaths, the bulletin explained that the PRC “has been assisting the affected people with medicines, blankets and food items. Additionally, the…
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Robbers Hold up NatGeo Team at Nasca Hotel (and the place where you don’t want to book a room is…
( Enigmatic geoglyphs in the Nasca desert draw tens of thousands of tourists to southern Peru each year; photo c. RPP)Great timing, criminals in southern Peru. First a Peruvian trucking company diverts 100 tons of UN rice for cold-spell victims to the black market in July. SUNAT seizes three truckloads (32 tons) of hijacked rice in Ica; the rest is still unaccounted for. The rice was intended for malnourished communities in the Puno area, where freezing temperatures have killed more than 433 people this winter. Now armed robbers broke into a Nasca hotel early Friday morning and assaulted members of a National Geographic team filming a documentary on the Nasca lines, making off…
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Government Extends State of Emergency in 21 Regions; More Children to Die from Cold in August
[Photo: These two kids live near Upis in southern Peru, where children are dying of extreme cold brought on by climate change. More deaths are predicted for August, typically the coldest month of the year in the high Andes. Photo c. Barbara Drake 2008]Peru is finally acknowledging that the humanitarian crisis caused by extreme cold in the Andes isn’t going away; the problem is getting worse. A state of emergency declared by the Peruvian government in July has been extended two additional months in 21 Andean regions, reported Isabel Guerra yesterday in Living in Peru: The Peruvian government extended today for another 60 days the state of emergency in 21 regions, due…
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Thanks for Shout Out, NatGeo
Got a minor thrill yesterday when I learned that An American in Lima is mentioned in the latest edition of National Geographic Traveler. Writing for the Sept. ’09 Lima destination guide (“48 Hours in Lima” by Nicholas Gill), Marisa Petrich observes that this blog “began as a way for author Barbara Drake to document her transition to a new culture, and now offers comments on local events, news, and culture. The site also includes links to local news, blogs, and videos in Spanish and English.” Yep, that’s what this old blog does. I’m glad that Petrich picked up on the fact that this is an opinion, not a travel, blog. As much…
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AlmaZen Organic Cafe Thrives in Lima
I haven’t seen much of my brother-in-law El Filósofo and his wife La Orgánica lately. That’s because they are busy until 1 in the morning every day with their new vegetarian restaurant AlmaZen, which opened two months ago in old Miraflores (see address below; update, as of 2020, the restaurant is closed). What makes AlmaZen different from nearly all vegetarian eateries in Lima is that its menu is organic. EF and LO buy their ingredients from small, certified organic farms throughout Peru, and that practice guides the entire philosophy of the restaurant. The menu reflects what’s fresh and being harvested now, so one week you might have stuffed squash as a side dish, the…
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Citizen Journalists Respond to Cold Deaths in Andes
These are the things I think of when I read the news reports on deaths in the highlands -- the humble, hard-working people who live at such a remove from the "civilized" world and who can be helped at not that much cost, if only there are willing souls to climb the mountain paths and meet them halfway.
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Of Poisoned Dogs, Pigeons and Fujimori
Many thanks to the concerned people who’ve sent their good wishes to our dog Lola, who was poisoned last week in Parque Leoncio Prado, in Miraflores. Lola recovered thanks to the efforts of her vet, whose office is just blocks away. Not every animal that is poisoned in Peru is fortunate to live close to a competent veterinarian. Many pets die of asphyxiation or shock (Lola was in shock when we took her in) before a remedy can be administered. Four of El Fotografo’s relatives have had dogs or cats die from poisoning or suspected poisoning over the last ten years, and in each case, the animal wasn’t found until too late. Hearing…
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Seven Gastronomic Wonders of Peru Contest Extended
The never-ending promotional hooplah that is Las Siete Maravillas Gastronómicas del Peru has been extended an additional month, from July 25 to August 23, announced the contest’s organizers last week. That means if you haven’t done so already, you can vote online for your seven favorite Peruvian dishes, from the list of 21 culinary semi-finalists: Adobo Ají de gallina Anticucho Arroz Chaufa Arroz con pato Arroz con pollo Cabrito a la Norteña Carapulcra Causa Chicharrón Chupe de Camarones Cuy chactado Juane Lomo saltado Pachamanca Papa a la huancaína Papa rellena Pollo a la brasa Rocoto relleno Seviche Tacacho con cecina I’m voting for ají de gallina, causa, chupe de camarones, papa…
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Happy, Fiestas Patrias, Peru!
July 28 marks Peru’s declaration of independence from Spain in 1820, and today Peruvians are celebrating Fiestas Patrias with almuerzos, parties and plenty of booze. More than 1300 litres of pisco will flow from the fountain in Lima’s historic Plaza de Armas, served to passersby compliments of the Municipality of Lima. The city’s also sponsoring performances by Afro-Peruvian musicians, paso horses and a fireworks display. Events start at 11:30 in the morning and run continuously for the next 12 hours. El Hijo’s British-Peruvian school put on a big outdoors Fiestas Patrias event two weeks ago that upstaged the previous year’s effort. The schoolkids dressed in elaborate costumes and performed regional dances…
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The Sport of Dog Poisoning in Peru
I wish I never had to write this post, but since my Labrador nearly died from ingesting poison in a Lima park this week, I must share what I’ve learned to alert other pet owners. A surprising number of people in Peru like to kill dogs and cats with veneno(poison). Municipalities such as Barranco and Miraflores use highly toxic insecticides in public gardens that routinely poison pets. And poisoning a dog or cat is not a crime in Peru. El Fotografo and El Hijo took Lola to Leoncio Prado park, in Miraflores, to play fetch on Wednesday. They had her running after the ball, something she never tires of, for more…
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Peru’s Politicians Lock Horns with Scientists, Deny Crisis as Water Shortage Looms
Above: Ohio State glaciologist Lonnie Thompson gives two good reasons why loss of Peru’s glaciers is “alarming”; July 7 Adapting to a World without Glaciers, Lima (photo by Jorge Vera 2009) By Barbara R. Drake LIMA, PERU: Peru’s Minister of the Environment Antonio Brack Egg told international glacier experts and other climate specialists last week that Peru cannot be expected to avert the country’s pending water shortage on its own and that regional and local administrations must bear responsibility. Peruvian Minster of the Environment Antonio Brack Egg at Adapting to a World without Glaciers conference, July 7, 2009, Lima Peru (photo Jorge Vera 2009) “When we speak about these subjects…
