Articles
Archive for July 2010
Wagamama Review
26 July, 2010, Edwina Popescu
Japanese restaurant Wagamama is tucked away behind notorious “Gringo bar” “Traffic”. Meaning “picky and demanding”, Wagamama has an extensive menu with the potential to satisfy even the most “wagamama” of customers. The food was undeniably good, but unfortunately the whole experience was hopelessly overshadowed by the endless wait for the ...
Maphrao On Review
26 July, 2010, Edwina Popescu and William Barns Graham
Peering in at the candle-lit interior of Asian restaurant Maphrao On, you cannot help but be drawn in by the wooden furnishings and Asian objets d’intérêt creating a romantic but homely atmosphere. Ascending the narrow spiral staircase to the second floor reveals a bar-lounge, classically decorated in black and red. ...
Borracho Estaba e Hice Una Película
26 July, 2010, Edward Bell
“El Cementerio de los elefantes” is a cross between a 1990´s B-Movie and a documentary by Louis Theroux. The budget comes across quite clearly with the quaint cinematography, Nollywood acting, and the rustic editing which could quite easily have been made using Window´s Movie Maker 1.5 Trial Version. However, as ...
Busking in La Paz
26 July, 2010, William Barns Graham
Going into the heart of La Paz with the sun beaming down upon me and my guitar on my back, dressed down in order not to look too much like a tourist, I was filled with a great apprehension. In Europe or America buskers are commonplace but in La Paz ...
Comic Encounters: La Paz's Comic Artists
26 July, 2010, Edwina Popescu
Extreme hill-climbing was apparently inevitable in the quest for fine Bolivian modern art. After the heart-splittingly steep trek up the calle Blesario Salinas, I could taste the blood at the back of my throat and was ready to collapse. Then I discovered the art galleries had already closed. I wanted ...
¡Oye, Profes! Leave those kids alone
26 July, 2010, Andrew Cummings
As a student in the UK, I’m more than mildly aware that for the majority of eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds there, university is the next logical step after college. For many, university is about moving away from home, making new friends, extracurricular activities (for the more enthusiastic), realising their gap year ...
Coca vs Cola
26 July, 2010, Camille Reltien
About 70 km from La Paz, a field of coca plants clings to the steep slopes of Las Yungas. This transitional zone between dry highlands and humid lowlands provides the ideal climate for the most stigmatized of plants. Many of the leaves harvested in the field will be sold in ...
El Mundial In Bolivia
26 July, 2010, Tom Farr
A Global Phenomenon. El Mundial. The World Cup. Le Coupe Du Monde. For one month every four years the world is overcome by football fever and Bolivia is no different, despite the fact that the last (and only) time the national team qualified for the World Cup was in 1994. ...
Tall, White and English Speaking
22 July, 2010, George Dallas
“We are tall, white, and speak English,” were the infamous words of Gabriela Oviedo (the then Miss Bolivia) in 2004 when trying to dispel a purported stereotype about Bolivian people. The number of white people in La Paz city? Discounting dazed tourists and superior expats, hardly any. The number of ...
Recuperar, recuperar, el litoral y el ancho mar
22 July, 2010, Camille Reltien
“¿Rendirme yo? ¡Que se rinda su abuela, carajo!” According to the story, these were the dying words of Eduardo Avaroa Hidalgo at the battle of Topater on the 23rd of March 1879. On this day, Bolivia lost the Departmento of Antofagasta to Chile and along with it, free access to ...