Claes: Thursday morning. And we have a full schedule. First stop is Father Marco Arana - a former catholic priest who has been very active as a human rights advocate in his home town of Cajamarca. And who is now planning to run for President of Peru. On the way there, Sr. Figueroa pointed out "Mi Causa" a restaurant that only serves the delicious and traditional potato dish!
It turned out that Father Arana was not home, though he promised to meet with us the following day.
Jon: This meant we actually had time for coffee. Sr. Figueroa took us to a lovely sidewalk cafe, which we visited virtually every remaining day we had in Lima. It could have been in Paris, Milan or Berlin - great coffee, pastries, soup and sandwiches.
Dr. Richard Smith
Jon: Smith and his work are impressive. He has spent decades tracking and cataloguing the realities of dozens of local communities along the Marañon and other regions of Peru. This has lead to a massive collection of maps that he and his team have compiled. Smith speaks from a firm knowledge of what he is doing, although he also has a warm and witty sense of humor. His insights into the operations of the government and other organizations in the area were a great introduction to what had happened in Bagua last June. I was quite impressed.
Claes: In the afternoon we arrived at MHOL - Moviemiento Homosexual de Lima to meet with Christian and Marie for a story for "This Way Out."
Jon: Claes was kind enough to humor me on this story, coming along to record the audio of the two interviews here. The amazing thing about MHOL was not just that it was the primary advocate for gay rights in the area but that it had been in operation for nearly three decades. My contact, Crissthian Olivera, was genial and smart. His knowledge of the LGBT political scene was significant. But it was president Mary Vargas whose tales of abuse and the heroic work of gay leaders that really moved me. She was both tough as nails and engaging in her recounting of the reality of LGBT life in Lima.
Claes: Decided to try one of the local restaurants for dinner. Passed by a couple of the big, touristy places in Miraflores and ended up at a small Inca restaurant with excellent food (now, was this the second or third Lomo Saltado?)
Jon: It is also clear that the food in Lima is quickly becoming one of our stories. In simple terms: the variety and sophistication of food at least in Miraflores - if not the rest of the city - was a wonderful surprise.
Claes: In the afternoon we arrived at MHOL - Moviemiento Homosexual de Lima to meet with Christian and Marie for a story for "This Way Out."
Jon: Claes was kind enough to humor me on this story, coming along to record the audio of the two interviews here. The amazing thing about MHOL was not just that it was the primary advocate for gay rights in the area but that it had been in operation for nearly three decades. My contact, Crissthian Olivera, was genial and smart. His knowledge of the LGBT political scene was significant. But it was president Mary Vargas whose tales of abuse and the heroic work of gay leaders that really moved me. She was both tough as nails and engaging in her recounting of the reality of LGBT life in Lima.
Claes: Decided to try one of the local restaurants for dinner. Passed by a couple of the big, touristy places in Miraflores and ended up at a small Inca restaurant with excellent food (now, was this the second or third Lomo Saltado?)
Jon: It is also clear that the food in Lima is quickly becoming one of our stories. In simple terms: the variety and sophistication of food at least in Miraflores - if not the rest of the city - was a wonderful surprise.
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