Letchers of Easter Island

While reading some books for leisure, "the letchers of Easter Island" came up in two books. One was The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara and the other was The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Anybody know what this is all about?

Big Les

Why isn't Ronaldinho getting more touches? I hope he tries to play for the U.S. I'll never watch the World Cup again. Brazil loosing was so disappointing!

Mexico's Election Difficulties

It seems that with an election deemed too close to call in Mexico this past week that the country has begun a recount of all votes cast. It is contended that up to 2 million votes were not counted due to inconsistencies such as poor handwriting and extraneous marks. Further, both parties and candidates are claiming their rights to victory. The initial count named Caldron the victor, however, his opponent, Obrador is demanding the recount. Both have said that they will mobilize the support of millions if their grievances are not considered. With such an influential election, one which some say will decide the stability of the country, what will Mexico do?

France Shocks Brazil

France defeated Brazil in the world cup with a final score of one to zero. This was a huge upset considering most everyone was calling Brazil as winning the finals. At this point, there are no longer any more Latin American teams. Portugal, France, Italy and Germany are left, representing the powerhouses of Western Europe.

The new Juan Valdez

Colombia has finally chosen the new Juan Valdez, the most famous face of coffee in the world.

Argentina loses against Germany

Argentina loses 4-2 to Germany on penalties, leaving the field kicking and screaming.

Article here.

Mexican ex-President charged with genocide

Click here for article.

new tourist spot in Argentina

Click here for article.

PUPUSAS

Probably the most famopus Salvadorean food is "pupusas". They are similar to tortillas but they are filled with all sorts of things and represent the daily lunch for a large part of the population. Here is the recipe on how to make them.

1 pound ground turkey breast
½ large onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic
minced1 medium fres green chili
seeded and minced
1 small tomato
finely chopped
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ pound low-fat white cheese grated
½ teaspoon salt
5 cups flourwater
4 cups
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1. In a large, non-stick saucepan, over high heat, cook the turkey, onion, and garlic until cooked through. If necessary, add small amounts of water to the turkey to prevent sticking. When the meat is firm, reduce heat to low and add the chili, tomato, and cumin. Let mixture cook until all liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool. Stir in the cheese and salt.
2. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and stir in enough water to make a tortilla-like dough. Divide the dough into 25 pieces and roll each into a ball. Flatten each ball between the palms of your hands to ½-inch. Put a spoonful of the meat mixture in the middle of each disk of dough and enclose it firmly. Flatten the pupusas again until they about ½-inch thick.
3. To cook, heat a flat, heavy-bottom skillet until it is very hot. Brush the skillet with a little oil. Cook the pupusas on each side for 4 to 5 minutes until nicely browned. Serve immediately.

PANAMA HATS

Panama hats ironically come from Ecuador. They are one of the most representative and valuable hand craft of the country. They are hand woven out of a type of straw known as "toquilla", which is why in Spanish their name is "sombreros de paja toquilla". They are mostly woven by the indigenous communities from the high lands, such as the Otavalos. They have been incredibly successful in US and European markets, which also states the reason why they are known as Panama hats. When they realized there was a broad market in the US, they began to export their crafts, however they stoped in Panama. When they got to the US people thought they came from Panama and they began calling them "Panama hats". They have now transcended all boundaries and are easily attainable online or in several stores around the world. You can see pictures of the hats, their history, and even buy one here.

Big Les got mo!

Carnival is Rio's main event. It happens at the peak of summer, when Cariocas are at their best. Festivities attract thousands of people from all corners of the world. Carnaval, as spelled in Portuguese, is a 4-day celebration. It starts on Saturday, and ends on Fat Tuesday, or Mardi-Gras. Carnival Sunday is seven weeks before Easter Sunday

Big les

Carnival comes from the Latin "carne vale" or farewell to the flesh. It's the period before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday. This Carnival is during the same time New Orleans host’s its Mardi gras. Today Trinidad's model for public celebration is the most widely imitated festival art form in the world.

Argentina beating Germany 1-0

Right now, Argentina is trying to topple host country Germany, and leads 1-0 after scoring on a beautiful corner kick by Raquelme.

Argentina Polo

Polo is a team sport played on horseback where the aim is to score goals against your opponents. Riders score by driving a ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet. Goals are only valid if the scoring rider is mounted. When played outdoors, each Polo team fields a team of four riders and their mounts. In the indoor variant ("Arena Polo"), each team fields only 3 players. In both versions of the sport, play occurs in seven-minute periods, called chukkers. Six chukkers is considered the norm, but depending on league rules, matches can also have four or eight chukkers. Argentina dominates this sport. To learn more about this check out their national website.

Domitila

If you enjoyed reading I, Rigoberta Menchu then you will love Let Me Speak. It is a similar kind of an account about a Bolivian woman named Domitila.

Cost of Living in Latin America

"Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are the most expensive cities in Latin America moving up from 119th and 124th positions to 34th and 40th place respectively. These movements are due to the strong appreciation of the Brazilian Real against the US dollar (more than 20 %), which has occurred as a result of solid economic growth and increased foreign investment over the last two years, together with reduced public debt and high interest rates. In particular, the cost of international-standard accommodation has risen significantly in these cities.

Asuncion in Paraguay remains the least expensive city globally, in 144th position with a score of 43.5. Other cheap cities include Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Caracas in 142nd place (score 54.8.), 138th (56.5) and 136th (57.2) respectively.

Puerto Rico has experienced high inflation during the last year which, together with the strength of the country's currency (US dollar), means San Juan is the costliest city in Central America and the Caribbean in 55th position (score 81.4). San Jose is the least expensive in 134th place (58.1). Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic is in 126th position (65.3) and has dropped 27 places due to the depreciation of the Dominican Peso against the US dollar."

Source:here.

Cuban Migrants in Puerto Rico

Cuban migrants are accidently reaching shores in Puerto Rico at an increasing frequency. Cubans who reach U.S. territories are generally allowed to stay if they make it to shore. Thought this was kind of interesting.

Tomate de arbol

Going along with our Como agua para chocolate reading, I found a food recipe in a newspaper callled El Espectador. The recipe focuses on the use of tomatos. I've pasted it here along with this link to the website:

Ingredientes para la carne
4 churrascos de 350 gramos a 500 gramos, abiertos en corte mariposa.
Sal gruesa y pimienta negra partida
Para el chimichurri
4 tomates de árbol maduros pelados, cortados y picados finamente
1/4 de taza de hojas de hierbabuena cortadas en julianas muy finas
1/4 de taza de perejil liso picado finamente
1 taza de aceite de oliva
1/4 de taza de vinagre de vino tinto
Pimentón rojo picado finamente
Ají al gusto
2 dientes de ajo machacados
Jugo de un limón
Sal y pimienta
Preparación
Mezcle todos los ingredientes del chimichurri y deje reposar durante una o dos horas para que los sabores se integren adecuadamente. Ase la carne, ojalá sobre una parrilla alimentada por tizones, hasta el término deseado y sirva acompañada con el chimichurri.

Tourism Award for Jamaica

I found it interesting that there is a annual American Express Tourism Media Award that was given to Jamaica yesterday... Click here for article.

Planned invasion of Coca plantations

This atricle is focusing on Columbians who are fleeing to Ecuador as leftist guerrillas and right-wing parlimentary groups begin to fight over the destruction of coca plantations. Apparently, 30,0000 US-trained troops are planning to invade Putumayo and Caqueta states in Colombia in the next month. The invasion is expected to intensify violence between the FARC, which is the country's largest leftist rebel group, and the rightist United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia.