Tall ships visit Callao as part of Latin American bicentennial

A glimpse of a bygone age in Callao as eleven elegant tall ships sailed into the once Spanish colonial port. Visiting over the weekend as part of the bicentennial celebrations of Latin American independence, they set sail from Rio de Janeiro in February and are heading to Ecuador next.

May 3, 2010 | News

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Huarique Manolo

Manuel: “I have a friend called ‘Don Pésimo’ who always says: ‘This is as bad as a mango ceviche’. And one day, to play with him, I made him a ceviche with mango!”

May 2, 2010 | Lima City Guide, Peruvian Food

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A tale of colonial ships and Peruvian gold

In May 2007, US company Odyssey Marine Exploration discovered $500,000,000 of Peruvian gold and silver coins from the sunken colonial ship Nuestra Señora del las Mercedes. Spain immediately claimed the bounty as property of the Spanish crown, as did Peru. The saga begins more than 200 years ago, and is one that is only now coming to an end.

January 15, 2010 | Modern Peru, News

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Bar Restaurante Rovira

A Peruvian “Huarique” in English might best be described as a “hidden nook where food is served”. In a country like Peru where people have little in the way of resources, small simple non-pretentious restaurants called huariques are the norm. The port city of Callao, where some of the region ’s best seafood is landed, also has some of the best huariques. Many are very old and are locally very well known. In this series, we’ll visit the greats.

August 18, 2009 | Lima City Guide, Peruvian Food

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Lima and Callao in Black and White

A collection of my photos of the city of Lima in black and white.

July 26, 2009 | Commentary/Opinion, Lima City Guide

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Cementerio Barquíjano

Walking along Av. Oscar R. Benavides, once called the Avenida Colonial that joined Callao with distant Lima, I happened upon this very pretty cemetery. It was Sunday and the large entrance was busy with families visiting lost relatives and flower sellers doing a brisk trade.

This public cemetery, built in 1859 is the final resting place of Chalacos (as the people from Callao are called) both rich and poor. The rich have built grand mausoleums while the poor suffice with a nook in a wall of tombs. Interestingly for such an old cemetery it is still in use, and it is a strange contrast to see much more modern mausoleums and graves alongside much older ones, or see old family plots more recently added to. It is also obvious, through the placing of fresh flowers and candles, whom among the dead are still remembered and mourned, and who have been forgotten.

June 17, 2009 | Commentary/Opinion, Lima City Guide

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Huarique Mateo

There isn’t a chalaco (as the natives of Callao are called) who has not eaten at Mateo, located in the historic center of Callao.

In Mateo, the specialities are first-rate fish and seafood.

June 11, 2009 | Lima City Guide, Peruvian Food

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Islas Palomino: Boat trip in Callao

Just off the coast of Callao, or more precisely, about 4km from the tip of La Punta, are two rocky uninhabited islands, which together with a few other rocky outcrops are called the Islas Palomino. The two major islands, one large and one small, are called San Lorenzo and El Frontón. Each have their own stories to tell.

June 2, 2009 | Lima City Guide, Nature

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Chucuito, Callao

Where old Callao ends and La Punta begins is Chucuito, a little barrio on the rocky beaches to the side of Peru’s, main port. Originally settled by Italian immigrants as recently as the late 1800s, it soon merged seamlessly into its increasing urban surroundings.

May 28, 2009 | Lima City Guide, Modern Peru

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La Punta del Callao

Jutting out into the Pacific from the old port city of Callao is La Punta. Despite being attached to the noisy and bustling metropolis that is Lima and Callao, La Punta remains tranquil and pleasant, not unlike a small town in itself. Deeply connected to the sea and sea-faring, this is where private owners of yachts tie-up, where boating clubs reside and where the Peruvian Navy has its naval school. Home to Callao’s middle-class, its streets are attractive and tidy, lined with the mansions of the countries Republican period.

May 25, 2009 | History, Lima City Guide

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Colonial Callao

Starting life as a rocky bay that was the nearest natural port to Pizarro’s capital of Los Reyes, El Callao soon became the most important port in the Spanish colonies. It has witnessed colonial splendour, pirate attacks, disastrous tsunamis, battles, republican splendour and economic collapse. Each of these events have left a mark on the city and the chalacos that live there, many of these marks visible to this day.

May 21, 2009 | Lima City Guide, Modern Peru

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Dignity of a Nation [Featured]

Three professional advocates journey from Ohio to Peru, South America to experience and assess basic needs of a community outside of capital city, Lima. The journey follows them as they risk infection, danger, and communication barriers while engaging in global empowerment for change. They discover and pinpoint the basic needs of the community while befriending a high school drop-out and graffiti artist.

May 12, 2009 | Commentary/Opinion

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