Peru has taken a real beating lately on Travelojos. It all started a couple of weeks ago in a post about travel writer Jens Porup’s harsh characterization of the country. Since then Travelojos readers have weighed in both for and against Peru. While most readers said they believed Porup’s assessment of the country was unfair, [...]
Posts from ‘October, 2009’
Sometimes It’s Better to Ditch the Guidebook
One of the most surprising aspects of my trip to Mexico over the summer was how much I enjoyed spending time in Guadalajara. I was somewhat anxious about spending time in Mexico’s second largest city with my wife and kids. To make matters worse, I wasn’t entirely sure what we would do there. Most of [...]
A Man’s Tale of a Cold Streak in South America
There’s no question that Roosh Vorek, the author of South American travelogue A Dead Bat in Paraguay, is a “player” when it comes to the ladies. Before self publishing a memoir about his travels in Brazil and other countries, Vorek wrote Bang—“a collection of simple but powerful techniques, moves, and lines that make it easier [...]
Plans to Film Novel About Pedophile Draws Group’s Ire
Plans to film the movie based on Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novella “Memories of My Melancholy Whores” are meeting stiff resistance in Mexico for a group that advocates against the sexual exploitation of women and girls. The Regional Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and Girls in Latin America and the Caribbean, filed a criminal complaint with [...]
Violence Erupts as Rio Prepares to Take Center Stage
As Rio prepares to host the 2012 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, much of the world is watching the picturesque city continue to struggle with gang and drug violence. A police helicopter was shot down with a high caliber weapon this weekend, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. Much of the violence emanates from [...]
More in U.S. Turning to Latin America for Medical Care
As Congress continues to debate reforming the health care system in the U.S., more Americans are going to other countries to seek medical care. Recent studies indicate that Mexico and other countries in Latin America have emerged as a prime destination for medical tourists. Some major players in the medical tourism industry include Mexico, Costa [...]
Publishers Riding Wave of Central America’s Popularity
There’s been a 65 percent increase in North Americans traveling to Honduras over the past five years, Ensley Eikenburg, associate publisher at Frommer’s told USA Today last week. The story was about Frommer’s recently released guide to Honduras. She added that since Frommer’s began publishing its Costa Rica guide in 2001, it’s been one of [...]
Lonely Planet, Ex-Writer Trade Blows on Travelojos
Two posts last week (here and here) mentioned some disparaging remarks the author of Lonely Planet’s guide to Colombia made about Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The author, Jens Porup, made the unflattering characterizations of these countries in a speech in Bogota before Colombia’s minister of tourism and other highly ranked officials. His comments generated a [...]
Tulum: Is the Mystic of the Mayan Riviera Legit?
The New York Times travel section’s “36 Hours” feature in August focused on Tulum, Mexico. The story included some comments that implied Cancun’s yoga-practicing neighbor wasn’t as eco-friendly or contemplative as it makes itself out to be. Specifically, the Times story said: the term “eco-resort” is a “meaningless but oft-deployed marketing phrase [in Tulum], as [...]
Gringo Price Exacts Toll on Latin America’s Reputation
A few years ago I took a cab across one of the world’s biggest cities on a very rainy day. As luck would have it, I didn’t have the correct currency denominations to pay the exact fare. Just a few of the larger denominations that vastly exceeded the amount that appeared on the cabby’s meter. [...]
