Creepy Bunny

Today begins the holiday weekend in Lima - good ole "Semana Santa." I forgot to calculate this break into my schedule and was first worried that the government was going to be shut down the entire week - similar to my experience in Costa Rica when I was there in 2006. Fortunately, all government offices are only closed today (Thursday) and tomorrow. And, in preparation, they held a session yesterday, giving me an opportunity to conduct some interviews before the break. I feel reasonably productive going into the break. Hopefully I can tie some loose ends up while everything is shut down.

This year, I can only hope that my father makes another appearance as the traditional creepy bunny, entertaining the neighbors using the costume he acquired from the Houston Gamblers who used it as a mascot when he was doing promotional work with them. I think the costume would be best complemented with a half-burned cigarette hanging out of its mouth and a bottle of mostly consumed Rum in its hand.


This photo would fit perfectly in another line of creepy bunnies presented in this slideshow.

The Choice: Cancer or AIDS

I arrived just in time for the Peruvian elections on Sunday. The day was actually a lot calmer than I expected, giving me a chance to complete my grocery shopping and eat at my favorite seafood restaurant in Lima. Including the word 'seafood' is a bit repetitive ... if I'm going to go out to eat in Lima, it will definitely be at a seafood restaurant. Nonetheless, I roamed around downtown for a little bit and was a little disappointed that there weren't any random rallies or people driving in the streets waving banners. No worries, that magic didn't start until around 7, an hour before the national electoral court (the official branch of the government that manages elections, registration, etc.) was to call the election. I decided to attend the rally for the expected winner, which had an extra benefit of being the closest to the bus stop that I use. My preferred candidate was running neck-and-neck with the eventual second place winner and I didn't want to risk missing a winner's rally. How is second-place even considered a winner? Yes, I understand, in the U.S. we just generally accept the idea that second-place is the first loser for all of life's contest. Of course, there are occasional deviations from this assumption. For example, the second born child, but yet not to confuse this determination for the first-born male - just saying, Bridget ... I'm still the Golden Goose! Ah yes, my point. Anyways, if a presidential candidate does not win an absolute majority of votes in the first round of elections (which are held at the same time as the legislative elections, etc.), then a second round is held in June between the top-two vote winners to determine who will be president. The decisions is now between cancer and AIDS - words famously expressed by Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, who won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2010, to describe the choice between the top two candidates.

Anyways, the rally was pretty interesting. It was a little bit smaller than I thought it was going to be, but it was still exciting. People were dancing and waving their flags, it seemed to be a pretty good time for them.

Finally the big show decided to make his appearance. He spoke for about 20 minutes, energizing the crowd and encouraging them to keep on campaigning through the second-round. For now, it appears that those who did not win are rallying behind the second-place winner and, thus, the first-place winner has achieved his maximum support ... something very similar happened in 2006 when he won in the first round but lost in the second round.

Overall, things are getting off to a good start in Lima. I've already had one interview with a congress person and I'll be having another tomorrow. In addition, I've met with a few non-government workers who work closely with the government. The transition has been pretty smooth and I feel good being back in Lima.

Making the Climb

Today I depart for Lima in the afternoon. I feel pretty good leaving Quito - I've completed a lot of interviews and I even have some waiting for me when I return to Quito in mid-May. The two main reasons for leaving are: 1) Ecuador is entering a campaign for an upcoming referendum in May (so, legislators will not be available because they will be campaigning); 2) Peru is having elections this Sunday (so their legislators will be returning from campaigning and I will be there to experience the election - very exciting). My non-urgent matters in Quito have, thus, been pushed back until mid-May when the referendum is over.

The best thing about doing this type of research is experiencing how other governments function. There's nothing like sitting and watching legislative debates or talking to a legislator and watching him/her get passionate about a particular issue, whether I'm in agreement or not. Even when I'm in disagreement, I just sit back and listen to them talk. Of course, some of my questions are modified to get them to clarify what they are really saying. This strategy developed---or, devolved---into a particularly interesting conversation with the president of the most recent constituent assembly, wow! Here is a photo from the plenary debates.


In a prior post, I mentioned that I discovered a few different paths to gain access to legislators' offices. As a visual aid, I've provided a few additional photos to demonstrate what I'm talking about. First, I present the front of the legislative assembly. This is generally where the people who come to watch the plenary debates enter.


Second, I present the back of the legislative assembly - this is where everybody who comes to work enters. Notice the metal structure that surrounds the building. Between this metal structure and the building, there is a staircase. I figured out a way to gain access to the archive, depart from the archive to the emergency stairs, and climb the external stairs until I get to my prioritized floor where a particular legislator works. I generally arrive calm and pretend like I should be there and just wait for an interview. This strategy has actually been more effective than my internal connections in the assembly. Arriving at the doorstep is pretty effective.


For lunch, I generally take the same route to eat on the rooftop. The views from the roof are incredible. Although there is security on every floor and every exit, they seem to not be too bothered by my presence. It may help that I stay and chat for about 15 minutes with some of them when I arrive in the morning and leave at the end of the day. For the most part, everyone gives me a lot of freedom within the building, even in places where it is obvious that I should not be. Here are some views from the rooftop.

Chasing Waterfalls

Things are slowing down in Quito ... which I guess is a positive sign, particularly given that I'm leaving next week to Lima. People in the legislative assembly (both legislators and legislative assistants) and in the university frequently mention visiting the beach and Baños, a small town known as the 'window of the Andes.' Since I'll be back in May, I decided to push the beach trip for when my friends in Quito can travel, and instead take a small weekend trip to Baños. The major appeal for me is that Baños is known for their incredible waterfalls ... yes, that's plural. As some of you may know, I thoroughly enjoy waterfalls. So to 'celebrate' what appears to be a successful field research trip, I left early Saturday morning to visit this town that I've heard a lot about. Be prepared for some amazing photos. After leaving my apartment at 6:30 in the morning and multiple bus rides later, I finally arrived to Baños at noon.


I quickly found a hotel (yes - no plans) that was situated on a quiet street and had an amazing view of the town and a waterfall. Most of the hotels were located near the town square, a LOUD town square. So I paid the extra few bucks for a nice room and an incredible view located in peace.


Generally when I participate in these weekend adventures I try to break from the crowd so I can enjoy my own leisurely time. This is generally pretty difficult when the adventure requires traveling, which was expected on this trip to get from waterfall to waterfall. No worries, bike rental was available for a simple five dollar cost. By one o'clock I was on my bike riding on the road that traced the river that welcomed the waterfalls.


To start, I have never seen such amazing natural beauty. At some waterfalls we had the option of paying one dollar and traveling in a cable car across the waterfall. Yes - I did this for every waterfall where this option was available, without question. Notice the size of the waterfall compared to the cable car in this photo.


Ecuador reminds me a lot of Costa Rica. The two countries have a very diverse geography and are small enough where traveling isn't such a burden, unlike Bolivia. This burden is dramatically reduced because the roads are actually paved and taken care of ... well, at least where there is tourism opportunities. Of course, Costa Rica is the other country where the natural landscape is absolutely amazing.



Taking the bike was a major bonus. I was able to stop freely and even see waterfalls that I think would have been missed if cruising in a car. In fact, at one point I took a detour after hearing a waterfall from the road and ended up hiking up a dirt path that was somebody's private property. I paid them a dollar to guard my bike and they pointed me towards a waterfall that wasn't even on the map. Most of the waterfalls were on the Northeast side of the river and traveling was on the Southwest side of the river. Generally, there would be some restaurant and an open space to draw attraction to specific waterfalls. However, the next picture is one of those waterfalls that could have been easily missed in a car. There was nothing to attract visitors except for this amazing sight.


Overall, this trip was incredible. I'm considering returning when I come back to Quito in May - hopefully one of my buddies will be able to travel with me. We'll see. But for now, I have these images cemented in my mind. Of course, just selecting a sample of pictures was a challenge.