la loca peregrina

2008-03-15

Roof View

2008-03-02

Mi Casa - Luna's Castle Hostel

Luna's Castle Hostel
Casco Viejo
Panama City, Panama

Luna's Castle Hostel
Calle 9na Este
Casco Viejo

Although I live and work at Luna's Castle Hostel, I am convinced that it is the most unique, comfortable and convivial backpacker hostel. Our walls are adorned with vibrant art made exclusively for Luna's Castle and we have so much communal area that it is easy to meet people. Day by day we are making this place the coolest spot to hang out in the city - we even built a three-tiered movie theater. All of our guests love the atmosphere and the amenities. My favorite part of the building is the incredible view of the new city and the towering churches of Casco Viejo.

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Below are several pictures of the most famous plaza in Panama - Plaza Catedral (or Plaza de la Independencia), which is only two blocks from Luna's. You can see the towering steeples from our balconies.

The Panama Festival de Jazz ended with a free concert in front of the cathedral.

The bay view from Luna's Castle is spectacular.
As you can see, it is hard to abstain from taking repetitive pictures.

Our neighborhood, San Felipe (or Casco Viejo, same thing) is full of polarities. Below are a few photos from around the neighborhood. I love the contrast of the newly remodeled buildings next door to decrepit abandoned homes.

Av. Balboa moving towards the financial district.

A truly fantastic and gaudy building on Av. Central.

The local grocery/everything store.

Av. Central

2007-06-03

City in the Sky

Place: Machu Picchu, Peru
Time: Early February, 2007

Truly fascinating. Even after everything I heard and read about Machu Picchu I was profoundly impressed. It is a guilty pleasure to witness the ingenuity that went into the construction of a city in the sky whose creators wanted it left in eternal privacy.

It took intensive labor to transport and precisely place each massive stone. The garden soils were brought in from the fertile Sacred Valley miles away. The towering conicle peaks with roaring, meandering rivers below are unreal. Every aspect of the city was premeditated except for its sudden, inexplicable demise.

I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to witness the grandeur of the Inca. Obviously, I took too many pictures but I have chosen a few to share with inquiring eyes. Truly fascinating.

2007-05-30

Colors of Pisac

Place: Pisac, Peru (North of Cusco)
Time: February '07

I always wanted to take pictures of the colorful vesture of the Incan descendents. However, it was either overly intrusive or cost a few cents. During Carnival things were different. The streets of Pisac, Peru, were so crowded with colorful faces that no one cared if you eternalized their image. Britt and I took advantage.

Place: Potosi, Bolivia
Time: Late February '07

2007-05-20

Dale un Beso Chao

Here are a few more photos. I will be writing more on this post, so check it again! I just wanted to post the pics (I told my father I would!). Daleunbesochao.