Sep 30, 2009

Inca Kola, Japanese and war times

Sep 30, 2009
Inca Kola, you love it or you hate it. It has been written about it and you may know a lot or less about it too. Why cannot say that Inca Kola is not just a trademark, it is a lovemark. Along with the Irn Bru from Scotland, they are the only two beverages that have beaten Coke in their own countries. But, what I am going to write next, most of Peruvian may do not know about our national soft drink during the World War Second and Japanese Peruvian interment in concentration camps into USA.

I remember, when I was a little girl, I only found Inca Kola at the "Japanese" club. But I always loved Coke so there was a problem because It was not possible to get into the place a bottle of Coke unless I drink it outside before. Well, this measure finished in 1999 when Coke bought Inca Kola. Since then I can find both Coke and Inca Kola.
Go back to our subject, once I asked my father "Why can we only drink Inca Kola inside the club?" and then he answered: "Mr. Lindley (the founder of the company) was one of many people who helped the Japanese during the war so this is our gratefulness to him". If my memory serves me right, after the attack on Pearl Harbor and Japan's entrance into the World War Second, many Japanese and Peruvian-born Japanese were deported and sent to concentration camps in U.S. because Peruvian President Prado was expected to side firmly with President Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066.The people who stayed in Peru suffered the consequences of war, xenophobia and plunders. Other people did not want to help for fear of being accomplice of spying.

At this point, you might think what is the relationship between Inca Kola and the War?. Well, according to my family and my parent's friends (there is nothing written), the "Japanese" who had business went to the Coca-Cola Company (an American-based company) and shut down the doors to them. So at that time a brand-new company as Mr. Lindley's had to do something and helped "Japanese" with credit facilities. 

There might be hidden economic interests but I really appreciate this story because an immigrant from Britain and came to Peru helped another immigrants during war times and built a national empire, a lovemark. It is a relly succes.

Sep 28, 2009

Pavement Art

Sep 28, 2009


The other day, I went out for a walk and someone took my attention: it was a guy using only chalks to draw the famous Vermeer's painting: The Girl With the Pearl Earring.

Well, this guy uses the paviment as a canvas and as well as many Peruvians, he found a creative way to earn some money.

Sep 25, 2009

Earning oneself a place in heaven

Sep 25, 2009
As a Peruvian or just a foreigner who wants to visit Peru, we might need a visa. National security and human migration seems to be God's major concern. Is it an utopia free transit of people, even towards heaven?


Building of Embassy of Heaven in Lima

For many years, I have passed by this building on Javier Prado Avenue and leaving aside the joke this place is actually a Christian based organization.

P.S. Thanks to my friend B to keep me company.

Sep 16, 2009

The bear who left Peru

Sep 16, 2009
Last weekend, a shop window caught my attention because I saw Paddington Bears on the way to a friend’s wedding celebration:


The next day, watching a TV program, I just knew that the famous “British” bear actually came from “Darkest Peru”.

The story tells us that Paddington was orphaned as soon as an earthquake knocked down Lima. So, her aunt Lucy took charge of him. As she went to live in the Home of Retired Bears in Lima, she made all the arrangements to send him to England. Since 1958 Paddington Bear has become an English children’s literature icon thanks to its creator Michael Bond who never met Peru.

At least in England, if somebody asks to a Peruvian “where do you from?” and if they get a simply “Peru”, they will not know what to say, but if you relate the answer with Paddington Bear, another one will be the reaction you will get.

This poor man did not know about Peru, he was not English either and he had to suffer for one million dollars.



For more information of Paddington Bear, click here.

Sep 10, 2009

Safety Lima

Sep 10, 2009
I just look at Wanderlust web page, a British specialized magazine about travel, and I was surprised that Peru is the third top searched country on that page. Earlier this year, Peru appeared twice in Wanderlust Travel Awards 2009: sixth place for Top Country and eigth place for Top City (Cusco). In this sense, there is a major interest in our country and obviously, Lima is a must for every tourist passing by Peru and for him/her there is always a concern, before and during the trip: security.

During eighties and nineties, mostly in Lima, it reigned curfews, car bombs and blackouts. All over Peru suffered terrorism. Nowadays, we have forgotten all of them and Lima relatively became a modern and a quiet city. Personally, I feel more unsafe in New York than Lima, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".


As any (cosmopolitan) city that you visit, always be careful. In order to enjoy your journey you must to keep a low profile. I other words, carry only what you need the most: leave the expensive watch, leave the laptop and have exact money. Either way, do not dress up like "typical tourist": beige short/beige cargo trousers, shirt, hat and a camera dangling from your neck. That's no a good idea because people can take advantage of you. I mean it. It happened to me, even in my own country people think I am foreigner. I spend such a bad time when it is a matter of money: I have to bargain more than a regular Peruvian and I cannot leave my identity card at home.

So, come to Lima, come to Peru and enjoy your trip. These people were warned to look out for thieves in Lima:



Cat Woman, Spiderman and the Magical Guinea Pig being on guard
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