klephblog

The Billinghurst Bridge

kleph — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 23:00:00 -0500

The Billinghurst Bridge over the Madre de Dios River in the Southern Peruvian Amazon is slated to be finished in December of this year - almost three decades from when the project was inaugurated.

The $25.71 million effort to build the 722-meter-long span was begun in 1978 and the parts for the steel suspension bridge were fabricated in Austria and sent to Peru for assembly. But financial and social upheaval in the country put the project on hold.

Today, the consortium building the Interoceanic Highway, Conirsa, has undertaken the effort to build the bridge and plans to have it finished in time for the road's official opening in December.

My story on the bridge construction, "Peru Project Spans One River, Three Decades" is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record and a slideshow of images is on the magazine's website as well.

El Califa

kleph — Sun, 23 May 2010 09:37:00 -0500

There is a Platonic ideal for the local lunch joint. It's a place you'll find anywhere in the world, jam packed every day of the week by folks who know what the regional cuisine should taste like because they grew up with their grandmother cooking it.

If you ever happen to wind up in Puerto Maldonado, Peru that restaurant is El Califa. For almost three decades the Portocarrero family has cranked out the best lunch in town featuring the jungle cuisine done in the best blue collar tradition. This place is so working class they also sell tractors on the side, just ask 'em.

At first glance, it ain't much; just a plain wooden structure at the end of one of the town's many dirt streets that only stands out because the paintjob is relatively fresh. The decor inside is similar ; a wide open room with about two dozen tables, each with a glass top and the menu underneath. But the clues are there. Among the usual tourism promo posters that adorn the walls is an aging portrait of the restaurant's founders - the hallmark of the great lunch joint.

If you get there before noon you'll have your pick of where to sit but by 1 p.m. it'll be a different story. Every table will be taken and the kitchen will have transformed into a hive of frantic activity. Walking in for the first time the smells of the food being prepared and the sight of the different dishes being shuttled out to the tables can almost overwhelm the hungry traveler. But being patient brings a fantastic reward.

Puerto Maldonado is situated on the banks of the Madre de Dios River in the heart of Peru's southern Amazonian basin. Born of the rubber boom a century ago it's survived to become the main metropolis of the vast jungle region. From a culinary standpoint, that gives it one of the best advantages possible.

The tropical climate of the Madre de Dios region produces an agricultural largesse unlike anywhere else in the country. A host of exotic fruits and other foods are complimented by the unrivaled freshness proximity to source provides.

El Califa capitalizes on this access to unsurpassed fresh ingredients but the standards of it's kitchen is what sets the place apart. Local restaurants across Peru serve up some great offerings but the corners cut out of necessity often means the dishes fall short of their true potential. El Califa avoids that trap with an emphasis on style.

A good example is Yucca, a staple of the Peruvian table. It's often overlooked as a bland side dish; virtually interchangeable with rice or potatoes. Yet fresh yucca just days out of the ground is a revelation, a tender and flavorful treat that more than holds its own against other foods. And fried with a light touch it becomes a revelation to the tongue.

The best place to start the El Califa culinary odyssey is on the drink portion of the menu. Skip the soft drinks and leave the beer for the evening and check out the juices. There are the usual staples such as pineapple and coconut but there's also a number of local jungle fruits well worth sampling.

For straight up refreshment, it's tough to top camu camu (pictured). Derived from a berry-like fruit, the reddish juice has a slight pineapple flavor and a raspberryish zing. In terms of flat out deliciousness I'm a fan of copoasu, a whitish colored juice that has a rich flavor kind of hard to describe - it's almost like the cream soda of fruit juices.

Both of these are touted in the US as "miracle fruits" with an abundance of medicinal qualities, which may or may not be true but what's important is they taste great.

The next stop on the menu is the soups and appetizers, all of which are worth making a meal of themselves. My epiphany about the restaurant occurred with the first bite of the ensalado de palmito that simply shocked me because it was so amazingly good.

The shaved slices of fresh palm heart are fantastic for a diner used to the tough blandness of the exported product. The vinegar taste of the dressing is a nice counter-punch to the palette but can overwhelm if they add too much.

It's also worthwhile to try juanes, a local delicacy consisting of cooked fish and rice that is spiced, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed, as well as chilcano, a flavored fish broth that is surprisingly light on the stomach.

The specialty of the house is lechon de horno or oven baked suckling pig and it's as astonishingly decadent and delicious as it sounds. The oven cooking allows the meat of the pig to retain as much of it's abundant flavor as possible and not sacrifice a whit of juiciness.

The best way to try this is to order tacacho con lechon with a side of platanos frito. Plantains are a banana-like fruit which has a similar texture as yucca when harvested early. Tacacho consists of green plantains cooked down then mixed with onion and other herbs and pan-fried in the grease from the suckling pig.

Platanos frito is cooked ripe plantains. Eaten with the pork it serves almost like a sweet-tasting sauce that complements the richness of the meat.

If I were able to cut a deal where I could eat this once a month at the cost of never touching bacon again, I wouldn't hesitate for a second.

While lechon is the star of the show, it's certainly worth trying out the rest of the menu if the opportunity presents itself. I particularly enjoyed the pan-fried beef heart as compared to the grilled style that is ubiquitous in Peru.

The fish dishes feature local freshwater varieties served into traditional ways such as ceviche and chicharron. These are certainly tasty and worth trying but nowhere near the class of seafood available on the coast. You'll be better off sticking to the meats which outstrip the quality available elsewhere in the country.

Like any true family run lunch joint, you need to expect scattershot wait service when you pop into El Califa. These folks are busy when the rush hits and sometimes it takes awhile to get caught up.

On the other hand, you can be assured your order is being taken care of. also love the fact you pay at counter, not at the table. It's the hallmark of this kind of restaurant which is almost extinct in the US.

The downside to the local flavor is the insistence on playing music more suited to a rural disco joint - recycled electronic dance crap. This isn't too much of a distraction and they turn it off when street musicians wander through to play more traditional Peruvian music on the guitar and cajon (a wooden box played like a drum).

Bottom line, a meal at El Califa is a priority for anyone making a stop in Puerto Maldonado and, in my estimation, enough to justify making the long trip itself.

Restaurant Cevicheria El Califa
Jiron Piura No. 266
Puerto Maldanado, Madre de Dios, Peru

Phone: 51 (082) 571-119, 51 (082) 571-348
Email: kalifarpa@hotmail.com
Open: Monday - Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The Los Olmos Project

kleph — Wed, 19 May 2010 03:00:00 -0500

The Los Olmos project in Northern Peru is one of the most challenging engineering efforts in the world. The $247 million undertaking is designed to bring water from the Western slopes of the Andes to the dry Pacific coastland through a 20-kilometer-long tunnel.

Two years ago I penned an article examining Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht's effort to build the tunnel, the second deepest being excavated in the world. It was slated for completion last month.

The delay has been caused by rock bursts which have been buffeting the tunnel boring machine boring the tunnel over the past year. One massive one that struck on April 29 has indefinitely halted work after damaging a key part of the machine.

My story on the difficulties the project is facing, Series of Rock-Bursts Throws Peruvian Tunnel Job Offtrack.

At the same time, Odebrecht is seeking a $222 million contract with the department of Lambayeque to proceed with work on the next phase of the project. Earlier this month, the Peruvian government gave the go-ahead for the regional authority to enter into the 20-year contract that will divert the waters from the Los Olmos project to irrigate 38,000 hectacres on the arid Pacific coast.

My story on that, Odebrecht Pushes forward With Next Phase of Peruvian Irrigation Project is on ENR.com and a slideshow of images is on the magazine's website as well.

The Belo Monte Dam

kleph — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 07:14:00 -0500

The 11.2 GW Belo Monte hydroelectric project on the Xingu River in the Brazilian Amazon is one of the most ambitious energy generation projects being undertaken on the planet - and one of the most controversial.

On April 20, a nine-company consortium, Norte Energia, won the right to build the $11 billion project. The group is led by Compania Hidro Eletrica do Sao Francisco (CHESF), a unit of state-run Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA.

The dam, a run-of-river scheme designed to buffer the environmental impact of the project, is expected to take five years to build and will be the third-largest hydro facility in the world when completed.

Opposition to the scheme has been strong since it was initially proposed in the mid-1980s. As Brazil's electricity regulating agency Aneel awarded the job, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the agency's Brasilia headquarters and vowed to fight the project.

My story on the Belo Monte project, Brazil Approves 11,200-MW Belo Monte Dam is in this weeks issue of Engineering News-Record magazine. It is accomapnied by a story focusing on the opposition to the project, Large Dam Go-Ahead Releases Pent-Up Protests.

Lima's El Metropolitano

kleph — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:00:00 -0500

Peru's capital city of Lima is set to unveil its $538-million integrated urban bus system commonly known as El Metropolitano in April.

The system, based on Bogota, Colombia's successful TransMileneo system, will feature a 26-kilometer primary bus line built in the center lanes of the city's main north-south arterial roads, with a fleet of 522 natural-gas-powered buses. Officials say it will be able to handle up to 700,000 passengers daily when completely operational at the end of may.

The centerpiece of the project is an $18 million central terminal constructed beneath the Promenade of Naval Heroes in Central Lima designed to handle 110,000 passengers a day.

My story, Growing Transit System in Lima, Peru Bringing Order to 'Chaos', is in this week's Engineering News-Record. In addition, it features a slideshow of images from the project.

South America Power Transmission

kleph — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:00:00 -0500

Last year, Brazil was hit by a massive blackout that plunged two-thirds of the country into darkness for hours. In March, Chile suffered a power outage that left almost 80 percent of the population without power for hours.

Both incidents occurred when a localized failure in the power grid led to a chain reaction that caused a widespread failure in the country's transmission system. They serve as a warning for many countries in the region that have let the power grids languish while infrastructure development has been focused elsewhere.

Brazil and Peru are examples of two countries that have poured billions of dollars into the electric power grid infrastructure in an effort to stave off blackouts in the coming years. My story, In South America, Trouble on the Line, is in this week's Engineering News-Record.

The Chile Earthquake

kleph — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:00:00 -0600

At 3:34 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, Chile was struck by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded. The 8.8 magnitude temblor lasted for three minutes but devastated the infrastructure of the Andean nation.

The death toll stands at almost 800 although many more remain missing. More than 500,000 structures were seriously damaged and an estimated 2 million Chileans were affected by the disaster.

Despite the devastation, the aftermath of the earthquake is being seen as a testament to the country's preparedness for such a catastrophic event.

My cover story, Chiles Quake Damage Mitigated by Past Lessons, is in this week's Engineering News-Record examines how Chile has learned from past quakes to improve it's readiness for such powerful temblors. In addition, my article Chile Holds Strong Recovery Hopes examines why experts expect the country to rebound relatively quickly from the disaster.

The Panama Canal

kleph — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:00:00 -0600

A joint U.S.-European group has presented the low bid to analyze the options for a vehicular crossing at the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal.

San Francisco-based URS Corp. and the Danish firm COWI A/S submitted a bid of $895,000 - the lowest of five tendered - to examine the possibilities of a permanent crossing at the historic waterway's Atlantic entrance that will allow uninterrupted traffic on that side of the isthmus.

The crossing is needed since the construction of new locks on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal required for the $5.2 billion Third Lane Expansion project will make vehicular traffic across the isthmus on the existing roadway impossible.

My story, U.S./European Group Offers Low Bid To Examine Panama Canal Road Crossing, is in this week's Engineering News-Record.

The Inambari Hydroelectric Project

kleph — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:00:00 -0600

The momentum behind a proposed 2,000MW hydroelectric facility in the Peruvian Amazon is gaining as Brazilian interests continue to back the effort.

The Brazilian consortium behind the project, Empresa de Generacion Electrica Amazonas Sur S.A.C. (EGASUR), says construction of the dam on the Inambari river could begin by the end of this year and be completed by 2014.

If approved by Peru's Ministry of Mines and Energy the consortium would be required to replace more than 100 kilometers of the InterOceanic highqway slated for completion later this year.

My story, Brazil Backs $4-Billion Peruvian Hydropower Project, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.

Ruta del Sol

kleph — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:00:00 -0600

In 2005, Colombia undertook a massive $770 million infrastructure renewal program aimed at paving more than 3,000 kilometers of the country's roadways.

That effort was bolstered even further recently by the awarding of contracts to build a 1,000-kilometer highway connecting the capital of Bogota and the Caribbean coast.

Two of the three sections for the $2.6 billion Ruta del Sol (Highway of the Sun, in Spanish) were awarded to a pair of multinational consortiums who will build and operate the highway. The final contract is scheduled to be awarded this summer.

My story on the road effort, Highway Goal: Colombia's Gem to the Ocean, is in this week's issue of Engineering News-Record.

Nightwatching

kleph — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:30:00 -0600

The particular epiphany that opened the doors of understanding about cinema to me seems almost prosaic to the point of insignificance when articulated directly: everything in a film is there for a reason.

Well, isn't it obvious? Yes, of course it is. Which might be why I overlooked it for so very long. The import of this simple idea is transformed into something breathtakingly profound when it is unshackled from the stultifying inertia of plot and allowed to blossom in the vast fields of possibility the medium can lay claim to.

Peter Greenaway's 2007 film Nightwatching takes this conceit and runs with it. On one level it is a retelling of the story of behind the creation of Rembrandt van Rijn's masterpiece, The Night Watch. On another it's a dissertation on how a work of art must be understood within the context it was created in.

And then, perhaps most importantly, it's a subtle argument as to why this same approach must be taken for film as well.

This is fertile soil for a filmmaker like Greenaway, whose initial training was as a painter and whose films are rife with references to classical painting through scenic composition, the use of light and an unvarnished approach to the naked body. He works doggedly to earn the description "baroque" without a whit of concern for the pejorative aspect of the term.

There is also a very structured sensibility of his films that may come from the deliberate sense of setting inherited from his background as a muralist but evokes the impression of the theater. From the placement of the actors in the scene to ornate sets that boasts furniture as evocative as the lavishly costumed extras in every scene.

Greenaway's impulse to fill the cinematic space to the brim was best illustrated in his 1991 opus Prospero's Books. A film so lavish in spectacle and visual splendor one reviewer at the time noted that if it were made in 3D, viewers "might bleed from their eyes" upon watching it.

Paradoxically, the power of the work was oddly dampened by the abundance. The initial euphoria prompted by the exquisite delights gave way to a feeling of lassitude as the spectacle numbed the senses. Finishing the film became a test of will and it left one exhausted and spent.

Nightwatching demonstrates a degree of restraint not evident in the earlier work. While the amount of visual information thrown at the viewer is immense, it's not to the point of indisposition. The nuance then works to alight the viewer's curiosity rather of numbing his sensibilities.

And that's might be Greenaway's true intention here. He's ostensibly on a mission to reveal the truth behind Rembrandt's masterpiece, The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch or, as it is commonly known, The Night Watch.

Completed in 1642, the painting depicted the militia of Amsterdam setting out upon their rounds. It was commissioned by the 17 members of the group to be hung in their banquet hall and, at the onset, intended as a group portrait.

Yet Rembrandt produced an immense painting filled with symbolism and effect that, according to Greenaway, present an accusation that the militia members murdered their prior leader of the group. They then extract their revenge by ruining Rembrandt socially and financially.

The focus on this conspiracy is even more overtly depicted in a companion film J'Accuse...! that features Greenaway himself explaining the plot point by point to the viewer. Nightwatching is the depiction of Greenaway's argument and J'Accuse...! is the explicit explanation.

Now how serious Greenaway believes this complex web of chicanery and innuendo is difficult to say. He's certainly put a lot of effort in convincing the viewer - except the whole point of both films is to stop taking things at face value.

Once it is conceded the painting is more that a simply depiction of a group of well-to-do Amsterdam militia members then it is possible to delve into the profound depths of meaning. And the best place to start is with the artists themselves.

While Rembrandt's inclusion of himself in The Night Watch suggests his role as the puppetmaster for the drama it unveils, Greenaway does the same for Nightwatching. Interestingly, the stand in for Greenaway in the film is not Rembrandt (Martin Freeman) but rather Jacob de Roy (Krzysztof Pieczynski).

It is Roy - the mysterious man in red - who explicitly explains the meaning to the painting in the film rather than Rembrandt who simply stands silent as it is unveiled. This connection is made explicit in J'Accuse...! when Greenaway goes so far to dress himself in the costume Roy is wearing in the painting as he presents the evidence for his theory.

Nightwatching is a fascinating and absorbing film that makes a strong case for the aesthetic argument but the factual pretensions of J'Accuse...! falter upon introspection. The license granted to the artistic embellishments in the fictional film is rescinded for the more documentary style of the companion work.

Yet, that problem only stands if it is assumed the intent is simply to make a case for The Night Watch as representing the accusation of murder. Satire, Greenaway argues in both films, is the hallmark of Rembrandt's work, so why should we assume it's not his as well?

Which suggests the whole of Nightwatching may need to be rigorously examined using the same standard he's just employed on The Night Watch.

A work of such a caliber as The Night Watch was made for such rigorous interpretation and to deny it that is to deny it what it rightfully should be given. The abyss of time alone makes them inscrutable and the encrusted centuries of praise, criticism and debate only make them seem beyond casual understanding.

To cede in the face of such a challenge, out of arrogance or ignorance, is the true tragedy. The introspection of such a work is an exercise that enlightens no matter what answer the viewer takes away from it. Solving the murder mystery might be a useful plot device but it's not what makes the painting or the film resonate with meaning.

The process of examination not only leaves us the richer, but we also have found ourselves taking part in a shared dialogue with countless others now 378 years strong. In this way the humanist lesson of Rembrandt's work continues to resonate into the present.

The problem, Greenaway admits, is less dragging Rembrandt into the present, as dragging the modern audience back into the past. The historical context can be found quickly enough but the ability to examine the painting as a viewer from the 17th century is almost impossible.

In J'Accuse...! Greenaway argues that there is a rampant "visual illiteracy" in today's world where ability to interpret images bereft of lexical clues "undernourished, ill-informed and impoverished." The idea that a painting (or film) can convey meaning without text has been almost completely lost.

Greenaway's denunciations don't tread the line of haute couture snobbery, they gleefully run amok on the far side of the barrier with nose defiantly in the air. The withering elitist tone is a deliberate challenge to the viewer to defy its condescending appraisal of the rabble.

Visual literacy is a slippery enough term to start with but it seems counter intuitive to argue that there is a woeful inability to interpret meaning from images in today's' world. The ubiquity of image is almost a hallmark of modern society.

Almost all of the visual stimulus that we are assaulted with on a daily basis is designed to evoke an immediate emotional response. This qualifies as propaganda and advertising, not art.

Greenaway argues that the manufactured image that contains a subtle and profound message is uncommon and the viewer with the ability and patience to take advantage of the opportunity when presented is rarer still.

The insight that an image holds much more meaning than what it presents at face value opens a door of inquiry that includes historical awareness, aesthetic theory, critical assessment and the ineffable fluttering of the sublime. All of which Greenaway treats us to in spades.

Nightwatching is filled with direct quotes and distinct echoes from Rembrandt's works. The most obvious being almost exact re-enactment of the Dutch master's works but also by affecting the palette and sense of lighting Rembrandt pioneered as well.

This citation changes over the course of the film to reflect the changes in Rembrandt's own style during his lifetime. The initial washes of bright color and chiaroscuro give way to frontal lighting and more saturated areas of color toward the end. The unveiling of The Night Watch marking a rough delineation in the look of film as well as the great painter's style.

Yet, through it all, Greenaway shares the Dutch master's abiding pursuit to achieve "the greatest and most natural movement."

As the on-screen characters insist the protagonist's painting must be probed for meaning and nuance, Greenaway fills his own work with as much detail and intimation as the camera can allow. In theory, every still of the film can be examined in minute detail as a work of art in and of itself.

The implication is that Rembrandt found a way to imbue his work with the suggestion of movement, sound and human gesture. It is less a painting than a performance - a work of the theater, as one character puts it. Greenaway's work can be seen as the not exactly modest enterprise of realizing that inherently cinematic promise in a motion picture.

And everything in it is clearly there for a reason.

The Nicaragua Canal

kleph — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:30:00 -0600

The Panama Canal has become cemented in the public mind as the trans-oceanic waterway across the Central American isthmus. But the route chosen for the historic canal almost went through nearby Nicaragua.

In fact, a stamp depicting a smoking volcano is believed to have been the deciding factor swaying the US Senate to vote for the route through Panama in 1902. The success of that enterprise quelled calls for the northern alternate for almost a century.

Recently, Nicaragua renewed the push for a canal route through it's territory as a plausible alternative to the Panamanian waterway. Officials have redoubled efforts to find financing for the ambitious $18 billion proposal.

My most recent post for my ENR.com blog, A man, a plan, a canal... Nicaragua? looks at the interesting history of this alternate canal route and the recent efforts to renew it.

The Panama Canal

kleph — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:00:00 -0600

The construction of new locks on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal required for the $5.2 billion Third Lane Expansion project will make vehicular traffic across the isthmus on the existing roadway impossible.

To address the situation, the Panama Canal Authority has begun the process to find a solution - either a bridge or tunnel - that will permit traffic to pass across the waterway. When completed it will be the only permanent vehicular crossing connecting the North and South American land masses on the Atlantic side of the isthmus.

The ACP is currently soliciting bids for a feasibility contract to examine possible alternatives. My story, Panama Canal Authority Seeks New Canal Crossing, is in this week's Engineering News-Record.

Yea Alabama National Championship Edition

kleph — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:00:00 -0600

Last night my beloved Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Texas Longhorns in the BCS National Championship game in Pasadena, California's Rose Bowl stadium. The victory marks the 13th national title in the 117-year history of football at The Capstone as well as the first time Bama has defeated UT in eight tries stretching back to 1902.

Me and my fellow writers over at Roll Bama Roll - a website covering Alabama football - have spent the past few weeks working on a commemorative magazine in the event of a Crimson Tide national championship. And it is with the greatest pleasure that I announce the Maple Street Press has begun printing the Yea Alabama National Championship Edition.

The magazine includes a synopsis of every game from the perfect 14-0 2009 season as well as a number of articles on various highlights of the historic campaign. My contribution was a detailed look back at Alabama's national championship victories in the Rose Bowl game.

Five Years in Peru

kleph — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:00:00 -0600

For the first two months of 2010, a collection of my photographs will be on display at The Bunna Coffee Tea & Market in Chandler, Arizona. The exhibition, Five Years in Peru, will feature a dozen or so of my photographs taken between 2003 and 2008 at locations across the Andean nation.

In 2003, I arrived in Peru with the intention of spending a few months digging up a freelance story or two to try and sell when I got back to the states. Instead, I ended up staying semi-permanently and creating a freelance journalism career pretty much from scratch. In conjunction with that, I became a photojournalist somewhat by accident.

Five Years in Peru is an opportunity to show my work for the first time but it is also a deliberate attempt to educate people about the mysterious and often misunderstood Andean country.

More than 2.5 million foreign visitors flocked to Peru in 2008, the vast majority of whom merely traveling to Cusco and the famous "lost city" of the Incas, Machu Picchu and returned home. The tourism industry that has arisen to accommodate these visitors is a vital source of income for the nation. Regrettably, it also tends to limit a more substantial understanding of the country.

The exhibition Five Years in Peru is an effort to address that. Many of these pictures are of regions outside of the usual tourist haunts and focus on the more mundane, but infinitely fascinating, aspects of Peruvian life today.

In connection with this event my 2010 calendar will feature the photographs in the show. These can be ordered through the print-by-demand service Lulu.com.