“It will be very hard,” said Philippe Bukovec, organizer of the Challenge Irazú races, just minutes before the 40-kilometer marathon started last Saturday morning. Bukovec chuckled morosely. “Very hard."
Once described by Aldous Huxley as the Lake Como of Guatemala, Lake Atitlán is a justified staple on the Central American tourist trail. However, over the past few years, agrochemicals, raw sewage, litter and shore development have taken their toll, turning the fresh blue water a murky shade of brown, turning tourists away.
If we hadn’t known about Tortuguero’s crime wave, the village would have seemed perfectly sweet. The alleged risks didn’t stop us, but an aura of danger wafted everywhere. Such is the power of a headline.
Author Richard Neat, a cerebral chef with a penchant for chess, Russian novels, philosophy and political manifestos, has whipped up a complex dish in this self-published reminiscence centered on “life at the center of the gastronomic revolution.”
Economists say that to achieve the government's goal of six to eight percent GDP growth, investments in the economy will have to increase by 25 to 35 percent a year, many times more than the 4.4 percent in 2013.
By Hollywood standards, “Presos” barely qualifies as an independent film: The production’s total budget is about $600,000, and there are about 35 speaking roles, plus extras.
For proof that smaller is better, look no farther than Park Café, Sabana Norte’s intimate temple of gastronomy, presided over by internationally celebrated British chef Richard Neat.
