Category Archives: Books
Who made the first infographic?
Reading about Alexander von Humboldt’s scientific voyage in South America, I stumbled upon his Naturgemälde (“painting of nature”) which he drew after almost conquering the summit of Chimborazo in Ecuador in 1802. It shows a cross section of Chimborazo, arguably the highest mountain in … Continue reading
“The File on H” by Ismail Kadare
When you visit Albania – which I highly recommend – you should not only get a guidebook, but read a few books by Ismail Kadare during your trip. Of the ones I have read so far, I enjoyed The File on H the … Continue reading
Random Thoughts (7)
Don’t blame me for looking at your ( . )( . ) when you wear sunglasses and I can’t look at your eyes. In Venezuela, the richest country in South America between the 1950s and the 1980s, and still the … Continue reading
Persecution of Lawyers in South America
Persecution of lawyers has a long history in South America. From Marie Arana’s biography Bolívar – American Liberator: Bolívar was handed an agitated letter from Páez, reporting the miserable state of affairs in Venezuela. “Your cannot imagine how ruinous the … Continue reading
Random Thoughts (6)
If you read the comments below this article, you get a taste of what’s wrong with Peru. I have never encountered a country that is so bad at dealing with criticism. After my article on Bolivia and the sea, many people … Continue reading
Christmas Video: Treevenge
I don’t believe in Christmas myself, but nevertheless I want to bless you all with this lovely Christmas video: Have a happy season and don’t kill too many trees! Here is a suggestion for an alternative Christmas tree:
The little Literature Lover
The museum in Narihualac was closed. All I could do was walk through the dusty streets of the small village, watch one of the many religious processions which take place in Peru every day, and visit some bars to soak … Continue reading
Prison for Writers: How Romania promotes Literature
When bloggers don’t write it’s not for lack of ideas. If that was their problem, they would never have had the idea of harassing the rest of the world – innocently and unsuspectingly stumbling through the internet – with their thoughts without … Continue reading
Random Thoughts (3)
Always funny: places that don’t serve Coca Cola or other “capitalist”/”imperialist”/”Western” drinks, but all the staff have Apple phones and computers. The Guardian confirms my numbers on Britons applying for foreign citizenship. Somehow I found the list of US Presidents … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 