K. Kumar's Blog, page 8

Suchitoto

An hour drive north of San Salvador is Suchitoto, an almost hidden city near a giant river:


When you get off the Pan-American expressway, the road narrows into the city of San Martin. And then it is another 30 minute drive on a two-lane road to Suchitoto. When into the city, the first thing I took notice of was the spectacular white church and the city square set opposite. The antiquity and the layout in the city reminded me of Antigua and even a little Cartagena.

We travelled east to the river...

Antigua, Guatemala

In the later part of October, I made a visit to Antigua, Guatemala to see the barriletes gigantes in Sumpango. I stayed in Antigua:


You might notice the way the city is set up like a grid with the Parque Central set in the middle. Directly in front of the city is the volcano:

This is what the city streets look like:


Antigua is a mix of the old and new. I think the popularity reflects the urgency and even necessity of the moment where we are seeing such change that there is a lack of wh...

Argentina

De Buenos Aires

#buenosairesA photo posted by K Kumar (@sicstrap) on Nov 25, 2015 at 8:05am PST

Book Review: The Ninja and the Diplomat

The Ninja and the Diplomat by Hock G. Tjoa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Ninja and the Diplomat is a fascinating tale involving stolen nuclear weapons from China, a separatist group from the Philippines, an arms dealer, and numerous other actors each with their own subplot. My impression after reading this book is that the author has a deep understanding of Chinese and Asian history and politics, and was trying to craft a story to educate readers on the complexity of relations in Asia and the pro...

Book Review: The Advent of Lena, A tale of Beauty and the Beast

The Advent of Lena, A tale of Beauty and the Beast by Neil M. Campbell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Advent of Lena, A tale of Beauty and the Beast, is an unusual and compelling story about a group of Londoners and their self destructive actions. Of the six or so main characters, I would only consider one of the them likeable. The story mainly revolves around Park and his apparent obsession with Chloe and her ugliness. Park pursues Chloe as an opportunity for redemption after insulting her at the...

Book Review: Going Underground

Going Underground: Independent Minds by L.N Denison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Going Underground by L.N. Denison is a story that takes place in London of 2044, and paints a dour future involving a race war, clone army, authoritarianism, medical experimentation, torture, and more. The three main protagonists: Jen, Myron, and Oscar are the only ones left that can save the people from their oppressive government. Early in story, Jen and Myron are captured and taken to a camp, where they meet Oscar. T...

Cerro San Cristobal

Cerro San CristóbalA photo posted by K Kumar (@sicstrap) on Nov 14, 2015 at 8:52am PST

Kite Flying in Guatemala II

This is another video from Guatemala:

"I took a seat, ordered a Caipirinha, and stared into the...

"I took a seat, ordered a Caipirinha, and stared into the ocean."

"...stared into the ocean."A photo posted by K Kumar (@sicstrap) on Nov 9, 2015 at 4:40pm PST

Kite Flying in Guatemala

I came across this near Antigua a few weeks ago...