“I like to create new feelings and realities through my images,” says 31-year-old graphic designer and photographer Fabián Alata Arcila, whose company, Blazin Media & Arts, works in a variety of media. Born and raised in Lima, Perú, Fabián also has a unique vision of his own home town — and in this Q&A, he shares his own favorite Lima travel tips.
What do you like most about living in Lima?
Lima has it all. And everything is actually pretty close. You can spend a day with nature just 30 minutes away from downtown. Or walk through the old streets in downtown, with its classic arquitecture. Maybe get a little Bohemian flavor in Barranco, where all the artists live. We also have access to the beach, if you want to walk or take a day relaxing in the sun. And there are a lot of [shopping] malls now. You can get whatever you want.
And what annoys you about the city?
We are a city that’s grown a LOT in just a few years. So we are re-ordering stuff — like the traffic and some street works — to make the city better. Lima is known as “Lima the Gray,” because we have cloudy weather in winter. It’s kind of depressing actually, but we manage to put our own colors to the city.
If you have a friend visiting from another country, where would you be sure to take him?
As I was saying, Lima now has even more places to go. Super malls to go shopping — Jockey Plaza is still the best. They’ve expanded it, with a lot of new international stores. LarcoMar has also improved, and the new ones include Rambla and Open Plaza. And we’ve got a new theater, the Gran Teatro Nacional [opened in 2012], which is great for concerts, theater performances and that type of thing. It’s super modern.
You also have to take a walk downtown, which is beautiful, with all the old squares. There are great pubs and bars in Barranco, where you can try all our delicious cocktails, such as the pisco sour and chilcano [made with ginger ale, pisco and lemon juice]. There are excellent restaurants to try our food. There’s a place called Parque de la Reserva — Circuito Mágico del Agua (Park of the Reserve — Magic Water Circuit), which is a beautifull and very expansive park with many water fountains where you can even play with the water — it’s amazing and a lot of fun! As I said before, we have almost everything — except skiing, I guess.
What Peruvian food and Peruvian cuisine do you like the best, and where do you like to eat?
My mother’s family was born in the north of the country, so I have a big influence of the northern food. It’s a very spicy and delicious food. I like the most seco de cabrito con frejoles (goat with beans) the most. You can try all the seafood — we have our world-famous cebiche, and there are a lot of great restaurants. I recommend Punta Sal and El Punto Azul. If you want fusion and international food, go to Tanta [opened by Peruvian celebrity chef Gaston Acurio] or Bravo RestoBar.
What is your idea of a perfect day in Lima?
I’m more a boy of the suburbs, so I would begin the day eating a typical breakfast — tamales con camotes fritos y café. Then I would go for a walk downtown, around the many plazas. Later, I would go to Miraflores to eat in one of the restaurants in LarcoMar, which has a terrace with ocean views. After that, I would stroll along the Malecón [waterfront boulevard] and I’d go down to the beach to walk a bit more. I would end the day in Barranco, on the boulevard of the Puente de los Suspiros, to watch the sunset. And at night, I’d go for some pisco sours at Ayahuasca Bar, and then head to one of the discos in Miraflores.
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