Colonia del Sacramento. Published by TouristTravel.com

TheTraveler  

A Refuge by the River 

By Elizabeth Levy Sad. Translation: David Epstein

Colonia del Sacramento - Uruguay

Intimate, peaceful, overflowing with secrets.

Colonia del Sacramento is a place to open the senses, away from noisy cities, far from the cobweb of shopping malls, distant from heavy traffic jungles. 
Lying by the Río de la Plata bank, the widest river in the world, and
located less than 200 km from Montevideo (Uruguay’s capital), this magic city harmoniously mixes history with nature; that is why I chose it as a weekend refuge and I visit it several times a year.

From Buenos Aires, or from Montevideo, you can get there by ferry or plane. If you have only one day available, you can hire the tour offered by ferry lines, which includes a pretty complete route and a lunch, for less than US$30.

Maté: Shared Sensations

Text: Elizabeth Levy Sad

Translation by David Epstein.

A taste born in the millenary knowledge of the American continent, a unique beverage whose preparation has secrets and mysteries.

Maté is a fantastic ritual: if it is shared, it tastes much better. Welcome to Planet Maté.

Maté is an intense infusion. It is the result of a preparation carried out with a plant called “yerba maté”. But more than a beverage, this is an ancestral cultural practice. It could well be the symbol of shared ideas, hospitality and communication among fraternal spirits.

Maté is part of the inheritance left to us by South American Indians and it is currently an indisputable part of everyday life in Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.

What are the secrets of this natural elixir whose ingredients are simple and extracted from the generous mother land?

Whether it be a gift from the heavens or an earthly object, maté is always an invitation to share.

The same recipient in which we brew maté is shared with those we invite to drink it. That is why it is a signal of friendship and warmth and open hearts.

Five Summer Accessories- Life & Beauty Weekly

Five Summer Accessories

The little details are usually the ones that make the biggest difference to your look. As fashion seasons change, accessories tend to make your outfit, by giving it a distinctive style to go with the latest season’s trends. If chosen well, subtle or not, they will always make a statement. Here are some summer must-haves that you can pick and choose according to your style.

Roman Sandals

Also known as “Gladiators”, these are a definite must for your summer shoe collection. There are many styles to choose, from strappy high heel wedges to casual and comfortable flats. The design consists of multiple parallel straps covering your feet and working their way to the ankles, showing off your legs for a sexy effect. Colors? Nude, black, and silver are the trending tones this season. If you choose black, you can dress up your outfit with more accessories. Some of them also have embellishments like metallic trims and fringe, for those seeking a bold look. These can go great with side-slit maxi skirts and a huge selection of summer dresses. Are you ready to go out and conquer, gladiator?

Extreme Bags: from oversize to mini

Surely, you are already familiar with the biggest bag trends of the season: ethnic prints; eco-friendly bags made from organic materials (linen, raffia, wood, etc); see through bags with chic designs for evening and summery bright ones for the daytime; and finally the neutral tone bags with neon accents.

This season, what you can do is play with extremes: pick the oversize bold, the tiny sexy clutch, or the classic handbag with the shoulder strap for added elegance.

Ethnic Jewelry

The perfect complement to the eco-friendly bag and the organic cotton maxi dress this summer are ethnic accessories: rings, necklaces, and earrings with bold stones and designs. Avoid minimalism, there should be nothing to hide, use large designs in bold colors like: oranges, blues, earth tones, and geometric shapes as well. Another take on the ethnic accessory: the fringe necklace. Surrounding your neck like an Amazon princess, you can pick from leather, thread or metallic designs. Of course, keep in mind those ethnic prints in skirts and tops to build great looks as well.

Scarves, Headbands and Headpieces

Indhira Baez, from Holamamalatina is an expert journalist in topics like fashion, family, and nutrition. She offers great advice to moms and also reports on the latest fashion trends. “As Latinas, we are very diverse group, not only because of our skin tone, but also our hair: curly, straight, long, short, different hair colors, etc. That’s why the biggest accessories for the summer of 2013 are: scarves, headpieces, and headbands; which we can use as a compliment to our hairstyle and even our outfits. We can find these in any color, from pastels to animal print; and any material, from cotton to silk. So if you want to look trendy this summer, I definitely recommend these… you will be totally IN”, says the guru.

Round Sunglasses

These have been a reoccurring trend, but this summer they are big. Round sunglasses, are reminiscing of the iconic style made famous by John Lennon, and depending on your face’s shape, you can select the style that best showcases your features. Newer styles include round lenses, with thick frames and straight lines for a perfectly feminine and sophisticated touch. But you might like a thin sleeker frame, for a more mysterious and seductive look, this design will compliment you best if you have an oval face shape. This season, frames come in different materials too: from bold plastic to slim metal frames for a chic and bohemian look. 

Usury. Published by Toward Freedom

Un verdadero placer fue haber publicado notas en la prestigiosa revista Tower Freedom, una verdadera leyenda editorial, que es el gran referente de la agenda progresista en los Estados Unidos. Sale en forma ininterrumpida desde 1952.

The IMF and Usury: Crime Without Punishment

 Elizabeth Levy Sad / Translation by David Epstein

After the Second World War, the International Monetary Fund was created to promote international monetary cooperation, to foster economic growth and high levels of employment, and to provide temporary financial assistance for countries to help ease the balance of payments.
But, as Nobel Prize-winner economist Joseph Stiglitzs denounced in several journalistic interviews, the IMF acts as a usurer that disables the growth of emerging countries, and insists on using recipes that have failed.
According the World Bank's data, the Committee for the Annulment of Third World Countries' Debt and the Economic Conference for Latin America, the "Third World" as a whole, together with the countries of Eastern Europe, paid more than US$ 4 billion in the last 20 years. This means credit entities received resources for an amount six times higher than the original sum. 

Barter Clubs. Published by Toward Freedom

Otra nota que publiqué en la querida Toward Freedom.

Los clubes de trueque, y el rol que cumplieron cuando estábamos haciendo equilibrio entre el iceberg  y el Titanic.

Click a la nota:

 Barter Clubs

Before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, many pre-Columbian civilizations were organized economically on the basis of barter. If a family harvested a certain type of food, they traded it with another clan that had a different kind, or perhaps swapped it for lands, cattle, or garments. Today, in the midst of a dramatic economic crisis in Latin America, that wise approach has apparently revived.