The Frieden Trails

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Dec. 29, 2007) -- I embarked on an intense research tour of Argentina and Uruguay. This trip adds to my already extensive travels in Mexico, Venezuela and Bolivia, all of which are for my upcoming novel Where Spies Go To Die. Arriving in the Argentine capital a couple days before New Years, I toured key locations for scenes involving my book's main fictional character, Emilio. These included the neighborhood of San Telmo, the birthplace of Tango, as well as La Boca, the oldest part in the city, and the restored area of Puerto Madeiro, a spot filled with modern lofts and highrises and hip restaurants. And as a special treat, I toured the city’s coastal neighborhoods by helicopter.

(above) Standing at the west end of Plaza de Mayo, the central square in the heart of Buenos Aires where stand the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Bank, the Revenue Department, City Hall and other important buildings. At the center of Plaza de Mayo is the General Manuel Belgrano monument, made by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse and Manuel Santa Coloma (pictured below).

(above) At the other end of Plaza de Mayo and across from the Belgrano statue stands the Casa Rosada, the former residence of many Argentinian presidents, and mostly known for being the place Eva Peron made her famous speech (the balcony on the top floor).

(above) Sitting on a balcony overlooking the main Plaza Dorrego, the main square in San Telmo, one of the most beautiful and historic barrios in the capital. San Telmo is the birthplace of tango, and is filled with wonderful restaurants, art galleries, street musicians, antique stores, as well as a interesting market in the main square.

Another component of my research is to examine the leftist transitions, particularly in socio-economic and political in governments throughout Latin America. It is not just to see the sites, but to understand the societal influences that make this part of the world unique, and helps to explain the current political movements. During my stay, I conducted various informal interviews with locals regarding the current political and socio-economic environment.

(above) Seated and ready for the helicopter tour of Buenos Aires.

(above) The main stadium in the La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The stadium (called Estadio Alberto J. Armando but more widely known as La Bombonera, meaning "chocolate bowl") is home to the Boca Juniors football team, best known for its legendary player Diego Maradona.

(above) The port in the La Boca neighborhood, the oldest port in the city.

(above) Flying over the hip waterfront area of Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires. Puerto Madero takes up a significant stretch of the Río de la Plata riverbank and hosts some of the city's latest architectural works, ranging from modern residential glass towers to completely renovated red brick lofts, as well as state-of-the-art luxury hotels.

(above) Standing by the helicopter after it landed at AeroPark airport, the city's regional aiport on the waterfront.

All photos and text Copyright © 2007 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.

VALLEGRANDE, Bolivia (Nov. 22, 2007) -- I had been thinking about it for weeks. The excitement could hardly be contained. Finally, I was on my way to Bolivia to research Che Guevara’s 1960s revolutionary movement to complete my upcoming novel Where Spies Go To Die. My flight from Chicago connected through Miami and then stopped briefly in La Paz before continuing southeast to Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The views from my window seat of the landing and takeoff in La Paz were impressive. Upon arriving in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (commonly known as Santa Cruz), I headed straight to my hotel downtown, the Gran Hotel Santa Cruz on René Moreno street. It was a classic luxury hotel in its heyday (the 70s), but now appears to be struggling to keep its four stars. But its the only top hotel in the heart of the city's historical center and only two blocks from the main square, the Plaza 14 de Septiembre.

Santa Cruz is the capital city of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the country's largest city (population over 1 million). The city was founded in 1561 by Ñuflo de Chávez, who gave the new settlement its name, meaning "Holy Cross of the Hills," in honor of his beloved native city in Spain. For my research, the city was significant in that it was one of the transit points for Che Guevara and his rebels in 1966. I visited many of the city’s key sites and interviewed a number of locals in preparation for my journey south.

(above) The inner courtyard of Santa Cruz de la Sierra's city hall.

(above) The Metropolitan Cathedral in Santa Cruz stands in front of the Plaza 14 de Septiembre.

(above) Interior view of the cathedral, which was built in the late 19th century.

After my second day in Santa Cruz, it was time to head south to find the "Che" trail. I left in a tired clunky taxicab and spent the next three hours conversing with the driver in my broken Spanish (being fluent in Portuguese doesn't always mean you can say much in Spanish -- I can understand almost everything said to me, but can't respond well). The road twisted around rocky, tropical terrain and skirted hillsides overlooking rivers and streams. It was a welcomed relief when my taxi finally brought me to Samaipata, where an SUV with an experienced driver would take me the rest of the way (thank goodness, since the roads are even more perilous further south!).

(above) The road to Samaipata from Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

After a brief stop in Samaipata, my driver and I headed through the rough highlands to Vallegrande to see various sites related to Che Guevara. In particular, I visited the Señor de Malta hospital, where Che’s body was flown after his execution at La Higuera. Frieden toured the airfield and nearby grounds where Che’s remains and those of his most loyal comrades were secretly buried in 1967.

(above) View of Vallegrande.

(above and below) The hospital laundry room where Che's body was shown to the public.

(above) Memorial built around site where Che's remains were secretly buried for over three decades.

For several days I ventured south from Vallegrande across rugged mountain roads to visit remote villages and trails connected to Che Guevara’s doomed rebellion.

(above) The winding mountain road toward Pucara and La Higuera.

After visiting the town of Pucara, I arrived in La Higuera (elevation of 1950 m) some 225 km by road from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and toured the schoolhouse where Che was executed in October 1967 by CIA-backed Bolivian troops shortly after his capture in the nearby canyon called Quebrada de Yuro. In La Higuera, I interviewed a village elder who had witnessed Che’s arrival into the village 40 years earlier. Today, La Higuera has a population of about 100, mainly indigenous Guarani people. Politically La Higuera is part of the Pucará municipality.

(above) The monument in Che's memory in the village center of La Higuera.

(above) The schoolhouse where Che was executed in 1967.

After my days in La Higuera and the Vallegrande area, I returned to Samaipata, where I toured El Fuerte, an archeological site (designated a world heritage site by UNESCO) that was inhabited by three populations over several centuries: the Amazonian, Inca and Colonial civilizations.

(above) The ruins of El Fuerte.

All photos and text Copyright © 2007 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.

NEW ORLEANS, Lousiana (Nov. 3, 2007) -- I'd longed to come back after Katrina struck this city, a place filled with memories from law school and the hometown of the main fictional character, Jonathan Brooks, for the novels Tranquility Denied (2006) and the sequel, The Serpent's Game (announced for 2009). My visit also coincided with my 10-year Loyola law school reunion.

I visited the Ninth Ward, the most severely hit area of the city. The pictures speak for themselves...

I also visited other sites for the second thriller in the Jonathan Brooks series. These included various sites around town, including a cemetery.

--- Summary of Travel Spots (and Ratings) ---
Hotels: Pavillion Hotel (8)
Restaurants: Arnaud's (8)
Bars/Night Clubs: Pat O'Brien's (8)

All photos and text Copyright © 2008 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.

KRAKOW, Poland (Sep. 19, 2007) -- I needed some scenes from Krakow, Poland, for two novels that I'm working on, Red Vault and The Serpent’s Game. I flew into Vienna, spent a morning in the city to catch a chocolate-filled breakfast at the Sache and walk around the old town before zipping back to the airport for my connection to Krakow, the third largest city in Poland, situated on the Vistula River. I toured several sites in the city’s Old Town in search of scenes for my manuscripts, and I took an unplanned detour to visit Osweicim where the Auschwitz and Birkenau Nazi concentration camps are located (which I haven't yet decided how to incorporate into either book, if at all).

Exploring a Historic City

(above and two below) A view of Krakow from the top of Kościuszko Mound (Kopiec Kościuszki) in Kraków, a 325 meter high artificial mound modeled after the prehistoric mounds of Krak and Wanda. The height offers a panoramic view of the Vistula River and the city.

(above and below) Wawel castle sits on the Vistula River.

(above) Sukiennice (aka the Cloth Hall) in Kraków is one of the city's most recognizable buildings and was once a major trade center. It is located in the heart of Old Town, surrounded by cafes and restaurants and adjacent to the City Hall Tower and St. Mary's Basilica.

(above) The 17-century Baroque church of St. Peter's and St. Paul's at Grodzka street

I also interviewed locals and scoured the city's outskirts for interesting venues, including churches, restaurants, markets, hotels, night clubs, as well as old cemeteries and synagogues in Kazimierz, Krakow’s historic Jewish quarter from the 14th century until the Second World War. During the trip, I was accompanied by two close friends, FBI Special Agent Bach Melick, a counter-espionage and counter-terrorism expert and former classmate from Loyola University School of Law, and my fellow Chicago lawyer/author Suhaib Ghazi. And to make the stay even more thrilling, we rented a three-bedroom luxury apartment walking distance from the historic city center. An amazing place indeed.

The Concentration Camps

After a one-hour drive from Krakow, I arrived in the town of Osweicim for a grim reminder of the past: the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps. The sites are open to tourists and they will shock you, whether you are Jewish or not. And let's not forget that Jews were not the only ones slain here.

(above) The gas chamber and crematorium at the Auschwitz concentration camp, near Osweicim.

(above and both below) Birkenau concentration camp, near Osweicim.

(above) Bach Melick, A.C. Frieden and Suhaib Ghazi.

All photos and text Copyright © 2007 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.

CARACAS, Venezuela (Jul. 10, 2007) -- I arrived in Caracas to continue research for my upcoming political thriller entitled Where Spies Go To Die. In hopes of better understanding the complex and ever-changing political environment in Venezuela, which forms an important basis of the novel’s plot, I interviewed key people from the country’s political, diplomatic, academic, business and literary communities.

I had the fortune to interview Herma Marksman, a historian who spent nearly ten years as “the other woman” at the side of President Hugo Chávez Frías during his rise to power and through his imprisonment in the early 1990s. As Hugo Chávez’s lover, Herma shared his passion for a new Bolivarian revolution, but today she considers herself part of the opposition, dismayed by the extreme politics of the man she once new intimately. In 2002, she and noted political analyst Alberto Garrido co-authored the book El Otro Chávez, a portrayal of Hugo Chávez through her eyes and she has since stopped meeting with the press. She is an elegant, knowledgeable woman and made the 4 hour interview an enjoyable experience.

(above) Interviewing Herma Marksman (second from right) at the Gran Melia hotel.

(above) The bustling urban heart of Caracas viewed from my room at the Gran Melia hotel.

I also interviewed various local and foreign government officials and representatives, including Benedict Gubler, Chargé d’Affaire at the Embassy of Switzerland in Venezuela, as well as members of academia, including Professor Romelia Hurtado (Romy), a Caracas native and professor at Eastern New Mexico University; Professor Aida Bexama Farias, University of Chili in Santiago; and Dr. Carmen Sweeting, Principal, Colegio Internacional de Caracas. Although I had anticipated a sharp contrast of views on the current political situation, much like the polarity of views on the Bush administration, it seemed to be far more personal to the citizens of Caracas. Indeed, Venezuela is a divided nation.

My metro and taxi, I visited the city's most important sites, like the Plaza Bolivar and walked by Miraflores, the presidential palace. I also visited Avila, the mountaintop oasis with spectacular views of the city and a short distance away on the other side, Galipan, with its views of the Caribbean coastline.

(above) View of Caracas from the condola to Avila mountain top.

(above) View of the city from higher up the slope of Avila.

(above) Near the village of Galipan, north of Caracas.

I also explored some of the areas of Caracas that tourists never see, including some of the slums like Petare, which I've included a few scenes in the novel.

(above) The slums of Petare on the eastern side of Caracas.

Quite surprisingly, to conclude my visit, Romy managed to arrange a clandestine meeting with several militant and moderate chavistas, including attorneys, sociologists, a government ombudsman, state engineers and physicians, many of them exercising significant power in Chávez's government and political movement. After being screened at two downtown locations, I finally was ushered to a private room in the back of a restaurant, where the core team waited with mixed drinks in hand, smiles, rehearsed answers and a good dose of curiosity about my research interests and background (no, amigos, I am not with the CIA). It was a lively discussion and no topics were off limits. It was interesting to witness disagreements from within the group, particularly relating to Chavez's policies on oil revenue distribution and international relations.

(above) Clandestine meeting with key members of Chavez's party.

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Jun. 10, 2007) -- After a week in Acapulco, I arrived here in the Mexican capital for my first real chance to visit the city. I'm staying at the new W hotel in Polanco, the hip area on the northern edge of Chapultepec park. The wide boulevards and quaint streets and the sheer size of the city are just some of the things that hit you upon arrival.

(above) View of north-central Mexico City, including Chapultepec park.

(above) View of Metro line crossing Avenida 24 de Abril as plane lines up for final.

(above) Avenida Francisco I Madero in downtown Mexico City.

(above) The Metropolitan Cathedral facing the Zocalo.

(above) Julio Verne street in Polanco has quaint shops and restaurants.

(above) View from my room at the W Hotel in Polanco

The city offers an amazing urban assortment of sites for my sequel, and perhaps for one or more other books in the pipeline. I also visited the archeological museum and went to the artsy market at San Angel.

(above) Artwork for sale in San Angel's market square.

All photos and text Copyright © 2007 A.C. Frieden. No reproduction permitted without prior written approval by A.C. Frieden. For reproduction rights and higher resolution images, send email to afrieden[at]avendiapublishing.com.