Thursday, June 11, 2009

Bike Race

Arlington, Virginia. In Clarendon (or Bankrupt Row, speaking in future tense) bike was pitted against velo, pitted against fiets, pitted against the spectators' threshold of boredom. Round and round and round... The musical accompaniment is Zazie Fait De La Bicyclette by Les Plastiscines.
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Saturday, January 03, 2009

Argentina - Tilcara to Iruya

Northwest Argentina ...continued. Heading north out of Salta for a brief stay in Tilcara. Then on to the nice adobe town of Humahuaca - despite being overlooked by a huge kitschy sculpture. Another day was spent trekking the back roads in search of a lost pre-Columbian archaeology site, while stalked by feral cacti. It remains lost, though we evaded the prickly situation. Northwards again until the bus made a right off the main drag (screech!) onto an unsealed road. We rattled up, over and down, down to the end of the line, Iruya. A peaceful town nestled in a spectacular sheer valley. The musical accompaniment is Aguaplano by Paolo Conte and Taki Rock from "La Meilleure Sélection Des Andes".
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Saturday, December 13, 2008

Quebrada de Cafayate

Northwest Argentina - North of Cafayate, Route 40 winds through the Quebrada de Cafayate. Along the way are canyons and rock formations sculpted by wind and water, never before seen by human eyes. To reach one canyon, we waded across a river teeming with hungry crocodiles. The musical accompaniment is Humahuaqueño from La Meilleure Sélection Des Andes.
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Saturday, December 06, 2008

Argentina - Tafi del Valle to Salta

Northwest Argentina and the high desert regions in the shadow of the Andes (no you can't see them). Strays dogs roam everywhere. Even a few stray horses. Tafi del Valle had quiet streets, since it was off season, and too early for the Tucuman refugees fleeing the summer heat. Then north through Los Valles Calchaquíes to Cafayate, before moving on to the big city of Salta. The musical accompaniment is La Cordillera de los Andes by Los Enanitos Verdes.
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Saturday, November 22, 2008

Tango in La Boca

La Boca - For some reason turistas flock to this grey, colourless neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. Previously, it housed the working class, who laboured in the port. Today, artists flog their creations, while others flog the usual souvenir junk. Restaurateurs stage tango dances outside to lure in diners. A scarf dance was thrown in to keep you alert. The musical accompaniment is Tango Forte by Dublex Inc. WARNING: This film contains live-action footage. Do not be frightened.
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Saturday, November 15, 2008

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires. Well start with the gentrified Puerto Madera, then past Plaza de Mayo into the city. Hey, its Sunday. In San Telmo, Avenue Defensa is closed to motor traffic. Crafts, buskers, performance artists and turista hordes with digi-cams on extended arms, throng the street. Then over for a jaunt in the lively necropolis of the Recoleta Cemetery (Eva says Hola!). Over in the upscale Palermo, I trekked through relentless manicured parks to the holy grail of Buenos Aires - Club de Pescadores, perched over the muddy Rio de la Plata. The musical accompaniment is La Revencha del Tango by Gotan Project.
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Sunday, November 02, 2008

Argentina - Kinetic Snapshots

Raw and uncensored footage never before seen in theaters or on DVD from a trip to Argentina. A pastiche of action clips pretty much following the journey - Buenos Aires, Tafi del Valle, Cafayate, Salta, Humuhuaca, Iruya, Tilcara, then Salta and BsAs again.

Three more videos with better image quality from still photos (and locale specific) are to come later. Four, if you're good.
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Sunday, September 28, 2008

Vroom Vroom

Suddenly, the crickets were silenced. Birds stopped singing. Pets cowered in basements. Windows slammed shut and doors locked, while humble townsfolk hid beneath their beds. From over the horizon came the approach of an ominous rumbling. They were back. The moto hordes. And the muscular musical accompaniment is Moto Shagg by April March.
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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Australia to Holland with a Bike

I sailed into Sydney harbor from the 18th century aboard the HMS Bounty. After hanging around Sydney-side, I mounted my steed pedaling the long haul north on endless roads under a big sky. I rolled through scrub and savannah, swerving around dead roos sleeping on the roadside. After neglecting to heed the warning sign, I was forced to run for my life, pursued by a bloodthirsty pack of koalas. Onwards, I crossed the Tropic of Capricorn, zipped past Townsville, explored the bush around Cardwell and finally reached Cairns. But stayed beyond up at Trinity Beach. Just in time for Show Day. Then I hopped aboard the big silver bird, rounding the planet to Europe. I was dropped from 100 meters into Rheinland, Germany. South to cut the corner of Switzerland, then lugging up the arduous climb to Col de Bussang. Then through rainy pre-Sarko France and post-Manneken Pis Belgium. Finally The Netherlands - land of stroopwafel, drop and vla. Plus, there's a celebtrity-related surprise just bound to elicit a yawn. The musical accompaniment is Power and the Passion by Midnight Oil and Triggers by April March.
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Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Greece

After taking the ferry from Brindisi, we land on Corfu and make our way to the famous Pelekas (amongst backpackers) to kip on the hillside under the trees. Then on to smoggy Athens. In Piraeus, we hopped a ferry to the islands, passing Ios and Naxos, before sailing into the crater of Thira (or Santorini). We kipped on the black sand beach of Kamari. Finally Crete, Heraklion (and its famously ugly dry fountain) and the ruins of Knossos. I first ventured east on the island to Sitia and its shipwreck, then to Vai, sleeping out in open under palm trees. Finally, to Europes southern most point of Lentas. As an added bonus, well teleport to Cyprus for the briefest of glimpses of Limassol. The musical accompaniment is (naturally) Zobra the Greek by John Murphy & David Hughes, wrapped up with Trains to Brazil by The Guillemots.
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