So much to write about... Buenos Aires, which is my new favourite city, Uruguay with its old-time smuggling charm, more brazil days on the beach in 40+ weather ...but I just don’t feel like it so maybe later.
I will go to negative temperatures of europe now! Wish me luck and or sanity.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Foz de Iguaçu
Some places are said to inspire grand literary outburst, whole volumes inspired by a single place, while some are so photogenic that it is only with the greatest of control that one can restrain the itchy trigger-finger on the camera. The Iguassu waterfalls are neither; photos do not capture the sound the sound fury the force of the water and the shear immensity of it all, while words seem strangely lacking. It is like trying to describe fireworks to someone who has never seen them. No amount of words like sparkling lights in the sky can convey a new years eve barrage, and the commentary by the observers is much the same. 
I think I can best describe it as “Ooooooo!” which somewhat falls short of describing well over 100 waterfalls plummeting 30,50,75m all around and filling the air with spray rising up to 100m from where it plummets the water and rock bellow. Of course it helps that the river is in flood :) As I stand watching more than 15 million litres of water pound down with deafening noise all around, spilling from and over every rock crevice, crack or precipice that it can find, i think “I REALY need to take a piss!”The Argentinean side is great for a closer look at the waterfalls from beneath, in fact from inside, as they drive boats right up and under some of the big waterfalls... this is best described as “Aaaahhhhh”
So i leave you with my impression of Iguassu “ Ohhhhhhh, Aahhhhhh...”
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Pantanal and Bonito
Another of the earth’s richest biodiversity sites, this one is a swamp of sorts. Fertile flood plains by dry season, islands of wildlife in the wet and general swampiness in-between. Animals include howler monkeys, lizards, piranha, anacondas, little sissy versions of crocodiles, lots of birds (including Macau and Jabiru) and apparently jaguars... though I saw none. The Piranha are surprisingly tasty, as well as fisty, and prove the old adverb of if we don’t eat them they’ll eat us.
Bonito: floating down a three and a half kilometre tropical aquarium, filled with colourful fish of all sizes, otters, sissy-odiles and other animals. Bliss. This snorkelling river is so clear the blue waters look surreal against the gold and silver fish and the intense green of the forest.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Brazilia – WTF?
(another long bus trip, another long post)
The best way to sum up Brasília is ‘WTF’ (if you don’t know what that means you are in the right frame of mind). A great introduction to feel of Brasília is the Hélio Holanda Melo exhibit. From the outside it is fairly simple half sphere with a Saturn like ring providing entrance. Inside lot of fancy words like Dialectic and neo-Hegelian philosophies on anti-art are written on the curing, square, suspended, or strangely lit walls. To save you the Google time what most of it seems to boil down to is that art is not something that should be hung on walls and looked at, at least not only. The viewer becomes ‘the participant’ and as art like beauty is in the eye of the beholder he challenges you to make art out of the crap he has put in this impressive building. There is art to feel with your feet, such as small tents with different rocks in them, and to smell (a small tent with leaves) to experience a blind rainforest. There is a room with drapes and branches and an incredibly out of (or non-standard) tune piano that people jump on and play. Anyone who has known me for a while knows my view on art... I hate it, but with such passion that it’s almost a love. I always find myself going to art galleries all over the world to find the bits I like and to laugh, sneer or cry at everything else. So I find it hard to make up my mind on this. It is clearly useless and therefore art (form without function) but somehow I can’t help being impressed (partly at how he convinced people to waste money on this) at the obvious challenging of traditional art and the appeal to a more basic inner voice. I suppressed the little voice that said, huh?, WTF?, why?, But that’s not logical captain, as I too joyously threw pieces of ripped mattress into the air like a 5 year old in a ball tank (in the name of avant-garde expressionism of course).
And that sort of duality sums up brazilia. Niemeyer was given a bucket of white paint, a shit-tin of concrete, some glass, and a bit of food colouring and created one of the marvels of the modern world out of it. Every structure had things that surprise amaze and inspire awe. Simple sweeping lines that combine to create complexity. Take the cathedral it contains a floor that curves up on the sides to form a bowl of marble and suspended from the ceiling, not against some wall, are the statues of angles as if floating down from heaven.
The city is laid out logically but not efficiently. There is almost no information on how to get around (e.g. bus routs and timetables) and there is a long walk between the various attractions, restaurants, and the too few hotels. Rich government employees enjoy fine dining, and impoverished (usually black) lower class drinking in the streets. The metro dose not run far enough, though it is efficient where it does run. A city that is made to be looked at, but is not tourist friendly. Everything is either expensive or free. A city of contradictions. WTF?
Next I have to mention the Templo da Boa Vontade, the first fully ecumenical temple, a place of general and non specific worship. This was a structure so complex I decided to visit it twice. First with an open mind (so open my mind was in danger of falling out) and then with a scientific and analytic mind (one that would have made spock seem like a an emotionally charged pubescent teen with ADD). This second mind unapologetically notices more and so the description is longer:
Visit 1: As I enter the temple, the sounds and worries of the world seem to slip away softly. An ire calm takes over as I remove my shoes to be close to the ground and feel the cold marble. I silently in contemplation walk the long spiral of black marble on white, descending into the centre of the domed structure. The dark path seems to lengthen and slow as I slowly reach the centre. Standing on the small brass plaque and gazing into the largest crystal on earth directly overhead, bathed in its focused “cosmic energy”. The air all about seems still and silent as I stand alone amongst the people in the room. I relax and begin my outward journey the path of white marble brining me out of the depth of the temple to arrive refreshed before an alter of the 4 natural elements. A steel representation that seems to shift softly in colours, i walk on and sipping holy water that has been purified and absorbed holy energies from the crystal overhead. The next room I come to is the Egyptian room, a relaxing 
space filled with lush blue seats, gold drapes, ornate carvings and Egyptian motives lead up to a decretive ceiling depicting skies of blue and soft white clouds. I sink into the seats and relax in perfect silence and forget about the world outside - Relaxing body and mind. Though a little of my mind did make the leap from body to mind to spirit as I lay there contemplating weather a nice gin and tonic or a scotch on the rocks wouldn’t be just the thing to relax further. As I imagined the soft clink of ice surrounded by a smooth single malt I turned my attention back to the painted ceiling and my mind returns to its contemplation of oblivion. Feeling refreshed I exited the building, and am somewhat shocked at the loud hustle and bustle of life on even this quite street which induces a feeling of being torn from the quiet sanctuary of the temple.
Visit2: The temple is a heavyset concrete structure buried into the ground 6 narrow windows are thick double glaze and pearl-white opaic glass. As I descend into the structure via a thickly carpeted corridor (floor, walls and ceiling) around a bend into the main chamber. It is now I realise we are within the ground and sound is reduced by more than 90% from ambient, I would venture as much as -12dB which is quite impressive without the use of a door. The chamber I am now in contains a few barren benches and an equally barren alter on the far side. The flat white and black spiral clearly evident on the floor contains a brass centre no more than 6cm across. I remove my shoes to further reduce any noise made walking across the marble, even these humble hiking shoes would sound like SS boots reverberating in the small and quite space. I begin my walk along the black marble noting that the tiles decrease in size so at to keep a specific number of tiles in each circuit, this has a disorienting effect of slowing you down as you reach the centre. In the centre I gaze up at a large hunk of quartz, with an obvious flaw across it lengthwise, that makes the point of the roof. I consider that there is no way that any radiation (rays cosmic or 
otherwise) could be focused upon the centre of the room, given the oblique angle of the sun and the cut of the quartz, even assuming for a moment that such a property of quartz existed. Perhaps a more ubiquitous source is needed, stellar X-rays? I briefly consider bremstralung and secondary emission as I make my way out of the spiral along the white marble. As the tiles gain in size I note myself unthinkingly striding larger and faster out of the centre until I stand before the alter. Seven marble steps with a stainless steel plate atop that someone has, very artistically, attacked with an angle grinder – the use of coloured lights above it adds an attractive multi-colloured sheen as I move my head left and right it changes almost like a cheap hologram. I sip from the holy water hoping their ‘purification’ involves some very hefty filters as the rainwater is quite polluted here (evident from the dirt on the car windshield I noticed outside). As I sip from the small disposable plastic cup it strikes me that this is nether ecologically sound nor is there a recycling bin provided, I tuck the plastic cup in my pocket in hopes of finding one later. Next is the Egyptian room, a room which contains gaudy plastic imitations of Egyptian art painted gold and two quite squat looking sphinxes, that I think I would have no trouble of running past were these the guardians of the underworld. The room itself is lined on both sides by silent air purifiers and humidifiers making it a very comfortable change from the semi-tropical heat, and dusty air, outside. I sit on the plush seat and inspect the very androgynous Egyptian figure carved into the armrest, Is this an effeminate man or a flat chested woman i wonder? After again noting the lack of Egyptian bar staff I return my attention to the inscription I read. Written in 14 languages, including Esperanto (whatever happened to that? Too logical I suppose), it reads “The dead do not lie”. Ahh I think, a quote on the acceptance of our history that our past is filled with the experiences of those that went before us, whatever history says the cemetery is 
their final testament? No, as it turns out I miss read it for it says, 14 times, “The Dead do not Die” Hmm? Well not a second time I suppose, unless they reincarnate. Pondering this I returned to the rest of the exhibition. The next interesting room contained a fake marble sarcophagus in a blue glow that imitated water to the point that I wanted to jump in. Above was a picture of the 4 horseman of the apocalypse riding in with a Jesus at the centre looking who looked quite pleased with the destruction and suffering of man depicted below. Not terribly multi-faith but then I suppose it is a Christian temple after all. Before exiting you pass a purified water fountain which I hope is not the same as the water I was drinking as two turtles seem to be enjoying all that cosmic energy and obeying god’s command of “Go forth and multiply”. As I exit the building I insert my noise-cancelling headphones and again marvel at the sound reduction in this buried building.
The best way to sum up Brasília is ‘WTF’ (if you don’t know what that means you are in the right frame of mind). A great introduction to feel of Brasília is the Hélio Holanda Melo exhibit. From the outside it is fairly simple half sphere with a Saturn like ring providing entrance. Inside lot of fancy words like Dialectic and neo-Hegelian philosophies on anti-art are written on the curing, square, suspended, or strangely lit walls. To save you the Google time what most of it seems to boil down to is that art is not something that should be hung on walls and looked at, at least not only. The viewer becomes ‘the participant’ and as art like beauty is in the eye of the beholder he challenges you to make art out of the crap he has put in this impressive building. There is art to feel with your feet, such as small tents with different rocks in them, and to smell (a small tent with leaves) to experience a blind rainforest. There is a room with drapes and branches and an incredibly out of (or non-standard) tune piano that people jump on and play. Anyone who has known me for a while knows my view on art... I hate it, but with such passion that it’s almost a love. I always find myself going to art galleries all over the world to find the bits I like and to laugh, sneer or cry at everything else. So I find it hard to make up my mind on this. It is clearly useless and therefore art (form without function) but somehow I can’t help being impressed (partly at how he convinced people to waste money on this) at the obvious challenging of traditional art and the appeal to a more basic inner voice. I suppressed the little voice that said, huh?, WTF?, why?, But that’s not logical captain, as I too joyously threw pieces of ripped mattress into the air like a 5 year old in a ball tank (in the name of avant-garde expressionism of course).
And that sort of duality sums up brazilia. Niemeyer was given a bucket of white paint, a shit-tin of concrete, some glass, and a bit of food colouring and created one of the marvels of the modern world out of it. Every structure had things that surprise amaze and inspire awe. Simple sweeping lines that combine to create complexity. Take the cathedral it contains a floor that curves up on the sides to form a bowl of marble and suspended from the ceiling, not against some wall, are the statues of angles as if floating down from heaven.The city is laid out logically but not efficiently. There is almost no information on how to get around (e.g. bus routs and timetables) and there is a long walk between the various attractions, restaurants, and the too few hotels. Rich government employees enjoy fine dining, and impoverished (usually black) lower class drinking in the streets. The metro dose not run far enough, though it is efficient where it does run. A city that is made to be looked at, but is not tourist friendly. Everything is either expensive or free. A city of contradictions. WTF?
Next I have to mention the Templo da Boa Vontade, the first fully ecumenical temple, a place of general and non specific worship. This was a structure so complex I decided to visit it twice. First with an open mind (so open my mind was in danger of falling out) and then with a scientific and analytic mind (one that would have made spock seem like a an emotionally charged pubescent teen with ADD). This second mind unapologetically notices more and so the description is longer:
Visit 1: As I enter the temple, the sounds and worries of the world seem to slip away softly. An ire calm takes over as I remove my shoes to be close to the ground and feel the cold marble. I silently in contemplation walk the long spiral of black marble on white, descending into the centre of the domed structure. The dark path seems to lengthen and slow as I slowly reach the centre. Standing on the small brass plaque and gazing into the largest crystal on earth directly overhead, bathed in its focused “cosmic energy”. The air all about seems still and silent as I stand alone amongst the people in the room. I relax and begin my outward journey the path of white marble brining me out of the depth of the temple to arrive refreshed before an alter of the 4 natural elements. A steel representation that seems to shift softly in colours, i walk on and sipping holy water that has been purified and absorbed holy energies from the crystal overhead. The next room I come to is the Egyptian room, a relaxing 
space filled with lush blue seats, gold drapes, ornate carvings and Egyptian motives lead up to a decretive ceiling depicting skies of blue and soft white clouds. I sink into the seats and relax in perfect silence and forget about the world outside - Relaxing body and mind. Though a little of my mind did make the leap from body to mind to spirit as I lay there contemplating weather a nice gin and tonic or a scotch on the rocks wouldn’t be just the thing to relax further. As I imagined the soft clink of ice surrounded by a smooth single malt I turned my attention back to the painted ceiling and my mind returns to its contemplation of oblivion. Feeling refreshed I exited the building, and am somewhat shocked at the loud hustle and bustle of life on even this quite street which induces a feeling of being torn from the quiet sanctuary of the temple.
Visit2: The temple is a heavyset concrete structure buried into the ground 6 narrow windows are thick double glaze and pearl-white opaic glass. As I descend into the structure via a thickly carpeted corridor (floor, walls and ceiling) around a bend into the main chamber. It is now I realise we are within the ground and sound is reduced by more than 90% from ambient, I would venture as much as -12dB which is quite impressive without the use of a door. The chamber I am now in contains a few barren benches and an equally barren alter on the far side. The flat white and black spiral clearly evident on the floor contains a brass centre no more than 6cm across. I remove my shoes to further reduce any noise made walking across the marble, even these humble hiking shoes would sound like SS boots reverberating in the small and quite space. I begin my walk along the black marble noting that the tiles decrease in size so at to keep a specific number of tiles in each circuit, this has a disorienting effect of slowing you down as you reach the centre. In the centre I gaze up at a large hunk of quartz, with an obvious flaw across it lengthwise, that makes the point of the roof. I consider that there is no way that any radiation (rays cosmic or 
otherwise) could be focused upon the centre of the room, given the oblique angle of the sun and the cut of the quartz, even assuming for a moment that such a property of quartz existed. Perhaps a more ubiquitous source is needed, stellar X-rays? I briefly consider bremstralung and secondary emission as I make my way out of the spiral along the white marble. As the tiles gain in size I note myself unthinkingly striding larger and faster out of the centre until I stand before the alter. Seven marble steps with a stainless steel plate atop that someone has, very artistically, attacked with an angle grinder – the use of coloured lights above it adds an attractive multi-colloured sheen as I move my head left and right it changes almost like a cheap hologram. I sip from the holy water hoping their ‘purification’ involves some very hefty filters as the rainwater is quite polluted here (evident from the dirt on the car windshield I noticed outside). As I sip from the small disposable plastic cup it strikes me that this is nether ecologically sound nor is there a recycling bin provided, I tuck the plastic cup in my pocket in hopes of finding one later. Next is the Egyptian room, a room which contains gaudy plastic imitations of Egyptian art painted gold and two quite squat looking sphinxes, that I think I would have no trouble of running past were these the guardians of the underworld. The room itself is lined on both sides by silent air purifiers and humidifiers making it a very comfortable change from the semi-tropical heat, and dusty air, outside. I sit on the plush seat and inspect the very androgynous Egyptian figure carved into the armrest, Is this an effeminate man or a flat chested woman i wonder? After again noting the lack of Egyptian bar staff I return my attention to the inscription I read. Written in 14 languages, including Esperanto (whatever happened to that? Too logical I suppose), it reads “The dead do not lie”. Ahh I think, a quote on the acceptance of our history that our past is filled with the experiences of those that went before us, whatever history says the cemetery is 
their final testament? No, as it turns out I miss read it for it says, 14 times, “The Dead do not Die” Hmm? Well not a second time I suppose, unless they reincarnate. Pondering this I returned to the rest of the exhibition. The next interesting room contained a fake marble sarcophagus in a blue glow that imitated water to the point that I wanted to jump in. Above was a picture of the 4 horseman of the apocalypse riding in with a Jesus at the centre looking who looked quite pleased with the destruction and suffering of man depicted below. Not terribly multi-faith but then I suppose it is a Christian temple after all. Before exiting you pass a purified water fountain which I hope is not the same as the water I was drinking as two turtles seem to be enjoying all that cosmic energy and obeying god’s command of “Go forth and multiply”. As I exit the building I insert my noise-cancelling headphones and again marvel at the sound reduction in this buried building.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Caraca – National park / monastery / Hogwarts
I find myself travelling with 2 dutch boys of late and we have made it to this secluded monastery nestled in a 10,000 km2 national park. Part national park, part catholic monastery (with large church), and part harry porter style boarding school, complete with the forbidden forest creatures. It has some beautiful lakes, waterfalls, mountains and a rich animal life. 
The pride of which are the manned wolves. The real kicker was that the weather was finally good enough to swim in the waterfalls and lakes, so we did. Our first was a charming 40m 3 tiered waterfall that doubled as a nice shower :) 
The dining hall, grounds, and dormitory wings all give that boarding school feel that is now invariably associated with harry potter. We sat at the huffelpuff table and gazed at the portraits of ex-brazilin presidents who once attended the school. The food was good, heated by large wood fired harth and in the morning we cooked our eggs on this surface. Today the sanctuary of caraca still features an ornate church set in a mix of manicured gardens and wild forests.
Sadly while my camera is waterproof it is not an unshakable force of nature proof! Day 2 we found ourselves at a 100m tall waterfall after a 6km walk and were instantly impressed by the vast quantities of water pounding across this multileveled wonder. It is hard to describe the feeling of seeing this vast quantity of water pound relentlessly across the rocks to create a pool that i can only describe as natures spa. You sit in the turbulent waters with eddies rips and currents pushing you from all sides with the spray mist and roaring noise to your back, the low sun forms a 360 degree rainbow all around you as you are alternately pulled and pushed by the rocks and the waves. AMASING!
This nightly spectacle is the feeding of the manned wolves. For the last nearly 30 years the priests here have been feeding a breeding pair of wolves with nightly meet scraps. We sit on the church steps listening to the organ finishing the churches sermon and await the wolves clutching a glass of wine and talking in hushed tones. I was just thinking weather it was a good idea to wear my alpaca jumper as I now look and smell like a large sheep. Suddenly a quiet takes the crowd as a stealthy wolf appears in our midst. Standing as tall as my waist with a powerful build he creeps closer.
With a soft almost inaudible patter of paws, gingerly the wolf makes his way to his food. Cautiously he devours a few pieces of chicken crunching their bones like matchsticks. The flash of photography and the noise of people clearly make him nervous, ears twitching and paws ready to leap. After a few minutes he has had his fill and retreats to the darkness once more. UNBELIVABLE!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Colonial Charm
I am now on the colonial Brazil trail and I like it. Now I know what some of you are thinking ‘Colonial’ it’s all antique roadshow rejects, creaking floorboards, and sleeping on a mattress that is just as comfortable as when it was still part of the Berlin wall, and of course your right. So now your thinking either “He’s finally lost his marbles, I knew that much travelling wasn’t good for him” or “Awwww how cultural and interesting and I hope he photographs the 17th century telegraph poles” either way hear me out before reaching your conclusion. I was sick of rio, no no really hear me out, sick of the partying till the sun comes up and sleeping till midday, no keep reading, i was also sick of the rain that made the beaches and sightseeing and stuff a drag. So i hoped on a bus and headed north, and ended up travelling back in time to colonial brazil (where they still don’t speak any English)
Stone bridges, cobble stone streets, colour full houses and lots of churches. So while yes it sounds a bit like those villages tucked away in Germany/England or just country bumpkin towns like Ross off the midlands highway (and when was the last time you stopped there?) Spanish colonial has a more vibrant feel, not so Edwardian and naturally mixes with palm trees and garishly bright and colourful paintjobs. It is less sheering sheds, frilly lace sheets and Devonshire tea, and a more believable kind of rough and tumble life that was the colonial era. You realise that the people in this area where not sitting around whittling and knitting doilies they were living hard working the land or digging it up, amidst slavery corruption and revolt – and they were just trying to make their drab lives more exiting by building painting and crafting what items of luxury they could.
I also visited a great sci&tech museum in Ouro preto that contains an AMASING collection of minerals that even appeal to and impresses the non-geologists :) it also features things like 1.8 mil year old bones and a chunk of the meteor that “wiped out the dinosaurs”. I have also visited some mines and as you can see left i am mining just like back home but this time in a coal mine.... ehh ehhh i think i got the black lung.There is something nice about a town you can spend a day exploring see all the sights/churches/monument and still have time fit in a long beer over lunch, and two over dinner.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Rio Baby!
Happy newyear! 2011 came in with flare, fireworks, and lots of Brazilian music and dancing. From 4pm we camped on Copacabana beach in front of the main stage with much drinking dancing and general merriment we saw in the new year. And if this first day is anything to go by it’s going to be a good one! Thank you to all those party people from the beach you really made the night great! In the morning I awoke to a slight headache, oysters prawns and smoked salmon, which makes me think this hotel was a nice touch if a little on the dear side.
Hope you are all having a fantastic time of it, and all the best for the year to come...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)