2012 in Five Movements

2012. The year through a symphony of kinetic snapshots in five movements. 1. Dragon boat race on the Potomac – GO!!!!! 2. Arlington County carnival. 3. A brief interlude on the Potomac down in Alexandria. 4. The Clarendon street fest featuring a spinning class to flog health club memberships (it was better than milling crowds). 5. The Marine Corps Marathon après fini mob in Rosslyn.

2012 and Camera

2012 as it unfolded before my camera. There are odd shots, artsy shots,  slice-of-life shots, shots that happened to catch my fancy and multiple shots of some local events (with all these shots, it’s lucky this isn’t a drinking game). The local events: Dragon boat race on the Potomac,  Civil war re-enactor weirdos in Arlington, Rosslyn Jazz Fest, Arlington Carny Fair, Glen Echo art decco, Clarendon Street Fest, Marine Corps Marathon après fini crowds and some storms and damage. The musical accompaniment is Megamix by Jean Michel Jarre.

Chain Bridge Water Main Burst

Film of the great water main burst under Chain Bridge (12 mar 2006) has been found swept up on an Icelandic beach. Cinematographer, Luigi Cafeteria is still missing, with his whereabouts under investigation. WARNING: Graphic footage may be too intense for hydrophobes. Peter Jackson eat your heart out.

Originally posted elsewhere on 24 April 2006

Game Viewing, South Africa

We were dropped into the African wild to survive with only our bare hands, fleet feet, gnashing teeth, a jeep and a ranger. Twenty-four hours amongst the beasts. Of the eight that went in, only nine of us returned. The locale: Schotia Reserve and Addo Elephant National Park.The musical accompaniment is Sing Sing Sing (with a Swing) by Louis Prima.

Originally published elsewhere on 4 February 2012.

Along the Garden Route, South Africa

South Africa’s southern coast. A trail known as the Garden Route. My journey begins in Hermanus, where right whales swim close to shore watching humans watching them. Then further along to Mossel Bay, with its aboriginal cave beneath the lighthouse occupied for thousands of years. Then the museum complex with its replica of the Bartolomeu Dias used by the Portuguese in 15th century exploration of Africa. Wilderness with the cool name. And a crazy squatter, known as the Cave Man, homesteading in an abandoned rail road shed and his sea shell and driftwood art. On to Stormsriver to zip through the tree tops of the Tsitsitkamma forest. A confrontation with a troup of baboons. Finally finishing up in Post Elizabeth – and I was never seen, nor head from again. The musical accompaniment is Fever by Sarah Vaughn, remixed by Adam Freeland.

Originally published elsewhere on 26 December 2011.

Cape Town – The Mother City

First day there, Table Mountain was cowering beneath clouds. So I went walkabout. First down to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront, a combination tourista trap, shopping mall and working ship yard. Then into the city proper to Green Market Square and up to Bo Kaap. The next day, the mountain was clear, so I hiked up. On my return to Cape Town after exploring the Western and a bit o f the Eastern Capes, I cruised over to Robben Island. Saw Nelson Mandel’s cell. Then on final stroll around the V & A Waterfront. The musical accompaniment is Cruising Through by Goldfish.

Originally published elsewhere on 3 December 2011.

Kleine Karoo and Stellenbosch, too

Dropped off at Die Top of the Swartberg pass, I was left to make my way back on bicycle for 54 harrowing kilometers through the Kleine Karoo. I passed farms and ostrich ranches (and camel rides?). At times pursued by ravenous herds of man-eating ostriches. Luckily, I arrived unscathed in the town of Oudtshoorn. Then we’re magically transported to Stellenbosch. Uni town and wine center. Strolled through the Village Museum for a gander at Dutch colonial life in the 17th and 18th centuries. Then I hired a dodgy bike to pedal the vineyards, but ventured only as far as I was willing to walk back – a real el crappo bike. The musical accompaniment is Get Some by Lykke Li and Concerto 2 – F Major of the Brandenburg Concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach, conducted by Helmuth Rilling.

originally published elsewhere on 16 January 2012.

South Africa Safari – Kinetic Snapshots

 

Armed to the teeth with digital cameras, we rolled into the African bush – Schotia Reserve and Addo Elephant National Park. Few expected to emerge uneaten. And thus we were treated to a pride of lions, a pair of rhinos, herds of elephants, a parade of giraffes and assorted bovines. And the roar of a wild, wild wind. For some reason, they wouldn’t let us climb down from the rover to pet the hungry lions.

Originally published elsewhere on 1 November 2011.

 

 

Cape Town, South Africa – Kinetic Snapshots

Spring in the Mother City. On flight fatigued walkabout in the city, I stumbled upon Green Market Square selling tourist junk. After climbing Table Mountain, sans cloud cover, I rode back down on the cable way. I was lucky nabbing a hard to get ticket to Robben Island. We were shown the prison by a former political prisoner named Nande (apologies to the gentleman if I’ve misspelt his name). You’ll have to wait for the photo/video to see Nelson Mandela’s cell. The V & A Waterfront is gentrified and tourista-fied, though still a working port and ship yard.

Originally published elsewhere on 30 October 2011.

The Garden Route – Kinetic Snapshots

From Cape Town, I hopped the Baz Bus to ride along the Garden Route. First stop – Hermanus. Where right whale watching can be done seasick-free from shore. Whales seen, the next stop was Mossel Bay. Wind swept coast around from the town. Those rodent-like critters are Dassis, whose closest genetic relative is the elephant. Next stop – Wilderness (cool name). Grotty weather till the sun emerged just before I left. Enroute to Storms River Village, we crossed the Bloukrans Bridge with the world’s highest bungy jump (I’d done my once-in-a-lifetime jump in New Zealand). Off the ground and into the trees with a canopy tour in the Tsitsikamma Forest. Taking a walk in the forest, I ran into some baboons – pardon the big foot fuzzy images. I finished in Port Elizabeth with a safari which is another video entirely. Backtracking, I ventured into the Kleine Karoo to Oudtshoorn. Driven up to the Swartberg Pass, I was tossed out with a mountain bike to make my way back. Passed ostrich ranches. A tourist show, where they paid thousands of rand, and which I secretly filmed from the road so you can view it for free. Then regretfully paid to enter an ostrich farm with ostrich riding – yee-haw! Finally, before returning to Cape Town, I ventured as far as I dared on a shitty bike in the vinelands of Stellenbosch.

Originally published elsewhere on 31 October 2011.