Homo Viator

....and if it wasn't such a remote destination, I would probably update the blog every day. I may be able to write a couple of entries, but I cannot promise it. The blog shall be back on track, running on a daily basis in two weeks time, after my return. Below some info on where I am going...Shanti, shanti!

As a Homo Viator, I still suffer from acute restlessness and the unbound desire to explore the world. Back from the US and A and inspired by the first scenes of "The last King of Scotland", I studied the world map, planning my next trip in the most spontaneous way possible. I initially wanted to travel to Asia. Mongolia was my top choice, but flights were very expensive. Then I thought about China, but even though I want to discover China, I somehow think that China is more interesting as a place to live and work in, then to travel to. I was longing for something less westernized, more exotic. Vietnam was a short favourite, as was Bhutan and Indonesia. But those flights were expensive as well, so I looked into Africa. Madagascar and Mozambique have long been on top of my list, but at the moment is not the best time to go. Then I stumbled over two countries that I had never thought of and that now, after reading about them yesterday were catapulted to the top of my places-to-visit-list. Mauritania and Mali. I saw the most amazing pictures and after reading about them, they appeared to be the kind of destinations that I enjoy visiting. The Lonely Planet writes that "nature's sci-fi is on display in the esoteric landscape of Mali." Unfortunately it is rainy season there though. Then I thought about Libya, doing a pure desert trip. The Sahara is at its best in Libya and it seems to be a fascinating place, which definitely remains on the list. But during the summer the heat is supposed to be unbearable and a desert trip according to the Lonely Planet is just for masochists.
It is not that India came up after crossing out all these places before. Since being there 4 years ago, India has always kept its place in my traveller heart. When looking for a country to visit, I subconsciously compare every country and its cultural offerings to those of India. India satisfies every travelers dream imaginable and India has raised the bar in terms of my travel expectations. No country I could think of has such a diversity to offer. From all my travels India was the country that taught me the most, that was the most mystic, the most exotic, the most intriguing. Let’s not even talk about the food or the eye candy, seeing a gracious Indian woman in her Sari. So why not return? My friend Ritesh from India was another reason for me to go. I have travelled with him before in India and I can call myself very fortunate to be able to not only travel with a great friend, but with a local who loves his country and knows so much about the magnificent and inspiring Hindu and Buddhist cultures. As our time is limited, we will concentrate on the far North of India, Jammu & Kashmir. Because of its remoteness, high up in the Great Himalayas, and the Kashmir conflict, this area does not see too many tourists. The scenery must be breathtaking and as a true Bavarian and ever since I have travelled through the Andes in Latin America, I have been a fan of the altitude.
We will go very high up, to Ladhak, renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture. It is sometimes called "Little Tibet" and bordering the Tibetan plateau, it has been strongly influenced by the Tibetan culture.
I cannot wait to be back to the country of ganesha, the great sadhus, babas, budhist monks, western yogis, late wannabe hippies, real ex-hippies, shilums, street monkeys, ritesh, holy cows causing traffic jams, spiritual seekers, their gurus, religious wanderers, pilgrims, snake charmers......

.....I'll continue the list when I am back.

I have mentioned it in the post below, here two videos of these great little farmer stalls that so picturesquely dot the Hamptons landscape.

It is impossible to convey the unique beauty and unmatched atmosphere of the Hamptons by images or words alone. Great books like Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby or movies such as Wall Street came very close, but as with so many other places, only a visit will make one truly understand why the Hamptons are so special. It starts with the light and ends with the people. The special light of the Hamptons has attracted artists ever since, from Warhol to Pollock to Schnabel. The Hamptons have kept an old world kind of charm and the beaches are pristine. Farms are still part of its scenery and construction is slow paced when compared to other favourite vacation spots. Tight regulations ensure that Miami style villas are forbidden and hotels kept to an absolute minimum. The Hamptons just feel natural, homey and not very touristic. Nightlife during the summer months is New York's best, but the Hamptons nevertheless feel calmingly quiet. The quietness is intriguing, as are the people, the New Yorkers, who come out here every weekend. Below some videos that will at least give you an idea of how it looks like here.

Take a drive with me

A recent magazine voted Berlin as the avant-garde capital of Europe. And a lot of people I have met in recent months, including here in New York, rave about the cultural, music and art scene in Berlin. Maybe Berlin is indeed on its way to recapture the rank it had already occupied in the roaring Twenties and become a true global intellectual center of creativity.

An author asked himself how the world would change if all human life disappeared and came up with some interesting conclusions. It would not take long until mother earth would take back what had been taken from her. Our cities would look like the temples of Angkor Wat that had been covered in Jungle. Imagine New York like this, with the Central Park taking over. According to the author, city workers in New York currently prohibit 50million liters of water to enter the subway every day, because New York's ground water levels are constantly on the rise due to the proximity to the Atlantic. Once workers would stop fighting this increase, the city would be flooded in less than 36 hours. This would break up streets and lead to plants to spread even faster.

Animals that are dependent on humans would die out. Rats would be the first to die and neither dogs nor horses would make it without us. They are just not competitive enough. The big winners among the animal world would be animals such as the Gnu that currently suffer from humans protecting their competitors. The Massai defend the cattle that compete with the Gnu for fodder. Interestingly enough, even though the dog would become extinct, the house cat would be able to survive, as it has generally kept its hunting instinct.

Just read an interesting article, where the writer argues that animation in movies has lost its appeal, even to the mass that normally uprightly follows the marketing leads of commercial blockbusters. One of the most expensive and most animated movies in recent years, Evan Almighty, was this summer's biggest flop. The authors say that the surge of interest in real animal documentaries for example shows that people do want to completely loose touch to the real world and that the movie would have more appeal if those animals had been real. The grand old Hollywood productions dealt with similar themes and screenplays but put the effort to at least partially recreate reality.

I completely agree! In Lawrence of Arabia for example, the director waited in the desert for hours, at 50C, just to get the perfect shot of a "real" fatamorgana.
The authors also mention Fitzcarraldo for its incredible use of real images. In the movie Werner Herzog makes his cast carry a huge ship over a hill, in the heat of the Amazonas. Many members of his crew got injured or sick, but the images made movie history. Nowadays all those kinds of images would have been created digitally, but would clearly lack visual and emotional impact.

If you have never watched Fitzcarraldo, please go rent it. Werner Herzog is one great director, who sees movies more as a form of art than entertainment.





Klaus Kinski, the main actor of most of Herzog`s movies was quite a lunatic, but definately one of my favourite actors of all times. Below footage from the making of Fitzcarraldo, where you can see what a twisted character Kinski was. A camera man continued filming, while Kinski gets into a fight with the Head of Production. Apparently he goes nuts, just because he did not like the food in the morning. You gotta see this!!!! A mad genius at work. The comment is from Werner Herzog himself. This is just one example of Kinski's aggressive outbursts. Most of the interviews he gave, ended in a similar turmoil.



Here another example of how great of a filmmaker Herzog was. The first minutes of Aguirre. He proves so well that real mystic images and intense music do not need to be accompanied by many cuts, dialogs or digital footage in order to get under you skin.

Even though this guy is relatively unknown and still performs on the streets of New York, he deserves to be in the Great Musicians category. The way he does the beat box, while playing the flute is just insane. I had seen him perform at The Box and found some more videos.



Did I already mention that I love New York more than any other place on earth? Jajaja.. Well here another reason why: Nowhere will you find so much art in the streets and subways. New Yorks' subway stations have proper bands, comedians, break dancers, mariachis, poetry readers, clowns, snake charmers, lion tamers....okey, now I am starting to exaggerate a bit.

Even though I liked his movies, I am not a Michael Moore fan and am well aware of the short comings of his work. He makes use of tricky techniques, and while not lying explicitly, he often leaves out important truths to convey his points. Yes, he is a demagogue, but what I do like about his movies is that they address important issues and in the end always stimulate thought and debate. In countries such as the USA that are characterized by a broad lack of political interest, the likes of Michael Moore thus have a relevant place within the democratic structure. The importance of raising awareness of the issues he addresses may well justify his extreme and sometimes rather naive claims.

Whether you believe everything he says or criticize his methods,you must admit that he is damn eloquent. Below a proof of that. An experienced journalist such as our beloved Wolf did not stand a chance against him. Attack is often the best defense. Great performance!