I love it when you talk foreign - travels through Bolivia from Megan Nowell on Vimeo.
Monday, 2 February 2015
Travels through Bolivia
Labels:
adventure,
Amazon,
Bolivia,
Copacabana,
death road,
desert,
La Paz,
lagoon,
Lake Titicaca,
Pampas,
rainforest,
Rurrenabaque,
salt flats,
survival,
train graveyard,
travel,
Tupiza,
Uyuni,
Yungas
Location:
Bolivia
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Berlin, Germany
Not too long ago, the governing mayor of Berlin described his city as 'poor, but sexy.' As it turns out, it is also cheap, but stylish, high-tec, but crummy and classy, but dirty. The split-personality is always evident. I love how the people here have embraced the paradoxical city and created their own unique laid-back, arty identity.
Labels:
Berlin,
Germany,
graffiti,
street art
Location:
Berlin, Germany
Sunday, 14 July 2013
Chellah, Morocco
I often wonder what it is that makes sultan after emperor after king build their towns on the very same spot. I pondered this thought while walking through the remnant layers of Chellah, once a Phonecian village, a Roman town, an Almohad necropolis, Merinid complex and now... tourist garden. This is one of those magical sites that keep drawing people back. It's location (once upon a time) on the banks of the Bou Regreg river would certainly have been a plus, but there is no view to write home about and the slope couldn't have been easy to build on. And yet, as you walk among the ruins, topped by the nests of the new rulers of Chellah (the storks), there is some powerful energy that captivates the soul.
Location:
Rabat, Morocco
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Otranto, Italy
Otranto marks the very tip of the heel of the Italian boot. The Adriatic and Ionian seas meet against the salty walls of the town giving it the feel of one of those places where the natural elements (location included) have given it more of a history than the residents past. We followed the procession of Christ through the dark streets (it was Easter weekend) as eerie shadows of saints and sinners morphed along the ancient castle walls. My favourite part of the town was the impressive and unconventional mosaiced floor of the church depicting the tree of life and all its weird and wonderful life forms.
Location:
Otranto Province of Lecce, Italy
Sunday, 23 June 2013
Organyá, Spain
I never imagined that I could follow an eagle
in mid-flight, high above the olive groves, gliding across the breath-takingly
beautiful Organyá valley. This is one of the most popular paragliding spots in
Spain and as the wind became less fierce and irrational, so the sky filled with
coloured paragliders and feather friends. The cowboys of the air vied
for a little room to resume their state of bliss high above the mountains,
performing crazy tricks with remarkable agility as the sun settled slowly into
the Pyrenees.
Labels:
Organyá,
pargliding,
Spain
Location:
Organyà, Lleida, Spain
Sunday, 9 June 2013
Málaga, Spain
Málaga is a delightfully underrated city. Being one of the
oldest cities in the world, she has somehow mastered the art of simultaneously
falling apart and keeping up with the times. Ancient ruins spy on strobe-lit
clubs from their lofty viewpoint, while renaissance cathedrals are the backdrop
for many a modern cafe. The warm, colourful, laid-back Andalusian culture
somehow gels it all together, giving the city a relaxed and quietly awesome
vibe.
And as for the tapas, find yourself a local knight to guide
you to Bodega Bar El Pimpi for some of the best in town.
Location:
Málaga, Spain
Sunday, 2 June 2013
The Mongol Derby
Today
I have the pride, the privilege...nay, the pleasure of interviewing a woman
more courageous than any knight. Barbara Seele is a true intrepid adventurer with a spirit
stronger than a thousand wild Mongolian horses. And Mongolian horses she will be riding on an epic adventure following Genghis Khan's legendary postal system.
Barbs, you’re setting off to do the Mongol Derby this August. That’s the longest, toughest horse race in the world! I mean, you’ll be riding 1000km on horseback as fast as you can with no marked route! What the heck were you thinking?
A big thanks to Shaun Irwin for the stunning photos!
Barbs, you’re setting off to do the Mongol Derby this August. That’s the longest, toughest horse race in the world! I mean, you’ll be riding 1000km on horseback as fast as you can with no marked route! What the heck were you thinking?
Simple intrigue. Call of the wild. And for once,
just a sense of clarity and peace: I'm going to enter. Full stop, or rather:
exclamation mark!
(How does one respond to such an extraordinary undertaking?) What
sorts of preparations are required to get ready for 10 days of galloping across
the Mongolian steppe?
Initially I just thought: ride ride ride. Now I
realize it's a whole lot more. Can one ever be truly prepared? One of the
wisest things a past-derbyist said to me is: "practise making your own
luck. And just be sensible and practical." I think there are three parts
to 'preparing': 1) physical prep: for me this involves riding (as much trotting
bareback as possible - it's a toughie), running in the mountains (keeps me
sane), following my gym program, and doing as much fun stuff as possible:
surfing, climbing and slacking. 2) Mental: getting used to being in lonely,
seemingly forlorn situations, and not losing hope - breathing, and 3) spiritual
(without sounding too esoteric) - creating an open space with no expectations
to allow the horses, the people, the land to teach and guide me.
And then of course, this vegetarian of 17 years will begin
to eat meat on the 7th June to prepare myself for the Mongolian cuisine of
mutton & goat.
What essential supplies will you need to carry
with you?
So we're only allowed to carry 5kg of supplies (ha
ha, this I only found out after entering). Time to de-clutter my life and
figure out what I really need. Back to basics. This will include a sleeping
bag, first aid kit, headlamp, emergency blanket, futurelife, spare socks,
waterproofs, a spare pair of contact lenses (essential), tack repair kit, thank
you gifts for the Mongolian families, GoPro, Polaroid camera (hopefully),
Flicka, and a few photos of loved ones. Have I thought of everything?
You’ll be riding to support two charities, namely the S.A.
Riding for the Disabled Association (SARDA) and Cool Earth. Could you give us a
little more information of what they do?
SARDA is an organisation that supports disabled
children by offering horse riding lessons (therapy in motion) free of charge. I
will specifically be supporting the Durban branch. Being in contact with horses
has changed these children's lives. Many learn to walk, and utter their first
word when on the back of a horse. I have met the horses and teachers at SARDA
and was deeply moved by their work. Equines are sensitive and wise beyond
comprehension. There's something about the company of a horse that makes the soul of a (wo)man feel good. SARDA relies on funding and sponsorship, and it
is an honour for me to be participating in the Mongol Derby to support this
charity.
Cool Earth is literally one of the coolest charities I know.
They just get it right. Cool Earth is the official charity of the Mongol Derby
organizers (The Adventurists). This amazing charity works with local communities
to protect the rainforest. It's how they do it that counts - communities are
involved in every step of the process, and only a tiny amount of the donations
goes to administrative purposes. This is one community based conservation
project that works - and they need our support for it to keep working and to
prevent the rainforest from being destroyed. Having grown up on a beautiful
farm in the Natal Midlands, and having studied Biodiversity & Ecology,
supporting Cool Earth comes as naturally as breathing in (deeply) the cool,
dark, moist air when running through a forest.
Again, an honour to be raising funds and awareness for these
two charities.
I have a million and one things I would love to ask you, but
I’ll limit it to just one last question: what are you most looking forward to?
To being on the back of a Mongolian horse, closing
my eyes, feeling the wind in my hair, opening my eyes and seeing (and feeling)
the vast Mongolian steppe.
May you have a safe and incredible ride! You can find more
information about Barbs and how to donate to SARDA and Cool Earth on
http://www.barbsinmongolia.com/
A big thanks to Shaun Irwin for the stunning photos!
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