Category: Tripping (Page 3 of 4)

Milonga

1/12/'06 / moonbug

Ola! I’m back.

Profound observations and reflections of Buenos Aires and Brazil will have to wait for a bit until I manage to wrap my provincial northern-hemisphere-brain around the experience. Amazing, beautiful, hot, fascinating, at-times-somewhat-disturbing are words that spring to mind. For now: Flickr photos and a sketchbook page.

In Buenos Aires we saw Assassination Tango on tv just prior to my first visit to a tango dance hall (they call them “milonga’s”). The movie sucked so much (it’s basically Robert Duvall promoting his newly wed Argentine wife while impersonating Robert DeNiro) that my expectations had previously jumped below zero. But the place we went to turned out to be beautiful in every way — a highlight while I was there. This page below does not come close to doing it justice.

milonga

By the way: the woman that enquires “Empanadas?” really was there. And boy, was she big.

Countdown

12/5/'05 / moonbug

Right about this time next Wednesday, we’ll be on a train to Brussels Airport. After a night of probably very little sleep, we’ll catch an early flight to Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam. A mere couple of hours later, we’ll be on our way to Buenos Aires, via SaÃµ Paulo. We should be arriving in Argentina’s capitol on Friday at around 1:15 am local time.

I’m a little nervous at the prospect of having to spend 13+ hours in areas where you’re not allowed to smoke, but I’m hoping that, between my iPod’s reservoir of music, crossword puzzle magazines, and my pack of Nicorette chewing gum, I’ll pull through. It’s been 24 years since I last boarded a plane (I was a kid at the time!) so that should give you some indication as to my current level of adrenaline.

I’ll be bringing my pens, ink, sketchbooks and obiquitous digital camera along, aiming to capture some of the country’s spirit. Don’t expect much updates for the coming 30 days here though. I reckon we’ll be too busy trying not to get robbed/raped/kidnapped for any online activity to occur (That’s a joke, mom — gimme that smile!). But stay tuned: I shall be reporting come early January.

Hasta la vista!

October Ypres

10/18/'05 / moonbug

If you know your Spanish, this one might just make you laugh and cry at the same time. In fact it might make you laugh and cry at the same time, even if you don’t know your Spanish.

Monument

10/16/'05 / moonbug

Yesterday Gaby and I and a couple of friends of ours took a day long trip to visit the multitude of World War I monuments, museums, cemeteries and memorial sites that are scattered around in the part of Belgium where we live. It was an impressive confrontation with a past which is still very much alive in a way. The weather was gorgeous, and many pictures were taken. The one above (click to enlarge) was taken by Gaby and I think it’s absolutely stunning. Not because I’m in it mind you. The whole composition, the light, the mild surrealism it emits, the story it hints at, are what struck me about this picture.

Buenos Aires Bound

8/31/'05 / moonbug

Praise the web! Gabriela and I have been planning a trip to Buenos Aires for quite some time now. Literally everything has been booked/arranged online. Next December 9 we’ll be off on a flight to Buenos Aires via Amsterdam and SÃ£o Paulo. We also managed to book a reasonably cheap appartment for our 4 week stay. While we’re there, we’ll take a 6-day trip to Buzios, Brazil. I’ve been saving up my holidays for this (didn’t take a single day off this year so far) so basically what I’m trying to say here is: while the rest of you shiver in the northern continent winter climate next December, I shall basically be sipping tequila’s and taking the occasional swim in the 4 star hotel’s pool. Not to mention spending x-mas and new-year in South-America. Woo! It’s a cruel cruel world.