Well isn’t this the cutest, most frightening vejigantes you’ve ever seen? And no, that’s not a midget. It’s a
child. In Ponce, Puerto Rico carnaval is an affair for the entire family
and no one dresses like the revelers you’d find in Rio or Trinidad’s carnival. For the most part the event is put on by
locals for locals. Should you decide to attend that’s all the merrier, but do some research. Don’t let the warm
tropical sun fool you into thinking it’s okay to strip down to your under garments or that near nudity will be
tolerated because it’s carnaval. Miami Herald
has an excellent detailed story on one of the world’s lesser known and explored Caribbean fetes. I learned several
things from the piece, the first being its existence and the second of the cow-bladder spanking vejigantes. The job of
a vejigantes is a simple one, to stir up merrymaking before Lent begins. The cow-bladders they carry are bought from
local slaughterhouses, dried out, blown up and painted to match their capes. Now, that’s quite an accessory.
Cuba on the Radio
Worldhum called out this extensive audio series on Cuba over at NPR’s The
World program. I try to catch The World as often as I can, but like so much media these days, good things often slip
through the cracks. it’s weird, I hardly ever listen to live radio anymore. Sometimes if I’m in the car, sure, but
mostly the radio I hear comes from my audible.com monthly subscription or from podcasts.
Such was the case
with a few of the stories I heard here. I figured the timing was right, too, since Neil posted about Cuba earlier, so perhaps
we’re on a bit of a Cuba kick right now. Neil got to go to the island nation a few years back, and several photographer
friends of mine have been and they rhapsodized about it. Alas, I haven’t gone, but as you can tell from the stories
here, it’s quite an interesting place, especially if you are into old cars.
Photos: Into Syria
In
September 2005 British photography Seamus Murphy and Outside magazine’s contributing editor took a trip into Syria. I
say that pretty casually. Instead let’s say they were on a mission to capture fascinating stories and photos of
people in a country that can be fairly unwelcoming to journalists, so it seems. The first piece of advice the two
received from journalists in Beirut was to think nothing of the camera, to smile and laugh a lot. Murphy claims this
technique worked. Not certain of the amount of laughter that went on, whether it was a small or enormous mixture of
rich deep jovial sound or light airy tittering it seems their mission was accomplished successfully and can be found in
the February issue of the magazine in a feature titled, "The Sweetest Villains." Images of Syria like this
shot of Damascus streets through a colored glass doorway are just one of Seamus Murphy’s works to be found in the online gallery. The picture is visually
pleasing due to the four panes of color and the peeping feeling one gets watching people walk by on the streets. The
small hints of Arabic scribbled against the wall reminds you this isn’t Kansas anymore in the event you had a hard time
placing the location.
More on the Cook Islands
Captain Cook sure picked a swell place to become his namesake. The Cook Islands embrace every South Pacific cliché with such passion and
conviction that occasionally I had to pinch my well-tanned, daiquiri infused body to make sure it wasn’t all just
some wonderful dream.
I just returned home from my very first visit to these islands. Having never been to Tahiti or Fiji, I
can’t compare the Cook Islands to their more popular South Pacific neighbors, but I can report that they are
indeed worth your time.
The islands offer that quintessential tropical getaway. They are blessed with warm weather, pristine waters
and beaches, thick jungle interiors, and plenty of time for rest and relaxation. There is also an abundance of
fresh mangoes, star fruit, coconuts and a variety of tropical fish on which to dine.
I was told by my travel agent to expect “Hawaii 50 years
ago.” This proved to be an apt description. Tourism, although a major source of revenue on the
island, hasn’t managed to ruin it yet. The atmosphere remains relaxed and laid back and the locals very
friendly. Indeed, this was one of the easiest vacations I’ve ever been on. Not even the language was
a problem as everyone spoke perfect English—albeit with a strong New Zealand accent.
Icelanders Sailing on NPR
Give a listen to this somewhat old story about a crew of
Icelanders who decided to sail across the ocean from their home to America some 1,000 years after their Viking
ancestors made the same voyage. Ths is fascinating, ballsy stuff. They call their vessel, perhaps obviously, the
Icelander, and the ship is a replica Viking warship built to an ancient design by the ship’s captain. Great little
tale.