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an overloaded skyline…

Posted on July 7, 2006 @ 10:03 pm by massimo | Filed under: beach, blog, people, philippines, wordpress

boracay bangka generator fitzcarraldo herzog aynaku illustration adobe

In 1997 I had got an architectural commission in Boracay. I was asked to design a trendy ice cream parlour and it actually was under construction nearby the beach; I liked this sort of timber and bamboo structure, before the developers carved up all the buildings into concrete and stucco boxes for the rich tourists…
The construction was completed in three months: all I had to do was to wait for the huge generator which had to be installed before the opening. This engine was absolutely needed due to Boracay’s chronic lack of electric power, and –really- you can’t run an ice-cream selling without electricity! I was waiting for it since a week and I had no definite idea about when an how the machine would finally land. Surely the generator was expensive and damned heavy, so heavy that an ordinary bangka ( a local kind of out rigged motor boat), would probably sunk down…So I was rummaging on my client’s folly under these unfathomable circumstances, and betting with Gino, when all of the sudden the native master carpenter I worked with, came and excitedly announced that the monster was in sight! It was actually on board an overloaded and half wrecked bangka which forcibly had stopped some 150 mt from the seashore because of the low tide. The engine had to be quickly moved but it was 10 pm, very late indeed according to inhabitants standards, and all the carpenters where soundly sleeping. The master carpenter said that he would get back to wake up the squad and he would arrange the right way to make the machine safely landed. Off course he asked extra-money to accomplish the task and, off course, I said “yes”. I was needed there anyways and there I got in ten minutes, just in time to witness the stunning undertaking of a wild bunch of hard puffing carpenters who by means of their sole physical strength, where slowly and painfully carrying the valuable generator, balancing its weight upon a couple of huge bamboo canes! Do you remember Herzog’s “Fitzcarraldo” ? Remember the insane effort of carrying a ship across the jungle?
No less than this was going on under my very eyes: truly this parade filled the nocturnal skyline oddly…When the dead beat carpenters finally got the firm land, I let myself breath again!The day after I paid extra money and presented the valiant carpenters a case of beers…

This entry was posted on Friday, July 7th, 2006 and is filed under beach, blog, people, philippines, wordpress. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

9 people have left comments

What a fascinating and enlightning post! I will begin with the article on tourism, so illuminating! I have not done as much travel as I dream of but this taught me so much! I think most wealthy travlers seem pretty selfish after reading this and it made me sad. Your ice cream parlour sounds like hard work but worth it and this story is funny and filled with great tidbits of info! Love the illo too!!!

valgalart wrote on July 8, 2006 - 8:55 am CEST

What a nervewrecking adventure! But don´t you just love their “can do” attitude? (“Fitzcarraldo” is awesome!)

cristosova wrote on July 8, 2006 - 3:22 pm CEST

hola, me gusta lo fdistinto que sin tus ilustraciones…tiene otra forma que no habia visto y la menejas muy bien….buenisimo…(me encantan esos ojos)

karina wrote on July 10, 2006 - 2:52 am CEST

Gorgeous illustration as always. . .And your post - really you should right a book! Your stories are AMAZING! You make me want to pack up and explore!

tiffini elektra x wrote on July 10, 2006 - 5:33 am CEST

Congratulations to Italy for winning the World Cup! And to do that with a penalty shoot-out (my favorites ;)) made me happy!

cristosova wrote on July 10, 2006 - 8:14 am CEST

Wonderful illo and story. Great post.
love

The Unknown wrote on July 11, 2006 - 1:28 am CEST

The design of your illustrations is always very original. (Me encanta esta, es muy curiosa)
un saludo.

lu*** wrote on July 11, 2006 - 11:47 am CEST

great blog…. very artistic

LakbayPilipinas wrote on September 2, 2006 - 1:25 am CEST

Very pitoresque. But I can’t stop wondering why do the inhabitants of such beautiful places would go to sleep so early?

Goaja wrote on September 19, 2006 - 8:53 am CEST

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