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theory travel at home

Posted on February 16, 2008 @ 7:36 pm by massimo | Filed under: africa, blog, travel, wordpress

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madagascar aynaku illustration travel

Twenty years ago Madagascar was in my mind: it was the place I wished to go at all costs!
I got hold of guidebooks, maps, and an atlas even; everything that could be possibly useful to me was collected and then recklessly scattered upon my room’s wooden floor…
I spent hours fancying about my travel to Madagascar, and reckoned well to get there by cargo ship from Mombasa Harbour.
At home I planned everything so accurately: even the most insignificant detail was carefully considered. Finally I got a visa at Madagascar Embassy in Rome and flew to Kenya, where I was supposed to stay just a very few days before boarding some cargo ship…
Once I got Mombasa I found out that no ship was about to sail for the promised island before than three months! I soon realized that my so long planned trip to Madagascar had been just illusion, a theoretical nonsense that had brought me somewhere else. But alas! I also understood that despite every personal theory, Kenya was really a fascinating place to be in…

Illustration Friday’s topic is: theory

african plains

Posted on January 20, 2008 @ 4:56 pm by massimo | Filed under: africa, another green world, blog, travel, wordpress

amboseli kenya aynaku illustration travel

I come from a hilly region and I’m not used to open prairies and plains.
This is the reason why, I can’t forget Amboseli National Park’s breathtaking views, one of the most classic of Kenya: the gigantic Kilimanjaro mountain, with its 5,985 meters dominating the plains.
Noteworthy Kilimanjaro is not within the limits of Amboseli, in fact it is not even in Kenya. The reason? Upon the partition of East Africa into two spheres of influence, German and British, England had two mountains vs. none for Germany, so queen Victoria gave the Kilimanjaro as a birthday present to her nephew-grandson, kaiser Wilhelm II.
Looking at the map you will notice the absurdly straight line that divides Kenya and Tanzania: as a matter of fact, this border also divides the one people who had always lived in these plains.
Ethnic and political turmoil are presently upsetting Kenya… It’s easy to understand how such imposed artificial borders are part of Africa’s problems throughout.

Illustration Friday’s topic is: plain

green tea

Posted on August 4, 2007 @ 5:11 pm by massimo | Filed under: africa, blog, fun, travel, wordpress

essaouira morocco aynaku illustration travel

Essaouira’s camping area was bordering the long sandy beach. I had got there at dusk, after a long, long drive, and parked my car by the sandy dunes. My two travelling companions and me sat on the sandy ground, and lit quickly the oil lamp with no definite plan for the night. We were damn tired, yet couldn’t sleep, nor wishing it. Coming into Essaouira, we had bought some cheap and good “chocolate” (hashish) and, yes, we were looking forward to try it! Young chaps, you know.
We started boiling water quickly, and poured into the teapot green tea, mint, sugar and hashish. The innocent infusion was swallowed entirely; then I got up and made for the beach, to contemplate the ocean and listen to the sound of the night-wind. I don’t know how long I stayed there. I realized the drug was working slowly but steadily, and I felt easy and talkative. I got up again and went back to my friends…Nobody was there anymore: they had vanished, apparently. “Two missing people” - I thought, smiling, and entered our little and empty tent…
The day after I woke up early, and exiting the tent I discovered easily my two mates’ locations: one of them had climbed a tree in the dark, and was still sleeping, between the leaves….the other one was sleeping too , sitting behind the wheel of my green automobile.

Illustration Friday’s topic is: missing

Interesting works on last IF’s topic are: uvor ; my topography ; noodleoodle

renault 4

Posted on May 26, 2007 @ 11:17 pm by massimo | Filed under: africa, blog, fun, travel, wordpress

In 1980 my father bought me a second hand Renault 4: I was very proud of it, its lysergic and bright green body made me very happy, for some reasons…In July I decided to venture to Morocco driving my car: after all, in 1979 …

neighbour

Posted on May 6, 2007 @ 9:34 am by massimo | Filed under: africa, japan, people, travel, ukiyo-e

Behind the walls of his room in Al Mansura Hotel, in bustling downtown Nairobi, a man breathed into a saxophone. My room was next to his and I could hear the musician training himself all day long. At about 7 pm, invariably it was all over. The …

punk rock

Posted on January 13, 2007 @ 9:39 am by massimo | Filed under: africa, blog, people, travel, wordpress

The island of Lamu, Kenya, was -and maybe still is- one of the most exotic places a beachcomber may expect to come across. I was there in 1981, at the end of my first, single and glorious trip …

clear

Posted on November 11, 2006 @ 6:28 pm by massimo | Filed under: africa, blog, travel, wordpress

While I spent more than a bright day on board a ship, yet I am clear about that the day I spent on the bus to Tozeur, has been the brightest! The road from Tunis to the desert city of Tozeur snakes …

narghile

Posted on November 5, 2006 @ 12:12 pm by massimo | Filed under: africa, blog, fun, travel, wordpress

A narghile is glass based water pipe device for smoking tobacco. Narghile is Persian words originating from Sanskrit since the original nargile came from India and it was made popular as the form we now see it in today in …

sacrifice

Posted on July 14, 2006 @ 5:56 pm by massimo | Filed under: africa, blog, people, travel, wordpress

Tunisia is the northernmost country of Africa and has a warm climate, a long and gentle seacoast, salt lakes and Sahara Desert oasis, Punic and Roman archaeological sites…and all just about 1 ½ hour flight …

a simple soul…

Posted on February 11, 2006 @ 6:56 pm by massimo | Filed under: africa, blog, travel, wordpress

In 1981 I was travelling East Africa. Life was easy for me! On my way to Uganda I stayed at Lake Baringo, the northernmost lake in the beautiful Rift Valley, at the threshold of northern …

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