Squashed toe and hot water beach

December 4th, 2008

The other day I went to Hot water beach. Sounds a little strange. The sea is pretty cold as most seas are, however you can make your own hot spa.

Just hire a spade from the local shop, then head down to a spot by the rocks on the sand and dig a hole. You have to do this two hours either side of low tide in order for it to be possible because the ’special’ place gets covered by the sea most of the day.  As with most holes that are dug in sand at sea level, they fill with water however at this location a fresh spring water reservoir which is heated geothermically seeps up to fill your hole with water at a temperature of roughly 60 degrees Celsius..thats HOT! Its too hot for most people to bathe in, so by mixing your very own spa water with a couple of bucket fulls from the sea you can create the perfect bath. Then just jump in and relax.

Over the last month I have played a couple of impromptu outdoor gigs and managed to do a bit more sampling. I need to pick up a few bits and pieces for my live show as its quite stripped down. I wasnt thinking cymbals between the knees or anything like that but just a couple of effects pedals and maybe something else..

I Met up with my Dad …Ged…for those who dont know, he is a bit of a Rugby League legend (played for Great Britain and Hull Kingston Rovers) and came over to Australia for the world cup. It was awesome to catch up with the man and we went to say hello to a couple of ex Kiwi players he used to play/coach with. They are Mark Broadhurst and Gordon Smith both of whom played for the New Zealand national side. It was really interesting hearing them talk about brawls and battles on the field during their playing careers. Mark re-lived a game in which he was headbutted at the start by a player who singled him out and broke his cheekbone in three places and I was blown away to hear that he managed to play the rest of the game with one eye completely closed. The game was a lot dirtier back then and I got a great insight into how gritty it often became.

After Ged left us we headed over to the west coast of the South Island. The mountains are titanic. We did some mountain bike trails in Queenstown and ate a mammoth burger the size of a human head from a place called Fergburger. When I think back, I can just picture a wall of meat in a bread bun.

whizzin down hill

We went to see a film called the Counterfeiter about a money forging project in a prisoner of war camp. The cinema was in Wanaka and instead of the regular seats, there were a range of sofas and lounge furniture. There was even half a morris minor in there so you could sit behind the steering wheel and watch through the windscreen if thats what yer fancy.

The film was interesting and reminded me of my Grandpa who was a master forger in one of the prison camps in Germany. He had trained as a Lithographer before the war and was skilled in touch up work which meant he had an extremely good hand for painting detail. He would make passports and gate passes for escapees that made attempts on breaking out. He was a prisoner of war for 3 years and survived to the end. Now he lives near my mum and dad in Hedon.

mid walkdog bite from equador

So I went on a three day hike over a mountain range to get a bit of fresh air. I went with some luverley Devonshire folk ..clotted cream scones, well educated etc and of course Mr Merrington, JW and Nic. On the second morning after a nights sleep in a hut part way along the so called Kepler track, I was in the kitchen area limbering up. By limbering I mean proper lunges with my foot up on a large wooden bench similar in pose to an olympic 400mrunner. Essentially I was just horsing around until the bench slipped. slamming down onto my big toe. Of course Everyone was laughing uncontrollably, and I was waiting for the pain to subside so I could join them in the redicule. Anyway it was fairly unrelenting and the toe went black as hell immediately. I acted on instructions to put my foot under some cold water so I put my leg up to the sink under the cold tap at which point the blood drained from my head and I felt like I was going to collapse. I made my excuses and headed off to have a lie down but I only got as far as the middle of the kitchen floor before I had to lie there and then before I fell down.

The next thing I knew I was being woken up from what was like a strange dream by Alice Creamteas who luckily enough is a nurse. I havent ever fainted before but it was a bit like I was tripping or something. Not good.

After a bowl of porridge and the colour was back in my cheeks, I had to walk for two days over a mountain. Unfortunately that meant that by the end of my breath of fresh air, the big toe was a swollen mess. After a few hours of unbearable pain it was decided that the best course of action was to put a hole in the swelling to relieve the pressure. We got a needle from a travel sewing kit and got to work with some camping surgery.  After I had bled for a bit, the throbbing subsided and I was feeling much better. I treated myself to a slap up tea and all was well. Its a bit of a state now though. Good walk though.

I am back in Christchurch now. Ive learnt how to play backgammon by the Amanda the jedi master, seen dolphins, seals, penguins, possums, llamas, black coral,  a stack of sheep and I even stroked a tiny ginger piglet. NZ has definately got the widlife thing going on and I might well return for a bit longer.. we’ll see. Tomorrow its over to Melbourne in Australia for a new adventure where I am hoping to meet up with a few friends, go on a bit of a road trip and will probably be getting into some bother.

sampling bubbling mud pools!

L.A, Elijah Wood and Glow worms

November 13th, 2008

So, we were at the airport in Santiago ready to get a flight over to New Zealand and this guy comes over wearing a uniform and asks if we would be willing to stay in Chile for another night because the flight was full. The deal was that we were to stay in the Sheraton hotel for the night and the following day, with meals, plus $300 (or $800 off LAN flights). Errr lets just think about that for a minute.

Hollywood freaks

So, back at the Sheraton, in the pool after having a decent nights kip in a luxury room with top notch fodder and ….wait for it… a bath, things are pretty cushy. Being paid for lounging about in a hotel, playing my guitar and watching films is something I could get used to. On arriving back at the airport that evening to take our flight we were approached once more by the same chap who asked if we would be interested in doing the same again but we pulled faces and ummed and aaghed and so we got $400 (or $1200 off LAN flights) and again I found myself in a hotel, sleeping, playing a bit of tennis and generally getting paid for chilling out.

The following night…….yep you guessed. Same chap but slightly different deal. Would we fly to L.A where we would be given a hotel room for the day and then a connecting flight in the evening to Auckland. We got paid $500 (or $1600 blah blah). I am gettin on the plane and next to us in the Queue is Elijah Wood. Obviously I gave him my autograph when he asked. It was a bit strange really and It was fairly difficult to get John Watson to stop whispering “dirty little hobbitsis!”

So, there I am in Beverley hills and down Hollywood Boulevard among Jack Nicholson’s hand print, various Batmen, freaks and Elvis. The Hotel was a suite and had no less than 2 wide-screen TVs and a bar. We had complimentary meals again…welcome to the US…enough to feed the 5000. After a whirlwind trip around the 100 mile city and an impressive stop at the observatory in the Hollywood hills I got the flight to New Zealand.

hollywood boulevard me n Johnjacks hand

Although the arrival in NZ was delayed, it was worth it (I was Skint!). Now I’m here though, this country is off the scale when it comes to breathtaking views and wildlife. I have been here 3 weeks now and have travelled the North Island, been in Caves and floated under glow worm constellations, biked 100’s of km across mountainous ranges and walked empty moonlit beaches. Its like a giant film set. Funnily enough the Dirty little Hobbit we encountered on the plane featured alongside New Zealand in its big claim to fame as the starring role in The Lord of The Rings. Its not difficult to see why it was chosen, with its smouldering volcanic landscapes and colourful thermal lakes and pools.

me and the blowfish

We are in the South Island now and plan to do a bit of extreme stuff as this is the capital of all that extreme stuff. A giant bungee jump might be on the cards but we’ll have to see what Mr bank manager says. Everyone from back home is talking about the credit thing but its difficult to get a grasp on it all when yer in the great outdoors. I might just have to live in my tent for the rest of my days using the money from a bit of busking and hitching the planet. I Just read “Into the wild”. Its the story about Chris McCandless, the chap who abandoned his life to live on nothing but his ingenuity and resourcefulness in the Alaskan wilderness. Its quite inspiring and struck a chord somewhere deep inside.

beach

My album is officially out now in all the proper digital places and stuff which is cool, Play.com, Itunes blah blah. (see top of page) Its a bit of a struggle to get anybody to giv it a listen at magazines or owt like that but fingers crossed…

possum in my hand

Nothing to declare officer… Oh..

October 27th, 2008

There are a few rules when you pass a police checkpoint. Follow the instructions you are given, clearly and precisely. Don’t say anything which might lead an officer to become suspicious.

So we left El Bolson in the Andes. I previously stated that it is a bit of a hippie town so you could understand why a police checkpoint down the road might have reason to employ a sniffer dog to ensure the highway isnt used as a trafficking route for Marijuana.

Now, I was lead to believe that sniffer dogs were highly trained instruments, unphased by something as insignificant as a chorizo sausage. It would appear not. So on picking up an interesting smell in the boot of our hire car (chorizo) our belongings were hauled out and our last possession strewn out across the road and combed finely for incriminating evidence. For some reason unknown, I then decided, in a thoughtless “trying to break the ice” manner, it would be a good idea to mention that I USED to smoke weed and that it was a few years ago and I dont do it any more. Bad move. It was approximately an hour later after having been searched “thoroughly” we were allowed to scrape our stuff up and get back on our way. Needless to say I was full of apologies and regret. Hindsight (common sense) is a wonderful thing.

 

shindig in El Bolson

On the ferry down south into Chile I found a chap from Colorado who believe it or not had a horses tooth tattoed on his leg. It is actually the shape of the mountain range that he lives near and cooincidentally happens to look like a horses tooth. I got a picture of my horses tooth next to his tattoo of a horses tooth. I told some people I met about that. I wonder why people think thats weird.

joes tooth tat and my tooth

I guess most people have seen a glacier on TV. Its the big, jagged lump of impressive, bluey coloured ice that breaks away in gigantic pieces causing mini tsunamis . To see the Perito Morena Glacier in Argentinas Patagonia in the flesh is a bit like being at Disney Land. It could well be just a right big piece of fibre glass with a bag full of special effects all over it. I havent been to Disney Land, but I was told so by Courtney from Colorado (incidentally the girlfriend of Joe…the chap who´s horses tooth shaped tattoo I took a pic of with my horses tooth) Its mighty surreal and although it rained as if we were in the UK it was still incredible.

On the way back into Chile from Argentina, we had to go through the checkpoint and declare whether we had any organic materials including fruit and veg. I left my guitar case on the bus which was mistake number one. The officials dragged it, bouncing down the steps of the bus along with some other hand luggage, to the inspection area. He called me over to go through my rucksack…deja vu. I was then asked if I had any fruit to which I replied no. He then asked me if I was sure. I said I was sure, I hadnt had any fruit for days. He asked me again if I was sure. Again I answered yes. Once more he asked and again I said confidently I was sure. He then asked for me to open my guitar case and so I did. To my shock, a scabby looking orange sat inside the case, a bit of the peel missing. My heart sank and blood rushed to my head. All the people around me in the queue looked down their noses and the guy´s colleague delighted in telling me about the heavy fines for FRUIT SMUGGLING and that he had asked me three times. “PREGUNTAS TRES VEZ! TRES VEZ!…..TRES VEZ!” Anybody would think it was a shipment of dust. As it happened they let me off with a bollocking. I escaped the “thorough” search that time. Is it me or has the world gone mad. It was an orange.

ow!

I heard Hull City beat Arsenal at the Emirates stadium. I also found out that Elbow won the Mercury music award. There is a God.

I travel to New zealand in a week.

Catch the face

October 2nd, 2008

I have been in Argentina now for bout 3 weeks and I can feel me heart screaming at me to stop eating steak. Its difficult not to when its so cheap. I kid you not they are the weight of a small child and I should know, I´ve eaten enough of em. Small children that is.

Spent a night in Salta following the border crossing. Saw a mummified child in the local museum who had been struck by lightning hundreds of years ago and preserved on a mountain top. Got a bus down to Buenos Aires and sat next to Sergio, an engineer who told me about his wife and three girlfriends and how Argentina was “muchas sex” (with actions).

Spent 5 nights in Buenos Aires and could have probably stayed for a year or so. Went to a park with hundreds of stray cats milling about. Saw Eva Peron´s grave at the majestic Recoleta cemetary and splashed out on a proper Tango show which was immaculate.

Clubs dont start until 2 or 3 in the morning so yer need to adjust yer body clock and look the part if yer going out to pull an Argentinian lady friend. Ground work is fairly tough going and even then you´ll be fortunate if yer get a look in. So I heard from Jodie.

clinging on in La Paz

We planned to go to the Boca Juniors football match but unfortunately missed it deciding to head further south although ate at a restaraunt “Don Carlitos” across the road from the stadium which was an experience in itself. The place was clearly full of gangsters with henchmen hanging about outside watching expensive cars. The amenable owner proudly explained that the system was to sit down and eat exactly what he decided to bring out to you. The food was impecable and the proud chap shared some stories of the celebrities who had eaten there. Some Maradonna lookie likie tried to sell us a photo opportunity so I gave him some slaver about the hand of god and we kicked him into touch…

I spent the last of my pennies for the month, contributed to the global warming issue and got a flight down to Bariloche to try a bit of skiing. I spent a lot of time eating snow and doing big chin slides but met some interesting people/nutjobs. Played catch the face with Sarah ” what voice?” Moxon which involved a bit of serious gurning and was very silly indeed…

After a week of hanging out in Bariloche, shot over to the other side of Argentina on a road trip across the Patagonian wilderness. We were in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid territory and its a fairly ruthless landscape. Saw plenty of dead dogs, a dead horse, dead horse bones, (got meself a horse tooth for the collection), some ostriches and 6ft wide condors. Unfortunately the boot on the car was broken and we were driving down unpaved roads so it was like being inside a vacuum cleaner.

Near Puerto Madryn we drove to a peninsula, Puerto Pyramides and saw whales, penguins, elephant seals and an Armadillo. This is discovery channel stuff! Its the place where the killer whales come out of the ocean and eat the seals as they learn to swim.

After soaking up some serious nature, we drove across to El Bolson, a quiet hippy town in the Patagonian Andes where we ran into some folks from Buenos Aires at the friendliest place I ever stayed at. The Owner Claudio took me to the supermarket to buy our tea and we barbecued a full side of cow, translated bad jokes for each other between spanish and english (with very poor results) and played beatles and shakira songs on our guitars!

percussion for shakira 

After the road trip, took a bus across the border into Chile with Tim from San fransisco and James and Hannah Mafia from the UK and then got on a freight ferry down through the fords and mountains of southern patagonia towards the Moreno glacier.

the fjordsme and Tim and Hanna and Courtney

I finished writing another song but I dont know what its called yet. I think its gonna be about some missed opportunity and the wilderness.

in the cabin

My album is coming out in a week or two and It will be available to pick up from some shops and this very website which is pretty exciting. Its mainly my own work with a helpin hand from a few friends. If yer buy it I hope yer like it. Hasta Luego

Bitten by a dog but not yet foaming

September 1st, 2008

In Ecuador, Vilcabamba and decided to do a bit of a hike up into the mountains to a deserted lodge. We pick up the key from a french lady who owns a cafe in town and bump into a strange jack the lad cockney who raves about medicinal ceremonies and can hardly speak he´s so mashed, he has told the locals he won the lottery … obviously a bank robber.  Anyhow, 45 mins into the hike and we are lost. We already had to take our shoes off to cross a river and then found our way in someones banana plantation. I lead the way through this farmers land and I saw a house between the trees. As I approached, the family who were sat around the dinner table, got up quickly to see who was approaching unexpectedly. This must have sent a signal to the fit but friendly looking dog on the porch. I made eye contact with the family and began a warm and apologetic greeting still moving towards them and in that moment the dog lurched forward biting hard and proper through my shorts into my thigh only a few inches away from the “crown jewels.”

It happened in a split second but the son of the family raced out kicking the dog in the ribs to warn it off. Needless to say we got some directions to the nearest road and the family were extremely helpful. The dog was a muscular fit looking thing, plus I already had some rabies jabs so it was on with the walk and a cracking night on top of a mountain. The bite was as sore as hell for a week but no foaming at the mouth…yet! Unfortunately I cant post the picture of the bite yet (although its a good un) because a canadian kid called Kevin (looks a bit like Napolean Dynamite) has my memory card. It will be appearing soon.

up mountain with beard

At the start of this journey in South America I bought an electro classical guitar in The capital of Ecuador, Quito, so I could do some gigs and some writing on my travels. I got to Cusco in Peru last week and I found a shop call Yea Yea Maracuyea which had some psychadelic Incan paintings on the walls outside and thought I wouldnt mind avin a paintjob on the guitar in a similar style. I went in and got a number for the artist (Cesar) who lives outside Cusco to call him and enquire. Now considering my spanish is fairly poor and this chap doesnt speak English plus I didnt really know exactly what I wanted painting, I needed to ask about the possibility of dropping the guitar into the shop and him doing a job on it for me (I was heading off to the mountains for a few days to check out the lost incan city of Machu Picchu)…. imagine the conversation… We spoke for a while, or should I say I bumbled down the phone AT him and at some point we connected, so I said hasta pronto and dropped the guitar off. Machu Picchu was incredible but I was just as buzzing to see my guitar when I picked it up. The design is based on different energies and Nazca pre-incan designs. He gave me a wonderful explanation of how the flows of the painting relate to a spiritual balance and some other stuff I couldnt quite follow but that sounded poetic!

Me n Cesar n painted guitar

We met some cool people in Cusco including Silvia from New York who took me for my first Yoga lesson which was really cool. Also had a mad night on “special” chocolate giggling like girls and bumbling round the streets with Monette from darn sarf and Dorota from Poland. I just finished reading Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and there were parts of the evening which reminded me of it…

After Cusco, took a bus to Puno and saw some floating reed islands and then headed to cross the border.

Currently am in La Paz in Bolivia. Its so cheap. Bought a Kitsch casio gold calculator watch and had a look at the Llama feotuses at the witches market. Most people on the Gringo trail here are all heading to ride ”The road of death” which is a bike ride on a very thin gravelly road cut into the side of a sheer mountain with a phenomenally dangerous drop on one side. It sounds cool but its essentially a tick in the box, is uber touristy and that just makes my skin crawl a bit. A mint alternative which me and John Watson did, is a full day mountain biking some of the toughest single track in the world with Gravity MTB tours (ridden by world champion Cedric Garcia) and it was unbelievable. Although I fell off and did a back slide over some rocks, luckily this time I didnt shatter anything or need a helicopter ride to hospital (those who know me will remember). To top it off we went to see Kubrick´s “The Shining” (albeit with spanish subtitles) at Cinematica Boliviana. Jack Nicholson plays  the best nutjob.

Jack

Shrunken Heads and halucinogenic cactus juice.

August 4th, 2008

Currently in mountain village called Vilcabamba. Had a cool few days in the city of Cuenca where I saw some real shrunken heads in glass cases at the Banco central museum.  Their faces are eerie…the pores and the hairs are clearly visible with their sewn up mouths forming a deathly pilled up gurn. If I was a serial killer, I think I would shrink a few heads.

weird mammal

Also went to a skeleton museum although it was more like a skeleton room. We had to ring a bell because the doors were locked and then this large Ecuadorian woman who looked like a cleaner came to let us in. We paid her and then walked very slowly round the room. You wernt allowed to take pics but I managed to squeeze a couple off.

nasty kitty

On a similar note, and going back a few days, went to the museum in Baños where there are some really weird stuffed animals as well as some other random junk. I felt right at home.

There is a native cactus which grows in these parts and the juice of it can be ingested for a hallucinogenic trip a bit similar to mushrooms. Its called San Pedro and its possible to get together with a local Shamen to get right back to nature in a three day ritual which a French Canadian Kid has been telling me about. He said it was the most bizarre event of his life. It started at 10pm and went on till 10am the next morning, involved some Shamens “Working on him” for an hour and also getting to know another plant of which I cant remember the name. It releases or gives you DMT which is a chemical that is only released when you are born and when you die…. I will leave the rest to your imagination. Needless to say as soon as I get rid of the parasite I have got in my intestine I am gonna be gettin back…

 

The dead lady with missing legs (and other short stories)

July 27th, 2008

Parted company with Dutch Frank in the Jungle at Merazonia ..now feeling as fit as a butchers dog after much lifting and tottering down narrow awkward trails stacked up with building materials. Had a cracking time helping out there and even got an exploratory trek to the outreaches of the area and a strange spooky place. Frank explained a year or so ago the remains of an old lady (minus her legs) were discovered high on the jungle covered mountain a coupla hundred meters from the place we were working. The police were called and a uniformed man arrived on a motorbike with a large hand gun in the back of his trousers. After proceeding to the remains, they discovered a large eagle screeching high in the trees and Frank claimed it was the only one he had ever seen in the area and had also been there on the discovery giving out the same solitary warning.

The policeman apparently was more interested in the eagle and asked if he could shoot it ……beautiful. They carted off the remains (which were mainly bones and clothing) and Frank had to accompany the officer on his bike to wedge the old girl between them to get her back to the station.

old lady´s earring and button

When we got to the place where the woman was found the Eagle appeared above us albeit hidden by the canopy of the jungle and started screeching out as if issuing a warning to leave that sacred place. We looked around the floor where she had lain and we found a button and an earring which had been left there. There was a real aura about that spot and it felt a bit mystical. The Eagle kept screeching till we left. I put together some parts for a song….. working title could be “The Eagle and the Indigenous Lady”…. sounds like a Bob Dylan song

I am gonna miss the cockroaches on me toothbrush.

Cockroaches on yer toothbrush

Just got off a bus ride from Tena, Ecuadoria´s white water rafting capital. Did some class 4 stuff which if you dont know is fairly technical and just an all round great buzz. There was still an element of danger which was missing though… I think Kayaking is the future…its where you are in your own little boat dancing about through the waves and being tossed about like the proverbial pancake (Is there a proverb about a pancake?….dunno).

Did some walking up waterfalls and had a bit of a trek along a Jungle river which lead through some bat caves. The bats were fairly huge compared to back home and they flew centimetres away from our heads. It was pretty smart but I had been “through the eye of a needle” shall we say, all morning and so had to find a secluded spot on the river when the moment rapidly came upon me. Hanging over a log doing the business isnt the most graceful position especially amongst large carnivorous insects …..needs must.

Me at The

Currently firmly on “The Gringo Trail” so have been on a train ride along a stretch of line called the devils nose… a steep mountain descent where passengers can ride on the top of the carraiges. It was essentially a bit of a tourist trap and at one point cueing travellers almost started fighting about who was gonna be on the roof. Played impromptu outdoor gig and generated some interest from locals… bewilderment was the expression on local faces…very friendly though.

Heading to Cuenca tomorrow.

The Jungle, roasted Guinea Pigs and I forgot about Banksy

July 12th, 2008

I must say that this here trip started in London. We went for a bit of a wander, bought general supplies, had a crap phillipino meal, had a great BBQ and saw the incredible artwork in the subway near the London eye commissioned by Banksy. If you wanna see some of the best modern art around then check out some of that stencil work.

Banksy and friends

Back to Ecuador…After a coupla weeks in what felt a bit like a holiday resort I needed a change from the typical pissed up induced noise. We took a bus to Rio Bamba in the Andes where we met a big friendly gay German in a cafeteria (who we then ran into again in a restaurant 100 miles away) and I got a cracking headache and was stuck in bed for a bit.. I have spent the last couple of weeks high in the Andes at the town of Baños and also in the Jungle helping with a building project. Its a proper trek to get to the place of work which involes a ride in the back of an open van trying to stop 3 dogs jumping out the back when we go through the police checkpoint and past their snarling german shepherds…its the high light of the day.

Dog chase

Been bathing in hot volcanic spring water at the local baths and went for a crippling mountain bike ride with John Watson and a Belgium kid Rob. I went over the handlebars on the way down the mountain but managed not to break anything this time.

They serve up roasted guinea pig here and although I havent eaten it yet, I am fairly intrigued as to how it tastes. They look grotesque on the spit with their teeth beared and there little claws frozen in a death grip. I think I met the Prime minister of ecuador on the bus ride to Baños which was cool..his Dad was English and died of alcoholism..be about right. Sampled a bit more and started composing some stuff. Journeyed to the little town of Mera on the most spectacular bus ride through tunnels and the jungle covered mountains with some vintage “Cream” playing on my headphones. Gonna have steak tonight at a Swiss Bistro.

Guinea Piggin

We watched my left foot, lost in translation and Juno this week at the casa we are staying in ..all were corking films and it was especially cool seeing Tokyo on the box..cant wait to see it in the flesh. We buy vegetables from a little old lady in the town who opens the front door into her living room and we take whatever is available.

Had a ride in a small cable car (cage) across a big gorge and crawled through a little tunnel to get behind a huge waterfall called el pailon del diablo..it was incredible.. Ate like a king for the price of a can of Red Bull and watched a game of football on a pitch as flat as a ploughed field. Tommorow am going to a museum of taxidermy and walking up a big hill. Adios

Montanita, mould and surf

June 24th, 2008

Its been 2 weeks in Ecuador now and things are fairly great. Aside from being dibilitated for a few days with some kind of stomach bug (caused by eating a mouldy pizza) and getting shoved about by some old drunk in Quito its been cool. Currently trying to pick up some spanish at the local school here in Montanita along side some surfing at the local beach. Had a coupla mad bus journeys, one through the Andes with a spanish Jean Claude Van damme film on full blast and the other was packt like sardines in a tin…

The choice of food here is amazing and its all really cheap. Fruit and milk smoothies available on the roadside and fresh fish and produce being peddled around on bicycles by the local fishermen and farmers. I have been doing some sampling on a small panasonic distaphone but I fear the quality will be fairly shite. I suppose i can mix it up with other sounds to make the most of it. Every day I get woken up by the next door neighbours rooster and turkeys so I am gonna try and get a good shot of them before I move on. The people here are really friendly and I have met some like minded folk which is cool. There are a litter of puppies and kittens next to where we are living, altogether now…ahhhhhh.

Saw two dogs mating and they were stuck together which was a bit weird. Will be heading in the direction of the jungle on saturday ..

In the beginning….

June 4th, 2008

Well then…… the Man-made Noise album is complete after many hours of carving sounds up with noses pressed against a PC screen. Its gonna be released In September. I am well chuffed and want to say a massive thanks to James Markham for helping make it possible. Also many thanks for the guests who kindly gave their time … Graham Tramner, Grant and Lloyd Paddington, Nic Dunn, Debs Fisher, Smudger, Dale and Lewi.

Man-made noise

Man-made disappearance occurs next week. A trip down to London this sunday (8th June) for a coupla days will be followed by a Tuesday morning’s departure from the country…I sold my Man-made house so no ties to bind me…lets see what happens…. watch this space.

Kaos Hand