And the Walls Came Tumbling Down

The Jericho Gap was a notorious 12 mile piece of the original alignment of Route 66 that was forgotten by the US Highway system almost as soon as it was included in the new highway. Wholly unencumbered by road improvements for decades, it was a hellscape of deep mud, coarse grass, crushing sun and shady locals.  It lays in the great blank space on a map of the Texas Panhandle almost exactly half way between Amarillo and the eastern border of the State. It leaves a traveler with the notable sensation that after hours of driving through nothing, you have somehow managed to arrive at an evan greater nothing.

Test of the Time Lapse Rail

A few weeks ago, I got it into my head that what I really needed to build was a time lapse rail.  I have done a few tests with it and this is my favorite so far.  When I shot this, I was tied to wall power, but I have since gotten a car jack, a 25 foot extension cord, and a burning desire to take it places.

Viennes Storm

The storm was minutes off, and it was at least half mile to the folly. But darn it if I hadn't already bought the ticket, so I was going. Niether rain, driving wind, nor the fact I had forgot my umbrella at the hostel was going to stop me from heading across the gardens. The blue of storm rolling in over the Hapsburg Yellow folly provided all the reward I needed in exchange for going out in the raging wind. And yes, I did get very wet on the way back to the Main Palace.

Night Watch

The squall had come and gone, as had happy hour. The taxi sat bobbing on the dock, a dull thud accentuating each wake as it passed under the bar. The salt smell of the ocean had at last been suppressed under the rain of an hour before. The sun, and my desire to stay awake, were fading, as was the last of the storms chill. Bed, or the bench that served as a bed, was waiting, but not before the day gave me one more shot of light, color and joy.

Ali Goes North: The Beginning

For the last few months my friend Marissa and I have been living in Northern California.  While we are both natives, it was in neither of our plans to be home right now.  But, through different circumstances of life, here we both are.  I think what both of us have missed most about LA is the wonderful group of crazies we call our friends.  Seeing them usually involves a six hour trip down the least enjoyable road in America, Highway 5, which is why it was so very exciting when one of them decided to come see us!

My old roommate Ali had just quite her job and decided she needed to get the heck out of Dodge for a few days, and where else to go then the chilly, windswept Bay Area?  Marissa and I plotted fo the week before Ali's arrival on the what we should do with her.  Having traveld together before, the two of us are known to go a little crazy when we try to take in the sights.  Mainly, we try to take in ALL the sights all at once.  I call it the blitzkrieg mode of travel.  While an effective way to see a city, its not the most relaxing and can drive those around us up a freaking wall.

Sent from my phone to Marissa the day before Ali's arrival

But through all of our back and forth, there was one thing that never changed, Friday night would be at the Forbidden Island.  For all intents and purposes, Forbidden Island is my local bar, my Cheers, Maclaren's, or Ten-Forward if you will.  Like all good watering holes, its a tiny place, with bar space and booths inside and a patio out back.  Locals come in for drinks with friends after works, or for brief jousts with insanity on the weekends.  Unlike most local dives, its tiki themed.

And they don't half ass the tiki theme.  The walls are lined with beachwood.  Nets, puffer fish lamps and signed dollar bills line the ceiling.  The back wall is lined with 80 kinds of rum and the signature drinks include Navy Grog, Missionary's Fall, the China Clipper and flaming birthday Mai Tais.  Actually there are several beverages served en flambe.  Always a good idea around the rowdy Friday crowds.

The camp effect is in full swing, and you have to embrace it or be left behind.  Luckily, most jump right aboard like a frat boy on freshman co-ed. But there is always the one couple in the corner who look like they are spectators at the zoo drinking long necks.  You almost feel sad for them and there beer drinking ways.

I prefer to walk to the bar for a few reasons.  First, I burn off some of the Grog calories on the way over and two, I have no chance in making a stupid decision at the end of the night.  Plus the walk takes you past some of the oldest and grandest houses in town.

Ali and I set off into a rather dreary night, hoping coincide our arrival with Marissa getting off work.  I could tell Ali was not impressed when we got there, and I totally understand, Forbidden Island is underwhelming from the outside.  The best things that can be said about it is that its a lovely shade of brown.

Photos curtesy of Forbidden Island

But when you walk in, the mood changes dramatically. 

Yes, the Staff often dresses up

Yes, the patrons often dress up

No, I have never seen it this empty

Goal, one is always to get a seat.  A much harder feat in the winter when the back patio is closed.  We were in luck though, almost as soon as my China Clipper, Marissa's Blood and Sand and Ali's Mai Tai appeared, a booth opened up behind us and Marissa dove into it.  With that we settled into the very important work of tasting each others choices.  Soon the flaming bowl party drinks started to come out of the kitchen heading to the groups around us, and of course we had to jump on that train.  

First up, the house special, the Scorpion Bowl.  Served on fire, each member of the group is issued a three foot long straw in order to assist in consumption.  The resulting effect is that the booth takes on the look of your own private opium den. People lounge against the walls and sides taking sips whenever the mood strikes them.  But, not to say the processe is easy, drinking with straws that long is a commitment.  Its a good three seconds from deciding to drink until liquid traverses the distance from you to the bowl.  

Pictured: Effort

As we all reclined in our hard won booth with its flaming table decoration, a small Asian woman came up and cooed at it.  Turning to her friend she demanded that they also get one and the three of us assured her that it was the best idea they would have all night.  The pair drifted away and we went back into our own world.

That is until the pair was IN the both with us.  But is was ok, they had brought this.  

So the now five of us cuddled up in our booth with a Virgin Sacrifice for six.  Our two new friends were Lisa and Elizabeth, two mom's out for the night on the town.  We were flabbergasted when we found out that Elizabeth had a sixteen-year-old son!  She looked early thirties at the oldest, but to be fair, the light off the burning alcohol was very flattering.  

I ended up with Lisa, the small asian woman who had initially come up to our table on my side of the table.  She was immensely friendly and after a drink, immensely determined to hook the three of us up with whomever was nearby.  First, amongst the three of us, and then the waiter, and when that failed due to his girlfriend, the waiters friends. 

To be honest, I am not sure what Elizabeth was talking to Ali and Marissa about across the table.  I have trouble understanding people in bars and basically have to read lips. But I didn't need to understand the words to understand the constant laughter.  

And through the whole night, god love them, they kept buying us drinks.  All on fire. 

FLAME ON!

So cheers to the Forbidden Island, and cheers to you Lisa and Elizabeth.  This town is small and I am sure we will see each other again soon.  In fact, I'm hoping for it.

30 Seconds of 5

New toy (GoPro) + Long Drives (Highway 5) = Short Video (Below)

At the moment I lead a bi-polis existence between the Bay Area and LA, two places roughly 400 miles apart.  The result of this lifestyle is I find myself driving Highway 5 about once a month, a ten hour round trip of horizons and taillights.  Between the fast food, gas stations and trucks there is a lot of vast, brown land to contemplate.  Add into this a new camera, and a short film was all but inevitable.

Below are some screen grabs from some of the time lapse portions. 

Ljubljana Love

Every once in awhile I get into deeply dark moods were I can't even see the sun anymore.  They don't happen to often, but once I am in one, its really hard to get me out of it.  Usually I make really stupid decisions while there.  I had really been disappointed by Zagreb, and I was really really sick of being sick.  I was homesick for the first time since leaving.  

The train ride had been hot and long, and despite the very sweet Dutch girls in my carriage, my first train ride had been rough. There was no air circulation, and we needed to leave the window open to be able to breath.  This worked great until we stopped at the Slovenian border for an hour and nearly suffocated.  The final straw had been when the train conductor had double stamped my ticket, a mistake that could have cost me a travel day had I not chased him down the corridor in my socks.  

I was grouchy and I almost made the biggest mistake of the trip, staying on the train to Salzburg, just two hours away.  But then I would have missed Ljubliana and all the wonderful people and things that happened there.  Its late, so I will write more tomorrow, but I wanted to end the evening on an up note. 

It took me a five minute walk and ten blocks before I was in love with a city.  

Ljubliana, Slovenia