Johannesburg, Lapalala Wilderness
Rhinos everywhere, such curious and fast animals. Rhinos poop all on the same spot – creating big stinky, well-organized mountains of manure.
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2000 Botswana
1999 Belize
Hopkins, Ambergis Key, San Ignazio, Blue Cave, Punta Gorda, Dangriga, Belmopan, San Antonio
The Chicleros, the horse back riding kautschuk harvesters, took me through the jungle to collect latex from rubber trees. The horses ate oranges. The year 2000 came with a loud bang and lots of sand flea bites.
1999 Guatemala
Tikal
Stairs to heaven and no one there. The place was almost completely empty when I visited!
1999 United Kingdom
1998 Venezuela
1998 Mongolia
Ulan Bator, Dalanzadgad, Gobi Desert, Nomads, Chojin Lama Temple, Bogdkhan Monastary, Gandan Monastary, Zuunmod Manzshir Temple, Countryside Nadam, Ger, Bayanzag, Yolym Am Valley, Bactrian Camels, Morzag Sanddunes/Gobi, Terelj
No fences, horses roaming, wide landscapes with constant wind and you can see as far as your eyes can. I interviewed a Shaman in the South Gobi and asked him what he thinks the difference is between him and and regular people like me. He answered, that he never worries about anything. That sentence is with me ever since.
1998 Trans-Siberian Railways
1998 China
Beijing, Hutongs, Simatai Great Wall
I was filming without permission in Beijing and I remember that I rolled myself under a parking car to not get caught by the police. They almost caught us interviewing a family inside a Hutong building. The neighbors must have given information to the police. While I was hiding, the camera crew ran – we didn’t get caught.
1998 USA: New York
1998 Japan
1997 China
Beijing: Forbidden City, Lama Temple, Hutongs Beijing, Great Wall, Badaling, Simatai, Behai Park, Ritan Park, Tianzhe, Ming Tomb, Confuzius Temple, Chinese Circus, Drum Tower, Tientan
First time China! Buying an original Chinese bicycle for the 8-week production period was a smart idea. This magic China Bike, the brand was called “Flying Pidgeon”, I shipped later to friend in Germany, as a surprise present – including the grease and dirt of Beijing.
1997 USA: New York
Long Island
Filming amateur rocketeers. Big boy business, absolutely entertaining and weird. They shoot their self-build rockets into the sky, very close to JFK airport. Every time I am approaching JFK airport I have to think of them.
1997 Japan
1997 USA: Michigan
Detroit, Lake Michigan, Belle Isle Aquarium
Motown, empty city, empty roads, fat people, wooden houses and the nicest Aquarium I have seen.
1997 USA: New York
1997 USA: New Mexico
Taos, Colorado River
Native American home country, Pueblo Indians, a very busy Colorado River. Hippie Town, and artsy city Taos. Driving at night listening to the radio news that Princess Diana has died.
1997 Brazil
Iguazu National Park
You get wet from the Iguazu water falls standing a kilometer away from them. And the raccoon-like coatis want your cookies and your fingers!.
1997 Uruguay
1997 Argentina
Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, Trelew, Palmar National Park, Gualeguy, Calafate, Punta Tombo, Puerto Madryn, Chacabuco, Gualeguaychu, Corrientes, Posadas, Puerto Iguazu
Buenos Aires has the best ice cream ever, thanks to Italian immigrants. The traffic is a nightmare. My similarity with someone famous in Argentina made people stop and stare. I don’t know whose lookalike I have been.
1996 USA: New York
1996 USA: New England, Vermont, New Hampshire
New England: Boston, Salem ; Rhode Island: Glenn Farm, HWY 15, Vermont, Newport, Cape Cod, Millinocket, New Hampshire, Mt. Washington, Cog Railway
Filming the Indian Summer in New England and experiencing an international Polo tournament in Rhode Island was special. The diner food we could get along the way was something unforgettable too. After weeks we all had enough of the special American diet of pancakes, waffles, BLTs, lobsters and huge greasy portions of hamburgers. At the end of the shoot, everyone just ate apples.
1996 Philippines
Manila, Mindoro, Quezon City, Payatas Dump Site (Smoky Mountain), Quezon City Slums
A dump site called Smoky Mountain, steaming with smells and gases from rotting trash. People call Smoky Mountain their home, harvesting the garbage and trying to have a normal life. Shacks are set up on the trash from 11 million people. Manila: Getting the worst haircut ever by a Philippine Drag Queen. I looked like a Beatle in the 60’s.
1996 USA: Utah, Arizona
1996 USA: Washington
Seattle, Space Needle
Interviewed a guy who sells licenses for sexploitation films and who had 12 guinea pigs in his office.
1996 Japan
1995 USA: NYC
Manhattan: The Big Snow
Skiing on Fifth Avenue, no food in supermarkets and cable TV had a black out. New Yorkers love a good challenge.
1995 USA: Florida
1995 USA: California
1994 Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh – all photographed with my well-behaved Rollei 35s
1994 was called the Year of Transition in Cambodia – a “one step forward and two steps back” kind of situation after the Khmer Rouge regime. I was part of an American NGO project to contribute and install used computers in monasteries and news outlets, like the Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. Travelling in Cambodia 1994 meant to be accompanied by an armed military guard at all times. Landmine warning signs were still up in the city area and Angkor Wat was still heavily mined.
I came back to Cambodia in 2014 – different mission. Cambodia is still dancing its “one step forward and two steps back” routine.
1994 Laos
1994 Malaysia
Penang, George Town
Penang a most fascinating town. Artsy, old colonial buildings I got my first taste of India: Roti and a Hindu Temple – catering to rats.
1994 Thailand
Bangkok, Koh Samui, Surathani, Chantaburi, Nong Kai
Seeing the changes after 10 years. Now there was a paved road all around Koh Samui and electricity and European sex tourists everywhere. “Lamai Lamai – Chaweng Chaweng” screams of the local busses faded into serious tourist traffic. In Nong Khai I met many US Vietnam War veterans living at the Lao border with their Asian wives in very simple housing and with little money.
1994 Japan
1994 USA: New York & Texas
1994 USA: Hawaii
Big Island, Honolulu
Walking on the lava beach, seeing two Orca whales playing in the Pacific. It was my birthday. I discovered Mahi-Mahi.
1994 Indonesia: Sumatra
1993 Malta
1992 USA: New York City
1992 USA Los Angeles
1992 Japan
Tokyo, Fukui, Shinjuku, Asakusa, Akihabara, Yokohama
The Japanese “Economy Bubble” busted. I experienced my first earthquake inside a NHK TV studio, where every equipment rag was mounted from floor to ceiling. Everything was safely swinging back and forth. My first time in Japan I was on an extremely short budget and ate my way through art openings and Vernissages. My first time in Tokyo, I lost my way a million times and came back later to Japan more than 10 times.
1992 United Kingdom
1991 Sumatra
Brestagi, Bandang, Medan, Lake Toba
Children were all excited to see a white, blond person in their village. Most places in the countryside had no roads, no electricity no connections to the world around them. I have been here in 1989.
1991 Thailand
1990 Germany
1989 Egypt
1989 Malaysia
1989 Indonesia: Sumatra
Medan, Sumatra Brestagi, Ambarita, Sinabung Volcano, Bukit Lawang, Lake Toba
Batak houses are boat-shaped with intricately carved gables and upsweeping roof ridges. Karo Batak houses rise up in tiers. Each Batak group has its own rules and traditions. Toba Batak houses are laid out side by side with their front gables facing the street. It felt like entering an ancient untouched world. The street formed between the row of houses and the row of granaries is known as the alaman and is used as an area for work, drying of rice. Getting caught in bad weather on top of the Sinabung volcano was not a good idea. I went back in 1991.
1988 France
