around the world volume 2 full
Tokyo night life. We walked around and came across a place called the robot restaurant, which promised kicking up and wildly swinging around. We couldn’t pass that up. So, we bought tickets and went inside. The decor was decidedly on the psychedelic side. We entered the theater and waited for the show to begin. Apparently, a peaceful planet was invaded by evil extraterrestrials. Bad guys arrived and a battle commenced. So peaceful. I want to trash it. The good guys were aided by a ninja turtle and a kung fu panda. The outcome hung in the palace. It raged on for a mindn numbing 45 minutes, but in the end, good triumphed over evil. Well, there’s a slice of Japan for you. As a boy, I always hoped I’d be able to see it with my own eyes someday. On a visit to France, I got my chance and headed towards Normandy. It’s built on a small rocky island on the tidal flats of a large bay. It’s only 17 square acres in size. Starting with a small oratory in 708, an abbey in 966, a Roman-esque church, and then Gothic additions, buildings piled one on top of the other, only accessible at low tide. The powerful treacherous currents and strong defensive fortifications have repelled unwelcome visitors for centuries. During medieval times, the abbey was a popular destination for Christian pilgrims. The chapel, the refactory, Lasal des. The monks left after the reformation. In the 1800s, the tsunami of tourists began. Now 3 million a year. The jam-packed Grand Rou. The island is unbelievably picturesque. There’s a lot of stairs. The cozy a bear sent Pierre. We stayed overnight in a little hotel there. In the evening, when the tourists had left, we strolled around the empty streets. We had the island all to ourselves. My visit to Mo San Michelle was as impressive and exciting as I hoped it would be. A fairy tale medieval castle frozen in time. As night falls, it stands alone and resolute, silhouetted against the darkening sky. A magical place. We had made plans to visit a remote Zulu village deep in the bush. The natives there were still maintaining their ancestral ways of life. After brief negotiations with the headman, it was agreed the tribe would do a traditional dance for us. I kick these rules. help from sle. We arrived in Fiji, a beautiful group of islands far out in the Pacific Ocean. We were booked that afternoon on a jetboat trip up the Signa River. I’ve spent a lot of time on the water, but at this speed and under these conditions, this trip had my life flashing before my eyes. It was only later our guide told us that the week before a boat had flipped, leaving six seriously injured people to be helicoptered out to the hospital. We all agreed to both do a 360 at the end of the trip. I tried to film it, but I ended up ass over tea kettle on the floor of the boat. I should have held on with both hands. You all right? Don’t ask for the change. Did it drink too much? I drank quite a bit, but it was a fun trip. Kicha Locking Monastery, the sacred jewel of Bhutan, built in the 7th century. on. It was a very special day when we were there. the big fees of Buddhism in all Bhutan was visiting. We walked through the prayer room during the ceremony, but were forbidden to look in his direction or catch his eye. It contains a fantastic statue of the Buddha. It was donated by the emperor of China over a thousand years ago. With the chanting, the incense and the bells and drums, it was a very profound experience. The most famous Shinto ritual known throughout the world is sumo wrestling. We took a train and joined the excited crowd outside the Royal Goku Koko Jam, Tokyo Sumo Arena. We got a map of the arena and various information literature, including a chart showing the 87 moves employed by the wrestlers and the program of the day’s matches. We found our seats. The roof over the ring is modeled after the Rento shrine. The competitors called Rkishi were introduced. The origins of sumo go back two millennia and the sport is largely based on Shinto ritual. The refs called goji wear the hats and kimono in the style of Shinto priests and carry a fan called a gun or war fan. The wrestlers throw salt to help purify the rain. Much is made of stomping on the ground to drive away evil demons. Clapping hands helps summon the gods. There’s lots of slapping going on. The bouts are sponsored. 650 bucks per advert banner. The final matches are heavily advertised. The fight begins when both wrestlers touch the ground simultaneously. Sumo takes its name from an ancient Chinese character that means mutual bruising. The idea is to stay in the ring. You can’t touch the ground. The winner gets his cash. The hand motions give thanks to the three gods of creation. The monetary rewards are split 50/50 with the Sumo Federation. Today’s program ends with the bow dance which dates back to the days when the winner received a bow as the prize. The wild go the ghost town of Bod in California. Everybody left when the gold ran out. a gal set up and began her show with her super cool monkey partner. The little guy was amazing. He high jumped. higher stilts. High jumping with stilts, taller stilts. He was small, but he had his together. His gal manager cheered him on for the grand finale. Great and entertaining show. The most vital part of Julie’s ceremonial garb is the wearing of your very best wig hat, festoned with the otherworldly brilliance of the incandescent bird feathers. Holy ceremonial dances are called singings. A sing at a political rally was taking place down the road, but the manager at the hotel warned us it could easily be the last show we’d ever attend. Papoa has no large land predators, but is rich in fantastic bird life, including many species of birds of paradise. So it’s natural that with their wild costumes, the hulie invoke the extravagance, the movement, and the beautiful plumage of the birds. Bago is famous for its giant reclining Buddhas. This one is 180 ft long and 52 feet high. It supposedly was begun in 994 during the reign of Man King Migadalpa. The big beauty chaki 217 ft long and its eyes are 6 ft across. big complicated feet. On my most recent visit to Barcelona, La Mer, the city’s biggest annual festival was underway. First of the drum troops appeared. They’ll play long into the night. As the evening approaches, the pyrochnic aspect of the chor begins. The kids get the first chance. Dressed as little devils, they run up and down the streets with their pitchforks spitting fire. This part of the festival hearkens back to medieval times when street theater featured morality plays pitting good against evil. Devils acted out the part of the bad guys and in the end evil was more fun. Now for one day the devils are summoned up from hell. Then the big guys really got going. Each group of devils spawn their own beastiaries. Monsters from hell. The beat goes on. Stoked up on a mixture of red wine and Coca-Cola called Terasite Kilamucho. Macho ombres hunkered down under the shower of cascading sparks. It was almost midnight. Pretty soon the devils would be called back to hell. I was totally loaded. But I’d had a great time. Coropol at La Mer in Barcelona. If you ever get the chance, go do it.
This is Volume 2 of “Around the World”, a cinematic travel documentary series which spotlights the culture, history, and beauty of iconic hot spot destinations around the globe. In Volume 2 we travel to Tokyo, Japan, France, South Africa, Fiji, Bhutan, Papua New Guinea and so much more.
📺 Watch more adventures on Erik’s Travels:
https://www.youtube.com/@erikstravels
🌍 Explore the full archive:
https://erikstravels.com/
Chapters:
0:00: Intro
0:14: Kabukicho, Tokyo
1:40: Mont Saint Michel
4:35: Durban
6:31: Fiji Jet Boat Trip
7:32: Kyichu Lhakang Monastery, Bhutan
9:09: Sumo Wrestling
11:51: Bodie, California
12:10: Japanese Monkey
13:18: Papua New Guinea: Wigmen
14:37: Myanmar
15:15: Barcelona
#TravelDocumentary #CinematicTravel #AroundTheWorld #EriksTravels #TokyoJapan #FranceTravel #SouthAfricaTravel #FijiIslands #BhutanTravel #PapuaNewGuinea #WorldTravelSeries #TravelHistory #CulturalDocumentary #GlobalTravel #TravelVid #exploretheworld