www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqFiucWKo-8

Please take one hour of your time to check out this documentary put together by a crew of  very “special travelers”. I found it thanks to a friend and had a very good time watching it. These guys have made their passion a full time job which is taking them around the world.  I thought this may be inspirational for many of you following me out there, plus it is indeed a great teaser of some of the areas of Northwest India I will be visiting in around two months time.

Relax, kick back and enjoy, and check out what some of these crazy Italians have done with their lives… maybe  questionable choices, but definitely enlightening. Think over it!

A few days before leaving Sri Lanka, we stayed in Aluthgama with our friend Saman. Besides working on a lot of video materials to support  Helianto organization (they will come soon, I’m just too busy to take care of it at the moment) we had a chance to explore the daily life of Sri Lanka in deeper detail. The fish market experience in Bentota was particularly mind opening. We saw the content of the fishing boats plying the routes along the Eastern coast of India emptied in front of our very own eyes. I can describe the smell as the perfect union of death, sea, salt and doom. A stench so foul you would feel it grasping your soul. The Bentota port had an old world charm to it, one million light years away from the posh beaches lined up with 5 stars resorts and filled to the brim with overweight Russian tourists in skimpy revealing bikinis. This is a Monkeyrockworld Travel TV video documenting the shark maiming which unleashed in front of our very own eyes… think of where your sushi comes from, next time.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwZrvbr9_m8

The night was dark (and I have to tell you I am sorry for the video recordings), but you cannot really help when your country just switches off the generators and the electricity is non existent anyways: the moon was our lamp, the torchlight opening up the vision of the night… together with the cigarettes’ burning ends and the flashes provided by some lighter. And of course, Kit Yeng’s flashlight. The blues poured down the night’s throat like an ungodly wine… we needed a real singer, and we needed it bad, before Monkey Motherfucker decided to make it even worse… enjoy the RAWK from Myanmar first and most primitive BLUES PUNK, offered by the one and only BAGAN TIGERS… 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiP5Nn2e84U

Monkey Motherfucker & the Bagan Tigers “Damn It, We Need A Singer”
performed live in Bagan, Yarkinnthar Hotel Road, Myanmar

Hell yeah, it took me so long to fix up a new computer, find a PCI card supporting a damn Firewire port, and finally unearth some fantastic, lost, incredible footage I shot in Myanmar almost one year ago. I almost forgot I found a band when I was there… a “one night stand band” in Bagan… THE BAGAN TIGERS!!! The best, most soulful rawk n blues to ever come out of Western Burma since the Britsh left!! Fuck yes, probably even before!! Possibly, the ONLY blues to have ever come out of Burma as of today!!

My bandmates were fantastic: I was strolling along the main road, when I see this tattooed mofo sitting on a wooden stool in front of his shop. His tattoos were covering his body heavily, dark blue lines dotting everywhere your eyes can see… and he had a guitar, just lying besides of him. It was too tempting to resist, so i asked him if I could sit there and strum some guitar. After 3 minutes, with eyes glaring with excitement, he invited me to come back the next day to form a band. His name was Ko Soe Lwin, and he was the owner of Gant Gaw Pwint Sculptural Works pay them a visit nice in Bagan, if you can. Good times.

So, the next day, here we are: after an excruciatingly hot day bicycling around the ruins of Old Bagan (one of the most beautiful places on Earth, believe me), here we are in front of Ko Soe Lwin’s shop. A little table was equipped with an ashtray, a box of Burmese cigars and a couple bottles of Myanmar whiskey… four little shot glasses were completing the picture.

Another guitarist (I forgot your name, I am so sorry bro) was sitting there, tuning his shiny black guitar, and preparing another one that he promptly handed me with a big smile. We shook hands and the rest is history. History that you are finally able to see and enjoy, while i am working on bringing more to life… and yes, produce the first and only MONKEY MOTHERFUCKER & THE BAGAN TIGERS record. More details about it to come soon… keep tuned and enjoy the blues….

But now let’s go… enjoy live, high and DRUNK from Bagan… MONKEY MOTHERFUCKER & THE BAGAN TIGERS!!!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Sf11HOItIo

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fGQGOolg4Q

A collaboration between Sam Stavros and Antonio Graceffo. Twenty-two year-old Reuters photographer, Dan Eldon and was stoned to death in Mogadishu, Somalia. In addition to covering conflicts in Africa, he personally organized aid and relief missions to help the starving people. Dan’s mother. Kahy and sister, Amy published his diaries and art work in a book, “The Journey is the Destination.”

Dan believed in the concept of The Global Tribe. Antonio Graceffo was so moved by the life of Dan Eldon and by the music of Sam Stavros that he took Dan’s work from Africa to Asia. Together, Sam and Antonio created this video, using footage of Shan and other ethnicities of Burma.

“The purpose of the video is many fold.” Says Antonio, “I wanted to tell people about Dan and to remind them to lead a powerful life. I also wanted to promote Dan’s concept of the global tribe. Finally, I saw the suffering of the Burmese people, especially the Shan, as being a global, human tragedy which needed to be told.

When Antonio told Sam Stavros about the situation in Burma, Sam said, “This is exactly a situation Dan would have been concerned about.”

Both the book and story of Dan’s life inspired Antonio Graceffo and countless people around the globe. “Dan made more difference in his short life than many do in a long lifetime.” BBC

Sam Stavros, Dan’s cousin, wrote a moving song dedicated to Dan’s life, entitled, “Neverland.” The song is both powerful and moving and encourages people to follow their dreams, to fly, and never land.

Kathy and Amy formed a foundation called Creative Visions dedicated to the memory of Dan Eldon. “Creative Visions Foundation supports “Creative Activists”, individuals who use the power of media and the arts to create positive change in the world” from creativisions.org

This video is dedicated to the Shan and all of the people suffering at the hands of the Burmese junta.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZigR9wZyuU

A little tribute collection of train rides, overnight and not, from my Indian trip in April 2010. It seemed important and funny to give a visual aid to understand the sheer fun of it… train was the transportation I mostly used, and I don’t regret any single trip I took. It is safe, relatively fast and hassle free (once you have purchased a ticket ) and mostly, it allows you to enjoy the scenic countryside views and meet real local people. I strongly suggest you travel in India using the train, and please enjoy my little video tribute to my Indian train adventures. They also make an incredibly cheap overnight hotel, remember!!