In The Giant Termite Mounde

Oct 9, 2009
Cartagena, Colombia
Elevation 2m

I went out to Volcan de Lodo el Totumo today with some friends. At first I was recluctant to go, but then curosity, a slight bit of bordem and a lot of why the hell not got the better of me and so off I went. The first sentence in the Lonley Planet guid says ¨No, its no the world´s largest termite mound.¨ Well....having reading that, my first sight of this ¨volcano¨made my burst out laughing. It really does look like the world´s largest termite mound.

Its about 15m tall and the opening on top its about 8 feet by 15 feet and it is fill with mud the consistency of pudding or clotted cream (take your pick of thick dairy based substance). You climb down a few steps and a local guys indicates that you lay down in the mud on your back. As you float on top of this incredibly dense mud, he cover you with it and then pushes you to the side so that you can wait in line to be massaged by another local guy. There is a bit of assembly line quality to what is happening in this tiny mud pit. You get massages for about 5 minutes by the guy then he pushes you again off to another side to make room for more incomings.

As I ¨wallow¨in mud in this giant terminte mound, I can´t help but be reminded of the children´s book, Ïn the Night Kitchen¨ by Murice Sendak and the part of the boy falling into milk or cake batter or something. Only difference being that I am in mud and I don´t think there is a chance that I would get baked into a cake. What is the most bizzard is that you can stand up in the mud. It is so dense that although you are kinda standing on ¨nothing¨ you are afloat and not sinking.

If you are ever curious about what would be like to float in a tub of clotted cream, come to Cartagena and visit Volcan de Lodo el Totumo.

*Picture to come

Thank you Mr Penn

Oct 9, 2009
Cartagena, Colombia
Elevation 2m

I had a moment this morning to read through the headlines from these last couple of days and to my surprise, I found out that Mr Irving Penn had passed away on Wednesday at the age of 92. He is one of my favorit photographers from that generation and also the last surviving one. Both Mr Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton passed away in these past couple of years.

I once asked my friend Jay Maisel if he has ever had a chance to meet Mr Penn, Jay being a famous photographer in his own right. Jay said that his path and Mr Penn has never really crossed but they both know of one another and have had several phone conversations. He said in one of his conversations with Mr Penn, Jay expressed a desire to meet. Mr Penn then told him that he was not recieving guests as there is still so much photographs that he wants to take and he has so little time left.

Mr Penn´s dedication made me speechless.

There is a nice article about Mr Iriving Penn´s life and works in the New York Times if you are interested.

A home away from home

Oct 7, 2009

Cartagena, Colombia



My wondering of these last 10 months has finally gotten the best of me. I am in Cartagena and I cannot for the life of me convince myself to get out of bed this morning to head out to the market.

No matter how much I try to convince myself that my purpose here is to shoot, hence, I must get up, I do not want to. All I want to is stay in bed and stare at the white ceiling above with the molding and watch the ceiling fan circle around. All I want to do is lay in this little room of mine, where no one knows me, needs nothing from me, expect nothing from me, demands nothing of me. At least just for a little while longer, at least just for a day. A home for me, even if its only at 18000 COP per night, for the moment, this little white room is mine, all mine, a home away from home.



I know myself well enough to know that if I just give in to moments like this the feeling will resolve itself. Once I have had my fill, I will get sick of the stillness, and be ready for another chicken bus, be ready for another adventure.



I did manage to get up and head to the market for a very uninspired morning of shooting. Only to find my way back to my little white room a little while later and lay down to admire the ceiling, the consistency of the fan. It is now nearly 4pm and I have spent most of the day hiding in my room, listening to the world go by outside. I am almost ready to participate again, I am almost ready for you, Cartagena.



Now, only if I could stop sweating...

Charlie Grosso

www.charliegrosso.com

310-592-0895

Spontaneous Yellow Fever Vaccination

Oct 5, 2009

Cartagena, Colombia

At sea level



I arrived in Cartagena, Colombia today and as I was waiting in line at immigration, I make friends with these 2 girls who were traveling alone as well. Victoria, who will be on the road for 4 months through South America and Lesile who will be traveling for 6 months but first she is doing a 3 week language school in Cartagena.



Victoria and I shared a taxi into town and are staying at the same hostel. She wanted to get her yellow fever vaccination taken care of and somehow I ended up on this errand with her. We go over to Casa Viena where the owner Hans is a wealth of information. He tells us where to go to get the vaccination and we head in that direction. While I am standing at the vaccination office and listening to Victoria asking the nurses what area she cannot go to without the vaccination, I decided that I should get mine as well. Hey, I am here already.



I have not had any vaccinations since I was a child and the last time I got a shot of any sort was 15 years ago for rabies and tetanus after our dog had taken a bit out of me. I know that some might think I am foolish for traveling the world as I do without any vaccinations, but in my defense, I have always planned on getting them when I head out to the likes of Africa and India.



$27 dollars and a very spontaneous decision later, I now have my yellow fever vaccination. My left arms hurts so much that I can't quiet left it over my head nor can I sleep on my left side. However, I am now yellow fever proof. Now let's just hope that all the other diseases that I am not vaccinated against does not find me.

Charlie Grosso

www.charliegrosso.com

310-592-0895