I’m working on a photography project for a museum in Florida right now.  The House of Refuge, a historically significant structure which played a part in the pioneering of the Southern United States as well as WWI and WWII.  Sound like a dream job to you?

Here are some tips to follow if you want to be a successful photographer!

1) Be a professional you

Photography is an art, art does not follow guidelines.  As much as you want to play dress up and run a business, don’t look like an stick in the mud idiot.  Be a comfortable you, it goes a lot further than you think.  Be punctual and be professional but you’re not in a suit and tie business, so don’t act like it.

2) Know what you’re doing

This seems self explanatory, but the hard truth is this; anyone can buy a camera, read a couple how-to’s online and start calling themselves a photographer.  Being a real photographer is a lot more involved.  Find a niche and run with it, keep taking photos until you discover a pattern in your photographs.  That pattern is the foundation for your style, build on that!  It will make your photos distinguishable and unique.

3) Scope your locations

There will come a time when you have to shoot at a location you’re not familiar with.  Get there early, walk around, check the best backgrounds and angles.  In general, the best lighting is produced during the golden hours, which is right after sunrise and right before sunset.

4) Have the right gear

Don’t show up to a photo shoot with a Sony Sureshot and a plastic Big-5 tripod.  Make sure you have the right gear for the shoot.  If you’re doing an adventure sport shoot, have the right equipment.  Same goes for you wedding photographers.  Do your research before you buy and be sure to rent lenses before purchasing.  There are lots of options, so make sure to try gear and buy what you use the most.

5) Networking is king

This is the most important part of being a photographer.  Networking means future jobs and the ability to command higher rates.  So remember, meet, greet, and make friends!

We caught up to the other teams last night in Huanuco and we encountered our first flat 30km outside of the city.

The team that SBS and the Warriors had waited a day and a half for were trailing us. So we both pull over. The newly joined team jump out of their Mototaxi and declare, “We are leaving with the earliest rising team tomorrow.“

Ohhhh really? Now I am thinking to myself;  ”the other teams left you, you were traveling solo, you hauled ass to catch up to us, and we drove 7 hours in two days after driving 15 and 16 hours just to make that happen, severely hindering our chances of crossing the finish line first.“

We genuinely wanted to add a third American team that had been shunned.  What’s the repayment?  Telling us at our first sign of trouble, now that we have caught up to the other teams, you were going to go with the early risers. Hmmm. So much for sticking together.

BTW, you’re welcome we stuck around for you.  The only thing they have added in a positive light since joining us was assistance in fixing the tire. Assistance which they made sure they videotaped so off the bat they could declare that this is the fourth tire “of another teams” that he was changing.

Yes, Travis and I, along with Mike (who has been riding Harleys as long as they have been alive) are completely inept to change a flat tire.  Sometimes three is a crowd, I think the Brits had the right call on this one, sorry chaps.

So, outside of that small fiasco, yesterday went well. There had been a huge Amazonian downpour at midnight. We hired trucks to take us through bandit country, but could not leave until 4am because of the weather, even then, the 180k dirt road was a long and muddy one, with two of the trucks getting stuck in the process.

We were dropped off after a journey that saved us a day of travel to be generous, and continued another 120km to Huancayo, arriving about 8pm last night. The support that holds the muffler in place broke in half, and the sprocket on the tire seems off kilter, so we will get that looked at this morning. Unfortunately, that will put us behind some.

The other teams will have headed out by now, c’est la vie.  Maybe we can catch up to the others again and rid ourselves of some “Salty” weight, since we, apparently, are not good enough for them.  They must be part Canadian!

Let’s get moving!

The solution that will melt an unknowing face when they walk through your door.

An oversize Alien vs. Predator chess battle royal printed on canvas and brushed with touch-up paint and lacquer. This completely one off piece was made possible by the great digital artist Benjamin Parry and his team back in 2009. I think it goes well with the Duke Nukem Statue in the foyer!

If you’re like me and want to make sure everyone enjoys the majesty that you deem awesome, hang it somewhere very public, like a giant window overlooking your neighbors!

…that I will be reliving most when I speak about the Mototaxi Junket. Today was the day that started off grand, and turned to shit so fast your were neck deep before you knew it. We thought we were on target to make some good time today, left by 8am and the day was beautiful one. The road we were on was a dirt road, but was considered a major highway. Hey, at least it was graded, for the most part. We stopped at several forks in the road, and after speaking with one or two folks and consulting the map, we continued on. We ended up so high that the landscape could have been mistaken for the moon, NOTHING was growing up there. The Warriors, Travis and I took some highlight photos of the trip atop this mountain range, snow capped peaks within view.

All excited to hit the paved highway, we continued our way down the mountain. Wasn’t until we were on the other side at the gate of a mining facility the we found out we took a wrong turn. I was point man, so I put that on myself. We figured screw it, there is more than one way to skin a cat and as we were already on this route that would eventually take us to the city we had planned for, we continued forward. Once again we were hit by the Peruvian genius of which way to point A. An Ambulance driver and two co-passengers told us to take the right fork, which was the way they were going. We would pass through 3 mining towns but that we would get there, and they would help us along the way. So we drive 45 minutes to the gate of the mining town #1. Guard tells us we went the wrong way, should have taken the “other” fork. So we backtrack, buy some gas out of some woman’s house, and continue forth. Then the rain comes.

Driving on mining roads in the rain is no fun, think logging roads, no difference except instead of trees there are 1000 foot drop offs with turns that have no guard rails. We traverse the wilderness and one lane blind turns that would have meant certain death if a truck was oncoming. There were over 200 of those turns. Then the hail comes. Then we slip our chain, twice, and change the ole’ sparkplug. Then it hails on us again. Now the temperature starts dropping, the puddles grow larger and more ominous. We fjord a river to get to the other moutain range. Now the rain comes heavy. We are 7km away from the town we have decided to hole up in, and the nice old gentleman and wife explain how to get there. Take a left, go over the pass, come down on the other side, follow the river, and you will be there. We do as he says. He is completely wrong, 180 degrees. We didn’t figure this out until after we crossed over the mountain pass, 30 minutes later. Then the hail comes again, and twilight starts.

So we sputter our way back over the pass. By this time our MT “Charlie” is throwing a tantrum. It has rained so long and hard that in between the chain slipping off, the kill switch automatically goes off, a victim of the waterlogged electronics. Nothing like stalling up a muddy pass at a 45 degree incline. Lots of pushing ensued to get back over the pass and onto the right road. I looked for that old man to run him over, but he had since taken his leave, no clue if he was screwing with us, or just plain stupid. Either way, it was now dark, we had seven kilometers to go in blackness, through roads that were now either muddied or had rivers crossing over them and into the canyon below. We came across a taxi driver who led us into town a few miles out. Yep, still raining.

I was wearing two pairs of wool socks, thinking I was clever this mornig, keep my toes warm. Ever had wool socks get wet? S-U-C-K-S…my feet were two walking sponges. So the nice taxi man gets us into town, where I stall several times, and then the Warriors join in on the fun as there MT start to be pissed about being out playing in the rain all day. We finally make it to the hostel where we were going to hole up for the night. No vacancy. It begins to downpour. We go back the way we came and come across another hostel. No vacancy. This is becoming increasingly funny. Finally, third time is a charm, we find one, the last one in town, with rooms available. Course the neighbor seems to have a thing about blowing stuff up. Explosions have been going off every hour since we arrived.

I am too cold to really care though. Our bodies have gone through several elevation changes, along with sun, wind, rain, and hail today. All we care about is getting one step closer to the finish line tomorrow. Maybe we will accomplish that, as long as we dont ask for directions. Should have brought my Garmin. Night all.

In true American spirit, two American teams waited for a third American team, that two British teams left in the dust, literally.

We do not leave our own. So we three are together now, and the British team is one day ahead.  Ahead … of me!?

After leaving a team that you were traveling with, on the side of the road? NO BUENO!  From this moment forward, Stars Bars & Scars are kicking it into high gear.

We will be streaming from secret locations, we will be blogging from parts unknown. Word has gotten back to us that they are reading our blogs, but not posting their own. What are you boys scared of? Don’t be shy…

So two, or five for that matter, can play that game. I love the Brits, but for the next 1-297 days (or however long it takes since I don’t know where we are, wink wink) IT IS ON FLY BOYS and solo man, you know who you are…

Team Stars Bars & Scars officially going silent,

“A prisoner of war is a man who tries to kill you and fails, then asks you not to kill him.”  Winston Churchill

Better yet:

“The object of war isn’t to die for your country but make the other bastard die for his.” George S. Patton

‘MERICA!!

… what’s going on!?

The guy in Moyobamba says go north from Tarapoto and take the boat down to Pullcana, then drive.

The lady in Llamas says drive south from Tarapoto to Pullcana and then take a boat from there.

Several town folk asked, “are you carrying weapons to fight the bandits?“

We are going to do some shopping now in Tarapoto for Machetes, then diner and some Pisco Sours.

We’re going SOUTH, bring it.

Stars Bars & Scars and The Warriors pulled into Moyobamba in a little over an hour yesterday.

The hotel we found had HOT water, woohoo!  Laundry servec as well, a GODSEND as my pants were about to stand up and walk away on their own!

On our way into town I spotted another mototaxi that had a large Slipknot graphic across the back of it. Travis and I quickly made friends with the driver Fernando. He led us through the town and to the hotel. He then led us to a mechanic where we had a full tune-up on both Mototaxis performed. 

In a strategic move, we had the mechanic pull out the 125cc cylinder, head, and piston, replacing it a beefier 150cc version, same as the our partners the Warriors. We should be able to tackle the hills in style now, first and second gear just wasn’t cutting it.

So after a few Pisco Sours by the pool, we reconvene for dinner, spread the map out across the pool table, and after some calculations, come to the realization that we are over 300 miles FURTHER from the finish line than the when we started!!

After 4 days of driving, we are further…ugh. Time for plan B. We are going deeper into the heart of the Amazon…

Wish us luck.

‘MERICA!

Clocked in over 300k yesterday. Our valiant Lifan 125cc engine performs fantastically on the straights, but is complete rubbish on the inclines.

When we finally got to the point that Travis had to get out and push as I worked the throttle, we knew we had entered serious terrain.

“Charlie” as the locals call ‘em, didn’t feel the same after that. He seemed slow and sluggish. A 5% incline became a downshift to conserve speed. A 10% equaled two downshifts, and a loud whining noise as he lurched into gear.

If he could talk, Charlie would have said “Seriously, guys.  Did you have to buy the boom box that sits in the seat as a third passenger? Big enough you HAD to buy a car battery to run it? Did you think of me when you did this you fat b*stards?! Guess what, first gear is all your gettin’.”

I could feel Charlie slowly revolting against us, and I know he loosened one of the cables on the battery switch so it grounded into the frame which resulted in the slow electrocution of the rear passenger. Figured that one out after a unique slight tingling sensation went from the fingertips to the arms and your mouth started to get pasty.

Well, we caught on to your shenanigans Charlie, and we do care about you, so today will be a different kind of day, more on that in a moment.

The road from Bagua Grande to Pedro Ruiz was simply breathtaking. Desert gave way to green rice fields, then to lush forests clinging to the sides of razor sharp canyons filled with condors.

and I know he loosened one of the cables on the battery switch so it grounded into the frame which resulted in the slow electrocution of the rear passenger

This was straight out of Jurassic Park, meandering down alongside a riverbed, rushing rivers, and a superb waterfall I am regretful we did not snap a pic of. There was the aforementioned section where we had to push Charlie up a dirt road (Peruvians know shit all about time and distance, but they do love their infrastructure!) because of a road detour.

That has been only mark against the roads so far that we have encountered, lots of roadwork, a couple times complete shutdowns for hours. When the short, stout women come to sell you soda and biscuits while you are waiting, you know you will be there awhile.

I found it amusing that we encountered a landslide while we were waiting and had to jump out of the mototaxi as rocks pinged off Charlie and our legs. Thankfully nothing bigger than walnut sized pieces, but you don’t want to stick around for the Indiana Jones Ball to come rolling down the side of the hill like you just stole the Incan Idol.

This was the second time we have been hit by rocks, the first was at the OTHER complete shutdown the day before, and goats were the culprits of that one! Seriously though, the only light source that dotted the otherwise pitch black mountain pass were a couple floodlights around a work area where one or two guys were there to control traffic.

Saw my first Walking Stick Insect in the wild. Oddly enough he was just, walking, across the road.

Mike scared Carla with it, we all had a laugh, and continued on. Yep, it’s crazy fun in the Amazon at night, ahem.

These Double Decker Buses, like the lorries in India, are the bane of Peru, they come in hot around corners and never bother to use their horns. A Mototaxi would be treated like a bug on a windshield…SPLAT!

It goes without saying, but these highways are filled with blind turns, the good news about driving at night in a black hole is that you can see the oncoming lights from around the corner, and you just pray they can see you. We only need four feet of road people, be generous, please.

It became apparent we were not going to make it to Moyobamba last night. The night driving through the passes took their toll on us. What had started out as a scorching day in the desert turned into a mostly pleasant drive which turned into a God is pissed and the heavens have opened up downpour.

Raining, in the Amazonian rain forest, who woulda’ figured?

So we barely had time to get our raingear on which mostly consisted of a jacket, stowed away the electronics and maps as best we could, and drove through fury. Reminded me of a certain Irene that stopped by to say hello on her way through CT last week, but without the wind.

The rain was fine, it was the two hours later when the temperature dropped 20 degrees and you were shivering to the bone. Except for a 3×6 top cover and a couple of side flaps, you are completely at the mercy of the elements. We made a pit stop and changed into triple layers of shirts and pants.

I had bought an extra tarp at a roadside village and wrapped myself up like a condom in the back. Thankfully the pure misery only lasted a few hours, then we descended from the mountain pass and back into the lowlands where it warmed up.

As we reintroduced ourselves to civilization, and cell phone service picked up, we found out that the other members did encounter some issues on the road, and were behind us in Bagua Grande.

They decided not to head to Moyobamba today, instead they would make a hard right at Pedro Ruiz and head South to Chachapoyas because it was “easier”.

Only issue I see in their logic is that the route they chose is only easy now. After Chachapoyas, the road

A: becomes an unpaved road for 350km, and…

B: it heads AWAY from Cuzco and back OVER the 16,000 foot mountain range. Logic dictates that they will be heading OVER the mountain range a third time, to get back to Cuzco.

I wish them well.

For Team SBS and the Warriors, we continue to the destination of Moyobamba today where we will find a nice hotel, drink a Pisco Sour at the bar, maybe get a massage if we choose, and have our laundry done while the mototaxis are bring worked on.

We are losing half our oil, Travis is pretty sure the O-Rings need to be replaced, we replaced the spark plug yesterday afternoon. Coupled that with some shopping for warmer gear, maybe a nice dinner at a place other than the Pollina Restaurante (Guy must be a billionaire, all the restaurants in Peru seemed to be called that!) and potentially hot water.

I haven’t seen that since I stepped out of my shower in Norwalk CT the morning I left. After a few hard days on the road it will be worth it, and will get our minds ready for what’s next on this journey.

After Moyobamba is Tarapoto, and after Tarapoto is Juanjui. The road between Tarapoto and Juanjui is sprinkled with dirt. After Jaunjui it is only dirt.

For 300 kilometers. In bandit country. Through the Rainforest. With one town near the middle you hope make it to before nightfall, Tochache. Charlie better be well rested, or Charlie may find new owners who don’t care as much as we do about him soon.

Time for everyone else to wake up, grab some chicken for breakfast, and head to Moyobamba for a day of relaxation and shopping. Sweetie, can I pick you up something from the Amazonian Rainforest???

Let’s blow this taco stand, yeeeeehaw!!!

In Day two of the junket I woke up to find myself sleeping next to Dave from Team Plan-F.

Six teams entered Chulucanas late  the prior afternoon and holed up in the Hotel Star Plaza. We set off like a herd of turtles at 8:30 am sharp.

We meandered down to El Cruce where Team SBS made the hard decision to stay with the pack under the safety in numbers and continued with everyone towards our next goal Jaen, which included crossing over a 16,000 foot mountain pass.

Ourselves and The Warriors moved ahead of the group, with the understanding that we would all meet down the road. After summiting the pass and rolling down the backside, we came across the road being closed for construction.

It wouldn’t open until 6pm, we were there at 2:30.  As the hours ticked on by, dodging falling rocks from the Mountain Goats and bad jokes from the locals there was no sign of Plan F, The Pisco Sour Project, Rolling Lads, and Sweet Chariot.

Did they turn back? Did they crash? No idea as there was ZERO cell coverage.

When the pass finally opened at 6pm, we continued on, forced to move forward by the Mountain Range in our rear view mirror.

Not much on this stretch of road in the way of hotels, we did find one roadside diner where the chicken was fabulous.

As night took over, we secured any extra lighting we had, including Travis’ LED Camera light for a most unusual set up. We have come to the conclusion that Peruvians have little to no concept of distance. Everything was ten minutes or an hour, according to them.

We arrived in Jaen at 1am, somewhat ragged from the drive, staying concentrated on not going off the into the dark chasm to our right while dodging Double Decker buses who, unlike India, do not feel the need to use their horn.

Carla has been a godsend, one half of the mighty Warriors team. Is she the Brains, and Mike the Brawn? A Master Blaster duo? Judging by Mike’s size, I wouldn’t support that theory, the man is JACKED UP! He makes me look like a skinny junior high schooler.

Great  hearing the New York accent, like a little bit of home in Peru, LOL! We are very happy to be teamed up with a couple of fellow New Yorkers, and sad that it is most likely the end of our time with Plan F, Sweet Chariot, Rolling Lads, and The Pisco Sour gents.

Hey, at least we have Chulucanas boys…

BTW, the pass is closed from 7am to noon and 1-6pm, hope you get there between noon and 1pm today guys!

Goal for today: 300k and Moyobamba.

 Into the Amazon we go!!

The first day of the Mototaxi Junket saw three police escorts, a 50km ride in the back of a truck, dinner for a buck twenty-five, and a nine-year old that sang for us, needed new shoes, was his birthday, was cold because he had no jacket, and his name was “Brian Smith“, ahem.

We didn’t get more than 5km out of the launch city of Piura before the Federales had the road blocked and told us we could not drive on the highway.

Today we are hoping for none of that.

On the plus side, the live streaming went off without a hitch! We will be doing much of the same today.

We are in a town called Chulacanos [sic] and plan on getting to at least El Cruce, which means crossing the desert and salt flats.

Travis and I have been deliberating whether or not going down the highway makes much sense given the 50km checkpoints and what lies in between. Safety in numbers may be the way to go. If you haven’t checked out the stream, you should, great fun.

The link is on our site. We’ll be live in a couple hours. Let’s Roll!