IN THE MOMENT / REDWOODS OPEN SPACE RESERVE PT 2
The 2nd half of my little hike. Less talk, more pics.
IN THE MOMENT / JAN 15 LAKE TAHOE
Went to Lake Tahoe a month ago and took my new GoPro to test it out. Here's a little vid I threw together using some those random clips.
IN THE MOMENT / REDWOODS OPEN SPACE RESERVE
Just a few images from a hike this weekend. I'll post a few more later.
Remember The Foundation
Sometimes it's not the achievement itself that's substantial, but the groundwork laid before that's most critical.
Car Spotlight / Svelte Vette
As I've mentioned before, over the last several years I've grown to appreciate the American cars that I used to dismiss while I was younger. One of the hardest cars to get over was the Corvette, especially given its stigma among some car enthusiasts. To put it simply, I do not fit the 'Vette demograph by any stretch of the imagination, so it was easy for me to be "put off" by many of their owners.
However, over time I learned to manage the subcultures among car enthusiasts, as well as disassociate them and let the cars speak for themselves. And it is then where the C2 really shined for me. It has been stated many times that the original Sting Ray is one of the greatest designs in automotive history, or at the very least American car history, and I full agree with such a bold claim.
There is not a single angle on this car that doesn't ooze with style (ok, the wheel caps are pretty weak, but that can be easily fixed). Like most great designs, this was clearly created by one man's vision, not by a design team like many modern cars often are. Even though this particular model wasn't the ultimate split-window model, it still grabbed and held my attention better than many classic European cars could.
Also didn't hurt that the C2 generation had such a successful racing history. In fact, it was probably more successful than any other Corvette generation until Pratt & Miller came in with their C5 and C6 domination.
It's also the only Corvette I'd ever associate the word "classy" with. Every generation that followed seemed to have a stronger emphasis on getting more bang for the buck, both in terms of visual treatment (C3 Sting Rays) and performance (C4 ZR1, C5/6 Z06). Not that that's a bad thing, and maybe the "classy" association is due to the C2 being a product of the 60's, but I always felt the C2 had that perfect balance between sport and composure that no other Corvette was able to achieve.
Racing, class, bold styling, American roots. Small wonder why it's an icon among icons.
Philippines Trip / Day 9 Pt.4
And so our last stop in Manila, Chinatown.
I've been to several Chinatowns over the years and almost all of them have ended up being a romanticized neighborhood on how other cultures perceive what China is like. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It brings in traffic for the businesses and celebrates the positive aspects of a different culture than the local one. That said, one should keep in mind that those Chinatowns are not accurate representations of what China is actually like. THIS on the other hand, is different.
It's as if someone cut a section out of a major city in mainland China and dropped it right in Manila. If you didn't spot the occasional Filipino or Jeepney, you'd never imagine you were still in the Philippines.
I was told that this area, known as Binondo, is the oldest Chinatown in the world. It definitely has a unique history between the local Filipinos and Spanish Conquistadors and in the past played a major role in trade traffic between China and other countries such as the US.
At any rate, it wasn't what you'd call the most cheerful place to be, so we decided to drive around a little bit more and make one last stop at Michelle's grand parents' before retreating back to the hotel.
Ate lunch over at the Mall of Asia, yet another shopping mall. Manila sure loves its shopping malls, and they're all HUGE.
Some more local transportation. Interesting logos there...
To any fans of spy movies, this area should look familiar.
Just some local car spotting.
The entire trip, these Nissan Patrols kept tricking me into thinking the Philippines were packed with Land Cruisers. Still pretty cool, especially with those graphics.
Montero Sport on Rally OZ Wheels. Not a combination I'd think would work if you told me, but in person it actually fits better than I would have thought.
The grandparents' front garden.
And so concludes our Philippine trip. Overall it was a fun, unique experience but save for the time in Boracay, it's just not a place I plan on going back to any time soon. Not sure if it's the Philippines in general or just Manila specifically, but it was just not my thing. Besides, I'm done with the humidity. Bleh!
Philippines Trip / Day 9 Pt.3
Just a wrap up of our Fort Santiago visit.
It's like something straight out of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie set.
Leaving the Fort and are now heading to Chinatown. More chances to see Jeepneys!
So KKK stands for Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng̃ mg̃á Anak ng̃ Bayan which was a society formed by locals to fight against the Spanish. Funny how one culture's symbol of oppression can be another culture's symbol of freedom.
Last post, (not so) lucky Chinatown!
Philippines Trip / Day 9 Pt.2
Taking it back old school.
We soon arrived at Fort Santiago, a fortress built back when the Spanish still ruled the Philippines.
It was pretty neat seeing an actual moat.
Very impressive photo stance.
This historical site was the location where Philippine national hero José Rizal was executed. Here was where he was held before his last walk. Those steps were memorialized with brass footprints embedded into the ground.
An example of some of the holding cells that were used. When in use, there was a metal grate that would be placed on top, allowing the brutal sun and rain to always fall onto the prisoners. Those Spanish colonialists sure had some fun ideas on how to treat the locals...
More on the Fort in the next post.