If you have not heard of me in a while there is a reason, I am on a crazy wild trip, partially in places without a good, or any, internet connection and the hotel and my friends there are not around.
What happened was that Sebastiao Com’Sal, the famous photographer, has maybe in the spur of the moment or out of necessity offered me a temporary position as his personal assistant, a rather wide stretched term for what I am doing.
He was supposed to stay at the hotel for a while and talk to people arranging an upcoming show and printed book of his work, but instead he got an unexpected opportunity, the kind of “if you can leave tomorrow you can get it”, and he certainly was not prepared for it, but for some reason wanted to do it.
And I guess, since I am a photographer (the only one in the hotel and I guess so the next best thing he could ask) and clearly expressed my admiration for him I was the next best emergency solution, as he needs someone mainly to help carrying stuff. I am grateful for the experience, and it is quite adventurous and eye-opening. So, we are supposed to do this ten day trip, back at the hotel next week, if all goes smooth.
See here some pictures of the trip, which I will add to whenever I have the following three items at the same time: a free moment, free hands and a decent internet connection.
We were travelling to a remote ridge, that is being mined. It is right in the jungle, to get to it, unless one has access to a helicopter, one has to cross a very long and to me not trust-worthy hanging bridge from bamboo, but I am only the assistant and I wanted to see the place and do the job, so my concerns are irrelevant.
I suppose Sebastiao is doing that sort of stuff all the time, anyways we made it safe across and I am here to tell the tale and post the pictures:
“Approaching a bamboo bridge” – Credit Photo Courtesy of Sebastiao Com’Sal (2016)
Sebastiao Com’Sal “bamboo bridge” (2016)
Sebastiao Com’Sal “bamboo bridge 2” (2016)
“Sebastiao Com’Sal on the bamboo bridge” – Credit Photo Courtesy of Sebastiao Com’Sal (2016)
“Sebastiao Com’Sal on the bamboo bridge 2” – Credit Photo Courtesy of Sebastiao Com’Sal (2016)
“Sebastiao Com’Sal climbing the bamboo bridge” – Credit Photo Courtesy of Sebastiao Com’Sal (2016)
“Sebastiao Com’Sal climbing the bamboo bridge 2” – Credit Photo Courtesy of Sebastiao Com’Sal (2016)
“Sebastiao Com’Sal taking a picture from the bamboo bridge” – Credit Photo Courtesy of Sebastiao Com’Sal (2016)
“Sebastiao Com’Sal in the jungle” – Credit Photo Courtesy of Sebastiao Com’Sal (2016)
Sebastiao Com’Sal “bamboo forest 2” (2016)
Behind the jungle is a rocky plain that stretches along, in the middle is a massive ridge, that is where the mine is. At the ridge there were so many workers they seemed to be literally climbing over each other. To me it was confusing just to look at the scene, but they seemed to be just knowing exactly what to do, mostly each minding his own business. Honestly, I would probably go insane if I had to do that even just for a day, but I was just a visitor:
Sebastiao Com’Sal “ridge workers” (2016)
Sebastiao Com’Sal “ridge workers 2” (2016)
Sebastiao Com’Sal “ridge workers 3” (2016)
Sebastiao Com’Sal “ridge workers 4” (2016)
Sebastiao Com’Sal “ridge workers 5” (2016)
Sebastiao Com’Sal “ridge workers 6” (2016)