"Chairman Kaga" (mike-mckinnon)
08/23/2013 at 11:54 • Filed to: None
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"Chairman Kaga" (mike-mckinnon)
08/23/2013 at 11:54 • Filed to: None | 1
| 9 |
While I was digging through my photos, looking for some evidence of the Japanese canned coffee vending machines, I stumbled into my honeymoon pics.
We landed in Barcelona and spent 5 days wandering, then flew to Rome, took the train to Florence, spent a week, rented a car and drove to Vicchio for 5 days, where we stayed in a lovely, ancient agriturismo in the hills (see pic below), then drove back to Florence, train back to Rome, and spent another 5 days.
Amidst all that, we drove from Viccio to Siena, coincidentally on the day of the July !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Happy accident.
I'll spare you my Rick Steves impression and say that it would have been a worthwhile trip even without the Palio. The architecture, food and general vistas were amazing.
But the damned Palio. Jesus. Two parts Indy 500, three parts Kentucky Derby, five parts demolition derby. Stir. Basically, 10 riders on 10 horses, each representing a neighborhood, bareback, all dash around the main plaza three times. It takes all of two minutes. Horses tangle and crash, riders whip each other with crops and are thrown and trampled, and when it's over, the victor, bloodied and bruised, is carried out while the losers literally wail and cry. My wife thought someone had been killed, such was the emotion.
60,000 people cram into this medieval town square to witness this race, and there you wait for hours. There are parades and ceremonies and drinks and food, and it's all done up in traditional medieval garb, with armor and halberds and drums. Amazing.
Anyway. That's the craziest thing I've ever seen. It's not quite Onbashira, the Japanese log riders, or Vanatu land divers, but still pretty damned nuts.
Italy was amazing. Wanna go back.
thebigbossyboss
> Chairman Kaga
08/23/2013 at 12:00 |
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The craziest thing I have ever seen, was when the Ghanian villagers decided to fight the Ghanaian police over a traffic accident, and began an anti Nigerian riot, while the police used flashbang and smoke grenades to scare them off. Pretty intense, especially when you are in a car painted in the Nigeria flag colour scheme.
PowderHound
> Chairman Kaga
08/23/2013 at 12:01 |
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That was awesome. I went to England a few years ago with my College soccer team and we watched a bunch of matches. Werder Bremmen at Fulham for a friendly where we got to sit front row. Then we went to Wembley and watched the Community Shield with Man U and Chelsea. Packed Wembley stadium and we were way up towards the top, incredible place to be.
Xesty
> Chairman Kaga
08/23/2013 at 12:03 |
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lol @ the 1 riderless horse followed by a horse with 2 riders
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Chairman Kaga
> thebigbossyboss
08/23/2013 at 12:07 |
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Crazy in Africa is a whole different level of crazy. A good friend of mine is from Mozambique and he tells a story about the time two young male lions invaded the outskirts of the city when he was a kid. They were picking off kids walking home after school. The army came out to hunt them and ended up using a helicopter with a gatling gun.
MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> Xesty
08/23/2013 at 12:08 |
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LOL, this comment made me watch the video, not disappointed at all.
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thebigbossyboss
> Chairman Kaga
08/23/2013 at 12:09 |
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Yeah I saw some crazy shit in Africa. Loved every minute, except when the van in the aforementioned story was being pelted by rocks...that was not a good time.
That story from Mozambique is awesome, except for the poor kids that got eaten.
The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123
> Chairman Kaga
08/23/2013 at 12:14 |
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Japanese canned coffee vending machines? Ask Ryo Hazuki!
Wave Motion Gun
> Chairman Kaga
08/23/2013 at 12:39 |
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I was at a bar (The old Atomic in Athens GA if you want to know how dated this is) chatting with the bartender after everyone had cleared out and he was cleaning up. The bar itself was made of what appeared to be the same material as the tables and counters you see in chemistry labs, that hard black stuff that they use so your HCL doesn't melt through it and end up in China. On the bar, there was a tip jar, which was basically a glass flower vase. As my buddy cleaned, there were some random coins left as tips, and he put them in the jar as he found them. He picked up a quarter, and attempted to throw it into the jar from about 3 feet away, but put a little too much into the toss and the coin passed over the opening of the jar, striking the lip on the side of it farthest from him. The coin then proceeded past the jar and struck the bar on the other side of it. Through some perversion of physics, when it struck the bar, it reversed direction and bounced back towards the jar, and landed in it. He looked at me, then the jar, shrugged his shoulders, then poured two shots. Craziest thing I've ever seen.
There was something about that place, as on another occasion at the same spot at the bar, a friend had an unlit cigarette in his mouth and went to light it. Perhaps due to a an alcohol induced lack of coordination, he knocked the smoke out of his own mouth, sending the newly spawned projectile in a graceful arc towards the apparently enchanted black surface, where it landed vertically, filter side down, as if someone had set it there. Glances and laughs were exchanged, and the mini monument to weird stood for about 10 seconds before being collected and properly lit. Not the craziest thing I've ever seen, but close.
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Xesty
> Xesty
08/23/2013 at 15:42 |
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lol looking at it closer it is actually just 2 racers literally bumping into one another on 2 separate horses... I am still rooting for the riderless horse!