The
New Humanism
As
the winning and the only surviving ideology, capitalism is gaining more
ground around the world, limited only by consumers' economic
parameters.
This kind of thought and practice has
taken the planet Earth towards an expanding ecological
catastrophy. Fossil fuels, fresh water, clean air, fruitful land and
an atmosphere friendly to life are all running out, not
to mention the great speed of extinction of flora and fauna caused by
the man.
The very comfortable and liberating
philosophy
of consumerism must be replaced by a new humanism, taking notice of the
coming generations of human beings. This new, ecological humanism must
also take notice of the fact we are dependent on our environment,
physically and mentally. The coming generations must be granted a
right
to survive and to experience the diverse forms of life on Earth, just
like individuals living right now.
Another related
issue is the human dignity and the attempt to find a positive answer to
the
question: Is there intelligent life on earth? Seen from the
environmental point of view, the answer is no. This is very hard and
uncomfortable to accept and even harder to change on the level of
individual responsibility.
Consciousness is a
complicated machinery connected to a variety of feelings, creating
pressure on an individual and her choices. The feelings of wrong and
right are, or at least should be, the driving force of everyday choice.
The
system of immediate advisory of
feelings is often disturbed when ethical choices contradict
environmental values. Maintaining biodiversity must be introduced as
the highest moral priority guiding our daily choices.
The
processes of consuming natural resources are very complex and layered,
and therefore need be more widely discussed and taught. This can
reinforce the individual's experience of being connected as a
responsible member of the society she is living in. Consciously
standing for non-life instead of biodiversity would be a perverse, evil
choice.
The feeling of global guilt connected to
frustration and powerlessness can be fought against by introducing an
ecological viewpoint integrated in all education. To admit one's
feelings in this matter will be the first step. Feeling sad of the
extinction of animal or plant species is the first step to
new consciousness. Feeling sorry is the least we can do, but it must
lead to action in our daily lives.
Tea
Mäkipää
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The artist is trying to follow
the
principles
defined in the artwork as literally as
possible,
starting March 1 in Weimar, Germany , until April 4 Sharjah Biennial
opening in United Arab Emirates. On this page, you will find personal
reports of her successes and troubles along the way.
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30 April: Towards La Spezia
The last day at sea. Tommorrow we arrive at La Spezia, continuing by
train to Weimar right away. I'm anxious to be back home, though it is a
bit sad to leave the vessel and the wonderful, supernice crew. I've
enjoyed the journey immensely, the food has been excellent. I have
secret thoughts of staying onboard, washing dishes...
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29 April: Stromboli
We pass Stromboli at a close distance, mount Etna left behind its
sihouette. Stromboli rises steeply to about one kilometer above the sea
level. The depth of ocean is roughly the same. The continental side of
the island is green, with a small town of courageous inhabitants. On
the opposite side one can spot a fresh stream of black lava and ash,
alarmingly near residential buildings. Maybe they are summer villas?
Streams of yellowish, sulphuric smoke rise from the top of the
mountain. All this is lit by full moon and the red, setting Sun on the
opposite side of the sky. It's a beautiful moment.
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28 April: Gioia Tauro, Italy
I visited land, Gioia Tauro being my first taste of Italy. Built on
slopes of a hill, the town has a beautiful view to harbor and sea. Most
buildings look like being in need of renovation, some stand beyond
repair. I enjoyed an excellent dinner of shrimp and white wine with the
Swedish mate, having a cone of delicious chocolate ice cream for
dessert in a sunny market place. We hurried back to the ship, but the
departure was delayed by an engine malfunction. The crew fixed it
quickly but we now have to wait for an insurance inspector to make an
assessment.
I will be hopping off at La Spezia. The ship has bit more cargo now.
The rest of containers are taken onboard in Valencia, where the ship
sets a course for New York. London Senator can carry 2825 containers of
twelve meter length.
I interviewed the captain who has a fourty years' experience with
seamanship. According to ship measurements, during his career the
surface temperature of oceans has risen on the average of one to two
degrees Celcius. The rise is clearly noticeable in the warmer regions.
There has been an accumulation of trash, including bottles and plastic
bags floating on the coasts, even out on the open sea. The captain sees
residential, industrial and agricultural waste waters as the biggest
threat to ecological balance of the oceans. Especially in Asia many
coastal megacities dump everything to sea without a second thought.
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25 April: Alexandria harbor, Egypt
Contrary to my expectations I could not visit Alexandria. In theory it
could have been possible, but the visits in the immigration office
would have taken twelve hours altogether and the likelihood of getting
robbed on land is considerable, so I followed captain's advise and
stayed onboard.
Our departure keeps getting postponed: The other of the two harbor container cranes is broken and the other very slow.
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24 April: Suez canal, Egypt
We lifted the anchor from the muck in the morning, entering Suez in a
cueue of 20 ships. The landscape is very dramatic: On the Nile side to
the left is a thin strip of palms and green fields in the desert.
People work on the crops by hand. The first spring crops are already
ripe. On the right is desert; yellow sand and military camps - maybe
some sort of practice is going on. One can see trees and houses where
irrigation water is being led into pipes passing the river. The channel
is being dredged continuously. The mud is lifted to pools, from where
water is led back to the channel. Salts gather to pool edges, forming
pink and bluish layers.
We went below a huge bridge, 68 meters above us. There is one place on
Suez for two lane traffic. The ships look like they are sailing in
desert sand.
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The desert side of Suez.
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A dredge pool and a cargo ship on the opposite channel lane. |
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The bridge and ferries crossing the canal. |
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21 April: Darwin loves you!
Our 216 meters long ship is not a perfect eco-angel, but it might be
the
most environmentally friendly way to carry 1500 containers and 23
persons onboard. If the same cargo was moved through land, 1500 trucks
or forty to fifty trainloads would be needed. With a speed of 18 knots,
or 35 kilometers per hour, we will be consuming 8000 liters of heavy
fuel oil. Out of the exhaust pipe comes 5 percent sulphur gas, a bit of
chrome, carbon dioxide and water. Many shipping companies have trouble
running vessels on cleaner fuels, as these are not available in many
harbors.
A German made, kite operated heavy tonnage cargo ship is put in
operation this year, first of its kind. The kite, flying in altitude of
200 to 300 meters, hauls the ship forward, motors coming to aid in less
windy days.
Hydrogen containing silica gel compound is also a possible fuel source,
having enough efficiency for fast transportation of heavy cargo. The
burn byproduct is water. Let's hope Techno Santa fills stockings in the
future with ships using fuels like this.
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20 April
We arrived to Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia on schedule at 11 AM. However, we
had to keep running idle a couple of kilometers from the port,
waiting for the compulsory harbor pilot until the sun had set.
Alcoholic beverages, pictures containing nudity, cameras, my bikinis
and summer apparel had to be locked away and sealed for the stay in the
harbor, as these are not a welcome influence to Saudis. When found in
the open, they are confiscated and fines will be issued. I was a bit
nervous waiting for it but my cabin was not checked by the port
authority. The night
went as containers were moved back and forth between ship and the
harbor, and we could
not continue towards Suez canal until morning. We hope to reach our
scheduled place in the channel entry cue in time.
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17 April
Dolphins! Tens of them swam in formations, some really close to both
sides of the ship. Captain said they hunt tuna fish. They jumped in
groups of twenty. Some rushed to great highs and landed on their backs,
making me wonder if their fins hurt. Beautiful!
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16 April
I attended and filmed a fire drill. After a sound signal we took our
life vests and ran to a gathering spot, where different tasks were
given out. Masked fire crew put out a hypothetical fire in cargo hold,
after which we crammed ourself into at least 60 degree celsius hot free
fall lifeboats.
The captain of the ship is German, mate Swedish, second mate Finnish.
The rest of the crew is German and Philipino. There's one Ukrainian
too. I feel most welcome.
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15 April
The food on the ship is surprisingly good. I'm delighted by the ship's
functionality and practicality after experiencing the exuberant
Emirates consumption spree. No plastic dishes, no theme parks, no
freezing air conditioning. Books, films, time to think and - at last -
time to sleep. The ship feels like a big cradle. It's like I'm
receiving a luxurious gift of time. I heartily recommend slow travel to
everyone.
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14 Farewell Emirates!
The shipping company representative fetched me from hotel at 6.45. It
took hours to ride through the huge Dubai Jebel Al port area to our
ship, London Senator. The area is so vast containers and cranes fade
into atmospheric haze. Our baggage was lifted with a crane and we
embarked through a flight of curiously
convex-profiled stairs.
A tiny Philipino stuert dragged my 35 kilogram suitcase to fourth deck,
where I was given a student flat sized cabin which, according to a sign
on the door, belongs to an electrician.
I am a bit concerned about pirates on African horn waters. Due to a
military exercise Saudi Arabia must be passed from a greater distance.
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13 April
Sorry
for the lagging updates. I've
been sick during last couple of days. I'm
publishing Peter Fend's comments today.
I
haven't reached him yet to get a proper permission. I hope this is OK,
Peter. Thank you!
My last
Emirates day was spent
resting on a beach. Tomorrow I will board a cargo ship to Europe. From
Ebel Ali round the Arabian peninsula, past the Horn of Africa, through
Suez Canal to Egypt and finally, arrival to Europe, Italy's La Spezia,
in seventeen days.
I'll try to get a permission from captain to update my travelogue
through a satellite uplink. If not, you will be hearing from me more
sporadically. Thumbs up!
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People inspecting a 10 Commandments poster.
Many guest workers can be seen on streets enjoying Fridays, a day off.
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10 April: Peter Fend's comments
My colleague Peter Fend responded to my work today. I wish that one day
Peter's vision allows us to act in good conscience. My Ten Commandments
have been build with existing tecnologies in mind - many of these are
harmful to ecological diversity. In many cases, like with cars,
environmentally friendly technologies exist, but their marketing isn't
yet aimed at the majority of consumers. Things need to move faster!
Here is the Peter Fend take on Ten Commandments:
"Politics of Change" compels debate.
Given what I have researched about renewable, zero-emissions fuels, and
given what I will present about wastes conversion through hydrocarbon
and microorganism growth sequences, and given what I have learned about
having a family, I offer these sharp contrasts to the Ten Commandments.
1. Fly, a lot. Just use renewable, zero-emissions jet fuel, either
hydrogen or kerosene from Bottrycocus braunii microalgae fields. (The
latter is recommended by the Australian military research laboratory
for fuel independence of the air force.)
2. Don't make a big deal about recycling. People don't do it.
Concentrate instead on conversion through fermentation or pyrolysis to
hydrocarbons, with an ash byproduct, and then microorganism growth on
the feedstock, to generate agents for uptake by animal foodchains.
3. All cars will have zero-emissions fuels.
4. Use products with plastic packaging more than with other materials,
precisely because these come from hydrocarbons, which are in constant
industrial cycles. Plastic is more recyclable than any other material.
5. Use heating and air conditioning as long as the fuel source has
zero-emissions.
6. Avoid products that come from regimes you don't approve. Distance is
not a factor. In fact, the cost of consuming a product shipped halfway
around the world may be ecologically less.
7. Buy according to desire, not according to need. But make sure that
is real desire. The "need" argument is a regular source of abuse. In
French, for example, it is "besoin", and it justifies all manner of
excess consumption.
8. Let love decide how many children you "produce".
9. Disregard notions of "virgin land or water". Concentrate instead on
building up wild-animal populations, in great diversity. Focus on
building up "key species" for water cycles, e.g., buffalo, prairie dog,
beaver, alligators.
10. Do what you like.
The task is to change the technology, not ourselves.
We could have learned that from experience with the first 10
Commandments..
[Editor's link: Some writings
by Peter Fend]
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7 April
UAE reuses of a good deal of its residential waste waters, around 330
million cubic meters, for various irrigation purposes. Here is a water
truck
at the outkirts of Dubai, bringing greywater for growing garden turf
and camel feed.
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Due to irrigation the area is a habitat for a
great amount of birds. We also spotted a weasel nest.
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We went birdwatching at Ras Al-Khor Wildlife
Sanctuary, which has special viewing huts. We saw approximately 1800
flamingos, a couple of storks and an eagle, all in a rather small area
of shallow water and some mangrove trees. The flamingos are being fed
because the shrimp population can't sustain them.
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The fast-paced Dubai construction is nearing
the sanctuary limits, probably erasing the place in a year or two.
Heavy construction work disturbs old seabeds like these, putting earth
salts in motion, a process that spoils fresh ground waters, and
will likely cause disappearance of birds and life in general
from the area.
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A Kyrgyzstani artist colleague taking a peek
at Ras Al-Khor. |
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A bird nest at Dubai. |
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The
old Sharjah is a little area of ruined houses that were still habited
in the 80s. Archaelogist are restoring a couple of them for an upcoming
museum. Here cut-down palms are being loaded for transportation. |
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6 April: On expectiations
After the opening visitors and artists have been enjoying three days of
panel discussions and introduction speeches.
We've listened to many architects and designers involved in hectic
construction of Dubai and Sharjah. I got an indirect answer to a
question I had been keeping in my mind during the last days: Will the
skyscrapers have residential use? For the most part, no. All the
projects, be them ready, under construction or planning, are objects of
global financial speculation. The laws effectively restrict foreign
ownership of real estate, Jumeirah being one exception. The upcoming
Palm Islands is one of the service environments developed for
foreigners. Here holiday apartment prices start from millions of Euros.
So far UAE have not catered for guest worker's long term stay, nor
benefits.
The building and design business mostly view United Arab Emirates like
an empty parking lot. The building projects commence fast and they are
completed before any kind of environmental assessments have been made.
All shore and inland life is decimated without a second thought. To me
it looks like Emirates citizens have no self respect or admiration of
the land and it's natural life.
The extremely hot, humid, mostly rainless climate is highly
counterproductive to human life and agriculture. One can't stay out
long in fourty to fifty Celcius heat and hundred percent humidity. The
tourism industry relies on air conditioned apartments, malls, theme
parks and cars. The owning and leisure classes stay inside, outside the
immigrant workers must make sacrifices, day in, day out, throughout the
year. For you art fans, a licensed Louvre brand replica is being put
together in Abu Dhabi.
Despite being an immense source of wealth, the oil and gas revenues,
estimated to continue 240 years, are already being dwarfed by service
and financial branches of the economy.
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4 April: Sharjah Biennale Opening
The Sheikh of Sharjah was present at the opening.
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A performance at the opening
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Me and Johan Holten from Heidelberger
Kunstverein.
Picture credit: Rafal Niemojewski, Courtesy of Art Forum.
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The Sheikh of Sharjah offered a dinner to
celebrate the Biennial opening. On the left is the hope of Sharjah and
UAE, Samer Kamal, the founder of Sharjah Environmental Company. The
company's mission is to recycle household refuse and construction
rubble. As the idea of recycling is quite new in UAE the company
has a formidable task of communicating to people what recycling
is why it is needed.
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Afterparty in Dubai Yacht Club |
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3 April: The Press Opening
The exhibition is still being set up but the press opening is already
today. I'm excited. Along the years Sharjah Biennial has grown to have
a greater international significance, so we are expecting many visitors
from foreign countries.
The great majority of art professionals come here by air, creating a
considerable amount of harmful emissions. I've tried to find a
justification for my profession in its current form, involving frequent
transit around the world. The environmental impact of it still might be
considered minimal compared to great majority of industry and
commodities production. Big international art fairs tend to have a
major cultural influence. As for the impact to nature, it might be
better that artists travel to far reaches of the World to display their
fruits of creativity, rather than potentially huge audiences traveling
longer distances to international art hubs to see their shows.
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1 April
According to newspaper Gulf Today, Dubai region electricity consumption
has been estimated to double until 2015, but the figures are likely to
be higher. 2006 growth was thirty percent compared to 2005 consumption.
The Emirate of Dubai is seeking new energy resources to fullfill the
growing demand, and solar energy looks like the most easily attainable
solution. I'm glad to hear about this shift in energy planning. Also,
saving of energy was introduced as a part of the new plan.
According to 2003 United Nations statistics Qatar and The United Arab
Emirates were the biggest per capita carbon dioxide producers.
Considering the fact apartments almost never need heating, saving
energy is truly needed. UAE does not have significant plant growth that
could bind carbon dioxide to itself.
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31 March: A fascination with deadly sand
During hotel breakfast I had a conversation with my colleague Peter
Fend. His art projects are about the World's water reserves and
politics concerning them. I wondered about mosquitos and various smells
in Sharjah. Mr. Fend told me these exist because Dubai and Sharjah are
situated on a flatland coastal area. Different waters from nature,
agriculture and industry flow into the area's sewers, but the extremely
hot air evaporates the water and the resulting flow-resisting muck
tends to clog up the sewers, creating sanitation problems for the city.
About 200 kilometers from Sharjah there is a big area of quicksand. The
English translation of its name is "Mother of All Poisons". The
quicksand is poisonous, as it has been sifting the area's run down
waters for centuries. Hearing of this I wanted to visit the area
immediately. My collegues changed my mind: while the area might be
fascinating, it's also extremely dangerous.
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29 March: Notes on the population of UAE
Peoples living in United Arab Emirates are living in strict
segregation, consisting of two groups: the local citizens and immigrant
workers. These groups have a distinctly different appearance in
clothing, and they are completely separated from each other, apart from
the necessity of exchanging services and formalities involved in
getting an official worker status. There is regional separation of
housing, transport, eating and leisure activities. Most notably, wage
schemes differ dramatically. An average immigrant construction worker's
monthly salary is an average 400 dirhams, under hundred Euros. The
payment of medical services, highly expensive in UAE, is out of reach
for most of them.
The citizen-status workers in UAE span from from the world's richest to
ones with good income, and their healthcare is free. The welfare of all
UAE citizens is protected by the constitution.
[Editor's note: Wages nearing one hundred Euro per hour aren't unheard
of in Finland and Europe in general for technically demanding
construction project tasks. An average in Finland might be around fifty
Euros per hour.]
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28 March: Flamingos in Sharjah dumping ground
According to scientists twenty thousand specimen is needed to sustain
healthy, long-living populations of mammals, birds and other mating
animals.
These are the Dubai and Sharjah animals I've seen living in the wild
state: Rats, pidgeons, also some kind of daw or starling feeding in
traffic circles. Maybe they are the only land animals in the city?
Before the technopolis of Sharjah trumped on their chances for living,
these animal species among others were occupying the region in the
wild: Camel, Hyena, Arabian Gazelle, Gazelle, Seal, Flamingo, different
parrots, hawks, turtles, fish, lizards.
Of these populations some specimen survive, but it's quite clear they
don't have a sustained future as their habitats are shrinking and the
climate is getting warmer.
UAE citizens, among the great majority of peoples of the World, have
decided to exchange the treasure of all natural life for two or three
generation long explosion of technology, consumption and population.
After these generations, humanity faces life in an environment of
everlasting oblivion and poverty.
There is a dumping ground behind the local university of art, in which
some flamingos eat junk out of dirty water. Out of respect for the
tenacity and vigour of these doomed animals, I'm going to try to
capture them on video.
[Editor's links:
A
list of environmental organizations in UAE
UAE
Environmental and Agricultural Information Centre
UAE animal and plant
species]
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Grand Hyatt hotel (pictured), one of the many
places where 10 Commandments postcards are available.
Other places for postcards:
In Sharjah:
Sahara Center
Megamall: Starbucks, KFC, Chillies, McDonalds
Petrol Station Epco
Radisson SAS
In Dubai:
Grand Cinema
Mercato: Spenies
City Center Dubai
Postcards are also available in many Indian coffee houses and various
small bazaar shops.
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25 March: Sharjah
Sharjah, a monoculture where technology has replaced ecosystem. From
the viewpoint of biodiversity, a monument of death, sorrow and
loneliness.
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Distributing my postcards with friendly
volunteers - art students who also drive me around in their BMWs and
paid my lunch - in Megamall, the shopping center in Sharjah.
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A Dinosaur at the Megamall.
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24 March: Sharjah Biennial 8 office, Sharjah,
UAE
The motorway between Dubai and Sharjah is mostly an uninterruptible
urban view. Like Dubai, Sharjah has scyscrapers, malls and motorways.
My bienniale accommodation, Hotel Rotana, is very pleasant. I'm having
a trouble of comphrehending the English spoken by Indians and
Pakistanis, major inhabitant groups in Sharjah and Dubai. I recognize
Arab garments: white for men, mostly black for women.
I've reached the destination, writing this at the Bienniale office. I'm
pleased to see the organizers in person.
I received the six thousand Ten Commandements postcards, translated in
Arabic, Urdu and English. Tomorrow we begin to hand them out in Sharjah
and Dubai, with a kind assistance from local art students.
During our journey I have already given out a hundred English postcards
to random passerbys and our new acquaintances. Most receivers were
astonished. Unfortunately, environment as an object for ethical
contemplation seemed like a novel concept for most Turks and Iranians.
When we told why we were traveling by land, one Iranian assumed us
thinking the air inside airplanes is poisonous. One came to a
conclusion that we want to reserve a romantic hotel holiday package.
Most thought environmental issues (and the end of the World) as
something governed by the Will of God, not by man. It's a view I
consider extremely odd: Religion freeing the man from responsibility
for his behaviour, even against the knowledge of dire consequences.
If I meet my maker in afterlife, I hope I don't have to tell him: "The
Earth, with it's plants and animals, was magnificient (while it endured
the pounding armies of modern consumers). Could we have a replacement
for the one we ruined by killing all other species?"
It's interesting to get to know what people think in Sharjah and Dubai,
now that I have assistance for lowering the language barriers.
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The
1999 opened postmodern hotel Burj al-Arab ("Tower of the Arabs"), as
viewed from the public Jumeirah Beach (Dubai). This luxury hotel was
briefly marketed as "the world's first seven-star hotel". It is 321
metres high, and rests on an artificial island constructed 280 meters
offshore. To secure a foundation, the builders drove 230 40-meter long
concrete piles into the sand. The cost of staying in a suite begins at
$1,000 per night and increases to over $15,000 per night; the Royal
Suite is the most expensive, at $28,000 per night. "Both the hotel and
the city, after all, are monuments to the triumph of money over
practicality. Both elevate style over substance. Emulating the quality
of palatial interiors, in an expression of wealth for the mainstream, a
theater of opulence is created in Burj al Arab. The result is a baroque
effect." (Source: Wikipedia)
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23 March: Dubai
In the wee hours our ship arrived, but we had to wait a couple of hours
more for the boarding. After crossing Hormuz, at 7 AM, we docked in
Dubai, a forest of skyscrapers in traffic haze, emitted by luxury
vehicles humming on motorways, which seem drawn on thin air.
A mechanical growth put forth by a swarm of businessmen, engineers,
designers and migrant workers from around the globe, Dubai is an
interesting futuristic laboratory: A golden finger arc welded on
fast-forward, others prying off the stop button. I find myself
contemplating doom: Does all this end at the drying up of the oil and
gas reserves, a sudden whim of global capital rushing elsewhere or
being drowned by the melting ice of a giant indoor slalom slope at the
mall?
I consider aqueducts and waterworks mankind's greatest inventions.
Although these having existed thousands of years, clean drinking water
remains at reach for only a small portion of humanity. I wish the new
and more expensive scientific developments on top of the techno pyramid
would trickle down sooner to benefit everybody.
I miss the off-the-grid country cottage lifestyle in the
woods, by the lakes and on the islands of Finland.
We have almost reached our destination, Sharjah. Only twenty kilometers
by bus to go!
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A
ship shovels and throws sand to form the artificial island of Palm
Deira (Dubai), to be completed in 2015, covering an area of 14
kilometers in length and 8.5 kilometers in width when finished.
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A Construction site at Palm Jumeirah
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It's
knocking-off time for tens of thousands of low-wage workers, being
imported especially from India and Pakistan to realize the massive
construction projects currently in Dubai (here at the island of Palm
Jumeirah), which have required more construction workers than there are
citizens in the city.
The workers are queuing for special buses, after having to run to
there. The bus brings them to their accommodation, where they typically
live in eight-capacity rooms. They send a portion of their salary to
their homeland families, whom they don't see for years at a time.
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Ski
Dubai is claimed to be the largest indoor ski resort in the world, with
22,500 square metres. It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, one of
the largest shopping malls in the world.
Ski Dubai has 5 runs with varying skill levels, the longest being 400
meters. It provides 22,500 square meters covered with 6,000 tons of
real snow all year round - this is equivalent to 3 football fields.
3,500 barrels of oil is consumed every day by power generators to
maintain a low, consistent temperature of -1 to -2 degrees Celsius.
We got lost inside the mall and do not understand who buys all the crap
offered there.
[Editor's note: Several underground skiing tunnels are planned
for
southern Finland, to allow a cross-country
(cross-tunnel?) skiing
experience during Summer months.]
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22 March: Kish
At the terminal we had to wait for twelve hours for the delayed Dubai
ship, socializing with a Dubai hotel gigging Filipino rock band. They
had heard a rumor on United States attacking Iran tomorrow. Our
international discussion panel agreed it would would most likely erase
hopes for achieving world peace for a long time to come.
In my mind's eye I can see the past Kuwait, Iraq and Lebanon
destruction: Death, crippling, erasure of housing and infrastructure,
huge oil fires, spilling oil damaging marine habitats. Who could praise
war
as beneficial for life on earth?
United States, the wealthiest nation in the World, with an army capable
of erasing all life from the face of the planet in one hour, is also
the biggest air polluter in the World: 25 percent of all carbon dioxide
emissions.
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21 March: Kish
Island
We rented bicycles for touring Kish. We saw a strange tourist
attractor: A wrecked Greek ship lying on a shore. As I walked in the
warm shallow water, trouser legs rolled up, I discovered ten centimeter
long, big-eyed creatures, part fish, part lizard, busy hopping from
rock to rock in the surf.
I forgot to roll my trouser legs down after we continued cycling. This
lead to a sudden discovery of another species: it has an excellent
sight, wears a police uniform, pops out in the middle of nowhere and
emits loud noises while discovering dubious clothing worn by tourists.
Our particular specimen had a limited English vocabulary, maybe that is
why we managed to wriggle out of its habitat with relative ease.
We had checked and double checked from the locals that Kish has a more
forgiving dress code than mainland Iran has. Maybe so, but again, I
almost managed to get myself arrested as we approached our hotel. I had
taken off my jacket and wore a T-shirt. Luckily, maybe considering us
too much of a nuisance, the police let us ago, again.
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Treehugger
at the Greek cargo ship: Resting on one of the shores of Kish, it ran
aground and was stuck in the mud in 1966 for some unknown reason. Built
in Glasgow and originally named "Empire Trumpet," this steam ship has
become a major tourist attraction for watching the sunset beside it. It
was here where Tea got into trouble with the religious police because
of her tucked-up trousers.
|
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Part of the Mirmohanna Sewage System, cattle
grazing close by.
|
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Many
holiday resort and residential building projects are under way. The
investor's confidence has decreased because of the political situation
in Iran, thus slowing down the development.
|
 |
20 March: Bandar-e
Lengeh, Bandar-e
Charak, Kish
Island
Immediately after our early morning arrival to Bandar-e Lengeh, we
continued 90 kilometers to Bandar-e Charak, the place of departure for
our boatride to island Kish. Frank was popular again, due to his fair
hair, impeccable communication skills and being a German, all admirable
qualities in a man in this country.
We waited about two hours on a sunny shore for the separation of two
hundred Iranian tourists into groups of eleven. There was no pier, so
everybody got their feet wet while boarding the fleet of small
fiberglass motorboats. We left the shore, life vests were given out: Me
and some other women were handed broken ones. Maybe they had mistaken
us for fish? Iranian coast guard came and checked the contents of our
boat: Still, eleven tourists, grasping the boat with white knuckled
hands. We rode along, experiencing a bumpy mixture of warm seawater
spatters and sandy wind.
After an hour the kids aboard were triumphantly jumping on Kish shore,
declaring it a special Tax-Free region for the benefit of Iranian
shoppers for electronics and cosmetics, among other things. "The Island
is now a popular re-entry port for foreign workers in Dubai.", they
said, "Thousands of Filipinos, Pakistanis, Indians and Africans enjoy
the quarterly, action-packed adventure of 'Another 48 Hours' for Dubai
visa extension purposes."
We headed for our hotel, which had our Dubai ship tickets waiting for
us.
|
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One-hour-ride
with a speedboat from the port of Bandar Charak (Persian Gulf, Iran's
coast in the background) to the island of Kish.
|
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19 March: Persepolis
Before the twelve-hour express bus ride to Bandar-e Lengeh we visited
the
massive ruins of Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Persian
empire, swallowed by fire amidst looting put forth by Alexander
III, the king of Macedonia. What remains is doorways, window frames,
huge gates and an array of fantastic sculptures and reliefs. I've never
experienced a historical site of this scale.
Tens of thousands of people used to gather here to celebrate New Year,
walking their cattle and other animals on the streets.
The landscape between Shiraz and Persepolis is desolate. Generations of
people and cattle seem to have decimated the undergrowth. What remains
is
rocks, clay and trash.
[Editor's note: That particular area might be rocky and desolate but
otherwise Shiraz-Persepolis neighborhood is an important agricultural
region.]
|
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Once a place of worship for Zoroastrians, the
fire temple of Atashgah is on top of a mountain, just 2km west of
Isfahan (Central Iran).
|
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Persepolis
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Persepolis |
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Persepolis |
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18 March: Shiraz
We have seen almost no other foreigners in Iran. We haven't seen black
people either. We gather lots of
attention wherever we go. From a distance groups of teen girls shout
"Hello!" to Frank, then hide in their black veils, giggling.
The local culture mystifies and emphasize sexuality and gender
differences by forcing strict rules for clothing and behavior,
something we
are not accustomed to.
After not being allowed in the Mosque I took a walk alone in a crowded
bazaar, wearing a scarf. After ten minutes in the bazaar I got harassed
by a panting group of men trying to grope me. I had to shake my fists
and yell aggressively to fend them off. I can't recommend traveling
alone for women, a pity for a country otherwise so beautiful and
friendly. The same goes for Turkey, unfortunately. From now on I'll
walk with Frank.
Back to Ten Commandments issues: Cardboard is being meticulously
recycled here. We have seen lots of big carts stacked with corrugated
fiber materials.
We talked with a geologist specialized in aquatic research in a
comfortable tearoom near poet Sa'di's tomb. He told that much of the
problems for lake and river eutrophication stem from agricultural waste
waters and overfertilization. Persian Gulf is disturbed by oil
production and vessel traffic.
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A collector of used cardboard in Shiraz.
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A citadel in Shiraz
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17 March: Arrival to Shiraz
This morning we arrived to Shiraz, exhausted after a night's travel in
a toiletless express bus. Luckily we managed to book a hotel room at
six in the morning, took a shower and had a rest.
In our travel guide we found the origins for Paykan, a popular local
automobile brand. The
vehicle was manufactured in England, named Hillman-Hunter, until 1979
when the factory was closed for polluting too much. Iran bought the
factory, hauled it here and started manufacturing, which lasted
eighteen years until stopped for being an environmental hazard. Most of
the Iranian cars are Paykans. One can also spot Mercedez-Benzes,
Nissans and BMWs.
On our way to Shiraz, aside beautiful, barren and a bit sad landscapes,
we saw nomads. The nomads travel on the side of roads with goats,
sheep, cows and donkeys towards already meagre grazing grounds. Some
drive motorcycles or minibuses. In the evening big tents are raised
near the road, and one can see fires made of wood or trash. One source
of Nomad income is selling characteristically patterned hand weaved
carpets.
|
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Kiosk in the mountains east of Kazeroon, province of Farsi.
|
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Once a place of worship for Zoroastrians, the
fire temple of Atashgah is on top of a mountain, just 2km west of
Isfahan (Central Iran).
|
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View
from the cave "Ghar-i Shapur" ("Shapur Cave") near the Statue of Shapur
I (241-272), who was the second Sassanid king, towards the Bishapur
River gorge, close to the ancient city of Bishapur ("Shapur's City"),
province of Farsi.
|
 |
15 March: Esfahan
We are halfway through Iran. We stopped for a day and a half to marvel
Esfahan's bridges and mosques.
Today we visited, in addition to historical sights, Museum of
contemporary art and Natural history museum. Both are quite small, but
the latter is wild: The entrance is guarded by clumsy but
endearing fiberglass dinosaurs. The stuffed and plaster cast animals,
and various plant and mineral samples are laid out in a curious mixture
of clarity and chaos. There are many human foetuses on display. It's a
bit odd that man does not appear classified as a mammal.
We visited Iran-Iraq war cemetary. We saw many mourning families and
mothers. Iranians offer sweets for other visitors.
We were tempted to take a friendly gentleman's private taxi to Shiraz.
Staying as true as possible to our principles, we chose a
night
bus.
|
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The cemetery as communication centre: The
Golestan-e-Shohada (The Rose Garden of Martyrs) in Isfahan is the last
resting place for soldiers killed in the Iran-Iraq War and accommodates
thousands of graves. This is where family and friends of the deceased
meet, converse, mourn, and have a picnic.
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The brick minaret of the Mosque of Ali (48m
high) in Central Ishafan.
|
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Natural history museum entrance.
|
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An Esfahan shopping center
|
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We got lost in the bazaar
|
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14 March: Still in Tehran
It's New Year, Norouz, a big holiday season in Iran. Men are lighting
fires on streets, jumping over and stomping on them for good luck.
After searching and asking all over the city, including Finnish and
German embassies, we managed to find a travel agency who could arrange
us boat tickets from island Kish to Dubai. How are we going to get to
Kish? We don't know yet, but at least we can now continue southwards to
Esfahan.
|
|
13 March: Tehran
We have explored Tehran's quite pleasant and modern subway system,
visiting Khomeini's mausoleum. We are about to leave Tehran, moving
south to city of Esfahan.
While trying to find solution in Tehran, it remains a mystery how we
are going to cross the strait of Hormuz during the local New Year's
celebration, when all traffic comes to a halt.
|
 |
A subway entrance in Tehran
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12 March: Tehran
We have been criss-crossing the city by foot, defying traffic death
like devoted eco-evangelists should. Today we admired gems and
jewellery at Treasury of Iranian National Jewels. The place made Iran
look incredibly wealthy.
Out in the streets it's Motocalypse Now. Moped maniacs, even three
stacked on a single bike, drive on sidewalks and tightly crowded
bazaars. Luckily these crazed road reapers don't drive in hotel
corridors. Back in the hotel we find ourselves well smoked, roasted and
delicately dressed in black soot. What is for dessert?
In the last 24 hours in Tehran we have experienced following physical
symptoms: nosebleed, sore throat, smarting and redness of eyes, trouble
of breathing, pimples and heart palpitations while crossing streets.
Despite being nutcase drivers Iranians are very friendly. Many women
smile kindly at me. Blond haired Frank has gathered a myriad of curious
looks.
I don't know how electricity is produced in Iran, maybe it has
something to do with burning of oil and natural gas? Solar power would
be
abundant, except maybe in Tehran, where sunshine has trouble
penetrating
the Motocalypse byproducts.
There is no Value Added Tax here. Oil and natural gas income has helped
in gaining less bureaucracy, I guess.
[Editor's link: IAEA
Energy and Environment Data Reference Bank profile on Islamic Republic
of Iran ]
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A Tehran Bazaar
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One of a huge variety of wall paintings in
memory of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88) on a residential house in Central
Tehran. That war is one of the great human tragedies of recent Middle
Eastern history. Perhaps as many as a million people died.
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|
11 March: Tehran
It's a morning in huge, fifteen million inhabitant Tehran.
Characteristic massive, jammed, ever-ongoing, polluting traffic could
be the biggest daily problem here. Gasoline is almost free.
Pedestrian safety isn't an issue: drivers neglect traffic lights and
street crossers. I've heard about Tehran subway, wanting to give it a
try, but we never found the station entrances. While taxi being a form
of public transport, we feel like sinners taking one. There is no
taximeters, so prepare for negotiating the fare both before and after
the ride.
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|
10 March
Seen from a train window Iran looks beautiful. Mountains change colours
according to mineral content. Rusty red, yellow clay and sand, dark
stubs of dried grass are main colours here. Earth-coloured buildings appear growing from
the ground.
A good deal of the train track looks quite new. There is a great amount
of tunnels. The effort of building railways and roads on these mountain
areas must have been huge.
It's easy to guess the approach of inhabited areas: the sights begin to
resemble dumping-grounds, plastic bags flapping in the bushes.
The train is terribly hot. It becomes freezing after one
of the "train elders", a kind of chief conductor, flips the air
conditioning on. Lonely Planet describes a typical American and Iranian
sin: While energy is cheap, it is easiest to take care of arguments by
letting heating and air conditioning fight each other.
There is an abundance of train staff, reminding Frank of the DDR days.
Iran unemployment is about thirty percent. Seventy percent of the
population is under thirty. There is a lot of children onboard.
|
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9 March: Lake Van
The mood of the four hour crossing of lake Van might be described as a
sugar high emulation of a Helsinki-Tallinn ferry ride. A kind
and
beautiful young Iranian woman gives us good advice on how to find a
hotel in Tehran.
At sunset the snow-capped mountains glow in red colors. Darkness sets
in fast. From Van on the next shore, we take a train to Turkish-Iranian
border. I prepare for the change of clothing. I ask Frank to wear a
scarf too, as a sign of solidarity, then drop the issue. We wonder what
would social life be like in a society where everyone
wears a burqa.
|
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Train ferry across the Van lake (near Tatvan -
Eastern Turkey).
|
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Clothes drying in Kurdistan
|
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9 March: Tatvan
2000
meters above the sea level, lit by brilliant sunshine, the snow-covered
Tatvan is located on lake Van, which we are going to cross soon.
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8 March: Kayseri
We
are moving
towards East border on mountainous plains, following the river Kizil
Irmal. The trees don't show leaves yet.
We
see a lot of solar panels on roofs, many of them connected directly to
hot water heaters. There is also big heaps of rubbish beside roads.
|
 |
Entering the "Transasia Express" train from
Ankara to Tehran at Ankara main station.
|
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7 March
Riding
the wave of an economic boom, Istanbul city center is a happy home for
enthusiastic spending. Tons of plastic packaging and bags accompany
brightly colored consumer goods.
Frank says Istanbul
has an annual growth of 500 000 inhabitants. It would be interesting to
know how this is reflected in city's environmental program. The sea
must be taking a big hit.
We are anxiously looking
forward to get out of the metropolis, resting three days while
heading towards Tehran.
[Editor's link: Recycling
Istanbul: 3rd Recycling, Environmental technologies and Waste
Management Trade Fair 21-24 June 2007]
|
 |
The Blue
Mosque
|
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6 March: Istanbul
According
to guidebooks the local tapwater is undrinkable. I don't like bottled
water, but we have to drink it from now on. The plastic bottles are
starting to pile up in our bags.
Istanbul is
expanding
rapidly. The
new residential areas spread out quite far from the city center.
Although near a major tectonic fault line, the city-dividing Bosphorus
Strait looks like a fantastic place for a city. Want to get around the
city in a flash? We recommend Traffic Soup, an excuisite Istanbul dish.
Having sampled it, I'm quite pleased to say our hotel room is
delightfully comfortable.
We took a boat to Asian
side to buy
our Tehran train tickets at the magnificient Haidapasha Station, a
combination of a train station and a ferry peer.
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5 March: Serbia,
Sofia
We
arrived in Sofia in late evening. Lights are mostly out, only
billboards seem to be lit.
|
 |
After leaving
Sofia we saw a several field burn offs.
|
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Superficially,
life in the mountainous, beautiful Serbia looks pretty comfortable.
Chickens
can be seen on almost every yard. Countryside is well inhabited. People
wave at us when reach out from train windows to take photographs.
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Urban structure "Blok 18a" in New
Belgrade (Central Serbia), close to Highway E70/E75 and Gazela Bridge
across the Sava river (photo taken from the train).
Unfortunately,
the signs of lacking or struggling waste management catch the eye. On
the outkirts of Belgrade the heaps of rubbish sometimes resemble
miniature replicas of exotic mountain ranges.
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Sleeping-car at the railway station "Železnicka stanica" in Belgrade.
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At the railway station "Železnicka stanica" in
Belgrade, the Stari Savski Bridge in the background.
|
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4 March: Fulda,
Nuremberg,
Vienna
Greetings
from Vienna!
We
hit trouble just 200 kilometers from Weimar. Our train was 40 minutes
late. We arrived to Vienna too late to catch the evening Sofia train.
We have to to stay in Vienna for about 24 hours, taking us further
behind schedule. However, this gave us a chance for sightseeing.
For
Deutsche Bahn, German punctuality seems to be a myth or an unattainable
ideal. The
trains are often late, and even if on time, the change of trains can be
extremely hectic: typically, in under ten
minutes, you have to find the platform and run to it, dragging the
baggage behind you. As a result, the unlucky ones experience hours of
waiting, sometimes in cold outdoor stations. The expensive Bahncard
ticket system with it's price classes add to confusion. The personnel
can be unkind, unhelpful and lacking language
skills. It's no wonder Germans choose to spend a great deal of their
time on motorways despite traffic jams. The environment takes the
biggest blow.
|
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"Elastic
Taboos" is an interesting exhibition of Korean contemporary art in Kunsthalle
Wien.
|
 |
Hermann
Hesse's typewriter at Leopold Museum.
|
 |
Chatting with
Frank while ordering our meal. The evening was stormy, so hitting the
bed felt great. |
 |
Vienna |
 |
We
took a little stop in Nuremberg to take a peek at beautiful medieval
and renaissance architecture, including the Nuremberg Castle. |
 |
Nuremberg |
|
Nuremberg
Castle
|
 |
Nuremberg |
 |
Nuremberg
porcelain shop window. |
 |
3 March: Weimar
Station
Off we go! We are leaving Weimar two
days late, almost without money, because Biennial travel funds haven't
arrived yet.
|
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It's a
beautiful, sunny day. We are both excited and a bit scared of how
things will come along.
|
 |
Here is some
pictures taken in Weimar Germany, where we begin our trip to United
Arab Emirates 1 March.
Frank Motz, my husband. |
 |
Herderkirche
in Weimar, home for Lucas Cranach's altarpiece. |
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Two
visitors, enjoying our private pool. They laid three eggs while staying. |
 |
The following
pictures are from Finland,
my home country. This is my mother's
place. |
 |
The river on
my grandmother's land. |
 |
My mom
inspecting a ship stuck in ice. |
 |
An
archetypical Finnish landscape
during Summer. |
 |
Me, standing
before the Finnish flag. |
|
