Mark Gillett – Junglemoon Images

Well, if you followed us at the Yukon Quest and loved that then follow us at the Marathon des Sables in April.

This mountain of a race takes part in the Sahara Desert from 7th April. You will need to add me as a friend on Facebook, “Like” the MDS page and “Friend” the UK MDS page It’s best to do all three.

The race is 250 Km through the Sahara and runners carry all their own gear and food for 7 days.. It is run over 6 stages looking a little like this… Day 1 – 28km, day 2 – 35km, day 3 – 38km, day 4/5 – a huge 80km, day 6 – 42km and day 7 – 21km.. So pretty damn tough.

Runners will battle temperatures of up to 50 degrees, blisters and soreness like never before, total exhaustion and inevitably some will drop out… They cover sand dunes that go for ever, mountains and valley salt flats on a daily basis. This years race will be as exciting as ever so go to those FB sites and follow it through here…

We will for the first time be filming it with GoPro and mobile cams and uploading to the social networks as we go along… Images will also be uploaded to the official site on a daily basis…  I will upload blogs for the English-speaking runners and supporters and other reports can be seen on the official site www.darbaroud.com and the Facebook pages mentioned earlier… There is no shortage of information coming out of the desert from the 7th April. No excuse not know what happening deep in the Sahara.

Search this site for older articles from previous years to get a flavour.. It’s the toughest footrace on earth.

I have never seen the moon as in I did in Yukon

I left Whitehorse two weeks back after spending three weeks following the Yukon Quest. Now I sit in a cafe working through images, planning for my next adventure, planning for the new business SuitCase Media & Productions. Well, not necessarily new but the growth of my business and who I actually am.

But this part of the world, North America, has really stolen a piece of my heart. The land, the skies and the people.. I fell in love with Alaska and the Yukon.

I have tried to put my finger on what it is as I have travelled to some pretty great places over the last 30 years. I have seen most of the world and many cultures… I have fallen in love with many places but on a different level. It’s almost like I was at home when following the Quest.

I love the way people live. Purchasing things that were necessary not as here in the malls where you can buy a gazillion things you don’t need. Clothes to fill your already full wardrobe, covers for your phone for which some people must have a separate wardrobe too, another pair of shoes for Wednesdays! All rubbish, all fashion but not necessary.

What I noticed in Alaska and Yukon was that everyone had a truck because they needed one. Needed it to carry the wood for the fire. A beautiful fire but a necessary one. Many have a skidoo for the same. They need it for their livelihood to to get about. Shops in the main street sell goods that are necessary and in Whitehorse the exceptions were goods for tourists which provides and income for the residents.

But more than this too there is a cosmopolitan feel to Whitehorse. People from around the world and all ages. A good youth culture and a feeling of modernity without brash flashiness. As I walked the streets during my last days it was beginning to warm up and I wanted to stay behind to witness Spring. To see the rivers break. I imagined getting back to Dawson to see the ice bridge break up and the hills come alive with the sun. And see the carnival atmosphere of the towns when Spring finally takes hold.

I did not stay, though, and am now in UK and off to Paris tomorrow. Then Barcelona on Tuesday. Both beautiful places that many people dream to visit so I am grateful for everything I have and everywhere I have been, and the piece of my heart I left in North America will still be there when I return. I hope that will be soon and I have many people I would like to meet up with again.

A final note is “good luck” to Lance,, Brent, Kristy and Hugh Neff in the Iditarod..  I don’t think I left anyone out.

I just watched Brent Sass preparing his dogs for the next leg of the Yukon Quest, from Peli Crossing to McCabe Creek. I watched in awe of how he is with his dogs…  He had a bag of booties and told someone how he bought 4000 of them before the race. 4000 at 85cents each… Thats a lot of cents! 

He then attended each dog taking the paws one by one and checking them for soreness or injury. Not just checking though, he took each paw and pushed gently checking between the claws. He then would kiss the dog and give it a hug, then slipping on a bootie and tying it carefully.. Each foot painstakingly checked and cared for. Each with a new bootie for the next leg of the journey and all to be repeated again very soon.

Brent shows his team the respect they are due for without them he would not figure in the race. If he did not care for them he would not be cared for by them. But more importantly if he did not care it would eventually bite in the rear in some way…

He chatted to some of the photographers with passion too. Never too busy to give of himself. Never too tired even though he had not sleep much for the last 8 days… Never too focussed that others don’t matter.

Brent is a kind of special competitor.

He is not alone, though as this race seems to breed special people and strong teams.. I have watched other in the same way and they are different from other sportsmen that are so often too obsessed with themselves and non caring. The Yukon Quest has some real stars.

Last night I watched Lance Mackey arrive at Stepping Stone, stop for a Burrito and  then checkout.. He had no reason to chat but did… But that is another story and my next….. The race continues…

The rest of Brents team… http://on.fb.me/AqJLtm

Images of Dawson and our time in the City….

We are now into our last day in Dawson City and I find myself not wanting to move on. Its a beautiful town at the base of Midnight Dome on the Yukon river. This time of year the river is frozen over and bridges to the community on the other bank but come spring the bridge disappears and only with a long drive can you get you to the other side… The town is made up of traditional western style buildings and walking the streets brings back memories of series like The Virginian and High Chaparelle. Its the most gorgeous city and not one to spend only a few days in.

Our hotel, the El Dorado is typical with a large bar, simple dining and pool tables at the back. There is also the Downtown and for eating the best lace in town must be the Drunken Goat whee the food is just perfect.

Its now -20 degrees and in a few months the river will flow again, the paddle steamer will fill with tourists and the hills will be a lush green with hikers and walkers roaming the paths.. I want to come back and see the spectacle of the river breaking and spring taking hold but know I won’t have time this year. Perhaps next.

Now my mind is back on the Yukon Quest and getting our images out for the organisation and the videos made to help promote the race. A race that is now well and truly in my blood.

Well, I have finally put together a gallery of images that would look good on your living room, bedroom or office wall…  All the prints are available at any size and normally will arrive unframed so you can custom buy to suite your home. The two galleries I have begun with are a general and one specifically of Paris. Email me to get a price.

Go here to view - http://www.junglemoon.co.uk/parisprints/

And here – http://www.junglemoon.co.uk/printgallery/

Select and send me the form email with any questions or orders….

Learn to look at your world from a different perspective. Take an EyeforLife course.

Exciting times ahead with EyeForLife…. We have our new courses starting in October. Checkout the website http://eyeforlife.net/ for all the latest info. In late November we will run a trip to South Africa on safari, this is not to be missed. All details are on the site too, or just email me or Yousef.

We will also take online participants if getting to a course is not possible.. Obviously the Safari is not possible online, well, not yet anyway.

Back to breakfast now!

Just back and here are a few images from the portfolio…..  The portfolios can be found on my Facebook and Flickr page and will be on junglemoon soon….

I have now been presenting the Eye for Life course for a year in Kuwait. It has been constantly developing and improving and the post on the AYMSTRONG blog sums up what its all about. Read it here http://bit.ly/e1iFgB and come back and trail through a few post on my blog…. Your “eye for life” is critical for your future…

The next Eye for Life courses are being planned for May. If you would like information, please contact me or Yousef at AYMSTRONG for details.

Mark

This is just a beautiful event to follow….

Stand out in your life; use your photography to get you there....

I will soon be offering online photography workshops and using your skills and your passion we will examine you as a photographer and how this can have a positive impact on your approach to life too. If you want to stick simply to photography this is also possible.

The online courses will work as one to one, group or ad-hoc learning using Skype, internet phone, chat and email. Modules will be completed and tasks set. This coupled with evaluations of your work on a regular basis will allow you to build on your skills, examine you as a photographer and person and enjoy the challenges that life throws at you.

If you are interested please email me or respond to this post…  My contact can be found my Junglemoon website along with further information you may need.

I haven’t been posting for a few weeks or very much through the last summer months.. but I have been writing. Mostly personal stuff that I do not wish to blog but also writing my book. I started this some time ago, actually about 3 years and am sure I will get it finished someday soon.  I also have another book on the go using my images with words as a means of inspiration. Images inspire many of us and this includes me of course.

Please take a look through my latest on Flickr but also on my old pbase site as I would be interested to know if any inspire you. If they do, tell me why… For me this is the one that gets me right now

Just for peace of mind….

Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman... A masterpiece in architectural design.

I have just created a random portfolio on Flickr. I am liking this site more as I use it. It seems quite cool…Please feel free to visit.. http://bit.ly/aucrav

I gave my first talk in Kuwait two days ago at the Australian College. What a beautiful place. The talk was well attended and it was one of the most enjoyable talks I have done. Great students and great place…..

I will post a video soon.

Nut and sweet seller in Salmiya

My Laundry....

Being here in Kuwait has made me question so much about our freedoms and democracy in the west and how we all perceive freedom.

This morning I ran and as usual I thought much about my day. What I had to do  and when I would do it.  To blog was one of my tasks so I thought about continuing from the last one. I would walk to my office, Cafe Supremo, and take a few shots on the way. I would focus on people though.  In the end I didn’t take as many shots as I would have liked as I got a disturbing call so that took my focus for a while so I jumped in a cab.  I will shoot more later…

The Kuwait I have seen so far has been beautiful. The people are relaxed, happy, work hard, play hard and generally contented with life. There is certainly a multi-cultural society here too…

In UK we claim to have a multi cultural society but each of the cultures tend not to co-exist but rather set up their own communities in parts of the country or parts of a town. They then keep to themselves and rebuild their own little countries within the UK. Here it is different. Locals live next to Pakistanis who live next to Syrians who live near Lebanese and so on… I am sure there are pockets of cultures but it is certainly not so evident.

Freedom is another anomaly. We here of how the Middle East is not “free”, the things you can’t do but I have not found any of these here or any other Middle Eastern country I have visited. In Kuwait you can’t drink alcohol or openly be affectionate. Adultery is a crime and all the other crimes we know pretty much are the same here. I can’t kill another person or steal from them but as those are all things that I consider crimes too I cannot see that they hinder my freedom. In fact I feel more free here than at home.

In England there is police everywhere, CCTV cameras, your data is held by all authorities, we have huge taxes that we pay but have no idea where it goes other than straight out of a tank barrel or machine gun at 70k a pop in Afghanistan in order to secure better gas prices in the future. NI pays for what? A pension? Our health service is the largest employer in Europe and third in the world. For what? And as I found out more recently we have little rights over our children. We are beholden to a banking system that encourages a debt society in order to keep everyone working and under control and in general we are living with our hands tied. Thats my moan for the day…..

Kuwait has laws that protect people, no taxes as such, no or little CCTV and I can pretty much do what I wish as long as I do not offend other human beings. Business is good and flourishes and people seem to be very happy.

It is not without its issues. Obesity is a problem. Poor general health is a problem as fitness had not reached here until recently. There is an American fast food legacy here where if the packet says its healthy this tends to be believed…..I was asked recently “is Subway was healthy? It must be healthier that a Big Mac, surely? The advertising says it is”. My reply was that it was the equivalent of smoking light cigarettes instead of full strength……He was shocked.  This is not un-resovable and certainly not something that inhibits freedom, though, the original reason for this blog..

On my run, I started getting angry.  Cross with what we are led to believe by what we see on the news, what we read and what we are taught in school.  How we lead our lives without real personal responsibility but reliant on rules and laws that control and inhibit us. Rules here are more set by personal discipline. That of Islam as well as the legal system. But you are free to be non religious, not attend the mosque or lead your life as you wish but with personal responsibility.

One funny example I have seen here everyday is in the driving. Hugely funny, hugely scary at first but then quite ok once you see how it works – a bit like La Place de La Concorde or l’Arc de Triomphe roundabouts in Paris!. Each time I have taken a taxi or a lift from a friend I notice the roundabout discipline. At first I thought there was none….  Then, with a friend, having put my hands over my face, screeched inside and burst out laughing probably more from fear, I asked “Shaikh, whats the protocol on a roundabout?” His reply was curt and needed no clarification….. “first one goes!” And it really is.  If your headlights are in front its your right of way! I have now seen this many times.. I have seen no accidents and in the same time in Paris I would have witnessed a few!  In London there is no such disorder. But here is works. Drivers are careful and it reminded me of an experiment in Holland where in a town roads were paved and pedestrians and drivers had equal rights of way. Because of this, the drivers drove slowly and carefully. Sometimes at walking pace weaving in and out of the pedestrians who wandered from shop to shop. There were no accidents and it was proven to be very successful. The roundabout protocol is similar here in that you take more care and traffic just flows.

There is so much to say about Kuwait and I have more on this subject too. I like it here a lot and resent more the lack of freedoms we have in the UK. Paris first showed me this and Kuwait even more so. It provides a good income for many people. Its safe, you can sunbathe, swim, run, walk the streets, write, photograph without being harassed, go home and watch a good movie. It’s very family oriented and a fun place. It does not have places to get drunk and be abusive to fellow human beings and does not tolerate that either.  So what? You can “do and be” here very safely.

The images above are of a couple of places I visited on the way this morning before my call that distracted me. My laundry man and  a shop that sells nuts, coffee beans and sweets. The latter wanted to sell me two kilos of coffee beans and if I had such a machine I would have bought them. He was Egyptian and very kind. Both were very happy, chatted for a while and went on with their lives once I left.

Most cities are full of contrasts. So are countries and Kuwait is no different..  Yesterday I strolled the streets and here is what I noticed……

Wandering back across Kuwait. Great light and the thought of a good steak tonight. Its amazing how you can pretty much walk “as the crow flies” without paths or roads! Love it.

Its Friday which means its the weekend here in Kuwait.  I needed the day off, I needed to just think and write as the week has been so full on and I have not had the time to post properly, so here is todays……

I lazed around for a couple of hours this morning, tuned into to Radio 5 Live and listened to some jabbering about British tennis…  I have heard most of what was said so many times but really I wish them all luck. Cinically, I know its the next bunch who will be gone in around 4.5 years…

I then tuned into Radio 4 as I thought that as a British citizen I should know the results of the elections..  Not being a fan of politicians, I cringed at each of their spoken words, promises of how they would fix the economy. How the other party would fail us. All smelling of bull shit really and very sickening to hear most of the time. But I listened all the same because we do have that luxury of voting that so many countries still don’t have although I am also wary of a system so rife with hidden corruption and deals that I sometimes wonder what democracy actually means.

Anyway, I couldn’t listen for long. I was eager to get out and walk. Walk the city of Kuwait and explore a little. It is only 38 degrees today so not too bad and definitely walkable.  I needed to think of home and not work.  I have been Skyping home each day which is beautiful but not enough. I needed to give home some real time.

I also need to capture what is around me. Kuwait is a strangely beautiful city. It is old and new. Its dirty yet clean. Its full of character and yet can be boring if you do not open yours eyes…..  The contradictions here are what make it so interesting. My walk has taken a break…..

I am currently in a cafe that I walked to from my apartment. It took around an hour to get here (although I was told yesterday it was a 20 minute walk!) On the way I felt like I was in Baghdad, then India, then the Middle East, now I could be on the Champs Elysee. Well, almost. My cafe is very French, with Asian waiters and waitresses, a mix of strong French Culture with Asian mixed in. Its full of French, Arabic, English, Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanians. Opposite me on the other side of the highway is an old Kuwaiti building with a beautiful wind tower.  Looks a bit like a municipal building of some kind.  The streets are full of families, people shopping or returning from the mosque. Its beautiful. I just looked through my lens and its a supermarket!

I have now been here a week and I have so much to explore and find. The people are lovely and the culture is very different to what I expected.  I looked out of the window this morning and was surprised to see the beach filling up at around 0830 with families, water scooters and normal things you would find on any beach.

There are some very “not normal” things here too! One of my funniest moment this week was driving into the American Univeristy and parking yesterday. I was in shock for a few seconds. Surrey Univeristy near where I live in UK is full of 10 year old plus cars, VW’s, Skoda’s, old Land Rovers, Minis and so on.  This car park was like a display room for Hunters in Guildford or in Mayfair London.  I think the smallest car I saw was a GMC Yukon! C’est la vie! Student life in Kuwait looks good…..

Kuwait has it all.  Really just about everything.

I am off now to complete my journey for the day. I will post later with some images too….  Have a good weekend..