Ben Wilhelmi

Route 66, vintage cars and rust

 

Kenya, pictures while driving

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

vehicles on the road, USA

this loony was just driving and driving around, obviously on a mission… what a waste of fuel and energy.

 

US roads, photography while driving

 Route 66 but it could have been shot in many other stunning locations...

 

some vehicles, America

 

Route 66, a superb Chevrolet

 

 

our rental car dwarfed by a regular SUV…

Home made contraption in Santa Fe. Try to put that thing on a European road... The lousy administrations, in just about every department, will have orgasms just to trash your dreams or requests…

 

even the Range Rover looks small!

 

Chevrolet Bel Air 1956

wrecks and old cars, Route 66

Route 66…great sceneries especially in the western part. Is it worth doing? Yes but the touristy touch is a bit too heavy to my liking. It’s so “authentic” you’d think… no mostly just cheap but still funny. And then as I said, the landscapes, and the people.

 

 

see the thing that was mostly cheap? The number “66” is everywhere, just everywhere. Sickening in the end, that spoils a lot. We fucking know we’re on the 66, there are road signs, notices, ads…every 50m. No need for extra double paintings on wreckages. I bet some owners have  their underwear and condoms labelled with something 66.

 

 

and 66 again! Or historic 66 just in case you’re really dumb…

see this lovely blue shop would be better off that bunch of yellow signs or the ‘66’ tyre.

 

finally you see more of authentic America where no one advertise for it. But I’d go again.

wrecks and cool cars, USA

 

Taos, New Mexico, one my favorite vintage cars: a Chevrolet Bel Air ‘56.

 

Some wrecks in Seligman, Arizona, on Route 66

There were dozens of them alongside that main street crossing Seligman.

 

A beautiful Corvette Sting Ray. Hackberry, Arizona, Route 66, another area littered with wrecks, except this Corvette, and in the middle lies an old derelict fuel station transformed in a shop selling  memorabilia about the Route 66.

 

Santa Fe, New Mexico, another dream place for vintage cars.

Even a German VW.

Kenya, roadside photography

 

a typical large painted advertisement.

 

Elections in Kenya were violent and ugly in 2007. Let’s hope for some improvement and restraint for the next one in March. In the meantime, these political ads are to be seen on every empty space.

 

Typical scene, and sometimes there is a passenger sitting on top of the load.

 

A venerable and rare Peugeot 404. They used to be so common across Africa...

 

Political activity on the road. In case of heavy braking or accident, these guys will have about one second to learn to land…

 

 

Motorbike taxi. Masai men feel naked without their legendary stick.

 

typical shanty huts stuck side by side. Usually they are about business.

 

Masai man in sport shoes.

 

derelict fruit and vegetable stalls.

Monument Valley, Arizona

 

I know I’ve been living in Tanzania for 14 years but even to me this looks like a good road, no? Well the rental companies forbid to use non tarmacked roads. And the local Indian tour operators and guides try to rip visitors off, trying to convince them one needs a 4x4 jeep for this! Well f… them all. Here we were on the Monument valley dirt roads.

Route 66, cars, wrecks, colors

 

old cars, route 66

 

photography on the Kenyan roads

 

After a venerable Peugeot 504, we spotted this hardly younger Datsun. Notice the thin spare wheel. Those cops are definitely not equipped for car chases…

 

Always keep your eyes open when crossing a village. There always details to spot, like bright fresh colors on shanty buildings.

 

Pupils on their way or away to school. It’s hard to say which sometimes as pupils can be spotted wandering any time of the day. Same situation in Tanzania.

 

Masai on the phone in front of a cellphone network advertisement.

 

Cows, donkeys, goats are numerous on the roads. Sometimes they’re just grazing and one can’t help wondering why they seem to choose the very edge of a highway to do so whereas the infinite grassy savannah is just there…

 

An alluring restaurant.

 

Another die-hard Peugeot 504. I’m always amazed that the French carmaker managed to lose its African market to Toyota when they had such great cars.

 

A discreet butchery, no sign but the meat is obviously hanging on a hook, in the sun attracting flies. A common scenery…

 

I can’t help wondering what can be so extreme while having a haircut in this hair salon.

 

A ‘mishkaki’, nickname for these overloaded motorbike taxis. Or bodaboda in local language.

As said before the African roads are rarely boring.

Roadside photography, between Arusha and Nairobi

 

The road used to be awful but has just been resurfaced last year. So the trip is now smooth, for now as cracks on the surface already appear. Thanks to Chinese quality… The scenery is pleasant but the real show happens nearby villages and towns. I always check the names on shops, bars, hotels etc. Originality and the no fear no shame concept are common. I’m sure diplomats would love this place.

Karine loves to drive herself, so I just keep my camera handy and snaps away.

 

The Kenyan cops could be nicknamed Starsky and Hutch...for the age of their cars. This is a picture from last week but that venerable Peugeot 504, station-wagon, has been on the roads for much longer. Kenya used to manufacture various Peugeot models under license after Peugeot stopped the by-then current model. So this one must be from 1980?

 

How many 20 liter containers on this cart? This man doesn’t need a gym membership.

 

A mentally challenged woman, she was behaving strange on that main road.

 

Elections in Kenya are planned for the 4th March. Let’s hope we will not witness the same violence as in 2007.

 

 

Masai man in white sneakers watching life goes by.

 

At the border post, Namanga, that’s where the show is. Seriously I could spend hours there just watching. Various business places, various people like Somalis, a lot of activity, bright colors hardly cover the poverty. I’ll make a special post on Namanga soon.

More names: why beehive for this highly 'hygienic' butchery? Another common scenery: those carcasses hanging on a hook. We also were so sad to miss a chance to sip a cup of tea in that lovely tea room.

 

We spotted 2 of these cyclist within a week, on the same road. I was a bit drooling, remembering my own bicycle trip from Arusha to Cape Town some 10 years ago. My bike looked like this one but I was not sporting the same funny outfit. The face was entirely covered too, maybe a Japanese biker, but we think it was a she. And alone on the road.

The second biker was cycling on a dirt track towards Amboseli park, very isolated so we stopped for a chat, gave him water, a newer map of East Africa, some fruit. We were heading to a nice lodge, he was planning to camp under the starry night. We could give away our reserve.

Car plates, colorful America

 

“Land of Enchantment”…well deserved nickname but it could have been applied to most of the neighboring states…

same state and 3 different types of decoration. Bet there was more.

this plate was attached to a truck which condition didn’t look any better than the plate one.

 

I suppose this was a pro-life statement.

 

tasty frame that piece of barbwire…

car plates, photography in the US

 

 50 US states but many choices per state can make plate chasing interesting.

As said before, the front plates don’t have to be official so that empty space on the bumper is free for anything…

 

The Ford Mustang I had been lucky to drive a bit while studying in Florida…

 

 

 

A plate on a Mini Cooper. Sweet Home Alabama…remember Lynyrd Skynyrd?

on the road, USA

 

Yes! Somebody walking in the US!!

 

Too funny these 2…

 

this guy doesn’t listen to his mother! I’m sure she has told him many times to wear a helmet or at least a hat for the sun. Seriously I can’t believe some US states don’t require the helmet for riders. In a country where one sues anybody for any moronic reason, so by now some wounded bikers would have sued some legislators because they were not told it was dangerous to ride without  helmet… worse in Florida, the law was reversed under Jeb Bush and it’s not compulsory anymore. Just like his bro’ he must have been rocked too close to the wall when he was an infant….

 

USA, funny car plates

 

well funny that is for non Americans of course. Anywhere else in my knowledge car plates tend to be dull and barely allow some playing with letters and digits but still within an imposed set of rules. Anyway here are some US plates.

 

The state nickname is most common, usually with a landscape background, though style can vary! I bet that this clown would love am elephant skull on his bonnet, if he were living in Africa...

 

Guess what, this Cadillac 56 owner was an Elvis impersonator.

 

Karine and I had rented this Ford in Las Vegas, a long way from home, Washington…

 

Yep, the Wright brothers are from Ohio. I’ve got no idea what else Ohio has to offer, maybe I should check on Wiki.

 

Armed forces mottos are quite common too.

 

Route 66, USA, car wrecks

 

I don’t do advertising on my blog, well if Leica or Nikon wanted to contact me I’d listen…, but I make an exception for this company, SmartSign, and their line on Route 66: www.RoadTrafficSigns.com. I had a pleasant chat with the marketing director, Daniel. So for the Route 66 fans, you might want to have a look at their cool products.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arusha, driving and shooting pictures.

 

Arushan traffic jams gives some time to observe the urban jungle out there. Here is a little bit of various scenes or fashion and colors.

typical colorful coach. Taste was optional…

 

Rare pigs. Many Tanzanians are Muslim but still in minority as opposed to Christians. But pigs are rare nevertheless. In swahili, a pig is kiti moto, which means hot seat. Don’t ask me why.

 

Japanese second hand bus. The original marking haven’t been sprayed over, not unusual. Bob Marley is still fashionable in Africa….

not like the cops always on the prowl for a bribe.

 

Trendy grandpa.

 

Posters, rugs, calendars, maps, science diagrams, religious portraits are the usual things these guys sell. What a life, spend your day with arms up….

 

Cool dress!

 

So typical….

 

some road sides in Arusha.

even the crappiest hand-cart, like coaches or dala dalas might show some slogan or motto. “Serengeti”…I’d like to see this guy crossing the Serengeti for sure and see what happens….

beautiful cars on US roads

superbly restored Corvette, Route 66.  (Leica M6 and Kodachrome film)

 

a decorative fire truck, Death Valley.

 

Karine shooting too a rare Chevrolet Bel Air 1956 I think, an unusual mix between coupé and station wagon, Taos, New Mexico. Still  bit of work to perform on the paint.

another Bel Air in Taos, fully restored.

Taos again, a Chevrolet Impala I’d say.

 

Santa Fe was an open museum too for vintage cars.

Street life in Arusha, driving and shooting

 

driving in traffic jam, at slow pace that is… (Mom keeps an eye on me heehee)

another spelling mistake with Led Zep’. Another one is Led Zepperlin.

 

selling peanuts in small paper cones.

 

our green oranges.

 

trendy couple.

 

cop sealing a ride.

Cool cars, USA

cool car, Cadillac 54 if I’m right, and cool dude. Supposedly the best Elvis impersonator. Las Vegas of course, where else?

 

Seligman, somewhere on route 66.

 

 

rent a RV but you got the ads included. Too bad if you were looking for low profile. Quite an un-American feat anyway, low profile…

 

homemade with leftovers of a 1932 Ford A and more… Santa Fe, New Mexico.

 

Taos, New Mexico, not short of beauties either. Mexican-owned Chevrolet.

Chevrolet Bel Air 1956.

 

Page, Arizona, a typical monster truck to go in Antelope canyon. I’m dreaming of having the same modifications done on my Land Rover 110, so I could crush all the driving morons in Arusha notorious traffic jam.  And it could be useful too in many streets of Arusha “city” or in the Tanzanian bush.

Arusha, street life in pictures while driving

The pictures below are always that great but while ‘m stuck in traffic jam or driving slowly, Arusha street life keeps me busy. There is always one detail, one funny feature catching your eye, well for those who can enjoy that activity.

Colors don’t always match perfectly, but colorful it is out there. Many vehicles in Africa show a motto related to religions. Some can be scary like “God is my co-driver”! I’m always concerned the driver might be busy picking his nose a bit too long and rely too much on his so-called co-driver…

 

For once a smart motto.

 

Wooden hand-carts are numerous and have to be taken into account in the jams.

Colors! Sometimes you better wear strong sunglasses!

This guy overestimated his own weight but is getting helped. The neighbor is busy loading a huge crate of tomatoes, maybe a second one on top later, on his piki piki (small motorbike in swahili) and then will probably drive like crazy as usual.

 

And cyclists know a few things too about riding overloaded….only bread but still.

That’s it, some of the pictures I collected on one morning drive to the airport… better than a jammed European highway!

Route 66, vintage car wrecks

I heard the CIA had been testing LSD on unaware people for studies. I sometimes wonder if some designers were not on the project. I mean, look at this Cadillac with for example fins like a shark…to think of that is one thing, to dare to submit that to your colleagues is another thing…

Florida alongside the road, Crystal River

 

I spent a few weeks in Crystal River near Tampa last year. Between studies or flights I’d walk (yes, walk in the US!) or jog around looking for details. The main things that attracted my eyes were: hardly no pedestrians, no surprise, and a lot of Harley Davidsons, no surprise either.

 

Manatees were unfortunately on holidays, I wish I had spotted them in the nearby creek, a renowned worldwide place. (en fr. il s’agit de lamantins)

 

Palm trees often look like the highest landmarks in a Floridian landscape.

 

Chevrolet Corvette.

 

some interesting facts in the US: safety helmets are not always compulsory. Worse, in Florida, it used to be mandatory to wear them. Then some genius of a governor decided to repel that law!

typical US highway. No house but shops and business offices.

 

on the US roads

the US roads…a thesis or 2 could be studied out there.

a nearly superb Chevy Bel Air 1956.

 

just out Zion nat’l park, a rental recreational vehicle. Nice deco.

 

legendary old truck. Well that’s how we consider them from Europe. The very scenic Highway 12 in Utah, near Bryce Canyon. Snow! I hadn’t seen snow for 15 years.

 

I remember these vans from television shows when I was a child, that is in the 70’s.

 

Capitol Reef, another beautiful area between Bryce Canyon and Arches nat’l park. Mom will be pleased to notice my hat. Perfect to protect my chrome dome.

 

curious accident on a long straight road…

 

Santa Fe, a curious home made car cruising around. Had a chat with the driver and he told me there was nothing easier to register any of your creations on wheels on the US roads. Try that in Europe with our glorious administrations… So this guy salvaged a very old and rusty Ford model A body, some V8 engine and various parts, glued and welded them together and pronto, the unfinished beast is on the road. Imagine the thing much higher on wheels and it would be cool on the Arusha dirt roads.

the owner must have too much time on his hands: when he wants to paint his masterpiece, he’ll have to dismantle everything again…

 

another Bel Air, pristine this one, in Santa Fe. Karine and I agreed that we could live out there. Artistic people gather there, many galleries are packed in town, incredible landscapes around, not too far from nat’l parks…

Paris, vintage cars in B/W

 
B/W film, Leica M6.

Steve Mc Queen's Ford Mustang in "Bullit". What a beast, huh? Paris got a few hills but nothing to match San Francisco.

 

more of the Ralph Lauren's collection. A Ferrari above and 2 Alfa Romeos below if I remember well. And I remember well that pictures were forbidden...a concept I just can't stand in exhibition places.

and a Jaguar below. What a profile...

 

a Citroen 2CV, a myth! The big competitor of the Beetle, well at least in Europe since the USA refused to let them in for some obscure safety reasons. On the other hand, and I love America for its numerous paradoxes, no problem for junk and OGM food or free guns for all (especially for the unspotted retarded...)

Starting in the 40's the last French 2 CV was built in 1989 but Chile kept on assembling them for a while under licence. Like the Beetle the general shape hardly changed, no need to change a winning team. I used to have a bright red one and loved it so much I wish I had one here. The conditions would be perfect as over the decades those cars were notorious for handling world trips without problems. I saw one the Kenyan roads.

 

a bit older, here are a bunch whose drivers stopped by for a take away at Fauchon restaurant, here is the Fauchon doorman.

 
 

cool America…road trip pictures

 

this one was the most ridiculous contraption we saw on our trip.

 

isn’t that love ? That too tall girl is clinging on her dude like a backpack. But check the seat! There is hardly any seat, it looks she s sitting on the mudguard. Karine had looked at me with that kind of ‘not even in your dream’ look.

 

a pink helmet on a Harley….?

 

 

Look at the jacket…

route 66, Arizona, scenes

a healthy vintage Corvette.

 

old Ford Model A, I guess.

 

a motel with interesting murals.

 

Chevrolet Impala…

 

back of a Chevrolet Bel Air, station wagon.

 

huh, this one brand will stay a mystery, not enough parts left over to recognise….

Paris, street pictures, b/w film on Rolleiflex

 

near the Trocadéro.

 

suddenly these tuk tuks were all over the place in Paris. I don’t remember them the previous years….

 

Karine and I thought this detail of the Eiffel looked like a piece of sexy underpants dividing imaginary buttocks.

 

place de la Madeleine.

 

all shot on a 1961 Rolleiflex 3.5F and b/w films

on the US roads, cool vehicles

 

well cool to be used as a broad meaning. This kind of car is not for my taste but still funny to watch (and hear coming). We're in Sante Fe and its great adobe houses.

each town or county in the States seem to have its own color scheme for police cars.

One of the few vintage cars we saw that looked restored as the original.

 

 

long road across Utah near Arches nat’l park.

 

Austrian travellers on their long range modified VW Combi, Arches NP.

 

Telluride Colorado, a pretty sky resort but quite sleepy at this time of the year, April. Most shops were closed for the low season.

this Toyota Land Cruiser BJ is quite a rarity. Quite common on the Tanzanian roads though.

 

Quite a rarity in such a macho group: a purple truck… a snowy landscape in Colorado.

 

“my” Land Rover Defender. Equally rare, I hardly spotted any in the States…Silverton and its colorful houses, Utah.

dust storm, Monument Valley, Arizona

 

Monument Valley, always admired under a bright blue sky, showing off bright ochre colours…

…like this. The clouds seem never to burst into rain.

 

then the sky got obscured, the visibility dropped quite suddenly.

luckily we had finished our visit by the end of the afternoon.

outside the valley, dust kept on spreading for miles.

isn’t the same very old model, without modifications, of the Fall Guy?

a small Indian homestead.

 

nothing compared with the serious dust storms Arizona experienced a few weeks ago but for a European couple, even though living in Tanzania, this was a bit of a novelty.

transport in Tanzania

 

the Ngorongoro-Serengeti road, respectively linking conservation area and nat’l park, unfortunately open to public transportation.

 

typical imported Korean truck. Any color you like providing it is blue. Over the years they get repainted at various level.

 

overloaded pick-up. When such a pick up crashes, a disaster looms. I remember one accident some years ago: a tyre had burst and the 'speeding' Peugeot pick up 404 went in the ditch. There were 27 people on board or hanging! 10 died on the spot, the 17 others were seriously wounded, and some of these died later in the good care of the hospital (no joke here).

 

and the bottles can be full!

 

no fear, nothing impossible to local taxi drivers. I'm even surprised there is nobody sitting in the couch.

 

registration plates, USA

 

car owners in the States have a wide range of freedom to express themselves via their car plates. In Belgium, we can barely choose at high price the letters and digits order. Nothing about color or additions.

historic vehicle plate and the state nickname which is very common. Here Arizona aka Grand canyon state.

 

positions in armed forces are quite common too. My flight instructor last year, a Korean war navy pilot veteran had is plate labelled NAV8TOR.

backgrounds can be quite colorful, showing full landscapes, sometimes sunsets.

 

historic characters…

 

and as if plates didn’t allow enough freedom of expression, a dedicated frame can be added.

 

not sure what Taylor refer to: the driver’s job or a famous character….

colors and shapes, route 66

 

Karine and I loved to cruise on route 66, here in Arizona, without specific plans. We would stop whenever shapes and colors and unusual subjects would call. Well, unusual, that is for a European point of view.

a bit of a Corvette, just before sunset.

 

bit of a Mercury.

 

a GMC pick up.

 

Chevrolet…

 

Chevrolet Bel Air, station wagon. Numerous souvenirs shops dot the route 66, not always painted and decorated with the best taste…

 

Ford.

 

Dodge.

 

open 24/7, only in the US?

street life, Tanzania

 

some scenes in Arusha….

condom ad showing a healthy and rich couple…facing a destitute man.

 

some years, the decision was made, and budget found, to paint Arusha in bright colors. Not only once and then wait for decay but painting is remade on a regular basis. Good decision as the buildings used to be Stalinist-era grey, very dull and depressing. One might not like peach or raspberry or yellow colors but it really gives a sunshine touch to the streets. And the numerous (too numerous) ads concur in that color mode.

foreign city or country names are really popular amongst pub owners…misspellings are popular too.

 

unfortunately the paint quality is crap and it peels off quickly…

 

isn’t that depressing? One hires a watchman and what does he do beside sleeping? Bring his friends around and chat up, AND sits with his back towards the street, as we all know the best way to spot potential danger….

 

one of the 2 international schools, proudly showing off its US style school buses.

 

nothing oriental in those carpets: they’re made of plastic thread or beads.

 

taxi drivers having fun. I'm getting some experience at driving and shooting at the same time.

vintage cars on US roads

 

a funny home made contraption in Sante Fe.

nicely restored pick up in Page, Arizona. I had never seen a beetle with a trailer.

some wrecks on route 66, Arizona.