Settled in a big forest just outside of Riga is the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum.
It supposed to be one of the oldest and biggest in the world and held typically buildings and cultural goods from all part of the country.
Beside gathering knowledge and many interesting facts about Latvia and its culture, it’s also a beautiful walk in the woods, what was very welcome after the days in the hustling city.
In the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem stands a big building which host now the Armenian museum.
These rooms was build originally in the 1850’s as a pilgrim guesthouse, became later a monastery, a seminary and also an orphanage of survivors of the genocide from 1915.
After a five year renovation it just reopened recently as a museum and memorial of the Armenian Genocide in 1915.
Beside many handicrafts and artifacts of the Armenian culture, especially also the famous ceramics and ornaments, it tells the story of the tragic incidents and deaths from the 24. April 1915, which is still denied by the Turkish government.
After i found the beach of Jambiani quite average, i walked trough the village. Ducks crossing my way, cows roaming around, doves hiding in their shelters. The people sitting in front of the houses, waving me very friendly and having a chat. Wood lies behind the houses for their kitchen. Several boreholes on the streets provide the people with fresh water. A very picturesque and peaceful image of a village.
A friend called me, there are need of people joining as statists for filming. There is some money offered, but surely i wanted have a glimpse behind the scene of movie making too. The location was held on Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), an impressive building complex, especially at night. Inside that futuristic looking building is a big conference room, called the Amphitheatre. Rows of empty seats around a red carpeted centre when i get there. Just a few people sitting and standing spread around. No camera or film team in sight. A busy looking lady giving out a form which claims all right on filming on that spot. An amount of money for compensation is promised by that form too. To my surprise i’m told, it’s not a Kenyan production but Hollywood itself shows up, making a science fiction movie. Around 30 people gathered this evening to pretend being members of a parliament or council. Due the delay of the film team, we got coffee and sandwiches first, got fitted in suits and dresses and finally seated in front of the camera, which arrived meanwhile. The next three hours or so, we shifted from row to row, from box to box, from level to level. In the movie, the 30 people of us will appear as around 300 people in the council. Before midnight, the film director was happy with the take. With the welcome cash in my hand and new experience in my head i stepped out in the nightsky.
rene bauer photography 