lima – markmagpusao.com

I spent most of Friday editing my footage from Lima. It was good to relax and not worry about traveling or doing tourist stuff. I spent the day in my room writing my last post and trying to figure out how to edit videos.

My friends at Droneworks, who make and edit videos as their business, gave me this tip to edit and make a video as soon as I shoot it. You can make tiny little episodes while you travel. The opposite is shooting a bunch of footage then at the end of your trip, which is a year, and edit it all into a movie. I prefer the first way because of the amount of footage on the back end would be overwhelming. I would end up procrastinating all of it.

The goal of making videos is to document my trip through my own lens. This is what I saw and I remember the feelings I had when I shot it. I can look back when I’m 50 at some tangible piece of video instead of a million photographs. What is movie anyway but a collection of moving photos?

I used GoPro Quik. I tried using Black Magic Divinci Resolve 12 but that was way too difficult. I think my SurfacePro 4 was working really hard while that program was running too. I will do more research for my next video.

I write, take photographs, film, train Jiu Jitsu, practice Spanish, eat local food, have travel diarrhea, see the sites, wash my clothes in the shower and other travel stuff that’s done behind the scenes. I piece of me wants to simplify it and only do one thing, like write and photos. But I’ve wanted to play around with film for a long time. I feel like this is the perfect time to do it. Unfortunately it’s on the road with a bunch of things I also enjoy doing.

It sounds like I’m complaining which I am. If anybody has any advice on the video, editing, or life. Please let me know.

I was on 11 hour bus ride from Lima to Trujillo. The bus was extremely comfortable compared to Greyhound in the US or even a bus I took in Spain from Bilbao to Santander. Our seats were able to lean back and we had our own entertainment. It was a double-decker bus and each row had three seats. We had ample space to stretch. We were given lunch and snack time with a service attendant. We had a pillow and blanket on our seat waiting for us as we boarded. It felt like first class for buses. I have never had first class but I imagine that’s what it would have felt like. The scenery was very contemplative. It was full of desert coastlines and driving through little towns. For $43 USD it was great deal. It had drawbacks though. You weren’t allowed to defecate in the bathroom, it was only for urinating. I didn’t understand the explanation if it was broken or if that was normal. The roads were bumpy for more than half the ride paired with the stop and go traffic. The trip took 11 hours. I wasn’t used to being on a bus for that long. I will think twice next time I take a bus anywhere.

Franco telling us a story about women wearing tapadas on balconies.

To bring it back to Lima. On my last day I took a free walking tour of downtown Lima. It was good to meet other travelers. The only other contact I had was my host Jiu Jitsu gym and the hostel workers. The night before I decided to be more sociable and meet people. By nature I spend a lot of time by myself when I’m at home but I don’t mind because I have a house full of my family. I’m naturally an introverted person who doesn’t like small talk. I had to force myself to go out and go on the tour. So I met a few German girls, an Argentine couple, and Franco, our tour guide. I felt better to talk to people. I enjoyed how I could speak with everyone and ask questions in Spanish/ Castellano. If my German was conversational I would be even more happy with myself, but I spoke English with them. The Germans, Mona, Katy, Lea, and Gesa, were going to Cuzco later in the month. The Argentine couple were from a city north of Buenos Aires, I don’t remember the name. They were on a three month car trip ending in Ecuador.

Franco telling us about Taulichusco, the first “alcade” of Lima.

I recommend looking into any free walking tour if you’re ever in a big city. I took one in Barcelona and Madrid. They are always a good way to meet other travelers and hear the history of the city. I have heard about the Spanish Colonization of South America but hearing some of the details and atrocities that took place. It’s very sad. It’s one thing to hear the story in Spain and another in Peru. It gives the city you are visiting a personal touch. You may have observations/questions that are not covered in the guide’s normal spiel. I had a question about the facades of the cathedral having three different styles.