ALBANIA- On my first trip to Albania, somewhere around 1995, there were no such things as travel guides about the country. Nothing. And, this was most certainly pre-Internet days. I bought a ticket to Kakabia, but I wasn't sure if it was a town in Greece or Albania. And, nobody in Greece appeared to speak any English to help. So, with my ticket in hand, I traveled down the very bumpy road on a large Greek bus to parts unknown.
As it turned out, I still don't know if Kakabia is in Greece or Albania, but it certainly wasn't a town. It was a border crossing. It was in the middle of nowhere between two countries that really don't like each other. There was no town, no village and I don't remember any lights. And by the time I got there, it was getting dark.
Fortunately for me, taxi drivers knew when to wait at Kakabia. I was informed that the closest hotel was in Gjirokaster, about 20 miles away. That worked for me. And, when the taxi driver pulled out a business card of a guesthouse that read, "We speak English", I had a destination.
If you were ever welcomed into the Kotoni guesthouse in Gjirokaster, you know all about the 200 year old home in the middle of the Ottoman section of town. Vita and Haxhi welcomed me like family. And because of that, I've made multiple visits to Albania over the years.
On my fourth visit to Albania, in 2014, one morning at my breakfast table, I met Shane from "Down Under". He was interested in my mural project and followed me to the school. It happened to be during one of my two television interviews that day. "Interview" really isn't the right word. The microphone was shoved in front of my face and I was told to talk. When I finished my speech, which the interviewer didn't understand, Vita took over in Albanian, waxing long and eloquent about me and my murals. Shane did not escape unscathed. Even though he had absolutely nothing to do with the project, he was interviewed on Albanian television as well.
We've kept in touch ever since.
AUSTRALIA - When my wanderings with the U.S. Embassy took me to Nauru to paint a mural in 2016, I had to stop over "Down Under". If you ever travel anywhere, it is always best to have a local connection. They know all the good stuff. Shane showed me around Melbourne, introduced me to the Twelve Apostles (which you should really see in a video by Florida Georgia Line, H.O.L.Y.) and then helped me discover kangaroos in the wild. Who could ask for anything more?
Mural for responsible consumption of water on Santa CruzECUADOR- Shane enjoys long travels to far corners of the world. And, it's amusing how organized he is. I travel with a vague idea of where I want to go and what I might do. Little is ever written in stone. Shane, on the other hand, has every day planned and every hotel paid for before he every leaves his very comfortable home in Fitzroy. I would love to travel with someone like that so I never have to worry about anything.
When wandering South America, Shane followed a few paths that I have crossed before him. So, while he was in the Galapagos Islands, he had a little "homework" to locate three of my murals. It can be said, at best, that he was partially successful. Two murals on the main island of Santa Cruz were still on the wall surrounding a big school, in the center of the city. But, that once pristine wall was not exactly as I remembered it. There was an awful lot of awful graffiti - with certain choice words in English - all over the walls. Well, not exactly all over. In the photos that I received from Shane, the graffiti "artists" left my art alone. Their eyesores were scribbled all around my murals, but they respected my work. I didn't think that ever happened with graffitiers.
As for my third mural on Isabela Island, the building had been demolished. Hey, it happens.
PERU - I've painted all over the world, but my favorite location has always been Tamboccocha, Peru. It's a tiny little village surrounded by the snow-covered Andes Mountains. And, as we painted, we were also surrounded by pigs on an occasion or two. The village is so far off the beaten path and there is no reason for a tourist to ever go there, unless painting a mural or fulfilling a mission for a friend.
I was very surprised that Shane even found Tamboccocha on a map. (I told you he was organized.) And, a lot of his journey to get there was on foot, climbing one of those mountains. I hate climbing mountains, but Shane had a unique mission that motivated him.
One of the local community members who helped paint my mural was Marcelino, the founding father of the village. I was thrilled to photograph him when I visited the place in 2012. And, when I returned home, I drew a portrait of him, the first from my travels in the Americas. Shane's mission, in addition to checking out the mural, was to locate Marcelino and give him a copy of the portrait.
Shane is the first to admit his Spanish isn't all that great. But, he really didn't need to speak it. When he showed up in Tamboccocha with a portrait of Marcelino in hand, he was directed to the proper home. In the courtyard sat the 90-year-old founding father with his wife, snapping beans. Even with my limited Spanish, I most likely would have sat down to join them. However, the clouds looked ominous and a storm was brewing. Shane had time to deliver the portrait, snap a couple of photos and check on the mural (which had held up fairly well). Then, he had to race back down the mountain.
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I've always had this dream about a Phillip Martin Mural Tour, re-roaming the planet to find my previous projects. I'm beginning to realize that the exterior murals I painted do not have a very long shelf-life. But, if I don't make it to some of these locations a second time, perhaps more friends like Shane will cross some of the paths I've followed and send me updates. However, I honestly think I would prefer to only hear about murals that remain more or less in pristine condition.
