The latest from Ron

From Oct. 30-Nov. 11 2001,
I traveled to Venezuela and China with Air Supply. And to New York City with Barry Manilow. Never in 21 years of touring have I traveled so far in such a short time. Below is a short summary of my trip.

Oct. 30

Today I traveled to Caracas, Venezuela to play with Air Supply. We're flying on Continental Airlines. After a stop over in Houston, we have a smooth 5-hour flight to Caracas. Arriving at around 9 p.m. The surrounding mountains are quite close to the airstrip. I can see lights from the many houses. Later I learn these are called 'ranchos' and the people living in them are very poor. It's about a 45-minute drive in a run down old van to the hotel. It's very mountainous and humid as we drive laboriously up the hill. There are lights from the many ranchos on both sides. We descend into a valley of a very cosmopolitan city. Like much of South America there is no middle class. Only the very rich and the many poor people living in the ranchos. After checking in at the Caracas Hilton, a few of us have a light dinner at the hotel restaurant. Tomorrow is a day off to explore.

Oct. 31

I sleep in a little. Our promoter representative Erika suggests we not go out at any time. Even during the day. Apparently there is a lot of crime here. Tourists have been mugged. Even murdered for a pair of shoes! It can't be that bad around the hotel. I decide not to heed her warning and go out anyway. Not wanting to draw attention to myself, I leave my camera in my room. Noticing on my map that there are a few museums close by, I stop by the concierge just to check my route. I want to go to the Contemporary Art museum. The Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Caracas Sofia Imber. (Never found out who Sohia Imber was.) I get directions and head out. Nice day. A little humid. Storm clouds threatening, but mostly sunny. The mountains surrounding the city are beautiful and quite close by. There are people out walking around. Workers sweeping the street. First I stop by the National Museum. Inside are some strange collages by Diego Barbazon. And some modern paintings by Armando Revolon. The Contemporary Art Museum is not where I was told it was. My map says it's the opposite way. I'm close by the hotel so I drop by the concierge to ask again. She takes me up to the concierge level and points out the building I seek from above. Past where I had been. So I try again, passing a mosque surrounded completely by barbed wire. I find the building I saw from above. It's not the Contemporary Art museum but an artists residence and studio. While inquiring at the desk there; (sure wish I spoke Spanish. I got by with my rudimental 'Donde esta', however.) I met an actor/teacher who spoke a little English. Noel de la Cruz said he was going by the museum and that he could take me there. While walking I found out he was from Cuba and was in Caracas teaching acting. Inquiring about the theater scene in Caracas, he tells me that there is not much interest in it. It's too expensive for the poorer people and the rich simply aren't interested. He is anxious to leave Caracas. After passing the main theater where shows are put on, I finally arrive at the Contemporary Art museum. Turns out my map was right. I say goodbye to Noel after promising to get him into the Air Supply show and enter the museum. Inside there are works by Picasso and Matisse. Some really cool photography. And some architectural art. The museum is connected to a mall, so I explore that for a while before heading back to the hotel. I join the whole group for a great sushi dinner after which I talk down the show with Air Supply's drummer Mark Williams. Time for bed.

Nov. 1

This afternoon we fly to Maracaibo for a show tonight. Maracaibo is the capital of Zulia, Venezuela's richest state, and also an important port. It's very hot and humid here. There are many oil wells off shore. After checking in at the Intercontinental del Lago Hotel we go right to soundcheck. We are playing a 1000 seat theater in a run down part of the city. I'm told that the Air Supply show is the first big event they have had here since the terrorist attacks. Most of the theater is full. The people are very warm and receptive. Many beautiful women are back stage for the meet and greet. I remember what my new friend Noel told me yesterday about entertainment being too expensive for the masses and can't help wondering how many people would have attended if they could afford to.

Nov. 2

This morning we fly back to Caracas for a show tonight. I share a cab with Erika, the promoter representative. It's rainy and foggy today but I can still see the many ranchos lining both sides of the mountain as we drive up and over to Caracas. It's amazing how people can live like this. It looks like people build wherever and however they want. One structure right on top of the other. Using whatever material they can find. Some homes with no roofs. Many with no windows. Erika explains that because the ranchos are built so close together, there are no roads so services cannot reach them. If there is a medical emergency they carry the injured a great distance to the road where the ambulance meets them. The garbage truck cannot drive there. Consequently, trash is thrown over the side of the hill. And when it rains (like today) the trash washes down onto the road. The government has tried building projects but the people steal the toilets, sinks and windows and sell them. So the government housing eventually degrades into some more run down ranchos. Coming from the airport my first night here I couldn't see the road clearly. (At night, gangs have been known to throw rocks at vehicles below, then robbing them when they stop to investigate) Today, in the daytime, I can see how in need of repair it is. I find out the road and bridges were built in the 50's and haven't been maintained since. A toll the equivalent of 7 cents is paid. We arrive in downtown Caracas but are stuck in traffic. Lots of motorcycles going between the stopped cars. Erika says that gangs of them have been known to hold up cars. The traffic is crazy here. Our driver is very careful to steer clear of the bikes. If he hits one of them he could be ganged up on by other bikers and forced to buy the rider a new motorcycle. No matter how minimal the damage. We exit the stop and go traffic onto a side street. Because it's raining, trucks come by and suck the trash out of the drains so they won't clog. The trash is just left in the middle of the street. There are stripped skeletons of cars lying close by. I inquire about the government and find out that Hugo Chavez, the current President tried unsuccessfully in 1992 to over throw then President Perez. He was jailed. After being pardoned by Perez, Chavez was somehow able to become President. He then rewrote the constitution enabling him to potentially remain in office until 2012. We arrive back at the Caracas Hilton and I thank Erika for the very informative cab ride. Like Noel, she also wants to leave Caracas for her native Puerto Rico. The show is in the ballroom here at the Hilton. It goes well. Very well received.

Nov. 3-Nov. 6

Today I travel back to the states. It'll be great to be back. I fly to Houston then on to New York to work with Barry Manilow. We'll be rehearsing tomorrow, then playing a benefit at Carnegie Hall the next night and a taping of The Rosie O'Donnell show the following day. I'm not too tired to watch the seventh game of the World Series with my good friend John Pondel. Wow. In New York City at a bar in mid town watching the Yankees. What a great game. Unfortunately Arizona comes out ahead.

Nov. 7-9

Back to Los Angeles today for some well-needed rest. I don't get much because I leave for China tonight with Air Supply. After a 14-hour flight on China Southern Airlines, and losing a day, we arrive in Guangzhou, China on the morning of Nov. 9. We're on a layover here. Guangzhou is in the province of Guangxi in Southern China. Our flight to Nanning, where we'll be playing, is delayed almost 4 hours. In the meantime, we explore the Guangzhou airport. They have fresh fruit along with some herbs and dried fish for sale in the airport. Literally along side other more westernized merchandise. Like C.D. players and magazines. I saw some dried dead snakes about 2 feet long for sale. With the heads still on. According to our interpreter, Stephen, the snakes are boiled in tea then enjoyed as a cure all. We settle in at the airport restaurant. The tea is sweet with funny spices and who knows what floating in it. Hopefully no dried snakes. Our waiter makes a big show of pouring hot water from a kettle with a very long nozzle. The noodles with egg are delicious. Finally we board the plane. We wait at the gate for a long while. A very irate man runs up the isle yelling. He's very angry. I find out from Stephen that he is angry about the delay. He is totally going off. He is standing up in the front of the plane making a speech. Coupons for drinks are handed out and we are finally on our way. If this happened in America he would be escorted off the plane. Upon landing in Nanning, people (mostly men) are up during taxi to the gate hunting in the overhead or using the bathroom. The flight attendants apparently have no problem with this. This also happened upon landing back home in Los Angeles. Are the flight attendants less likely to be assertive in keeping order because of the male dominated society of the Asian world?

Nov. 9

We land in Nanning in the late afternoon and are greeted by about 20 girls all in red traditional dress. I find out from our promoter representative, Echo that they are Zhuang people. They are indigenous to this region of China. There are about 25 different Ethnic Minorities throughout Southwest China representing a fascinating kaleidoscopic compression of Chinese, Tibetan, Thai and Burmese peoples. According to Echo they add a vibrant, colorful dimension to a region often perceived as monotonously peopled. I would love to visit one of their villages on market day. We walk down a pathway lined by these bright shining faces. They give us each a flower and a packet with our stage pass and other information for our upcoming show at The Nanning Arts Festival. Next we board a bus to our hotel. Nanning is known as 'The Garden City'. I can see why. I look out the bus window and see nothing but green. Lush green rolling hills. Interspersed with gorgeous valleys of green carpet. Nanning has a population of 2.8 million and has a history of over 1600 years. Spanning the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. We arrive at the hotel and are greeted by 20 more Zhuang girls! This time dressed in yellow. (I wonder if they are the same girls). The hotel provided a wonderful lunch in one of the conference rooms. I still can't believe I'm eating Chinese food in China! It tastes wonderful, really not much different then Chinese food in the states. The promoters then rush us out to the venue for our rehearsal. We are playing at the Nanning Arts Festival. A weeklong event celebrating all of the ethnic people of China. Each performing a native dance or song. The Chinese government funds a performance of one Western group during the Festival. The event is televised live. And because the Chinese do not have the technology to make live music sound good on television, we are performing and lip syncing two songs to tracks! Arriving at the venue, I'm blown away by the size! It's a large soccer stadium holding about 20,000 people. The stage is huge. With five large light trusses above the stage and scaffolding going up 150 ft on each side. This place is big! We do a quick sound check then hang out for our 'rehearsal' which turns out to be a performance for a full house of all of the employees of the Festival and their guests. Since tonight's performance is pretty much a carbon copy of tomorrow night, I'll write more about the show in tomorrow's entry.

Nov. 10 (day)

Today a few of us along with our guides walked around the shopping area. The Chinese are not used to seeing Westerners and everyone is staring at our group. Very nice outdoor shopping area. It's very crowded with lots of clothing and electronic shops. There are many bicycles and motor bikes jockeying for room to maneuver. It seems they out number the cars and buses. Our guides shuttle us back to the bus. Our next stop is The Guangxi Ethnic Relics Center. Historical artifacts from different ethnic nationalities are displayed here. At the entrance is a huge sculpture of a bronze drum and cannon of Dong nationality. Scattered throughout the complex are buildings of Yao nationality. A beautiful bridge of Miao nationality. We walk through handicraft workshops for extracting oils and making paper. An interesting look into a China thousands of years ago. Our guides usher us back to the vans. I see on my map that we are pretty close to our hotel. I want to explore and walk back on my own. Our guides tell me no. I must go back and 'rest.' It's only 3:00 p.m.! Our performance isn't until 10:00 p.m. tonight. They are very adamant. I end up going back with the group for a delicious Schezwan lunch at the hotel. The food here at the hotel has been wonderful. Not much different than Chinese food in America. According to my guidebook there are some strange food alternatives in China. It is a widely held belief that overwork and sex wear down the body and that such 'exercise' will result in a short life. To counter the wear and tear, some Chinese practice 'jinbu' (the consumption of tonic food and herbs) This can include drinking raw snake blood or bear bile, or eating deer antlers, all of which are claimed to improve vision, strength, and sexual potency. Consuming tiger meat will increase one's vigor and virility. Rhinoceros horn has been touted as a cure all. Eating monkey's brain is said to increase intelligence. (What?) This explains the dried snakes and other strange items I saw at the airport. The Chinese government has cracked down on this practice, and much of what gets passed off as ultra-expensive tiger meat is fake. Animal rights activists have criticized the way bear's bile is obtained-by strapping a living bear into a metal vest and running a tube into the creature's liver. China has reacted to such criticism the same way the country reacts to reports of human rights violations-by telling everyone that this is one of China's 'internal affairs.' I wonder what the bears are told. On the TV, back in my room is a Chinese acrobatic show. The acrobats are doing seemingly impossible moves with American folk music playing in the background. Very strange watching them perform to the music of 'Swanee River.' I 'rest' and head to the gig via bus.

Nov.10 (evening)

We head out to the gig at about 8pm. We pass many open storefronts with televisions tuned to a live feed of the Festival. People are huddled around the screens. Arriving at the stadium we head to the dressing rooms passing through security. It looks like the Army is out keeping watch. Air Supply is the only American group on the show. There are Chinese pop stars and rock groups performing. The lights are fantastic. There are huge big screens on both ides of the stage. Our part of the show goes well. A scary moment happened when pyro was set off very close to Graham and Russell. They were not warned and this didn't happen at the rehearsal last night. The crowd went nuts for Air Supply. They are very popular in this part of the world.

Nov. 11

Tonight we go home. First we sit down to a wonderful lunch with the producers of the Festival, some of the performers and the mayor of Guangxi Province. Accompanied by some Communist party members. (We are told) Wow. They were very warm and kind. Speeches were given and lots of alcohol was consumed by the mayor going from table to table personally toasting each of us. It's been a wonderful trip. The Chinese people are fantastic. Tonight we fly to Guangzhou then on to L.A. Half way through the long flight home I get up to use the restroom. I notice the many muddy foot prints on the sides of the toilet and am reminded that I'm not quite home yet.

Thanks for reading. Take care and God Bless.

Ron

email: pedfly2002@yahoo.com