Travel

TRAVELS TO METALLIC TREASURES

Courtesy of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. Ai-weiwei “Forever Bicycles” Installation.

In search of places where we might go to explore and experience the beauty of metal, we found new expressions, ancient buried treasure sites, and a colorful mining town, to name a few.

I remember being struck by the sheer number of bicycles moving around the boulevard, like a massive school of fish, which, despite their human-pedal-powered mode, dominated the traffic patterns the first time I set foot in Beijing.

Now, Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei has transformed 3,144 bicycles, welding them into one of the largest, and most moving (pun not completely intended) metal sculptures we’ve ever seen. Weiwei’s piece, a new version of his “Forever Bicycles,” is 100 feet long and 30 feet high. It was recently installed in Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square, as one of 112 artworks commissioned for the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche festival.

Photo: Courtesy of Hold it Now. Ai-weiwei “Forever Bicycles” Installation.

The artist had to direct the installation by remote control. He is forbidden to leave China and has been ever since he began to speak out against the Chinese Communist Party. His studio is under 24-hour police surveillance.

Weiwei’s earlier, smaller versions of Forever Bicycles have appeared previously at galleries in Taiwan and Italy. His talents in metal art extend to music as well – he’s recorded a killer heavy metal album.

Go see Forever Bicycles now until 10.27.13 on display in Toronto.

Photo: Javier Hidalgo. Guanajuato Mexico.

Bright candy-colored houses adorn the hillsides of La Valenciana, located on the northern edge of Guanajuato, Mexico, but this town is really all about silver. And it has been this way since the mid-1600’s when Spanish explorers first discovered it here. Native Mexicans labored in the mines, but the silver mainly lined Spain’s pockets for centuries. Spanish mine owners built magnificent churches and mansions with their riches, while the natives remained poor. The Mexican Revolution brought it all to a halt and the mines were shut down, making this town the birthplace of Mexican Independence.

Photo: Frank Mago. Guanajuato Mexico.

The mines reopened in 1968, as a cooperative, yielding gold, nickel, and lead, in addition to its silver treasures. For a time, these mines produced more than ⅔ of the world’s silver supply. While it has since ceased operations once again, it remains open for visitors.

Photo: Courtesy of Tripomatic. La Valenciana Mine, Guanajuato Mexico

You can descend into the darkness of the mine shaft, guided by retired miners, to see for yourself how it all went down. The old drilling equipment and mining tools are there to help tell the story. You will see a figure of the Virgin Mary carved into one of the walls as you go deeper into the narrow passageway.

Photo: Paula Soler-Moya. Temple de San Cayetano.

When you emerge into daylight again, you’ll want to see the 18th century Templo de San Cayetano de La Valenciana (San Cayetano Church), which stands guard at the mine’s opening.

Photo: Eneas De Troya. Templo de San Cayetano.

This pink stone church was commissioned by the Count of Valenciana. The ornate interior is a bit overwhelming, with richly gilded altars, intricate carvings and enormous paintings dating back to the 19th century.

You can wander through of hundreds of narrow cobblestone callejones (alleyways) running up and down the hillside. Take a rest at an outdoor café at one of the shady plazas before you set out again to explore the town’s museums, theaters, markets and historic monuments. Along the way you can see beautiful examples of neoclassical- and baroque-style colonial architecture.

Photo: Courtesy of Frankcisco. Callejón del Beso.

Take your sweetheart to see Callejón del Beso (Alley of the Kiss), an alleyway so narrow that you can kiss from opposite balconies. Then continue your romance by joining a callejoneada, or walking serenade, led by student musicians who strum guitars, serenade bystanders and recite local tales.

Photo: Courtesy of Miriadna. Guanajuato, Mexico.

Beyond its silver legacy, the city is loaded with more rich history. Famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera was born in Guanajuato where his former home has been converted into an excellent museum. Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, is celebrated at a major annual festival. The Universidad de Guanajuato (Guanajuato University), one of the oldest universities in the state. Traditional regional Bajío cuisine is still served, with dishes like enchiladas mineras (tortillas filled with meat, beans or cheese and topped with a sauce made from guajillo and ancho chiles) and pacholas Guanajuatenses (ground beef with spices).

Today, both the city of Guanajuato and its adjacent mines are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Photo: Courtesy of Tourisme Dubai.

Perhaps gold tickles your fancy? Dubai is known as the city of Gold. And one of the best places to immerse is in the Dubai gold souks. There are bargains to be had, but get your haggle on. Merchants are prepared to spar with you, then happily let you reduce their prices by half. The Dubai government controls the market, so you can be sure you are buying the real thing.

Photo: Zahid Lilani. Dubai Gold Souk.

You will find oodles of gold jewelry sold in sparkling market shops along dozens of streets here. The sheer quantity, along the the array, is mind-boggling. Besides gold,diamonds,rubies,emeralds,opals, pearls, and amethysts will tempt you. You’ll be hard-pressed to find them cheaper anywhere else in the world.

Photo: Courtesy of Florida Dive Connection.

Maybe you would prefer to find your own treasures. Head to the Florida Keys and dive into the seas for an “Atocha Dive Adventure,” where Mel Fisher’s Treasure will escort you to an ancient shipwreck, ripe for the picking. You have a 50% chance of striking gold, according to their reported statistics.

Nuestra Señora de Atocha, the Spanish galleon that served as the rear ship in a “treasure fleet” heading back to Spain from the New World -- was caught in a wicked hurricane on September 6, 1622. It sunk in the coral shallows, along with enormous precious cargo of gold, silver, and precious gems.

Photo: Lisa Mongy. Discovered treasure with Mel Fisher’s Treasure.

In 1985, after 16 years of searching, U.S. treasure hunter Mel Fisher, hit the Atocha jackpot, raising over $500 million worth of the buried loot, just 56 kilometers off the coast of Key West.

If you think most of the bounty has already been taken, think again. According to the original captain’s manifest, 17 tons of silver bars, 128,000 coins, 27 kilos of emeralds and about 35 boxes of church gold, so there’s still plenty down there, with value estimated $200 million, just waiting for you.

Photo: Courtesy of Huffington Post. Tortugas Shipwreck Treasure.

But wait. There’s more! Eleven more ships sank in the great hurricane of 1715. Brent Brisben’s company, 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels LLC, owns the rights to this wreckage and offers treasure hunting tours to hopeful divers. According to the ships' manifests, $400 million worth of treasure was on board and so far only $175 million has been found. The 1977 film "The Deep" and the 2008 "Fool's Gold" film were based off of the 1715 wreckage.

Just last month, the Schmitt family, not associated with the 1715 tour, found $300,000 worth of treasure, including 64 feet of gold chains, five gold coins, and a gold ring, off the coast of Fort Pierce, just 150 yards offshore.

Photo: Courtesy of Paradise Yachts.

Another buried treasure was just unearthed last month near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The find, which included 36 gold coins, gold and silver jewelry, a gold medallion with a menorah and other items, was discovered by Dr. Eilat Mazar and his team from the Hebrew University.

Known as the Ophel Treasure, this cache dates back to the Byzantine era. It was buried a small depression in the floor of a ruined Byzantine public structure, just 50 meters from the Temple Mount's southern wall.

Archaeologists estimate that the treasure was abandoned during the Persian conquest of Jerusalem in 614 CE. It is thought that the items were hidden to eventually contribute to a potential new synagogue near the Temple Mount.

Read about Beautiful Metal all this week, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact, including Shiny New Delicate & Heavy Metal, Radical Design with Liquid Metal, Beautiful New Tastes in Metal, and New Metal Art Alchemy.