A shot I made during my last far travel on the island Pag, Croatia in 2016 when I drove all the way from Opatija, Croatia to Sofia, Bulgaria, passing Dalmatia, Monte negro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Serbia & back home.

Intro

Probably many of you don't know about my "#multimedia #art #travel #project" or possibly you've forgotten about it cause it was around 9 months ago when I made some of the last posts about it. So, this is a short introduction to the more extensive description below...

Why travelling by Twingo? Well, it's an economical car which gives me a certain comfort & possibility to carry a bunch of equipment along: drums (djembe & cajon), cameras, laptop, clothes, food, gas cooker, tent, air mattress, sleeping bag... I know it's not too ecological but this is my available option for now.

The Voyage So Far

Recognizable Venetian moment

I managed to arrive to Barcelona, passing approx. 1650 km, stopping 2 nights in Mestre (Venezia, Italy), 1 night in Genova (Italy), visiting my mom & her boyfriend in Monaco for 2 nights, Montpellier (France) for 2 nights & Rivesaltes (Perpignan, France) for 1 night. It's my 4th day in Barcelona. I stopped here to rest for a while because I realized that maybe I'm going too fast & not really achieving my goals which are to blend & to collaborate with the locals so I am now trying to do this but it's not easy at all.

My mother in Monaco. She is giving me a huge support but also expresses her kind of paranoid, possessive, obsession about my intentions, of which I will be writing for sure!

In Plaça de Catalunya, Barcelona was the 1st time I managed to play some music in the street & reactions of the people, especially children, were amazing! But then I moved to Rambla & police came immediately to warn me that without the permission I can't actually play! It wasn't pleasant to hear that but, I guess, every government needs to take a cut from each activity which makes any material goods, or money. I will definitely go to ask for the permission! I also registered to several job hubs based in Barcelona to try to earn some money cause I think I do not have enough funds to realize the goals & finish the project but till now, no response. Workaway I payed & contacted few interesting hosts which suit my needs & with whom I believe I could collaborate & involve them into my project too but I'm still waiting for their answers.

I still have like 1 300 km to reach Morocco & if I want to stay there & travel around, I definitely need some more funds.

The funds I raised till now were provided by the 2 sponsors from Croatia:

The Silver Sponsor – Gole Sport

https://www.facebook.com/golesport13/

https://gole-sport.business.site/

https://www.instagram.com/gole_sport

The Bronze Sponsor - Čisto Čišće

http://cistocisce.hr/

https://www.facebook.com/Čisto-čišće-344910209320484

I have also been supported by some Croatian media & here are their announcements:

KanalRi (Rijeka, Croatia):

https://youtu.be/jXS9BCP-KWs

Poriluk (Rijeka, Croatia):

http://poriluk.com/emisija-poriluk-25-2/

http://poriluk.com/za-maroko-konacna-odluka/

Regional Express (Istria, Croatia):

http://www.regionalexpress.hr/site/more/twingom-od-opatije-do-maroka-video

Torpedo (Rijeka, Croatia):

http://torpedo.media/video-twingom-od-opatije-do-maroka-opatijac-nikica-karas-planira-zanimljivo-putovanje/

http://torpedo.media/konacna-odluka-nikica-karas-krece-s-twingom-prema-maroku/

Pod Učkun (Opatija, Croatia):

http://poduckun.net/video-nikica-karas-planira-zanimljivo-putovanje-renault-twingom-od-opatije-do-maroka/

http://poduckun.net/za-maroko-konacna-odluka-nikice-karasa/

Something About Me & My Beliefs

On the very day of St. Nicholas, I have finally decided to embark on a journey I have been planning for a long time – from Croatia to Morocco. St. Nicholas being the guardian and protector of the travelers, the traders and the sailors, and my name being Nikica, it seemed only logical.

I have gotten my name from both of my grandfathers who were called Nikola, and were both great people, and I could surely call them my protectors – they have protected their families as well as people in general. Both of my grandfathers were antifascists, and one of them had survived a German concentration camp. One of my grandfathers named Nikola was a wealthy man. He was an engineer in energetics and had moved quite a lot in the former state of Yugoslavia where he brought electricity to many cities and villages and he ran, built and repaired hydro-power plants. Besides having been active in his homeland, grandpa had also traveled around the world to become more accomplished in what he does. He had always shared his wealth with others because he had a big heart beating inside him! What he really wanted is for other people to have the same material well-being that he himself had had, which is a story which my grandmother still enjoys telling me, although she never manages not to cry. The other grandpa Nikola was – believe it or not – a police officer! It is a familiar story from the Yugoslav times, how their police force had taken its job seriously in protecting the society from “scum”, criminals, the separatist and the fascist – especially after WWII! Grandpa (the officer) Nikola also enjoyed travelling and moving which he had to do because of his work, although only within the borders of Yugoslavia... I’m not saying that all that my grandfathers had done was positive because nobody is perfect, and then there is the physical dimension in which we reside – the planet is an interaction of duality and contradiction so there is some bad in everything that is good and vice versa!

I often feel the presence of my grandfathers and their strength which somehow flows through me. Oftentimes, I will tell the story of each of them “inhabiting” each of my arms. This is the reason, this awareness and consciousness, this fearlessness and the insatiable desire for adventure, for making my dreams come true and making myself (come true) on various levels on which I want to fulfill my potential as a man, a photographer, a musician, a critic... I am embarking on this long, and judging by many, dangerous journey! However, I cannot consider anything impossible or even dangerous! My feelings are completely the opposite – Everything is possible! And “dangers” are everywhere and always! There are dangers present in your own house, in your own bed! There are dangers even where you believe yourself to be utterly safe. Safety is one of the biggest illusions that a great number of people lives in, & **THE ONLY REAL CONSTANT IS CHANGE**! Hypothetically speaking, every morning when you leave your house and you go to work, you could be hit by a cow which had fallen out of an airplane! Hypothetically, the house you have been building for years using seemingly solid materials like stone, wood or glass, can come down on your head in 1 or 2 seconds, if Mother Earth makes a shake! So, stop wasting time on illusory safety! Get out of the false comfort because everything is fleeting, everything besides our soul(s)! Live your life!

More about me you can find out on my various social network profiles very easily - the links are submitted below...

More Reasons To Set Off

To be honest, though, lately I have lost the will to stay in my most beautiful homeland – #Croatia, and this is due to the horrible situation which was brought about by our local politicians, people who are systematically destroying the people living here. They are selling us to foreigners, and they expel the local people from their homes, and their country. I am tired from fighting windmills! I am tired of my ideas not being recognized and instead them being rejected, as well as my projects... The projects that are intended for the greater good, the projects that are unacceptable to the local structures just because I am considered to be politically and otherwise unsuitable. I am also tired of my ideas being stolen by the people I used to consider colleagues and friends. But these are not the reasons for my departure! The liars, the fraudsters, the crooks, the traitors and other “sinners” will surely find their place in the adequate circles of Hell of their own making. They already reside in them, whether they know it or not, and the karma will undeniably get her grip on them sooner or later, so I don’t have to be a part of that, as does nobody! Time will tell everything, and the material wealth that you keep filling your pockets with is not something you can take to the grave with you. Even the “#RijekaECOC2020” - European Capital Of Culture 2020 - crew did not see my project as “worthy” – they did not explain why they see it as uninteresting, and I have proposed an essentially good thing: to promote Rijeka through my collaboration with culturally active people during my entire journey. I have offered #Twingo as a certain “moving commercial”, and myself as an ambassador of culture: the idea was to make the back seat of #Twingo an info-base full of official promotional material for “#RijekaECOC2020” – my duty would be to tell everybody about this big, local, all-year-round-festival, and to invite the people I meet on my way to visit #Rijeka in the year to come. Naturally, all of the activities would be recorded with a camera and followed up with appropriate texts, and the “tangible” result of this journey would come to life as a travel diary and a documentary film. It has not been recognized, but devalued. Consequently, I feel harassed and belittled. A lady in #Rijeka has even told me to pull a connection or two in the “#RijekaECOC2020” because I do know some of the people who are participating in the organization, but I didn't want to do that. That is exactly what I do not support – the disgusting nepotism which is destroying our society.

However, I am not a man to give up so fast on my intentions because the so-called “professionals” in their nepotism, their babbitry (petty bourgeoisie), and the fashion of their fake and bought diplomas have belittled my ideas! I ask you: “Who are you even?! And how dare you?!” – But I do not wish to bother you with these thoughts... It is in vain to call on their responsibility.

In the end, maybe I'm not good enough in what I do so this is the way to improve?!

Twingo & Me In The Croatian NP - Northern Velebit

Support Of Friends & Collaborates So Far

And now, some positive lines and more specific reasons for me embarking on this long journey...

Until now, it has come to my attention that, given that I am acquainted with a greeeat number of people (a thing I love to joke about that “actually, they know me because I am a star), I am a person who connects people, and this trait of mine will continue on this journey! It will probably continue throughout my life! As Nokia has long ago invented its slogan “connecting people”, and which was taken by the Balkan people and used for the characteristic beverage *#rakija*, I realized I can also use it for myself... So I have, and without any doubt I can say that I am “**#Karas – Connecting People**”.

Despite of “#RijekaECOC2020” not having approved of my project, I will keep promoting my beautiful homeland of Croatia, and most of all, my maritime paradise – The Heaven On Earth – #Istria and The #Kvarner Bay – on all levels, and especially my beautiful people: because nothing is as bad as it seems! The proof for this was revealed to me in the months that took me to boost this project promotionally, which was cc 8 to 9 months ago... I have organized a birthday party in #Opatija where I have been graced by the performances of great (and wonderful): Tom Jay, Edin Haliti, Marcel and Super Sayan, as well as a large number of my friends and acquaintances who have made some small, but to me personally – really meaningful contributions – for this goal, which has made me immensely grateful. It is an indication that I am worth something as an artist and that this project of mine has been recognized in those places where it matters most – amongst my people.

I have been supported by the following visual artist too:

Snježana Žana Boyd

Lorena Letić

Renée Diama

Maja Biondić & Enya Ashley Čirjak

Mission, Purpose & Goals

The main goals, the purpose and the mission of this trip are to meet new people, to meet my old buddies and to blend them all in all kinds of #multimedia, #cultural, #artistic, #fun and #ecological (#activist) projects which I will be “catching” in text, photography and videos.

The result of this journey WILL BE a travel diary (travelogue monograph) enriched with my photography AND a documentary film! I'm closer & closer to make it all black & white!

Collaboration Offers

Anyone who has anything to express, arts to share or any other suggestions to propose & to get directly involved in this project, please, feel free to contact me, especially if you're on the rest of my way now from Barcelona to Morocco, in Morocco & back again from Morocco. If you have a special artistic, cultural, ecological or any kind of project going on right now & you believe you can connect it with mine, please, let me know! I would be glad to hear you out!

The Twingo surface is available for your artwork - paints & stickers!

My Needs

Most of all I need financial funds to cover the basic travel expanses like gas (motor-oil, breaks, eventual repairs...), ferry price to Morocco & back, accommodation & food.

Funds to cover the promotional activities of the project.

Of course, I will need funds to pay the translator & the printing of the book but those come later.

If you have a place to stay for free somewhere on my way, I will gladly accept it, or any jobs for me, & I know to do a lot of staff, I'll happily work!

If you are a journalist or you know some media not based in Croatia & would be interested in collaboration, please suggest or contact me directly cause I'll be having many texts in English, accompanied by photos & videos!

Sponsor offers:

The Platinum Sponsorship – 1 000,00 €

The Golden Sponsorship – 700,00 €:

The Silver Sponsorship – 500,00 €:

The Bronze Sponsorship - 300,00 €:

It is still not too late to make a sponsorship deals with me! I can print the stickers anywhere in the world! If you choose to sponsor the project, you just need to send me the visuals of your company by E-mail in high resolution!

Sponsors promoted:

In Venezia

In Mestre

Somewhere in France - under The Pyrenees

Coda

That would be all from me – for now... I hope I have not left anybody or anything out, and if I have, I am sorry!

Looking forward for your reactions, collaborations & support!

Truly Yours,

Nikica Karas

E-mail: careass@gmail.com

Phone number: 0034 655 301 320

My work is mostly displayed on my social network profiles:

Instagram
Facebook
SteemIt
YouTube

Translated from Cro to En by the incredible - Tea Marković - if you need any similar translations, feel free to contact her on Facebook! She will be participating in the project all the way & translating all of my travel texts & she'll be creating the subs for the #vlog posts & doc too!

This time I really need your upvotes, resteems & comments! So, please, don't spare them!

Thanks for reading!

> Lv2 #DAY19 : Does your name have any special meaning? * The origina ...