Asias Golden Triangle - Behind the scenes of the opium trade Rick Howard (Exploring the Earth) 2014-06-06 | THE REAL WORLD OFASIA'S GOLDEN TRIANGLE OPIUM HARVESTIn Southeast Asia there's an area known as the Golden Triangle, where most of the opium in this part of the world is grown, harvested and smuggled out every year. Some years ago, documentary filmmaker Rick Howard filmed this harvest and whatwas called an actual opium war that year. Then he followed a smugglers rout out, getting his valuable movie film safely from the mountains and opium fields of the Golden Triangle through Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the ocean and finally home to Santa Monica, California, USA.
Explore Western Europes Rich History and Culture - Amazing! Rick Howard (Exploring the Earth) 2014-07-15 | THE REAL WORLD OF WESTERN EUROPE The Real World of Western Europe is a journey by land and sea to the most colorful countries in this Western European part of the world. These countries are, France, Spain, Italy, East and West Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. This movie actually began in Egypt. Rick Howard had always wanted to make a movie that would tell the stories of seven amazing artists who lived in Europe over the past 500 years. Rick had a job in Egypt making a music video for a singer, song writer named Lynn Davison. After this job Linn was beginning a European music tour that would take her through the countries, cities and towns that these artists called home. Rick decided to follow the tour, not to film it but to tell the stories of these artists, but not as much about their art but about their amazing lives. This is an art story of love, passion and artistic adventure. Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Goah lived together for a time, in the town of Arils in the South of France. They lived in poverty and passion, while creating a new art form in painting, impressionism. A few years later Mark Chigall, also in France, took it a few steps further as early modern art. On a larger scale in Barcelona, Spain, architect Antonio Gaudy created buildings of uniquely unusual and attractive beauty. In Salzburg, Austria, Mozart composed music that changed the world and will live forever. You will see and hear their art and get to know about their romantic lives great cities like Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Venice, Geneva, Salzburg and Barcelona. You'll visit castles in Austria and France. You'll cruise the canals of Venice and Amsterdam, drive through the breathtaking country side of the French and Swiss Alps. Then with Rick, you'll chip away at the Berlin Wall, along with thousands who had just gained their freedom after a half century of oppression. Experience all of this and more with Rick Howard in this 90 min. movie; THE REAL WORLD OF WESTERN EUROPE.
Explore the Amazing Sun States - From California to Florida - Documentary Rick Howard (Exploring the Earth) 2014-06-10 | THE REAL WORLD OF THE SUN STATES This movie features California and Florida and also visits many of the most interesting and exciting places in between. You'll see the sun drenched beaches of the Florida coast and the semitropical paradise of the Florida Keys. In San Simmion, Hurst Castle sits at the Southern, spectacular beginning of the Big Sur Coast. Inland is Yosemite National Park and you'll visit the under sea world, not only in California, but also in the Florida Keys. In Southern California the under water world is a forest of seaweed called kelp. Like long tree trunks, kelp extends from the sea floor to the surface where it spreads out like a forest canopy. In this forest of water, the fish are like colorful birds flying through the trees. So are the scuba divers and Rick found the friendliest harbor seal he ever met. This wild sea creature was like a pet dog who made an effort to get to know Rick, so he would pet him and he was adorable! Also, some of the best surfers in California ride perfect waves at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz, California. In the Florida keys Rick dove on a dope smuggling boat in 110 feet of water. He was with a couple of drug enforcement officers and they opened a hatch for Rick to film tons of marijuana in burlap bags on the interior deck of this boat from stem to stern. When they pulled the bags out and shook them, the sea filled with ruined pot and it made some interesting film, as Rick swam through with his camera rolling. In the middle of the country you'll experience the excitement of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. In the west, the wondrous beauty of The Grand Canyon, Red Canyon and Bryce Canyon and the spectacular sights of Las Vegas from the air at night. A question that filmmaker Rick Howard hears a lot is, "What's it like to do what you do?" This movie is an attempt to answer this question in a colorful and interesting way. You will even ride on freight-trains in The Rocky Mountains with Rick in his early days of film making. This is the story in; THE REAL WORLD OF THE SUN STATES.
The Beautiful Islands of Fiji - Explore the history and culture - Documentary Rick Howard (Exploring the Earth) 2014-06-04 | THE REAL WORLD OF FIJI The Fiji islands have been called the friendliest places in the world. In his trips to make this movie in these Islands, Rick Howard found this to be true. It hasn't always been this way though, for in past centuries these were known as the terrifying cannibal islands of the South Pacific. Any unfortunate shipwrecked sailor or devout missionary who came to the Fiji Islands in years past, had a good chance of ending up in a big pot being cooked and served for dinner, to a whole tribe of hungry warriors, chiefs, priests and even children. Rick made two trips to Fiji and he experienced the magic of these islands both on land, under the sea, and from above in helicopters. He also found ways to look into the past and tell stories about the days of cannibalism, and even how the sailors on the H. M. S. Bounty were almost captured and eaten after their infamous mutiny. Under the leadership Fletcher Christian, Captain William Bligh was put adrift with eighteen sailors in a small boat and they almost ended up in one of those big pots being cooked for dinner on one of the Fiji Islands. On Rick's first trip to the Fiji islands he was part of a scuba diving group from Malibu California. On this trip the group dove on the spectacular coral reefs around a private island, Waya, that was controlled by it's chief and his counsel. After the divers were granted permission to dive by the chief, they found the most beautiful under sea scenery and reef fish Rick has ever filmed. On his second trip Rick did more diving and visited native villages for cava ceremonies, road on a canoe up a jungle river to beautiful water fall where Fijian men dove from the high cliffs., Then you'll take a sea cruise, island hopping with Rick on a famous sailboats named The Seaspray. You'll even visit the island where Tom Hanks filmed his movie Castaway. You will experience all of this and more with Rick Howard in this movie; THE REAL WORLD OF FIJI.
Explore New Zealand in this in-depth adventure documentary Rick Howard (Exploring the Earth) 2014-06-04 | THE REAL WORLD OF NEW ZEALAND This is an adventure movie shot in a spectral and exotic South Pacific island nation by Rick Howard. Located about a thousand miles off the south east coast of Australia, New Zealand consists of two large islands named North Island and South Island. This story begins in the beautiful sea front city of Auckland on North Island. This is New Zealand's largest city though not it's capital, and Rick soon discovered that the best way to see New Zealand was by road, so he rented both cars and motorcycles and drove, or road, all over this country. From Auckland we'll drive north to the places in New Zealand that were first settled by the British in the nineteenth century. In the Bay of Islands the British established their first town, Russell, where New Zealand's first church, Christ's Church, still stands. In another place here named Waitangi, the first treaty was signed between the British crown and the powerful Maori chiefs of New Zealand. We'll visit the under water world here, scuba diving with Rick, then we will go beneath the waves again at Underwater World an aquatic park near Auckland. Then we'll travel south east to Rotarua, New Zealand's volcanic area. Much like Yellow Stone National Park in the USA. At Rotarua gazers erupt regularly, mud pools bubble and mother nature shows off her most vivid natural colors in our world. Continuing south we'll visit the town of Gisbon where Captain Cook first landed on New Zealand. In the interior of North Island we'll see expert rafters challenging the violent river rapids and then to the west coast to see Mt. Fggmont, New Zealand's most perfectly cone shaped volcano. Then all the way south to Wellington, New Zealand's capital city on the southern tip of North Island. From here we'll take the large ferry south across Cook Straights to South Island. First on South Island, we'll visit Abel Tasman National Park. Here a water taxi dropped Rick off on beautiful beaches to explore and then the amazing rock formations known as the Pancake Rocks of Punikiki. Along the west coast of South Island are the Southern Alps. The high peaks of this mountain range are covered with snow all year around. From the city of Christ Church, we'll take a aide on a legendary train, the Trans Alpine express, across The Southern alps to the west coast of South Island. Another even more exciting was to see the Southern Alps is by helicopter. We'll fly with Rick very close to jagged ice formations before landing on Fox Glacier. On this seemingly endless field of ice, it looks and feels like you're on top of the world. Then to the Waiatoto River for a thrilling jet boat ride. This fast little boat speeds so closely by the huge rocks and logs in this river that the people who are watching this scene will have to remind themselves to breathe. Finally Rick will take us to the town of Mt. Munganui for the best surfing Rick has ever filmed anywhere in the world. The surfing is then followed by the most thrilling scene in this movie. On a tiny flying machine called an aultralight, a daredevil pilot named Troy takes Rick and his movie camera on a hair raising ride at a hundred miles per hour only a few feet above the a beach and breaking waves, and then up to three thousand feet flying in and out of big white clouds over the sea and town of Mt. Munganui. This scene concludes this movie in the most beautiful country that Rick Howard has ever visited and filmed in THE REAL WORLD OF NEW ZEALAND.
Explore exotic Thailand - Amazing and rich culture - Documentary Rick Howard (Exploring the Earth) 2014-06-04 | THE REAL WORLD OF THAILAND The Real World of Thailand is a story that spans a three year period in this country's exciting history. You'll get to know Thailand from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok to the under sea coral gardens of southern Thailand, to the bridge on the River Kwai of World War II fame. You'll ride at thrilling speeds in a long-tail boat, on jungle and village canals called klongs. But the most dangerous and exciting part of this story is the annual opium harvest Rick filmed in the mountains of Thailand and Burma. At night Bangkok comes alive with classical Thai dance and kick boxing across the street. In the south, an island named Puket and a beach town named Patiaya provide scuba diving, so you'll see the under sea world here and there's also parasailing, so you'll also see everything here from above. You'll visit the mountain people of Northern Thailand who live in an area known as the notorious Golden Triangle. Here, the annual opium harvest and ensuing drug wars that rage through these mountains every year, is the story Rick found here. This segment in this film story is the most dangerous and exciting adventure that Rick Howard has ever lived through. Plenty of guns, opium growing and smuggling, and filmed in the places where this happens every year. Rick had been told not to film the opium mule trains, the opium refining process and all of the guys with the guns. When he broke all of these rules, it almost got him and his partner killed in a hut one night. Only because he was very luck and he had some good Tennessee whisky to offer the soldiers guarding the opium, did Rick get out with an amazing story on film of the opium harvest. This was only the first part of the opium story because it was opium season and Rick had very valuable film that couldn't be exposed to the light. If this had happened, the film would have been ruined, so Rick had to travel the same opium smuggling routs out of the mountains of Burma and Thailand, that the actual opium smugglers use every year. This meant an elephant caravan, a speed boat ride on the jungle canals, or klongs, of Thailand and finally on a train that went over the bridge on the River Kwai of World War Two. See this and more is here in this 90 min. movie; THE REAL WORLD OF THAILAND.
The real world of Hong Kong and Southern China - Amazing Documentary Rick Howard (Exploring the Earth) 2014-06-03 | THE REAL WORLD OF HONG KONG AND SOUTHERN CHINA Hong Kong, once a barren rock of an island on the South China coast, has become one of the great cities of the world. Hong Kong Island was deeded to the British empire in 1898 on a ninety-nine year lease from China. This meant that in 1997 the worlds largest communist country came into possession of one of the worlds richest, most influential and supremely successful, international capitals of big business in the world. All of this is in stark contrast to most of China where a 4,000 year old civilization exists and where the worlds largest human population lives. The city of Guangzhou, in the Canton provence has been a port of call for smugglers, pirates, traders and mandarins for centuries. The towering, mist-shrouded, limestone peaks of Guilin to the north, have provided China's artists with some of the world's most spectacular, natural scenic beauty. In this area Rick was inspired to tell about the three great religions found in this ancient land. Guityama Sedartha, The Buddha, established a faith about 2500 years ago of tolerance, peace the concept of karma, and a living connection with those loved ones who have died and gone on, beyond this life. Confucius established more of a philosophy than a religion and the things that Confucius said are still considered critical to millions the world over. Louza, the profit of the Dow, taught that there is a balance, or a Yin and a Yang in all human life and this philosophy is expressed in Louza's prayer in the Guilin river trip during this story of China. Rick Howard discovered, when he started working in Southeast Asia, that Hong Kong was the best port of entry into this part of the world, so he spent time here every time he came to produce his other four movies in countries around here. Most of the people in these other countries have their roots in China, so this movie is about the origin of all civilization in this part of the world and you feel it when you're here. From the high peak of Victoria Peak, to Kaloon across Victoria Harbor, to Stanley Market where the best bargains in Asia can be found. And on mainland China, the city of Juangzhou and the spectacular river scenery in Guilin, known as the most beautiful place in China. All of this is presented here for you here in; THE REAL WORLD OF HONG KONG AND SOUTHERN CHINA.
Explore the beautiful islands of Hawaii and Tahiti Rick Howard (Exploring the Earth) 2014-06-03 | THE REAL WORLD OF HAWAII AND TAHITI The people of the world have been fascinated by the allure of the South Pacific since Captain James Cook first discovered these exotic islands more than two centuries ago. Names like Hawaii and Tahiti are the stuff that dreams are made of. Dreamers like Paul Gauguin and James Michener went to these islands and brought back stories and pictures that stimulated and intrigued the world. The collectively imagination of the people in the civilized world was set on fire by these exotic places and the people who lived there. Soon the adventurers of the world were on their way to these islands, and they told more stories that enticing us to travel there as well. Now, Hawaii is the fiftieth United State and Tahiti has a rich history of French control and South Pacific influences that date back for centuries. These islands are still places of paradise in a world that is now in need of their innocence, their beauty and mystery. Two centuries ago Captain James Cook brought us knowledge of these far away, exotic islands and the people who inhabited them. One century ago Paul Gauguin painted this and for the first time the people of the world could see for themselves, paradise through the eyes and brush strokes of an artistic master, and the true life stories that these men lived was amazing. Now Rick Howard has brought us both, not only the stories of Cook and the pictures of Gauguin, but also tails of modern day adventurers who still sail these seas today. On the island of Oahu the most perfectly shaped surfing waves in the world are ridden by pro surfers from the world over. Rick will take you under the sea to visit coral reefs and the sea creatures that call them home. You will even fly over these islands with Rick on a job that he did for Papillon Helicopters to see paradise from above. Visit the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Tahiti, Moorea, Riataya, Tahaa, Huahine, and Bora Bora. You'll experience all of this and more with Rick Howard in his movie, THE REAL WORLD OF HAWAII AND TAHITI.
Amazing Adventures in Bali - Travel to an exotic land Rick Howard (Exploring the Earth) 2014-06-03 | THE REAL WORLD OF BALI The island of Bali in Indonesia has been called the most exotic island in the world. The people of Bali believe that all aspects of life and the universe must be kept in balance. A balance between good and evil and between the visible, tangible world of the living, and the unseen, magical world of gods, witches, demons, and the deceased. The fascinating way in which the Balinese interpret their five thousand year old Hindu religion, is unique in the world. Rick Howard is a travel, adventure documentary filmmaker and story teller who has spent many years working in Southeast Asia. His first two week visit to Bali only gave him a glimpse of this fascinating island and it's people. It would take five years of working in many countries in Asia for Rick to get back to Bali, and to finish this film on this mysterious, magical island. This is the story of that odyssey, an adventure focusing on Bali but also including the exciting city of Hong Kong, a glimpse into the dangerous drug smuggling world of Thailand, Burma and Malaysia. You'll see the snake handlers of Pinang, an exotic Hindu wedding in Singapore. You'll dive beneath the waves with Rick, to visit the spectacular under sea coral gardens in the central Philippine islands. On Rick's first trip to Bali Rick met a fifteen year old Balinese girl who's father had her show him around. When he returned five years later, she was twenty years old and this time she gave Rick a tour of her whole island paradise on a motorcycle that he had rented. They visited active volcanos, the bat cave, the Sangi monkey forest and temple and she introduced Rick to the Hindu deities that haunt the forest of Bali at night. Rick also met some good surfers here on his second trip and one of them was David Kennedy, son of Bobby Kennedy and a good surfer at only nineteen year of age, when Rick knew and filmed him surfing on Bali. You will see all of this and get to know the people of these fascinating places with Rick Howard in this five year adventure, THE REAL WORLD OF BALI
Explore the Amazing Land of the Phillipines - True Adventure Documentary Rick Howard (Exploring the Earth) 2014-06-02 | The Real World of The Philippines is the first in a series of adventure motion pictures that documentary filmmaker, Rick Howard made in Southeast Asia. Hired by the Philippine Department of Tourism to film water sports, Rick spent eight months traveling from one end of the Philippine Islands to the other. Rick explored, experienced and filmed, not only the water sports, but also the beautiful people, their fascinating lives and everything else this amazing country has to offer. You'll visit majestic towering mountains with their exotic tribes of people unchanged by time. Then visit the people in a sea side fishing village of serene, tropical lagoons and coconut palms. You'll see how this place is affected when a violent and destructive South China Sea, typhoon strikes in the night and ravages into the morning, but it did provide great waves for Rick and his partner Clark, to ride. You'll experience the serenity and beauty of a Dowest temple and the wild celebration of the Ati-Ati-Han festival, much like Mardigras in New Orleans, but in the central Philippines. Then the delicate beauty of the jungle orchards on the island Mindanao in the south. In the central Philippines, Rick boarded a 120 foot diving boat named The Lady of the Sea and it took him on a one week diving adventure to three little islands where Rick filmed beautiful under sea sights in the clearest water he's ever seen. From The Lady, Rick will take you scuba diving on majestic coral reefs that seem to go on for ever. The fish found on the coral reefs of the world are the most colorful found anywhere and any scuba diver will agree that the sights under water in this country, are some of the best this world has to offer. The colorful history of these islands is revisited from the time when Ferdinand Magellan first discovered them and was killed here, to the present time in this movie, when the Marcos Regime was in power. This meant guns everywhere, military checkpoints at night and all of things that people have to live with when they're under martial law. Rick was lucky to be working for the Philippine Department of Tourism because it was a government agency. So, even in these tense times of military rule, Rick was allowed excess into places and permitted to film things that would have been impossible otherwise. The Real World of The Philippines is the story of this true adventure.
