Hello everyone! We are incredibly proud, nervous and excited to announce our new YouTube series, Rare Earth. Our world is endlessly complicated, with millions of unique and interesting truths hiding just out of sight, waiting to be discovered. From the chemical weapons of the Uzbek Aral Sea to the Buddhist untouchables of Japan - Rare Earth looks to find the stories that aren't being told, but deserve to be seen. I'm certain you'll find it worth your while.
Shogun! Not Emperor. You foolish self. Our first video! We're jetlagged and nervous but absolutely thrilled to be getting started on what we hope will be a truly useful series. The first thing we wanted to focus on in Japan is found at Sengakuji, a temple in the south of Tokyo whose graveyard harbours a very important story: the 47 Ronin. In many ways, it is the foundational legend of Japan. If nothing else, it is a testament to sustaining one's duty in the face of hardship, illegality, and fear. We hope you like it!
Welcome to Ogasawara! A thousand kilometres into the Pacific, nestled in a jungle cabin, we are searching out untold history. Our first video from these islands takes place near a set of stones that are nearly impossible to find on Google. An incredibly important moment in history, hidden away on a hillside and seemingly unknown even to those living nearby. Join us as we search for Rare Earth, and learn about the Empire of Japan.
This is the story of Rance Ohira, a descendent of the first people to inhabit the Ogasawara islands. An American with a history all his own. This is the story of finding an old identity in a changing world. It is best viewed after this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAwtd... Thank you, Rance, for letting us hear your story.
In what will probably be our final video from Ogasawara, we wanted to bring you a story that shows just how much change a single decision can have on world history.
This video is about the Lucky Dragon Number Five, the ill-fated ship that spawned Godzilla. Godzilla is more than just a movie about a lizard, it is a way to understand and come to terms with one of the most destructive moments in human history, by the people who were forced to experience it. This aims to capture that story.
We rarely talk about how individual fruits spread around the world, but every time I come across these stories I'm always fascinated to see just how much deeper they go than I'd expected. From the mangoes of Hawaii to the apples of Aomori, the history of fruit horticulture never ceases to amaze me.
Yasukuni shrine is one of the most touristed spots in Tokyo. Next to the Emperor's Palace in the centre of town, it is an easy addition to an otherwise normal walk around. But it is also a major point of contention. It enshrines war criminals, and is owned by a far right nationalist organization who deny fundamental atrocities committed in WW2. We thought it was worth a look. This video isn't scripted, so my apologies for the methodical, slow speed of my speech. This was one I wanted to do from the heart, but that comes with the trade-off of pausing to think.
Over a hundred tried, but just a few dozen succeeded. Living in the mountains, drinking arsenic-laced water, lacquer, and starving nearly to death - the life and death of the sokushinbutsu, the Japanese who mummified themselves.
Dogs! Enough about humans and more about some creatures that matter, you no doubt were saying in your mind. So here's a story on pets. This is the story of Hachiko, who is likely the most famous dog in human history. But what is it about this dog that convinced the world to take notice? We went around Japan to tell the story of the loyal dog who unwittingly saved his breed. Say hello to Hachiko, a very good dog.
Did you know that Jesus wasn't crucified? It was his brother Isukiri, who 'casually' snuck onto the cross in his place. As it turns out, Jesus slipped away through Siberia and spent the rest of his life in Shingo, Japan. He stopped spreading the gospel and set up shop as a rice farmer. At least, that's what a man named Wado would have you believe. A proto-cult, failed in the incubator. Or perhaps just the excitement of an easily fooled mind. It's such a weird and unbelievable story, we knew we had to take a look. If you are offended by this story, please click the like button to show that you're able to turn the other cheek.
In a small temple on Mount Koya, we found a story that has been long passed down (but probably isn't true): Rabbits are birds, and beaver are fish.
Arguably the holiest place to be buried in Japan is at the top of Mount Koya, in a graveyard called Okunoin. But it isn't an ordinary gravesite. It brings back the dead. It's so popular that it sees swarms of tourists from all over the world. And it has some unique advertisements. Rest in Peace, Termites.
Imagine being so popular that people chipped off pieces of your grave for good luck? This is the story of Ratboy, a Robin Hood who doesn't quite live up to his legend.
What would you be willing to do to survive? Would you trade your land, your history - your soul? Today's episode looks at the story of Omura Sumitada, who was forced to make a choice. This is how a traitor accidentally saved Japan.
The item that left the greatest impression on me in Hiroshima was a tricycle. Owned by a three year old boy killed in the nuclear blast, it serves as a symbol for one of the great tragedies of the modern era. And while the story may not be all that it seems, I've come to realize that the truth is less important to me than I'd first believed. Edit: For some reason I said August 11th when I meant 6th. Not sure where that came from. Not that the date is the important part, but still. I've always got to mess up something, as is tradition.
Japan's Burakumin are a people within a people. For hundreds of years, they experienced direct persecution that has kept them from being fully functional members of society. Even though they were released from their caste in the 1800's, the stigma remains to this day. The one thing this video is missing that I wish I'd added is the historic discrimination against Koreans, and how it is interwoven into the Burakumin (and modern day Yakuza). Worth looking into on your own, if you're itching to learn more.
The story behind the Kamikaze, but perhaps not the one most people would expect. Particularly Kublai Khan.
You can never tell what your actions will cause. A Catholic saint's desire to spread Christianity started a series of events that he would have no doubt greatly disapproved of. Yet, here we are. As a point of order, I want to clarify that gambling parlours weren't specifically run by Burakumin. Merely that those who are kept down by general society are more likely to find themselves profiting from 'anti-social' behaviour. I realize upon rewatching that it isn't clear in the video.
Our last video from Japan! Onward to Cambodia! This is a video about freedom of speech, the effect of protest, and the most audacious hotel chain I've ever stayed in. Imagine selling a product that openly degraded 30% of its customers? Welcome to APA.
Video Edit: I heavily understate the UN's role in jailing criminals in the video, and want to clarify. A number of Khmer Rouge leaders have been to jail, including the head of S-21 and Brother Number Two, due to their efforts. Welcome to Season Two of Rare Earth. This is our first video from Cambodia, and as you might have guessed from the thumbnail, it isn't exactly a happy story. But, as it is impossible to understand modern Cambodia without knowing about the genocide, we feel obligated to make this the opener. Hopefully, it helps educate people on the horrors of the recent past, and how the results of instability can sometimes be worse than the war itself. We certainly grew as people while filming it.
We ate spiders (with a few insects), and it went exactly as you'd expect.
Edit (12/15/2018): Local corruption has seen the landmine museum being forced to close, and its operators (Akira and his wife) imprisoned. We live in a crazy world. This is the story of Akira, who has lived a life most of us could never imagine. A child soldier saving children with the very weapons he was forced to use against them. Akira makes life better.
Today's episode is a bit different. As we are trying to expand our skills making these sorts of things, some of our videos are intentionally going to be in various styles as a test. this story was filmed without a script behind the scenes as I talk with my wife about a really cool day. For a few glorious minutes, we discuss what APOPO hero rats do. They've been one of my favourite organizations for a few years now, and it was a huge honour to be able to go see their work in action. Get a hero rat of your own (or as a gift): https://support.apopo.org/en/adopt
Thank you Jemma. Thank you Tyler. Thank you EVP. Not just for letting us interrupt your lives, but also for spending your time on earth working towards positive change. In case it isn't evident in the episode, this is not an ad. We were not paid to visit, EVP had no editorial control, nor did they have a say in what we filmed. The truth is a shield. It just took us seeing them in person to figure it out.
How do you destroy an empire from within? A worthy question, given the current state of our world's empires. Yes, I'm aware I enunciate like a novice in this video. Yes, we tried doing other voiceovers to fix it once we noticed. No, they didn't work. After all, we are novices. So, please enjoy that MY SPEAKING STYLE often goes into a rather UPTEMPO ENDING. All self-deprecation aside, Angkor is amazing. Filming there was amazing. Touring there would no doubt be amazing. I couldn't recommend it enough. One more video until Laos!
Behind the scenes! In the bathtub! Talking about sickness! Today's episode is just for fun. We thought we'd talk about something that had been happening behind the camera, and turn it into a bit of a mini-episode while we transition between countries. Up next, Laos! Saveth's contact info for when you inevitably hire him: vethsa31@gmail.com, (+855)98656543
Kbal Spean, no doubt Cambodia's holiest stream. At its height, it would have purified the water of more than a million people living in the city it fed. I spent a long time debating whether to release this video, meaning to release it last week with rabies coming out swapped. I'm simply not happy with how it turned out. But in the end, I figured it was better to have an off episode than no episode at all. Let me know if you agree/disagree in the comments. We have a few video ideas from Japan that never made the light of day for similar reasons.
Obviously, they aren't extinct. We just thought they were! It just turns out that the best way to find them is as meat. Today's episode is on how scientific discovery is an ongoing process, and there are still plenty of ways to increase the knowledge of this world.
Today's video is a folk legend we came across while filming the market in Thakhek. It wasn't super educational, but far too amusing to pass up. What a cool country Laos is.
In Laos, there's a town with a very seedy reputation. Not long ago, you could buy opium direct from a store menu. The time that earned it the reputation has passed, but not before leaving its mark. This is the story of tourism, and what locals have to give up to obtain it. This is Vang Vieng. The title for this video was chosen by my friend Brad, as he was the inspiration for making the episode.
Is our culture worthwhile? Does our existence matter? This video looks at a society that left behind megalithic tombs to determine if we'll matter once we're gone. Thanks Tey, for taking us around. You're class. Anyone else who happens to be visiting Phonsavan and wants to know what they're seeing, contact him at lasdadatey@gmail.com or +85620 22946979. It's worth it.
Laos is small. But it exists. Thousands of years of invasion later, and Laos exists. But... How?
War lingers in the landscape. The Secret War is one of America's dark chapters. But as the name implies, it is a chapter rarely read. We take a short look at a war that continues to define the country more than a generation later.
Happy New Year! By which I mean sorry for taking two weeks off. Francesco and I needed a rest. This is a video about the plight of the Hmong, and how not every rebellion leads to freedom. I only got around to recording the V/O on a -13 day in a Canadian backyard, if you're wondering why I speak so fast during that part. I just wanted to get back indoors.
Despite being extremely tired of filming, while waiting for the flights home we decided to add one Vietnam video to our SE Asia journey. This is on heroism, and the women who died for Vietnam.
We are in Cuba, so my wife Kata is writing this description. See you all next week/season!
Use subtitles if you don't speak Spanish. We've translated their words the best we can, but as mentioned, this is their voice and therefore also their language. For our time in Cuba, we wanted to see how we could do with no plan going in. Practicing new stuff. With six days on the ground we got four videos. Plus, we didn't get arrested. Bonus! We hope you like them.
Jose Marti was an incredible person. Any nation would be proud to call them their own. This is the story of coopting a hero, and how legacy is not our own to write.
William Alexander Morgan was no hero. But he died in revolution. His story is not uncommon, but important. This is an episode about brotherhood, war, and ideology. Cuba's revolution, in a nutshell.
Every empire makes mistakes. I suspect Guantanamo will live among some of my generation's worst. Today's episode is about human rights, and prisons we shouldn't support.
Belize! I went on vacation to an island paradise with some friends, but of course couldn't help but make an episode. It's another video without Francesco, but luckily this time I had the help of some high school students: Preston Smith and Aldair Rosato. Thanks, guys! I appreciate you joining me on this mini-adventure.
A year ago, nearly to the day, my wife and I stood before the Moai of Rapa Nui and discussed what we would have to sacrifice for me to live my dream of starting a world documentary series. Today, Francesco and I are releasing our first video from the island and I couldn't be more overwhelmed. We have a few coming from the island before we move to mainland Chile, and I hope you enjoy watching them as much as we enjoyed making them. Thanks for coming back again and again. We appreciate you. Even the trolls.
Today's video is just for fun. After last week's episode, I figured it would be good to do something light. It's a story about tanning, virginity, and how we basically can find anything attractive so long as it means that person is doing well socially.
My hair is fabulous. I should model. Today's episode is about value. This is the story of a rock. It was once worth fighting wars over. Now its just a rock.
Aliens are a religion to so many people. And as crazy as it might sound, I think they're on to something. Just perhaps not the something they're imagining.
Just after deciding to create this series, I met a man in Hanga Roa who I knew I wanted to interview. A man who cooks for a living but hates eating, serves for a living but hates customers, greets for a living but hates people. He doesn't consider his food art, although it is. Nor would he his restaurants (deceased and half-built), although they are as well. To him they are work, and work is his passion. In ninety countries around the globe, his food remains the best I've ever had. His restaurant was a temple to the concept of attention to detail. He calls the one he's building a castle. I'm certain it will live up to the name.
Mainland Chile! Goodbye Rapa Nui, hello Santiago! The first episode is on the most internationally famous thing to happen to the country in recent history: the story of Pinochet and Allende. As much as we've avoided Pinochet-era stories for most of this season, we figured since everyone knew about it we should get it out of the way first. Hope you like it. Also, since this was filmed at the end of the trip, I get it, I'm looking haggard. Imagine I'm Brad Pitt and it'll work out.
We're in the Atacama! And we only got in a single massive fight with one family during filming, so spirits are high. Nothing like dressing down strangers to boost the general vibe. After our opener in Santiago, we've decided to release the Chile episodes North to South. As we drove the length of the country (twice) while filming this series, the videos cover a span of nearly four thousand kilometers. It was a lot of time in a car, mostly in a desert, but it was worth it. Hope you like the episode!
San Pedro de Atacama: A town dedicated to the rocks that surround the tiny oasis it envelopes. I didn't really know what to say about San Pedro until a few days after we left town. But after wading through a sea of new age hippies upon arrival this is what stuck out to me. It's a bit looser script than usual, due to the story coming on the fly. Hope you enjoy regardless!
This isn't a real video. You can tell because I released it on a Wednesday. Well, ok, yes. It's a real video. But it's not a *real* video. Support Rare Earth: https://www.patreon.com/rareearth Awto: http://awto.cl/
Humberstone! One of Chile's best preserved ghost towns, and a monument of national importance. This is the desert that blossomed the world.
Today's episode saw multiple equipment failures, script rewrites, and content concerns. But it took a lot of effort to film, and even saw Francesco scale his first barbed wire fence, so might as well show it off like a bauble. So here you are everyone, a bauble from Chile.
I've yet to find a popularity contest I can't lose. Today's episode is on what it means to be cool.
Sometimes knowledge isn't all it's cracked up to be.
This is not a happy story. But it's true.
Our next few videos are centred around the Mapuche, and they're among my favourite we've filmed so far. I'll probably tell the story of the car for our Patrons on our (yet upcoming) second channel. It was a wild day.
I cannot thank Alejandro (the proprietor of Cabanas am Berg) enough. He was not just helpful for filming, he was a genuine and honest person from the moment we met. If the world had more people like him, we'd not need to make this series.
Take a deep breath before this one. Chances are you'll need it. Also, the music is by Kevin, not Kevi. I only noticed that mistake a minute before posting this so I'm just gonna let it ride.
Thank you, Mr. Tompkins. Rest in Peace.
Edit: Immaculate Conception (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immacul...) vs. Virgin Birth (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_...). Ignore the words of the idiot who stands before you. The world has always been full of hideous goblins. Perhaps it is time we started to shine some light on them. Francesco and I often disagree on which episodes we like. This is one I'm less fond of. Oh well. It's our final episode in Chile, and the future is very bright. I can live with that. Starting next week - Armenia, and the breakaway Republic of Artsakh.
Edit: In case it isn't clear in the video, this is meant to be a story of Artsakh, from the view of Artsakh. It isn't unemotional geopolitics. The Armenians are in no ways saints, and the Azeri in no way demons. The Azeri refugees forced from their homes in the external lands that Artsakhians took in the war (even against their own internal judgement) for military purposes have every right to be upset and want it back. As I say in every video, please research this all on your own. There is a very deep, nuanced, interesting story to be told from all sides. This one just happens to be from Artsakh. If you would like to visit Artsakh, I'd highly recommend staying with Saro Saryan in Shushi. His family are the living embodiment of the community, fashioned together into a wonderful guest house atmosphere. His 23 year old soldier, diplomat, lawyer son is the focus of our next episode, which I hope you'll stick around for.
Our longest ever episode. Hope you can find the time. Obviously, this is a one-sided account from someone who fought for, and continues to fight for, Artsakhian independence. Take everything with a grain of salt, and in turn learn more about the interactions that make our planet spin. Thank you Samvel, for wasting your day on our little series. We appreciate it wholeheartedly.
A bit lighter than usual. My thoughts on the caveman. To clarify before the inevitable comments: Our intelligence has shown an increase over time, yes. There are likely a number of reasons, from atmosphere to diet to leisure time. The point of this video is not to explain the science of judging intelligence over history, but to contemplate on how we treat humans of the past. Also, the Areni 1 cave winery is over 6000 years, not 8000. That slipped in to two videos somehow without us noticing.
This episode was inspired by visiting Garni. It's a beautiful temple, and worthy of a visit. To clarify: Though the foundations of the faith branch from Nzhdeh's historic race religion ideals, it would be inaccurate to say that the concept of an Aryan/Armenian bloodline drive the modern version of the religion. There's a huge amount of nuance there, hence the somewhat contradictory points around 5:50 in the script.
Alcohol! One of our oldest and most polarizing past times. We've brewed it, bottled it, banned it, and barfed it. But for as long as we've been farming, it has been a part of our society. Welcome to yet another unfounded theory by yours truly.
The spear of destiny. The holy ark. The planet we're all so excited to touch. This video is about relics.
Today's episode isn't Sparta. But it does contain a 300 man army fighting back against 70,000 better armed troops. It's about Davit Bek, an Armenian legend. And more than that, it's about betrayal. This video comes courtesy of us wanting to drone some spots on the drive to Kapan and needing a concrete reason to spend the money to head south. In the end, the expense was totally worth it. Syunik province is easily one of the most attractive places on Earth.
Goodbye Armenia, hello Albania! Today's episode is about sainthood, and what it takes to be remembered.
Bunkers! Albania's most visible uniqueness. A negative that's so definitive of the nation that it has almost become a positive.
Extremism is the enemy. We give it a bunch of names, put it on a fake spectrum, and rail on each other about how our extremes will be better, but it's all the same thing. Extremism is the enemy. Welcome to Albania. Welcome to the world.
rama bay is gorgeous! Also, conversely, a place to see thousands of years of low-quality tagging from people of all backgrounds. From Pompeii Magnus to modern Albanian beach-goers, the walls ripple a unique type of history. Man do those boatmen know how to hustle, though.
Be you a Hatfield, a Black Donnelly, Alexander Hamilton or Zog, vendettas are an unfortunately common part of human existence. And while as an individual, our needs for vengeance are personal and deep, they're often at odds with society. Justice is not a universal concept. Blood feuds end in blood. It's right there in the name.
Enver Hoxha: Whether demanding they write his name in a hillside or erecting giant bronze statues to his glory, he was always looking out for the little guy. Not an egotistical bone in his body. No sir. Edit: In the video I say Romania's dictator was killed in his home. He was helicoptered to a military location, then killed. One more Albanian video (and a cottager) until Vinland! Typing this from a not-at-all gross Gros Morne morn. Looking forward to what we have in store next season. Some good changes, I think.
Watching people get sucked into a pyramid scheme is one of the most frustrating parts of long-term friendships. Today marks our final video about America, er, I mean Albania. Both, I suppose. New season starts next Saturday. We intend to change things up a little bit. Experiment with the videos. Maybe you'll hate it. I have no idea. Either way, next up: Home sweet home.
This video is for my wife, who gets her passport this year. It is for my niece, who will some day call this her home. For Mamie, who sacrificed so much to bring us to this frozen country. Since today's episode is just a throwaway between seasons, we've decided to go more artsy than usual. As ever, leave your impotent rage in the comments below.
It's Wednesday and there's a new Rare Earth? It sounds too good to be true! Well, you're right. It is too good to be true. But still not as good as the decorations in our Airbnb. Get tickets here: https://www.roythomsonhall.com/ticket... FB event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/12617... In all seriousness, the show is incredible and I guarantee you'll have a good time. If you like Rare Earth, you'll love Generator.
Welcome to Season....uh...five? I've lost count. Let's go by location. Welcome to Newfoundland! This episode is all about history. We're trying a new system with seasons where we provide a historical base episode up front, and then are free to be a bit more abstract as the season progresses. Hopefully it will translate onto your end. From our perspective, this season has been incredibly fun to film. Likely the best ever. We've added a new crew member named Eric, who will be joining us as much as possible in the future, helping out with all sorts on the back end. He's the guy kissing the cod at the end. Looking forward to seeing how y'all like it. Vinland here we go!
The coldest, windiest, worst place to set up a colony. Unless you count where they came from. Vikings!
If I'd had time and footage, I would have started this video with the collapse of the megafauna when humans first met this continent. I hope you'll accept this analogue in its stead. In short: Even if you love omelettes, there's wisdom in not cracking all your eggs.
When you're talking about Newfoundland, it's basically impossible not to mention the cod. They were this island's engine for hundreds of years. They were the main driver to colonize this country, and once kept the largest empire in human history fed. But the moment we took them for granted, they all died. This is the story of the cod.
Dr. Grenfell was a great man. He lived a great life.
Edit: To specify, they were from the Baylor College of Medicine, not Baylor University. If nothing else, I hope this video leaves you thinking about the many benefits of inbreeding. But more seriously, this episode was made possible by the friendly and open attitude of people who knew that I was essentially going to be calling them bad names on the internet (and I should make note that none of the people featured on screen were those who had their blood stolen, nor are to my knowledge any more inbred than the rest of us). The reality is that all of our family trees have knots, and even the most abhorrent of actions come with a potential silver lining.
I don't really remember why we decided to do this, but we've made a video about how we make videos, with a real video wedged in. I'm not sure if you'll like it, but doing it this way was a lot of fun to film. There was a lot of driving around before we came across ol' Kyle here. But when we saw her, we knew it was all going to be ok. Shoutout to Jonah Haber for flying out to Newfoundland for our secret special project (yet unreleased). I'm certain what you're cooking up is going to be a masterpiece. Also - this is our last video of the year so that Franny can have a few days to rest up and take some holiday. The kid works too hard, and doesn't get enough credit for all he does behind the scenes. Merry Italian Christmas Frankie!
Ok everyone, it's time we had a quick chat about the future. Francesco is gone. And while we are all wishing him the best in what is undoubtedly the right decision, the kid was 50% of this series. He was the heart. It's not a simple transition to lose him. Yet, most clouds have silver linings, and in his life upgrade, it has me thinking about my own. I'll be releasing an update video to explain further when able, but to summarize, starting in the upcoming season in the Horn of Africa, I think I'm going to split our content into two different categories. I haven't yet thought of what to call them. Essentially, I want to make better content, in all directions. And to me, that means drawing a clear divide between the videos we make that are legitimate, and those that are just me free wheeling around a camel market. They both deserve to be seen, but they aren't the same thing. All of this is going to take some time to figure out, and the upload speed from where we are makes weekly videos impossible anyway. So, for the time being, I'm unfortunately going to have to take a hiatus. Apologies to those who need your fix. I'll be back with a bigger dose in no time. All my love to everyone who cares about our little series, Evan
We're back! It has been three hectic, action packed months, but we're back. If you don't want to watch the update, here's a quick summary: - I'm not dead - We're dropping twenty new videos from Ethiopia and Somaliland starting tomorrow. - We're starting a Rare Earth merch store (designs to come): https://teespring.com/stores/rareearth - Our Patreon is getting an update: https://www.patreon.com/rareearth - We're going to tell dumb stories on our second channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQjh... - hire Bekele: https://www.facebook.com/senait.tours - My dog is a couch hog Hope you like the new season! Sorry if it sucks!
I'm a freak. I have a hitchhikers thumb and I'm colourblind. Protect me, I am the promise of the future. Fun fact: I filmed the a-roll of this episode with a 103 degree fever, as was unfortunately the case with about half the episodes this season. The bloopers are pretty much just me throwing up off camera. A special thanks to all our patrons who held strong throughout the break. Your support keeps us going: https://www.patreon.com/rareearth
Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Today's episode is about a dam they'd never let me get close to, and the countries who wish to destroy it. I didn't get a chance to review this video after it was edited due to birthday celebrations, so here's hoping there are no mistakes... Patreon account, for those who care: https://www.patreon.com/rareearth
Abba Mahari was Moses to Ethiopia's Beta Israeli community. Right up until he wasn't. For this, and the following three videos, much of our footage from this section was unfortunately lost. Trust me, I'm more annoyed about it than you are. Luckily, the ship righted itself fairly quickly after this point, but if they're feeling a tiny bit sparse, that's why. Honestly, I doubt on your end it will even be particularly noticeable, but I felt like mentioning it anyway. Also, even though I know it won't help to say it: Please don't make pointless political comments about Israel or your personal hatreds. This isn't the place for it and I'm tired of cleaning it up. Your support keeps us going: https://www.patreon.com/rareearth
This video was easily our most difficult this season. Not because the location was hard to get to, or the subjects hard to film. They were pleasant, helpful, and forthcoming. No, the reason that this episode was hard is because the person I hired to film it got day drunk and threw away everything from this entire week. I honestly have no idea why. Every single thing he was there to film, he threw away for no reason at all, then lied about it. We sent him home not long after I realized what happened, but by that point it was too late to go back and fix it. So, today's episode has been clipped together from the 20% remaining footage that was filmed on personal phones, off-hand on the second camera, and during Eric's filming practice. I'm aware the episode is... rough. The drone is even of a nearby similar looking village, rather Awra Amba (sorry). But I didn't want to throw the whole episode away, so we did our best and here it is. Awra Amba. A cult by any other name. Your support keeps us going: https://www.patreon.com/rareearth
Harar! Where feeding various animals chunks of goat has become a tourism bonanza. The town itself is probably the most unique and interesting place we visited in Ethiopia, and we ended up doing about four episodes from the area rather unexpectedly. The city has an intensely cool history, lots of glory and horror and humanity, and most of all - hyenas. Your support keeps us going: https://www.patreon.com/rareearth
f we found the Ezana stone before the Rosetta, I suspect you'd already know this story. But we didn't, so we don't. When I say slaves at the start of this video, I meant pirates. I have no idea how I didn't notice that until now. Your support keeps us going: https://www.patreon.com/rareearth
Teff. It's the primary staple of the national diet of Ethiopia. It forms injera, the daily bread of an entire nation, and has been around since the very dawn of agriculture. But today, despite being more important to the nation's survival than ever before, Teff is facing its greatest threat: the Dutch. Your support keeps us going: https://www.patreon.com/rareearth
I wonder what the algorithm thinks of this title. Don't care. I wrote this whole episode because I wanted you to see Samuel the amorous donkey attempt to court his unwilling lady love. I hope you enjoy it. As always, thanks for being here. We appreciate ya. Your support keeps us going: https://www.patreon.com/rareearth
I'm really drunk, so I don't want to write a description. This is a story about coffee. I hope you like it.
God is just what we make of it. Even when they aren't. A huge, huge, huge thank you to Zion Train Lodge http://www.ziontrainlodge.com - if you're ever in the area, this is the place for you. Nice people, good vibes - an oasis in an otherwise dangerous little city. Plus, French Rastas.
Chewing Khat at this point is tradition. It is so much a part of East African culture that you can even use it to bribe the police.
The battle of Adwa is among the most famous battles in history. Hard to call rare. So instead, I want to talk about an obelisk. All joking not aside, everything, of course, is a matter of perspective. To me, for example, Italy's greatest shame is Francesco (thanks for filming the scenes in Milan, buddy). It took a lot of work salvaging this episode from the lost footage, so a huge thank you to Kata for all her effort. Unfortunately the season in Ethiopia/Somaliland was a true challenge, and there was nothing we could really do about it. Sorry! Can't win 'em all!
Wow, what a pointless episode. It seems like he put this together at the last minute as a response to some side-bet he'd been running with his wife during the filming! What a loser." You are correct. That's exactly what happened. I am a loser. But sometimes in life you've got a lick a new floor, even if it tastes all fluffy. Enjoy!
My plan to save the bees? We get a bunch of hipsters drunk. Edit: It is crazy to me how many people don't understand I'm joking and don't believe the premise even when the video contains a section explaining how I'm joking and don't believe the premise.
Abel Wabella is a good man. An innocent man. The common man. And all he wants now is to tell the world the truth.
It is my understanding that Somaliland receives around five hundred tourists a year. We were three. But within a single day, street assaults over tattoos meant we were two. Then one. Naturally, it was an extremely difficult place to film. I did my best with what I could. That said, I had a unique and life-affirming visit and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Wonderful people helped me get this footage without asking for a single thing in return, and showed me kindness that one usually reserves for family. We met hundreds of educated, friendly, progressive humans, many of whom are international leaders their field. Everywhere is a spectrum, and in Somaliland we saw it all. Their work and their desire for freedom deserves recognition well beyond what it has received. A massive thanks to everyone who welcomed us and helped me film without disruption. You quite literally made this season possible. As this is the first real video I've filmed entirely by myself, and among Kata's first edits, we're both pretty nervous. It's a sensitive topic. But she did a triathlon this morning and did her best ever, so I feel that's a good omen. As she always reads this stuff religiously, I'm gonna sneak a note to her in here: Congrats Kata! You're the fastest person of all the people.
This is part two of our history of Somaliland independence. See the first episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xOvc... A huge thanks to Eric for stepping up to the plate when everything else fell apart.
Laas Geel was so cool. I did not enjoy trying to film with the gimbal, though.
I don't expect a lot of people to watch this episode, but it was the main reason I went to Somaliland in the first place and it damn well needs to be heard.
We happened to be driving past Liechtenstein on our way to filming and came across this story. I couldn't find it online in English, so I decided to make the pit stop.
I didn't expect much from San Marino. Even filming this episode I was a little annoyed with how little I could find worth telling. But this story entertained me, and Kata edited it beautifully. I'm super happy with how it turned out. I hope you all enjoy!
We went to see a piece of art while waiting for our flight to Malta, and it made me reflective, so I wanted to talk about it. This is the Sihlfeld Graveyard Grief Machine. It's an art installation from the graveyard's Forum, which is a space meant to inspire contemplation about death. It is not the most amazingly filmed episode, especially since I couldn't do the A roll until I was back in Toronto, so I hope you enjoy the random cutaways to scenery, as Swiss scenery is always super sweet.
The last of our small country tour is Malta. I did a bunch of videos here, and this is sort of the foothold for them all. It was so much fun, and such a beautiful island to film on. I had a great time here. Thanks so much to my sister for visiting to help keep up our sanity and convince me to rent nice places to stay. Also, yes, I know it's a bhad opening joke. I'm aware. Terrible humour told dryly is what gets me up in the morning.
No matter what you do, don't go on Google reviews and hyperinflate Bugibba Temple's social value to trick tourists into visiting. I definitely wouldn't giggle about that.
And to think, if Rose had just drawn a couple eyes on that door Jack might be with us today. Another short and sweet episode. Hope ya'll like it! See you next week!
This is a story about loss. And, as is my custom, a rock. The trail is sometimes so beaten that there's nothing left, but if you ever get a chance to see Gozo, take it. I love Gozo. Just don't stress too much about seeing the Azure stump.
I am a child trapped in a man's body, and I expect to die a child trapped in a man's body. But as long as I keep getting to make dick jokes, all will be right with the world.
As usual, I take a broad swipe at modern religion and politics, all while supporting the thing I hold most dear: freedom of expression. This video was made in response to a casual misunderstanding delivered over some really good pizza. I wish more misunderstandings came with good pizza.
Today's video is in conjunction with thousands of #teamtrees creators, big and small. Millions of normal people, taking a moment to help. Please consider donating your hard earned dollars to https://teamtrees.org/. I'll be giving the money earned from our ad revenue and Patreon this week, which should be a few thousand to start. I even added more ad varieties this week (sorry!) just to push it that much further.
This is the saddest thing I've ever produced. Nobody expects you to make it to the end. But Tomiko made it. Somehow, she made it through everything. If you'd like to know more about her story, her memories are recorded in the book "The Girl with the White Flag". It's a hard read.
Yonaguni: An island pulled straight from the pages of middle-ages Japanese lust poetry. An island sailors whisper about to new crew. An island of women. Before I forget: A massive thank you to all the new Patrons. Kata and I were blown away by the response. Incredible to know how many of you are invested enough to take part. I'd love to do something special in return. Maybe pins? Everybody likes a pin.
No, they shouldn't. But also, kind of, yes, they should? It's tricky. Watch the video. Stay away from my cats.
This is a story of sacrifice. And taxes. I'm not gonna lie, I'm not super happy with it as I was with some of the others this season. It's an interesting story, just not fully captured. Maybe if I'd had more than 5 hours to spend after the strep throat issues, but alas. Either way, those poor mothers. Not exactly egalitarian on further reflection. It's strongitarian. Agrarian. Pretty nasty, really. One more from Yonaguni before we head back to Okinawa honto! Our next episode is about an extremely remote conspiracy theory that I had to scuba dive to see. It was fun.
This episode is about aquariums, because I was at an aquarium. I want to mention that the best part of the aquarium was the goats. They're not exactly normal aquarium fare. Every day you could come around at a certain time and they'd let you take them for a walk. And there's no world in which I don't want to take a random goat for a walk.
Every system of justice is inevitably found to be unjust. The question is in which direction, and how far. This is a fairly basic outline of Japan's idiosyncratic nature. Sort of an easy week for me. Hope you like it!
I suspect this one is going to get a lot of backlash. That's ok. As long as you have to think about it for even a split second, I'll be happy. Also, just to preempt. Yes, I'm aware that's not the political definition of socialism. I speak colloquially.
My friend Remy, previously Rameen, runs a bar called Remy's, previously Fujiyama. He's a great person, and the last man on earth I'd expect to find screaming death metal at a small crowd in a military town. Yet, there he is. And in him, a story about life.
Welcome to 2020! I'm back after a bit of a forced hiatus. Christmas and my stage show were crazy busy, so I had to take a little time off. But I'm back! Unfortunately not on my favourite video from Japan, but I wanted to save the best for last. I wrote this and filmed it in my final 24 hours in a hectic rush, so I'm actually pretty upset about how bad the script is compared to how it could be. Sorry about that. It's still an idea worth knowing, even if I presented it kind of meh.
Is it a city so ancient it defies our understanding of history? Or just a rock? I took a little swim around so you could decide. This is Yonaguni monument.
Who can build a shisa? It's a harder question than it seems.
I added a little outro to the Yugoslavia episodes and mushed them all together. The transitions are a little wonky, but presumably next time I do this I'll be writing it that way in advance. Before we move on to a new country and back to the old style, I just wanted to thank Zygmund hugely for the music. He volunteered to help a while back and I think he did an amazing job with this season.
Johnny Barnes wasn't a saint. But he wanted people to know he loved them. So he told them. Just as fast as his mouth would allow. Now Johnny Barnes is a statue. Because you don't have to be a saint to be important.
This is the second in my little two part working holiday to Bermuda. Another somewhat happy story. After this we're headed to Uruguay, a country I knew virtually nothing about until I showed up at the airport. Like Bermuda, it will be a lot less heavy than our last few seasons, which I for one appreciate. Then we get to Cuba where I go to a cock fight. Which was gross. But that's not for a while yet.
I hope you've enjoyed this little self-indulgent segue into our new season in Uruguay. The coming episodes feature those classic Uruguayan vacation highlights of Cuban refugees, dead cows, light drug use, and a splash of genocide. Don't worry, I'll keep it light. Enjoy!
Be it known that I take no responsibility for this video giving you typhoid.
Sorry I took a week off, it was my birthday and I wasn't really feeling the birthday work. This is somewhat of an update to that old Laos introductory video idea. I had so much footage of Artigas I kind of had to. Hopefully this helps set the scene for future episodes. Thanks for watching!
Edit: Sal*SI*puedes, not sal*IS*puedes, you dumb Canadian. In case it isn't clear to some through the text, I believe in Charruan rights. I believe in the rights of people in Uruguay to look to their heritage for support and guidance. I believe in the value of the state recognizing and understanding the reality of the blood and history of all their people.
No bang, no excitement. Just some farmers living life. I thought the Volk deserved a story, too.
Dear Australia, I thought you were more keen on Marm. Apparently you're all about that Vegem. I kind of want to do this story again as a real documentary, with an hour and tons of stock footage. It seems like it would be a cool 'follow the thread' type tale through a bunch of different individual experiences. Maybe when I hook up with Nebula... Hope you enjoy it!
The first-hand account of a Cuban trafficked to Uruguay and the life and family he left behind.
I love Larry. I hope you love Larry too.
Francesco asked that I make this. We hope we did Giselda proud.
That's right ladies and gentlemen, humans of all ages - Rare Earth is back! Perhaps not "and better than ever", but Kata and I are doing our best to get back on the weekly schedule again, pandemic-willing. My brain is back from the 2019/20 lockdown effects and I've since filmed 3 very short seasons (Guatemala, Azores, Jordan) and hopefully omicron will lessen to the point that I can stuff some more up the pipeline before they run out. Either way, I'm extremely excited to be able to return to this series in any fashion and I'm thankful for each and every one of you who have stuck with us, written asking where I was, and just generally caring about our goings on during the hiatus. It means a lot to us. Further to all that, I should mention that we've decided to try and release our episodes a week early on Nebula. So if you feel like getting a jump on the series you're welcome to go check them all out there. Some of the episodes I'm truly proud of, some I just did my best, but overall
Avatar Rare Earth Explainers This is a story about sport, told through the lens of one of the most brutal. To clarify - chances are major players wouldn't be sacrificed for losing a match, at least not normally, research is still iffy on when and how the ritual took place around sporting events. More often than not it would likely just be slaves taken from the forest and who would die either way - preplanned sacrifices. But for the sake of this story, we've fast-forwarded to the collapse of the cities and imagined things a bit more dire, with needs a bit greater than the norm. Historical poetic license, if you will.
Maximon was a wild thing to stumble across. Who knew that God could be so unassuming?
Eufenia survived a volcano. As long as you can suspend your disbelief.
There's a good chance this cave is going to change Atlantic history forever. It simply shouldn't exist.
Somewhere one mile down just right over there rests the 40 billion dollar treasure of the Cinco Chagas.
This is a bit of a continuation of our first video from this season, but the story was so uniquely its own that I decided to split it off into a unique episode. Ultimately, this is a season about myths, and today's episode is on the horseman of Corvo, the statue nobody can explain. Also I know you're going to ask about the coins and I looked into the coins and they were very suspicious so I left them out. If you'd like to do your own research on the coins, I recommend looking at more than one source.
Sometimes, facts are just the soil we plant our fantasies in. This season is about myths. And today's episode is only as true as we choose it to be.
Furnas is a town unlike any I've ever been to. Beautiful. Captivating. Plus it stinks like rot. The perfect combo. But looking back months later from the scentless comfort of my home, the one thing that I will always remember was the stew.
Rudy won my heart. He deserved a video commemorating his work.
Like the Nazis it inspired, seems like you can never keep Atlantis down for long enough. This isn't really a rare earth episode but given that the Azorean season was about myths and the comments on our previous videos all broke my brain, here we are. A little Wednesday realism in a cynical tone. I guess it is Rare Earth after all.
A very short season in Jordan begins here, from a vacation day in the Dead Sea with a bit of a throwaway episode. I thought it might be a nice palate cleanser before we head into the refugee camps that were my real destination in the country. If you ever get a chance to float on a salt lake, I'd recommend taking it. Just keep an eye out for floating rocks of hydrocarbon.
Fajar asked us to make this video. It was more important to him than even a piano. I hope you can feel through the screen a little of what it meant to us to be able to make this, even from such a distance. I cannot express in words the thanks I give to the entire staff of We Love Reading (but most especially Lina and Mays), to my sister, to the government of Jordan and to every family who let us into their homes and allowed us to see their truth. We will never forget it.
Today's episode is the first in our Micronesian series (Chuuk/Pohnpei/Kosrae), which in my opinion will be one of our best yet. Crazy stories, crazy adventures, and mediocre footage. Classic Rare Earth.
I don't know if Mr. Beast will ever see this, but I made a promise to a friend. And this is me fulfilling it.
It's virtually impossible to find accurate and trustworthy information about Micronesia on the internet. But on the plus side, that meant Kata and I were able to read virtually every single bit of university-level documentation about Chuuk that currently exists online today. Today's episode stems from perhaps the most grotesquely human story we've ever found in all our years of research. Although there was scant information from the anthropologist who recorded it all those years ago, what did exist painted a picture in my mind worthy of repeating.
In an alternate universe I named this episode 'the morbid microbial oil morgue'.
After I got home, I realize that most of the episodes that came out of Kosrae were about expats/foreigners, which for us feels rather unusual. Normally when filming, for the most part, we do our best to avoid non-locals. But in Kosrae, nobody can be avoided. Film the island for three days and cars full of strangers will already honk their way by and scream out your name in greeting. A couple thousand people and only one road. Lovely place. But what's more, of the 8 or so foreigners living here, every single one was worth knowing. Every foreigner who has come to make Kosrae their home who I met was a unique, interesting, and weird (in the most positive sense of the term) person. And I believe I met every single one living on the island at that time. Friendly, helpful, skilled and imperfect. My favourite type of people. Frankly each one deserves their story to be told over a beer. So here's the first toast. To Josh. To the Nautilus.
There are a few clams we call the giant, but the Tridacna Gigas is king of them all. It is likely the most important animal in the history of the Pacific, and unfortunately, in much of its historical habitat it happens to be functionally extinct. But here in Kosrae island Martin Selch and his team at the Kosrae National Aquatic Center are aiming to save it. And that's not an idle boast. After a successful spawning in 2020, just this month they've begun reintroduction of the Gigas to the Kosraean reef. The exact first steps towards rewilding back from extinction.
I made this episode because I sat down with two men over dinner and grilled them about some local xenophobic rumours I'd been hearing about them. Now we're mangrove brothers. Although I'm not sure they know that. This one is a bit of a breather episode. If you know anything about me, you'll know that means to brace yourself for what's coming.
This video was inspired by a restaurant that was named after a man I'd never heard of. A man who it turns out is Kosrae's most famous historical figure. A man who the more I learned about the more I began to wonder if we should remember him at all. But I suppose that's the thing about fame. It makes a man out of a monster.
We had covid the entire last month and a half, that's why we've been away. It sucked. Sorry for that. Hope we can make up for it with this small island gossip.
Ah, coming home after being enslaved since your late teens only to have your own society condemn you as satanic for what they did to you and then be forced to headline a traveling freakshow until you died. No matter where you go, the tattoos always speak first. This is the (self-told, probably exaggerated for circus reasons) story of P.T. Barnum's original freak success story. James O'Connell, America's first tattooed man.
The answer is pretty simple really: Have your grandparents marry someone in line for a throne in Micronesia and then act responsibly towards Pohnpeian culture your entire life. But stick with me here, because this story is deeper than the clickbait implies. (just a reminder that this is the first half of a two parter - and I'm extremely excited to tell you the second)
I live a weird life. Meeting a down to earth king, being personally driven to his private island for the night, all so that I can say thank you to an organization most of you will have never heard of before. So that maybe you might even think about someday how you might want to bring your conservation skills to Micronesia and donate your time and experience to a Rohsa just trying to do the right thing. If you'd like to help by sending an email (or donating) to OneReef, you have my sincere thanks: info@onereef.org If you'd like to take it a step further and visit Ant the hard way (have a genuine desire and plan to help) - let me know. I'll be sure to push you in the Rohsa's direction.
Nan Madol, the great wonder of the Pacific. And yet, what do we really know about it? Shrouded in myth, it remains one of the least studied and yet most impressive megaliths of human history. But most of the history here is handed down purely as a legend. So, in the hopes of shedding some light on this beautiful place, here is that legend.
I was reading a history book about Pohnpei called "Upon a Stone Altar" and it had a single page describing the four day purge they undertook before battle. It enthralled me so much I made this entire video based off that single page's prompt.
This isn't an attempt to name and shame one of the least-polluting, poorest nations on the planet for not saving the world single-handedly. It is merely a symbolic reminder of what it means to do our part in a giant system we often feel powerless to control. Saving the world might feel (and perhaps be) impossible, but suffice it to say that if we're going to demand something of others, at the very least we should be doing it ourselves.
I didn't want to make this video. But after having multiple discussions with people in the Marshalls, predominately against my will, I realized that the topic had come up so many times that it almost felt like I'd be avoiding it not to say something. And so, dear viewer, I apologize for yet another video about cocaine washing up on shore (after the Azores, which was frankly a better video anyway).
This story is about a man who sold babies and got caught.
I wasn't quite sure how to write this story, nor what we should include and leave out. This is a story about America, but it's bigger than America. It's a story about Ebeye, but it's bigger than Ebeye too. But I suppose every story needs a start and an end, and I hope you're happy with what we came up with. It was important to us that we do this one as well as we could.
Basketball on Kwajalein
For Jason, who didn't want to be interviewed but hoped to be heard.
Goodbye Micronesia, hello Mediterranean. The next few episodes are set in Crete, Greece - an island absolutely littered in stray cats. And so we thought a good way to cleanse the new season palate would be a very stupid episode about the fickleness of fame, and all the cats we ignore. Long live five star Naomi: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nv3MTVqSTwTeBUaD8
I suppose I don't have much to say in the description. The distant past is a confusing place with far more fog than visibility. But it's fun to think about, and even more fun to watch it change. So what do you think - did Crete have apes?
We did not plan to make this video first. But the cave turned out to be so amazing that it deserved one. This is the story of the Asphendou cave of Crete and how we completed an RPG quest.
Some myths have meanings. False memories of a real event. And at least as I see it, the meaning behind Theseus and the Minotaur is nothing less than the conquest and destruction of one of earth's oldest civilizations. It's an echo, being repeated over a thousand years later in the stories of the victors. But long ago, the Minotaur was real. And I think you'll find that in reality, Theseus was not just his murderer, but also his son.
Tall tales always seem to get taller, but their purpose often stays the same. The myth of Frangokastello might be little more than morning dew, but to the people of southwestern Crete - it is anything but a mirage.