CZ Version

“We heard the interceptor almost as soon as we could see its light – a roar of falling water, made all the louder as it echoed down the passage towards us. On the edge of Manor Woods Valley Nature Reserve, the River Malago pours through a cage into a concrete-bottomed pool from where the overflow is skimmed off, falling down a series of steps into the Dreadnought. Joggers and dog walkers out in the park would never have imagined how grand a thing this infall was, to behold it from within. The oversized staircase, the mouldy brickwork arches, had an air of ancient ruin about them; of classical architecture lost beneath a sea of moss and churning water.” That is the description of an explration of drains by british urbexer Darmon Richter on his The Bohemian blog.

Can you tell us something about you?

My name’s Darmon Richter, and I’m a thirty-year-old photographer and travel writer. Originally I’m from Oxford in England, but for the last three years I’ve been travelling around the world looking for places to explore.

What does urban exploration mean to you? How long do you do it?

For me, urban exploration is all about looking at the world from new angles. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t do this… even as a child, I was always climbing up ladders, opening doors, squeezing into little tunnels, and so on. The only thing I do differently now is that I travel more, I plan better, and I carry a camera with me.

Why do you do urbex?

Because I’m curious. I get bored too easily, I always need to see new things, find new places, or challenge myself in new ways. I also enjoy the excitement of it… whether that comes from taking risks or hiding from guards, there is an adrenaline rush you get from exploring which I don’t find in normal day-to-day life.

You have got pages Bohemian blog. What is it about?

The Bohemian Blog is where I post all my location reports. A lot of it is urban exploration, but I’m also interested in other kinds of unusual or ‘alternative’ travel – strange experiences, unique festivals and celebrations, and also reports from ‘dark tourism’ locations. This last category includes visits to concentration camps, cemeteries or battlefields, and other controversial destinations like that.

In what countries do you specialize?

I don’t feel as though I specialise in any particular countries, as my interest tends to be more local than that – I specialise in specific locations! Some of the countries which I’ve explored the most though, include Bulgaria and Romania, China, Thailand, and of course, my own country: the UK.

I saw you visited especially countries of ex-soviet block. Why?

In addition to places, I’m also very interested in history and politics. I’m particularly fascinated by the former Soviet bloc, as the political and social movement which united it was illustrated so well by new movements in art, architecture and social planning. Then, when the Soviet influence came to an end, many of these movements died with it. The result is a huge range of abandoned buildings, monuments and facilities which clearly represent a different understanding of social dynamics, and often illustrate such brave and bold statements of optimism. The movement failed, which makes these optimistic, futuristic designs all the more ironic.

What country is friendliest for exploring abandoned places in your opinion?

Exploring abandoned places is easier in some countries than in others. I’ve found that in Russia, for example, most people don’t care what you’re doing and you’ll rarely get into trouble for it. Perhaps the ‘friendliest’ response I’ve had though, was in Australia – people walking past will stop to ask you what you’re doing, and instead of condemning it they often seem genuinely curious to find out what these places look like inside!

What kind of places do you prefer?

I’m particularly interested in underground locations – tunnels, bunkers, drains and bomb shelters. I feel like time stops when you go underground, and I enjoy the silence of subterranean spaces.

Do you have any favourite place?

I have a lot of favourites, but recently I had some really good experiences exploring in Cuba. Cuba offers the perfect combination, for an urban explorer like myself – political monuments, abandoned buildings and lazy security guards! Plus the rum and sunshine definitely add something to the experience…

Do you have any interesting experience from exploring? Can you describe it?

Too many to list! The first thing that comes to mind though, is when I explored some Byzantine tunnels underneath Istanbul, in Turkey. I met a local boy who showed me the way down underground, into ancient stone tunnels. Some of them were being used as stables when I went, and so it was strange to find these beautiful underground spaces filled with pedigree horses.

Have you ever experienced any dangerous situation?

A lot of what I do is dangerous, but mostly these are risks that can be controlled. Like climbing up a crane, for instance – if you let go at the top of a crane, you will almost certainly die. So… you just don’t let go. I don’t like taking chances that I can’t control myself, although there have been a few situations where I’ve felt I was in serious, uncontrollable danger. One of those happened in Australia actually, when I got stuck in a sewer filled with poisonous spiders! One of them bit me and I was able to cut the wound and wash out the venom… luckily I didn’t have a bad reaction. If I had been bitten a few more times though, I don’t like to think what might have happened to me down there.

Do you explore alone or with some friends?

Both. It can be fun to explore places with friends, and I like to share the experience when I can… but I’ll never ignore a good opportunity, so there have been lots of times when I’ve seen something interesting and decided to go exploring on my own.

Can you describe one of your exploration?

If you want a full description, you’ll need to look at my blog… I have almost a hundred of them there! Right now though, I’m just writing a new report about exploring a sewer in the UK. There had been stories in the news the week before, about a local man who claimed he saw a crocodile in the river. So, I decided to go on a crocodile hunt. I spent a full day underground exploring sewers and drains in the area – really impressive, massive tunnels – but sadly no crocodiles…

Have you ever hed a problem with police or owners of place?

I’ve got into trouble a few times. In fact, I’ve now been arrested in five different countries! Luckily though, I’ve had no serious trouble so far. Most of the time authorities and property owners have understood that I’m not doing any harm, I’m just a curious foreigner with a camera. Most of the time though, I’m careful not to get caught.

Is there any place which you want to visit?

There are a lot of places that I still want to visit – such as the Paris Catacombs, Japan’s “Battleship Island” and the pyramids of Egypt. I’m sure I’ll get to these places soon, but there are so many more locations out there to explore that my list grows longer every day!

Foto: Darmon Richter – The Bohemian Blog