With the help of many unknown, but helpful travellers, Jo-Jo and Frikke are travelling around the world. The two Lego mini fig’s are sent with friends around the world, the goal is clear: all continents in 365 days. Everything will be documented by digital photo’s posted to the blog http://jandf-world.minifig.dk.
It started with a newspaper article about a teddy bear, that had gone around the world on it’s own. A good idea, that inspired geography lessons in our home. Unfortunately, the teddies of the house were too dear to go without for a year, we chose two LEGO men from the LEGO box in the playroom. Our kids named them. Frederikke, eight years and Johannes six years, nicknamed Frikke and Jo-Jo, sat by the play table and assembled the minifig’s.
As a family we do not travel much and the kids always ask about the wonders of the world. This project creates a platform for my wife and I to tell them of those wonders. We use the globe, the web, the book of flags and every other information source we can think of. The kids are excited and often ask for news.
Lately it has been hard to find hosts and we still need to go to the east ( Russia, the middle east and China or India ) and off cause Africa. All it takes is a digital camera and a few words of imagination.
The minifig’s have their own tinbox, but before the tour around the world could start, we took the fig’s to the local village square, named after one very famous danish writer, Dan Turell. Later we went to Copenhagen where they posed in front of the famous opera house and the new actors house.
Going East
First leg of the trip was Paris. In a padded envelope they were sent to one of the families good friends Christian. He took them to the Eiffel Tower, Place de Concorde and the Iena Bridge. Christian, who have lived in Paris for the past twenty years and many other places before that – he is of Danish-Swedish origin – he was the obvious choice for the first stop – the man with many connections around the world.
He made sure that Jo-Jo and Frikke were sent of by air plane to Tokyo, Japan. Together with Joce, they saw every shopaholics paradise the Ginza district. A breathless trip! After that a rest was needed and Joce took them to the Greek island Paros.
Going West
Returning to Paris for a short stop and then off to Canada. First stop Toronto and the CN Tower, then to Victoria and Totem Poles.
After dancing around the totem they went to British Columbia and saw the Parliament. Tofino, Vancouver Island – one of the worlds best surfer spots got a visit too. They did not get a ride on a board though. Frikke and Jo-Jo did only watch. Prince Rupert is one of Canada’s most beautiful wildlife reservation’s. At a distance our two friends did admire the amazing wildlife.
Going South
After North America they went to South America. Bogota, the capital of Columbia is not a boring place to be. Partying day and night, specially when you visit the french artist Tutus. The stay with Tutus was short. Jamie Frankling from Catomusic and the Cato Trust took our small friends off to the wide salt plains of southern Bolivia: Salar de Uyuni.
Going North again, still in South America. They did visit the beautiful Andes in Peru – Machu Picchuwhere the Inca Indian’s lived got a visit. Louisa was the one that took our small plastic friends to the floating islands also in Peru, the Lake Titicaca.
Silence
Some times our small friends went from one place to another very fast and at other times it took weeks and we did not hear anything.
We contacted our friend Christian again, but neither he nor his contacts could find our small LEGO friends. Over Christmas we took a decision. We could not find Jo-Jo and Frikke alone. A Search and Rescue team had to be formed and send of. While we would continue our search via the web to find our two small friends, we packed three well equipped LEGO minifig’s: the 3 Team – t3T, was a reality – Mr. Trilby (the boss), Miss Trixie (the daredevil) and Mr. Trax Jr. (the pathfinder). Their job was to finish the journey around the world as well as finding Jo-Jo and Frikke.
Late January 2009, t3T were sent off by mail, to Perth, West Australia. The team were very scientifically working there way through Perth, first the university, Murdoch. No LEGO minifig’s had enrolled! Then the local café’ and bars were thoroughly searched and at last – maybe more because of the view than a well planned plan – searched at the beautiful beach, with sun, sand and clear water but no Jo-Jo and Frikke.
It was soon clear that Australia was a very large continent to search so the team decided to return to South America a bit closer to where Jo-Jo and Frikke originally disappeared. In Panama City the Grønnebæk’s waited to assist the team. The family’s one twin, Sarah had gone to Frederikke’s class in Denmark, and her class at the Intenational School of Panama were eager to help. Even some local LEGO minifig’s offered their help but no luck. The even went south to the Pacific Ocean and up North to the Caribbean Sea. The even asked the local Indians (the Cuda) for help. Jo-Jo and Frikke were not found there.
Friends around the world
Sad but with very good travelling memories in the backpack the team headed for Europe. A worried LEGOfan from Holland, Erik Smit (.eti – http://www.flickr.com/photos/eti-eti/with/4998589204/ ) had followed our friends journey on our blog. He contacted us an offered his help. Maybe Jo-Jo and Frikke were in Holland? T3T travelled as fast as they could to Holland and Erik and his family searched the beautiful countryside of Utricht, Holland. Erik even supplied the team with various tools but the did not find Jo-Jo and Frikke.
Another LEGO friend offered his help: Daniel Siskind of Brickmania from Minneapolis, USA. He owns a website called http://www.brickmania.com. He got the minifigs and all of a sudden, they were a part of the minifig world Brickmania. Were they got arrested for illegal entry to the country and shortley after they were rescued by some friendly minifigs.
After that experience they went to Europe again where they got help from Carlos, living in Madrid.
Carlos is part of the team that designs the LEGO magazine Hispabrick ( http://www.Hispabrick.com ). They even brought an article of the idea.
Then they followed a lead to Romania and the city Cluj Napoca where Adrian Florea ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/olog/ ), a LEGO Ambassador welcomed them. In the city of Cluj Napoca the disappeared and suddenly came back from deep space together with the ex-space pilot AF. The actually chrash landed in a gas station. ( Facts Adrian is now a LEGO designer at LEGO in Billund, Denmark ).
After the tough experience in deep space the team did need a break and went back to Denmark for some well deserved R&R. But the could let the matter be – and they contacted a hobo I Copenhagen who they had heard, knew something. But, no luck…
Off, the went to Hvalpsund in the northern part of Denmark – the only place with a palm beach ( man made ). No trace of Jojo and Frikke – but they caught a rumour: Mexico!
So off they went to Mexico City.
Here they were well taken care off by Ernesto Carrillo and his family – Ernesto got some really great photos.
Back in Denmark, in transit, they met the crew from Blade Runner – Rick Deckard and Gaff gave them some advice on travelling and hunting… Rick had heard that the team had been seen in Greenland. Actually Uummannaq!
Chris Paton did help the team in Uummannaq. And we almost lost the team to the snow and sea. In Denmark again they did pose with some of the first LEGO collectible minifig’s from series one. In Denmark they prepared for the big haul to Canada – they had been to Canada before but not Ontario. Right now the team is roaming the cities of South Korean and we hope to hear from them really soon.
In the middle of our fun idea of sending some LEGOminifig’s around the world we are a little concerned. How is Louisa? Why and how did she disappear – and, together with our LEGO-friends. Our LEGO minifig’s are of mere plastic, but Louisa is flesh and blood, our thoughts are of cause with her. How disappointing is might be, if she just forgot Jo-Jo and Fikke on a floating island in Peru, it worries us. So far is has been impossible to track her.
