1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,639 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome 2 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:30,479 Speaker 1: to the show Ridiculous Historians. Thank you so much for 3 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: tuning in. According to a study that we just made 4 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: up before we went on the air, many of our 5 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: fellow listeners are checking out Ridiculous History while they're in 6 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: the car, while they're in traffic. Instead of honking your horn, 7 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: you're hopefully laughing at our terrible puns. Uh. And today's 8 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: episode is just for you automotive lovers. Hi, my name 9 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: is Ben, Hey, my name is non Ben. You know 10 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: what you are, after all, you're my wonder well a 11 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: loha to YouTube, thank you, and aloha of course to 12 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: our super producer Casey pegram Mahalo, there we go. This 13 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: guy knows this stuff. Casey, What did you fall on 14 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,039 Speaker 1: the Blur versus Oasis Continuum? Definitely more on the Blur side. 15 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: On the Blur side, who who it's been? Casey on 16 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: the case full disclosure. We just went to an amazing 17 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 1: show last night. We saw some Australian rock bands, so 18 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: shout out to all of our Australian listeners if you've 19 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,960 Speaker 1: heard of who were There was Orb stone Field and 20 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: then the Big Closer King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard 21 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 1: and he gives heads out there. Is that the Is 22 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:45,119 Speaker 1: that the nomenclature? Yeah? Oh wow. Yeah. They have their 23 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: own festival in Australia called gis Fest. Well, they are 24 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: super prolific to superal They made like five full length 25 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: records a couple of years ago in one single year, 26 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: totally independently record and release all that stuff. UM, huge 27 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: fan of theirs. In fact, I think it was either 28 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: on this podcast. No, I think it was on stuff 29 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: that I want you to know where I was distracted 30 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: because I was buying my tickets the day they came 31 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: out and bought them like got six months ago, and 32 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: uh it was it was worth worth the weight for sure. 33 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: So today's episode is also about a very prolific person. 34 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: Today's episode is about the adventures of Idris Galcia Hall. 35 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 1: But you may know her better as Aloha wonder Well, 36 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: or you may, like us, not know her at all, 37 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: because I was certainly unfamiliar with the story and it 38 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: is a doozy Aloha wonder Well not not wonder Wall 39 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 1: like my my funny, funny joke at the top of 40 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: the show. Uh. In nineteen twenty two, wonder Well we're 41 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: gonna refer to her as that moving forward joined a race. 42 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: It was more than a race. It was almost like 43 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 1: an automotive cult kind of I mean, it was very 44 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: much this event that was designed for both optics in 45 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: terms of like being this huge kind of spectacle with 46 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: these caravans of model T Fords trekking across forty three 47 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: countries four continents um and seeing some incredible sites along 48 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: the way. That's right. No, So, across the nineteen twenties, 49 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: when Aloha was still a teenager, she traveled almost four 50 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: hundred thousand miles across a total of eventually what would 51 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: become eighty countries. How did she get here? How did 52 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: she get involved in this strange thing? There is a 53 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: tale here, you see. Aloha was born on October nineteen 54 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: o six in Winnipeg, and her life did have some tragedy, 55 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: had some bumps along the road because at the start 56 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: of World War One, her stepfather joined the Canadian Expeditionary 57 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: Force and eventually he was killed in combat. During this time, 58 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: the person who had become known as Aloha was living 59 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: in a pretty strict French convent school while her mother 60 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: was searching for her husband's body. And while Aloha was 61 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: living in this very structured, pretty uptight environment, she started 62 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,599 Speaker 1: to dream of far away lands. She wanted to get 63 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: out there, you know what I mean, see what is 64 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: over the next horizon. She wrote in her memoir published 65 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty nine. I ached for action, but I did 66 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: not know in which direction to go. I had already 67 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: bothered my mother on the subject of my earning money. 68 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: I wanted a career. I wanted to become the man 69 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: of the family. That part's interesting because she was a tomboy. 70 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 1: She really was. She was a self described independent tomboy. 71 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: Great article on Atlas Obscura, the first woman to drive 72 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: around the world, wore men's breaches, and had a pet monkey. 73 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: We're gonna get there. As she grew up, her imagination 74 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: was really fed by adventure novels and stories by Rudyard Kipling, 75 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: Edgar Rice Burrows, folks like W. H. G. Kingston Um. 76 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: And when she was sixteen, she read an advertisement that 77 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 1: would change everything for her. And I don't want to 78 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: bury the lead. I referred to this automotive expedition as 79 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 1: almost like a cult on wheels. And we're gonna start 80 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: to see kind of why at the age of sixteen, 81 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 1: she saw this ad for the wonder Well Expedition and 82 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: that was in the Paris Harold and this is what 83 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 1: the tagline was, Brains, Beauty and breaches World tour offer 84 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: for lucky young women wanted to join an expedition Asia Africa. 85 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: This brings out my car, stuff blood, It's got me 86 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: raring to go here. The wander Well Expedition was the 87 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 1: brainchild of a man named Walter wander Well, whose real 88 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 1: name just spoiler alert, is not Walter wonder Well. He 89 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: was a little bit of a sketchy figure who was 90 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,479 Speaker 1: what we would call larger than life. He was actually 91 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: put in jail during World War One because the FED 92 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: suspected him of being a German spy. He started the 93 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 1: Wonderwell Expedition in ninety one with something called a million 94 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: dollar wager. This was an endurance race around the world 95 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: with two teams racing four Model T s, and the 96 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: way that they were gauging success in the race was 97 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: entirely based on the number of countries visited. Right, So 98 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: you would tally up at the end the number of 99 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:36,359 Speaker 1: countries your team had gone to, and whomever had the 100 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: most countries in their Tally would win. This was exactly 101 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: what Aloha wander Well was looking for. She met with 102 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: Walter wonder Well, who was referred to as Captain wonder Well, 103 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: in Paris, and she got a seat on the expedition. 104 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: She wore a lot of hats while she was doing this. 105 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: She was the translator, she was driving, She was all 106 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: so and this is amazing. She was filming so much stuff. 107 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: We actually have a clip that will just throw to 108 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:08,479 Speaker 1: real quick so you can get kind of a sense 109 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: of the adventure. Here. Exciting thoughts racing through my mind. 110 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: Must have been responsible for the storm we ran into 111 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: of Haiti. All hands rotea don dick hatches battened down, 112 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: and as our ship stuck her nails into the storm, 113 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: huge waves broke over the entire superstructure, drenching even those 114 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: on the bridge and nearly washing away the lifeboats. Perfect Now, 115 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: she did take the name Aloha wonder Well. Captain Walter 116 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: Wonderwell was married at the time, just to be clear 117 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 1: about that. But very quickly Aloha became the face of 118 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: the entire adventure. People loved seeing her in the middle 119 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: and media arrests, visiting all these interesting places that most 120 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: people would never get a chance to see otherwise. And 121 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: they loved her. The media loved her. Yeah, she was 122 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: also gorgeous. I mean she really have the appearance of 123 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: a movie star, very statue asque, very pretty face, um 124 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 1: and very well spoken. I think she spoke of four languages, 125 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: and she learned more on the trip. She picked up 126 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 1: I believe, um some Asian languages. Yes, so she spoke. 127 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: She was fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Italian. And 128 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: she also spoke a little bit of Russian, Chinese and 129 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: Japanese I think specifically Mandarin. That but don't quote me 130 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: on that. Uh So when she got her name, when 131 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: she was aloha wonder well, as she says inner memoir again, 132 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: she says, we were off. The whole world was out there. 133 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: I was reaching for it, the world reaching for me. Ecstasy, 134 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: the ravishing thrill. And I want to go back to 135 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 1: something you brought up. No, uh that about her appearance, right, 136 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: She was six ft tall, She was an imposing figure, 137 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:56,839 Speaker 1: and she was going to countries where people legitimately thought 138 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:58,719 Speaker 1: she was a movie star. You know what I mean, 139 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: This is like a this is a real life Hollywood 140 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 1: figure to a lot of people that she's visiting, and 141 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 1: a lot of the footage that she captured ends up 142 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: becoming incredibly crucial to the historical record. And we should 143 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 1: say also she did not start off as the face 144 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 1: of the expedition. She started off in what you could 145 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 1: kind of call a p a production assistant position. She 146 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:26,839 Speaker 1: was a secretary and assistant. But she worked way up right, 147 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: she absolutely did um And the details around how she 148 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: kind of rose in the ranks in her relationship with 149 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 1: Captain Wonderwell or a little sketchy, but it does seem 150 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: like wonder Well uh and his wife split up, and 151 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: that's kind of when Aloha was able to kind of 152 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:48,960 Speaker 1: like fill that position exactly exactly. And going back going 153 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 1: back to wonder Well himself, because the guy does deserve 154 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:56,560 Speaker 1: a little more scrutiny, right, Yeah, going back to Wonderwell 155 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: himself when he when he was inspired by the League 156 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: of Nations to start this endurance race, he did not 157 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: meet with unanimous support because the FBI, of all places, 158 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:14,319 Speaker 1: the FBI was worried that old Cap wonder Well might 159 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 1: be starting some sort of mercenary or private army. That's right. 160 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: This uh, that expedition was called the Work Around the 161 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 1: World Educational Club or wa wack, which I love UM 162 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: and yeah it's true. I mean they really thought he 163 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:31,440 Speaker 1: was trying to assemble some kind of private army. I 164 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: guess that's right. So wa WAK, despite having such a 165 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: beautiful acronym, was suspected of being um, being not entirely 166 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,880 Speaker 1: above the board. So ostensibly it was aimed at bringing 167 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: people together some soft diplomacy. It was described by Aaron 168 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: Blakemore writing for Time as something that purported to be 169 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 1: an ad hoc international peacekeeping group right after the horrors 170 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:04,559 Speaker 1: of World War but it's real purpose was to generate 171 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 1: money from a group of volunteer cadets whose dues actually 172 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 1: paid for the trip. Right, So this already feels like 173 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: maybe a little bit of a money grab, maybe an 174 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 1: intention grab to its critics. CAP also got some cash 175 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: from the Ford Motor Company. They donated those Model ts 176 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,200 Speaker 1: we mentioned earlier, And I don't know, no, are you 177 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: super familiar with Model ts? Have you seen one? Yeah? Yeah? 178 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: And there. Uh we did an episode years back entirely 179 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: on how to actually start a model tea and get 180 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: it running. These things are vicious beast They will and 181 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 1: have broken people's arms just while they're in the process 182 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: of trying to get the thing running, cranking it right, 183 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 1: I mean you literally is isn't it like a thing 184 00:11:57,800 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: in the front that you have to have physically turn 185 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: a crank? Yeah, get the engine kind of get the 186 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:06,840 Speaker 1: actual motor started. Yeah, and if it's having a bad day, 187 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 1: it will swing that crank back at you. So be warned, 188 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:14,079 Speaker 1: be aware. I'm just saying this wasn't as easy as 189 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 1: you know, hopping into um, hopping into a two thousand 190 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 1: sixteen Prius or something. So here we are, we're set up, 191 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: We've got all the pieces in place, right, the FBI 192 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: has an arrested cap yet or anything like that. And 193 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 1: he says, I am going to compete against my wife 194 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:39,560 Speaker 1: Nell in this race around the world. This goes back 195 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 1: to what you were saying earlier, all about kind of 196 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: this the ambiguous, the ambiguity around their rise to fame, 197 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:49,959 Speaker 1: uh so, and around the whole thing. The whole operation 198 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 1: had some kind of a lot of questions surrounding it. 199 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 1: I mean I threw our I threw around the term 200 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: cult only because this guy was such an imposing character, 201 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: a very care matic you know what I mean. He 202 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: kind of had the folks, these volunteers almost under his sway. 203 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: And just a little bit of backstory. His name originally 204 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: was Valerian Johannes Paizinski. He was from Poland. That's about 205 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:16,079 Speaker 1: all we know about his background. Um, and he likely been, 206 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,080 Speaker 1: uh you were saying, changed his name to Captain Walter 207 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: wonder Well because he wanted something a little less Polish sounding, 208 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: a little more American dream kind of sounding right right exactly, 209 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 1: and you know it worked, that's right. The wonder Well 210 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: name was something that maybe lost to a lot of 211 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: us today, but back in the twenties, people were very 212 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:42,079 Speaker 1: well aware of it. These were international celebrities. And Aloha 213 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: actually took that name because her mother, when she found 214 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: out that she was going to go on this tour, Um, 215 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: she wasn't super happy about it and didn't want people 216 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: thinking that her daughter was traveling in the company of 217 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: a man or something like that. I don't know it 218 00:13:56,280 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 1: was married, married man exactly. Um. So he uh. She 219 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:04,560 Speaker 1: had him declare Aloha his ward, which isn't really a 220 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 1: thing we do anymore. The idea of having award, which 221 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 1: is like what Robin was on Batman. He was was 222 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 1: Bruce Wayne's ward and then for a while they were 223 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: called proteges, which also sounds scheduled, the odd concept. I 224 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: mean basically, does it mean like you kind of adopt somebody. Yeah, 225 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 1: you're like you're like a full time mentor. That's what 226 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: award is. So Also, if someone's parents died, for instance, 227 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 1: and they were under the care of their uncle or 228 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: not their aunt, then they would be the ward of 229 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: that person. So yeah, words are not a not a 230 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: thing that happens as often, or at least we don't 231 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: describe it that way. But at the time it was 232 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 1: seen as uh, it was seen as a way to 233 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: be politically or socially correct. But back to the model 234 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: t Ford um Ford really it was this was a 235 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: good deal for Ford because he was really showcasing the 236 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: durability of the mom te and the fact that they 237 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: were easily reparable. Um they were pretty convinced that folks 238 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 1: were doing the expedition that they could find parts to 239 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 1: fix these cars no matter where they were around the world. 240 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:16,400 Speaker 1: They even did things like used kerosene in place of gas, 241 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:21,560 Speaker 1: and they mixed elephant fat with water to make oil, 242 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: and they even took bananas and and squashed them to 243 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: collect grease. To grease down the parts in the engine. 244 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: I gotta say, look, Model t s are not gonna 245 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 1: win races in terms of speed, but I'm on board 246 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: with Dan Trace, who's a preserver of Model ts. He 247 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: he wrote an essay about the expedition. These things are 248 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: super sturdy. We also have to remember just how ubiquitous 249 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: they were and how easy it was to mcgever things 250 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 1: around these vehicles. Uh, wonder Wells team had a Model 251 00:15:56,560 --> 00:16:01,120 Speaker 1: T for nicknamed Little Lizzy. These cars were picked specifically 252 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: for the trip, of course, and they were forced to 253 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 1: make a lot of these on the fly improvisations. Right. 254 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 1: They were in China around the time the country was 255 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 1: struck by a civil war in nineteen four, and they 256 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: had to rely on these unorthodox methods. The kerosene you mentioned, 257 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: the mixing of elephant fat and water for oil, things 258 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: you just couldn't get away with in a modern car. 259 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: And the continent of Africa. They actually had to get livestock, 260 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: oxen and mules to tow their vehicles. And let's take 261 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 1: a second and look at some of the amazing accolades 262 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 1: that Aloha wonder Well racked up during her time. So 263 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: she was taken captive by bandits by ne'er do Wells 264 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: near the Great Wall of China, and she managed to 265 00:16:55,440 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 1: get everybody out of this hostage situation by t seen 266 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 1: the bandits how to make machine gun nests and then 267 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:07,119 Speaker 1: teaching them how to use automatic weapons. Did she know 268 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: all that? She just learned it from just being scrappy 269 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: and just like you know, traveling around. Well, there is 270 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: a rumor that she joined the French Foreign Legion disguised 271 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 1: as a dude, because even now the French Foreign Legion 272 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: doesn't allow female members. She is suspected to have fought 273 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: in desert warfare, So yeah, she definitely. We do know 274 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: for sure that she was made an honorary colonel in 275 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: the Siberian Army, right, so we know that she probably 276 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:40,400 Speaker 1: did have some sort of, if not military experience, familiarity 277 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 1: with military tactics and firearms and so on. This is 278 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: a silly question, man, I mean, like, for the portions 279 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: of the trip that required crossing the ocean, I guess 280 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: they loaded all the cars up onto some kind of freighter. 281 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:54,720 Speaker 1: Well one would assume, right, because model ts are a 282 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:58,360 Speaker 1: lot of things, but they're not seaworthy. True, So uh 283 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: that we also know that Cap wonder well bought a craft, 284 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:06,120 Speaker 1: bought a bought a boat, a ship called the Karma 285 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: with a C C A R M A uh Ford 286 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:15,679 Speaker 1: bucks at some point. And this this was not an 287 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: impressive boat. He was also I gotta say, man, I know, 288 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: I keep going back to it, but he was. He 289 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,399 Speaker 1: was pretty sketchy, right. He fell in love with a 290 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: Loha while they were on while they were in the 291 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:34,479 Speaker 1: middle of this expedition, and they married in n But 292 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 1: if you look back at that Atlas Obscura article, uh 293 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 1: that you mentioned earlier, you'll see that people believe the 294 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:46,200 Speaker 1: marriage may have been a marriage of convenience, a way 295 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:50,399 Speaker 1: of stopping the FBI from arresting Cap, who was still 296 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 1: like they put him in jail for a second, thank you, 297 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: as German spy, and they let him go, but they 298 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: always still suspected that he might be associated with spycraft. Uh. 299 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 1: They in to arrest him on trafficking charges because we 300 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:08,240 Speaker 1: have to remember this time human trafficking Aloha, trafficking Aloha 301 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 1: because at this time she's still a teenager. Right. So 302 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 1: as soon as they got back in the US, Cap 303 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: got a divorce, they got married and they both walked 304 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: away Scott free. Yeah, and they spent a lot of 305 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: time continuing to travel after having two kids together, Nile 306 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,959 Speaker 1: and Valerie. They went to places like Cuba and South Africa, 307 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 1: and Aloha kept rolling her camera. Um, and that included 308 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: some really important films of the indigenous Borrero people of Brazil. 309 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,879 Speaker 1: And she kind of got a little bit of a 310 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 1: bad rap because of her association with uh Captain Wonderwell, 311 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:49,120 Speaker 1: because he was seen as kind of a little bit 312 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 1: sketchy still and and not really the most upstanding citizen 313 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: and was kind of seen as a bit of a 314 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: con man right right, a smooth talk or real glad 315 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 1: hand er. This is where this story takes a true 316 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:15,159 Speaker 1: crime turn. On December five, the day before the wonder 317 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: Wells are going to make another trip to South America, 318 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: Captain Walter wonder Well is shot fatally in the back 319 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 1: by an unidentified assassin. This murder happens on his boat 320 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:34,159 Speaker 1: on the Karma. It's anchored near Long Beach, California, and 321 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 1: right away the police have two very clear suspects, William 322 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:43,880 Speaker 1: James Guy and Edward Eugene Fernando Montague, who is also 323 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 1: the son of the Duke of Manchester. That's that's such 324 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,199 Speaker 1: an extra name that sounds like a character and clue 325 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 1: it totally does. It's fantastic. But he he ends up 326 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: slipping the noose and William James Guy is actually charged 327 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: for the murder and tried and his court case is 328 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: a real fiasco. That's true. This was also sort of 329 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,680 Speaker 1: a there was a legal case, but there was also 330 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:09,359 Speaker 1: a court of public opinion case, and a lot of 331 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: people say that the fact that guy was a handsome 332 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:16,920 Speaker 1: person and the fact that he he kind of had 333 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: a cool vibe. William James Guy was this sort of 334 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 1: dude you would sit down and grab a beer with 335 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:27,680 Speaker 1: or something, so people will say that his wonderful bedside 336 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 1: manner swayed the jury during his trial and led to 337 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 1: him eventually being acquitted. It also did not help that 338 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: Walter wonder Well was a known shadester. I'm gonna I 339 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: think that's a good word. I'm gonna point that he 340 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: was a known shadester, a womanizer and beyond a divisive figure. 341 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 1: A lot of people thought this guy was a criminal. 342 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 1: And guy was actually a member of that expedition uh 343 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: in wonder Wall's crew one to South Africa and he 344 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 1: was not a fan of Walter all. He claimed that 345 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: he had swindled him out of money and had actually 346 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 1: single handedly destroyed his marriage. And there appears to be 347 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: more than a dollar of truth to that. Back to Aloha, 348 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,719 Speaker 1: so law enforcement never names her as a suspect in 349 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,879 Speaker 1: the murder, but they do think she is behaving in 350 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: an odd way, so odd like she to the police. 351 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: At least, she did not seem like a distraught widow. 352 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 1: She did not seem as upset as they thought she 353 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: would be, and this left a bad mark on her character. 354 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:40,439 Speaker 1: In the press, people started referring to her as the 355 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 1: Rhinestone widow. A year after capps death, Aloha marys a 356 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: guy named Walter Baker. He is a former cameraman. He 357 00:22:50,320 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 1: helped wonder Well start Wawak. This is the thing. The 358 00:22:55,400 --> 00:23:02,080 Speaker 1: press goes nuts and bananas over this second marriage, with 359 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:06,480 Speaker 1: Aloha only waiting a year after her first husband's death. 360 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 1: But they brushed it off jay Z style. You know, 361 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,120 Speaker 1: they got the dirt off their shoulder. They continued traveling 362 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 1: around the world. They were always filming stuff. They were lecturing, 363 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: you know, they were doing like a Ted Talk kind 364 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: of thing. And they went to New Zealand, Hawaii, Australia, Cambodia, India, 365 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:30,600 Speaker 1: and more more places. Eventually, like many world adventurers do, 366 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,639 Speaker 1: they settled down in Cincinnati. Yeah, and that's more or 367 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:35,640 Speaker 1: less where the story ends, at least as far as 368 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: her travels are concerned. Um. She passed away at the 369 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:41,760 Speaker 1: age of ninety uh and the crazy thing as as 370 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:43,960 Speaker 1: as as well known as she was at the time, 371 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 1: as we said at the top of the show, neither 372 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: one of us, I don't believe it, heard of this 373 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 1: story before. She's referred to as like the Amelia Earhart 374 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 1: of the automobile. She was one of the most well 375 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: traveled women, um in the world really at the time. Yeah, 376 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 1: and you can see a lot of her work in 377 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:08,000 Speaker 1: various museums today because she was alive until what six 378 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 1: She was alive at the same time a lot of 379 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:14,880 Speaker 1: us listening were alive, which I think I think is amazing. 380 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:19,199 Speaker 1: According to Richard Diamond, who has wonder Well's grandson, she 381 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:24,119 Speaker 1: has been sort of this open secret for years to 382 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 1: history buffs. She also kept exceptional records and scrapbooks and 383 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: diaries and journals and gathered, as we said, all this 384 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: amazing video and audio footage. Some of her work is 385 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: in the Smithsonian the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and 386 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 1: Sciences film Archive. She also submitted her documentary Car and 387 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: Camera Around the World to Henry Ford. But maybe this 388 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: is one of the reasons it's not more well known. 389 00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: Henry Ford looked at it and he said, a little Lizzie, 390 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 1: the nickname of the model t again wasn't important enough 391 00:25:04,760 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 1: to be showcased in the World War two effort because 392 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: it was going to be sort of a propagandistic pr thing, right. 393 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:15,880 Speaker 1: I think they ended up having destroyed it. Yep. And 394 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 1: you can still find her book today. If you'd like 395 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 1: to learn more about Aloha, you can find her book 396 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: Call to Adventure on Amazon. Oh. Also, her grandson Mr 397 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 1: Diamond made a Twitter account for her, which I think 398 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:30,680 Speaker 1: is delightful. It really is, and I want to point 399 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: out to that she was also alive the year the 400 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 1: Oasis smash hit wonder Wall came out. Nice call back there, man, 401 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:42,639 Speaker 1: I think you brought that around really well. And I 402 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 1: don't think we mentioned I think we teased at the 403 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:45,199 Speaker 1: top of the show. We don't know a whole hell 404 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:46,680 Speaker 1: of a lot about this other than that It's true 405 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:50,160 Speaker 1: that she existed, but she had a pet monkey named 406 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:56,160 Speaker 1: Chango during all of these adventures. Uh, and that's just delightful. Yes. Yeah. 407 00:25:56,280 --> 00:26:00,400 Speaker 1: You can see a picture of her and Walter and 408 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:06,639 Speaker 1: Chaango from nineteen four in China. It's on the Twitter feed. 409 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,639 Speaker 1: So a life well lived. I don't know about you, guys, 410 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:12,639 Speaker 1: but I am a fan of road trips and taking 411 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: this to the nth degree is a personal dream of mine. 412 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 1: We hope you enjoyed today's episode. Let us know about 413 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:23,919 Speaker 1: the most epic road trip you've ever taken. Where's the 414 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: weirdest place you ended up? You can find us on Facebook. 415 00:26:27,800 --> 00:26:30,199 Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter. You can find us 416 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:34,159 Speaker 1: on Instagram, not just as a show, but as individuals, 417 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:36,359 Speaker 1: so you can catch up with our own travels on 418 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,520 Speaker 1: our personal instagrams. You can find me at how Now 419 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: Noel Brown and you can find me at Ben Bolan 420 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 1: on Instagram, where at Ben Bolan hs W on Twitter. Man, 421 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 1: here we are in the studio, and back in the twenties, 422 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:54,440 Speaker 1: people were like making elephant fat into oil and driving 423 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,919 Speaker 1: through you know, the hinterlands of the world. Pretty exciting stuff. 424 00:26:57,920 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 1: Back not to say that you're not a pretty well 425 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 1: trapped gentlemen yourself, sir, I get kicked into and out 426 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 1: of a lot of places, So you say so, You 427 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 1: say so. Huge. Thanks to super producer Casey Pagram for 428 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 1: being our travel buddy, uh and podcast Land at least um. 429 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: Thanks to Alex Williams, who composed our theme. Thanks to 430 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: Christopher Haciota is here in spirit. Thanks to Ryan Embarrish 431 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 1: and Gabe Lousier, our research associates. Tonight, I thought it 432 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:26,480 Speaker 1: was awesome to have Ryan on the show. We've got 433 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: to have him back sometime soon. What do you say? Yeah, 434 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,560 Speaker 1: I have a feeling that's gonna happen week week. Nuch nuche. 435 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: We'll see next time, Folks. For more podcasts for my 436 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:46,160 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, 437 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:48,439 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.