On Tuesday evening
Aras Baskauskas won Survivor Exile Island by five votes to two after the jury decided he was a better bet than Danielle to give the million bucks to.
I caught up with him after it unfolded to drill him on his Yoga rubbish and he’s
so Cape Town you have no idea.
He sounded as if he’d just woken up two seconds before we started chatting and I could literally see his bed-head (think worse than it was on the show) - his voice was morning-crackly and got only marginally less so the more we spoke. As you’ll see from what he has to say he should be living in sandals, hanging around Table Mountain with a full-time spliff.
He should actually be arriving in Cape Town verry soon. He’s coming through for a visit so if you’re a Capetonian keep a lookout for him in the places he flakes out in and be sure to torment him by asking why he hasn’t paid tax on his cash.
Tashi: Many congratulations on being Sole Survivor! Does it feel different than you were before?
Aras: No, it doesn’t. It still feels like some amazing dream. My bank account still amazes me.
Tashi: What’s up with all the Yoga?
Aras: It’s just had a profound impact on my life. It’s such a beautiful practice. I found it and I love it.
Tashi: Have you seen Penn and Teller’s take on it?
Aras: I have not.
Tashi: In their show (a US show called Bullshit) they argue that Yoga is nothing more than stretching exercises and that people are so drawn to it ‘cos they don't feel guilty about spending time on themselves. What do you think?
Aras: I think there are other interpretations of it that are more empowering than that. Each to their own.
Tashi: What’s the impact it’s had on you?
Aras: Yoga is much more than just a physical practice, it’s a complete system. It’s thousands and thousands of years old. The end goal of all Yoga is bliss and anytime you have a system that’s designed to get you to happiness … how could it not be amazing?
Tashi: You spent time living in Cape Town and you ran a Yoga studio here - when was that?
Aras: That was in January, 2005. It was in Kloof Street in Cape Town. I was there for five months.
Tashi: Why did you decide to come here?
Aras: I came for an adventure. My buddy who lives in Cape Town called me and said: “Why don’t you come down and visit?” and I said “Sure, I’ll come.”
All I was doing in LA was Yoga and someone asked me to teach them. I’d never taught before so I said “Sure,” and I realised I had a knack and started teaching.
When got to Cape Town, I found a room, rented it and started giving classes. My first class was pretty empty and very quickly it started to get packed. It was a beautiful thing - the energy was amazing, it was just meant to be I guess.
Tashi: So why did you only stay for five months?
Aras: My visitors visa was up.
Tashi: So what did you actually do and get up to here to have a good time. Unless you go up the mountain or go swimming there’s nothing to do.
Aras: Yeah, I climbed Lion’s Head a lot and I met a friend from Guguletu and we would just go around and explore the museums and townships and Camps Bay.
Tashi: What was your fave place?
Aras: Mizoli’s in Guguletu. It’s a restaurant - like a barbeque type place - you guys call it a braai, ha. I also hung out with people from Storm models - I was friends with all the guys and girls from there. They came to my Yoga classes.
Tashi: We assume that you’ve paid all the tax on your million?
Aras: Yeah, yeah, I’m definitely taking care of the taxes.
Tashi: So what did you do with the rest? From the sounds of it it’s still in your bank account?
Aras: No, I actually invested a large sum of it in my internet business
Tundragear.com and that’s exploded.
Tashi: What is it?
Aras: It’s a hat company that sells winter hats.
Tashi: Beanie’s and stuff?
Aras: No, like fashion Russian hats with fake fur in different colours.
Tashi: How’d you get from Yoga to hats??
Aras: My dad has been selling winter hats for 13 years and when I was in business school I did a big project on my dad’s company. When I got home from Cape Town that’s what I started doing. I had to pump a lot of money into it and it’s been amazing.
Tashi: Considering the fact that Danielle had been in Casaya - would you have stuck with your alliance and voted for her if the final two had come down to her and Terry?
Aras: No way. There’s no way I would have voted for Danielle ‘cos she would have sold me out. It wasn’t very clear in the episode but we had a very strong pact that she was wavering on.
The day we did the final challenge, when I jumped in the water - I said: “Danielle?” and she nodded and said: “Yeah,” so if she’d sold me out there’s no ways I would have voted for her.
Tashi: And if she’d gotten into the final two position with Terry without all that - if you’d fallen out of the challenge without the nod etc?
Aras: Yeah, then I’d have voted for her. Once we had that pact that she would take me to the end, there’s no way I would have voted for her if she’d gone with Terry in any way. Then I would have voted on who I genuinely thought did more there and Terry was pretty amazing.
Tashi: If you hadn’t been in it and had simply been watching the show - who would you have wanted to win?
Aras: Cirie. Definitely Cirie - or Terry. Watching the show - honestly, out there I didn’t like Terry but now, let me just tell you I love him and if I was watching I would have totally wanted Terry to win.
Tashi: There was a lot of talk about you being disrespectful - espesh when you said he’d badmouthed women when he didn’t. When you saw it, did you agree that you were?
Aras: Let’s just say that I apologised ‘cos it’s never nice to say bad things about somebody and it wasn’t necessarily my choice to say them. I’ll leave it at that.
Tashi: Did you know Terry had the Immunity Idol?
Aras: No, I didn’t know he had it until I got to Exile Island the second time. He hadn’t taken a clue - if he didn’t have the Idol he would have taken a clue to look for it.
Tashi: Do you think he could have gotten further if he’d used it differently? Could he have gotten himself to the final two with it?
Aras: Yeah definitely. If he’d given Danielle the Immunity Idol before - forced a situation where her and Cirie didn’t have to do the fire challenge. I think he would have defnitely made it to the final two then.
Tashi: But do you think Danielle would have stayed loyal to him? At the moment of it happening I also thought that but then when she chose you at the end because she thought she had a better chance – she might have done the exact same thing.
Aras: Yeah, it’s hard to tell what she would have done. She played a great game, she’s a really interesting lady and everyone uses a different pact to approach their own integrity ( me: ha!) but she definitely had no interest in keeping her word. That’s an okay way to play.
Tashi: When you told the jury that your worst move was breaking your alliance with Shane - did you just say that to get his vote?
Aras: In terms of strategy it was a perfect move but what I was trying to say was that - they never showed this - but Shane was gonna sell me out. I just found out about it and took action.
At the same time, we had a pretty genuine relationship out there and I could have just said: “Hey Shane. I’m voting you off. I hear you’re gonna sell me out and I’m gonna call you on it.” But I didn’t.
For me, in my own psychological babble, it didn’t sit well with me and that was what bothered me about my gameplay.
Tashi: Throughout the course of the show you received nine tribal council votes which is the largest number of votes any winner’s ever received across seasons. How do you feel about that?
Aras: I think it’s kind of an honour that I was able to stay and face the fire and still make it through. After the merge my ass was on the chopping block at every Tribal Council.
I don’t think any season’s had a tribe stick together like Casaya did and La Mina was trying to take me out the whole time. Once our six got down to seven with Terry, every alliance he made tried to take me out. I guess it’s just a testiment to how lucky I got.
Tashi: Who out of everyone do you think was most accurately portrayed on the show?
Aras: Cirie was pretty dang accurate - she was amazing out there. Sally was pretty amazing. Those are the two that come to mind right away.
Tashi: Was there anyone who wasn’t portrayed as they were?
Aras: Here’s the thing, everything that happened out there happened - there was just a lot of other things happened. I didn’t think that I was necessarily accurately portrayed because they never showed all the leadership that happened from me and how much I provided for my team and how much of a calming influence I was.
What they did show was all the petty fights I got into. At the same time I did get into altercations with Bruce and Terry - so it’s accurate as well.
Shane got a pretty interesting edit. He really was crazy but he’s also a very lovable guy. He was very entertaining and so nice to have around. He lives in LA so we’re friends and he is crazy but when he has his coffee and cigarettes he’s sane and has about a five minute window of sanity.
Tashi: So he’s smoking again obviously.
Aras: Oh yeah, he’s back on the cigarettes.
Tashi: Who’s your fave Survivor of all time from every season there’s ever been?
Aras: Let’s see, I think my favourite Survivor, excluding myself would have to be Cirie. She’s the person who I thought was the most herself and adept at gameplay. The fact she got as far as she did - I don’t think anyone in their right mind thought she was gonna get to the final four.
Tashi: Ja, none of you began to realise all the skulldugggery and sneakiness she had going on.
Aras: Exactly.
Tashi: What are you gonna be doing next after we’ve spoken?
Aras: I’m gonna go and do some Yoga.
Ends