well.. first things first.. I just got the good news, that my bike is running fine again and it completely makes my day! (going out tonight might be a surplus ;) hehe ;) the only thing about is.. was not BMW to blame but me :P ..when I asked, what was the problem, he hold me my improvised battery cable in front of my face and I was not too surprised.. good it was just that.. bad, I could have fixed it by myself (having caused the error anyway in first place), by checking the battery.. but just checked the panel, because I thought that the alternator would close the electric circuit while running, so the battery can`t be the problem.. well.. seems it was, but so in just 10-20% of the time, I was actually worrying about the problem, it has been fixed and inclusive washing and checking tyres and brakes and chaintension, was just about 65 bucks.. not too much for a BMW dealership ;) now I have to change oil and filter, but this better on my own, because a lot cheaper not buying the original BMW oil and so on.. will do that tomorrow.
and for having passed by at the shop, I got now a ride-worthy track from here to Bolivia, while the helpful girl (also biker) working there was telling me, what NOT to miss in Argentina ;) :) ..it`s quite a lot, so I can have another 14 full days of riding (guesstimated) and for making some stops, will be busy for another little while here ;) ..and if it`s true and bike working fine as before, I will enjoy all the dirtroads and little tracks and being the dragonrider again! :D
so much about my bike..
then I really went hiking.. managed to make that 3-day hike in just 2 days with going to all sightseeing spots ;) I was destroyed afterwards!! and still feel the challenge, but enjoyed!! it`s not scenic all the way, but nice forests to walk through and quite some climp to the glacier! :) ..also had a bottle of wine for each day and had great fun!!! ;D (..my mom taught me: "wasser macht weise und froehlich der wein, drum trinke sie beide um beides zu sein!".. I call it walk`n`wine ;) there will be some pictures of that hike! :)
meeting people here, some think, I`m from chile (what makes me proud of my appearently not too strong accent ;) and others congratulate me to my bad-ass trip :) ..but actually, I was not too much in talking about that.. I don`t know.. if you travel for so long, you really do it for yourself. So what else than "holy shit" would I expect to hear, if I tell somebody that I made it from Alaska to here on two wheels? ;) (it`s also what I say to myself, but I`m facing now another turn around of this trip.. that it`s ending soon :( so I need new ideas and destinies (probably Brazil with backpack ;) to not just give up my traveling spirit! ;)
by the way, the sleepy was well worth the 10 USD, because it held me perfectly comfy and warm! and I met some nice poeple at the mountain-refuge.. life is pretty simple there, but the owners make home made bread and artesanal beer and I was happy to find shelter and food after a very long day of walking!
down in town I went to some magical-garden, where the Merlin and the Unicorn were the most impressive things, while the fairies should have looked cuter and most of the critters were some kind of goblin, but more hobbit and I missed a Minotour and a Griffin in an epic battle! ;) hehe ;) ..so don`t go.. not really worth the 5 USD entry.
then there is a big market with hand-made stuff.. really beautiful things!! but for not having space and even less purpose for that stuff, I didn`t get anything. Probably not the cheapest place to buy it anyway ;)
met some other jewelry-selling travelers from Argentina and even if I say, I could also travel with selling this stuff, I actually think I really don`t want to do that! :/ I`ve chosen my path.. but living with nothing on the street is not the experience, I want to make soon. Some people may just see the world and live a humble life, but others may get pretty much oportunists and when I gave more than 50% of the money he needed for a beer and he asked me for more, I didn`t have a lot of compassion and felt pitty for his miserable life, where he can`t even drink a beer when he desires.. but anyway.. it`s interesting to make different experiences with different people and in the end, I wasn`t better, because also got pretty bored being around these folks..
then a beautiful ride from El Bolson to Piedra de los Aguilas.. and because I started late, got the nice sunset-light for riding, but got also pretty cold and was soooo happy to have found a place to stay for the night. Had a super tasty, exquisit piece of meet and half a jar of house made red wine and it was the very taste, I was missing, since I left Argentina years ago! :)
then today there were 300km not very spectacular scenery.. and could have saved it by connecting that battery cable in the first place ;) but now I know bike is all fine and got ideas where to drive through.. so taking off from here very soon with lots of desires for riding!!! :D
okay.. heading out for party! :)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
..end of the road..
at least for me ;)
..I reached "El Bolson" and from here, I will turn around and make my way back to Bolivia..
well.. today was such an awesome, incredible day.. I felt, I could continue for another while ;) hehe ;) yes, I know, lot`s of changes.. but when I started this morning, it was cold and foggy in Chile and I had another time the idea, it could clear up on the other side (seemed improbable), and it actually did!!! :D just after passing the Chilean part and climbing a bit higher in the mountains (there are 40km between the two control posts), it cleared up and blue sky got visible and I had a great ride with just perfect temperatures!! :D I`ve also seen as many motorbike-travelers as on the whole way down (friendly greeting each other) and it made me feel real good again!! while there are many (hundreds every year crossing that pass I bet), I was the one that was riding on my own.. :D it went all through my mind again.. the whole trip, so long, so epic, so many kilometers driven and so many things seen and done and felt and experienced.. yes, truely the best two years of my life! (up to now ;) hehe ;) then also the landscape turned into that, what I expected when I wanted to drive through Patagonia.. down here the nature and the smells remind me Alaska and Canada again :) ..the whole ambient turned less hostile here in Argentina ;) not only the weather, but also no pollums in the air.. makes riding even more pleasant!! :D
then had still some problems today with the bike, but made it down here and got a dealership adress on the way up.. I`ve seen so many BMWs today, there must be some shops around ;) hehe ;)
also seen many bicycle riders.. tough guys.. it`s good exercise, but since I started in Alaska, I`d never have changed my BMW for a pushbike ;) just takes forever and I needed the time to make some stops and accomplish some projects.
getting into Argentina was a piece of cake! :) there are so many bikes crossing that boarder, it was more than routine for the guy.. didn`t even check my frame number ;)
So I want to take some pictures riding north.. I passed mountains, forests, lakes.. very Swiss-like ;) I hope I get many more of these days (well.. can`t complain.. even having had some rough hours, I also had plenty of nice riding hours! :)
so then getting here found a place for 20 USD with breakfast (bearable) and got plans for the next 2-3 days.. will be hiking in the mountains and stay in mountain-shelters (hostals), so don`t need so much water and food and tent.. the good thing is, they charge just 12.5 USD a night (so really cheep), but the sleepy rental of the outdoor shop here is 10 USD a day :( so it`s not so cheap in the end.. I thought, should have just taken sheets and blankets from my hostal down here (they have matress to sleep on) would have been cheaper :P but anyway.. payable. the very one expense for doing such things without having them planned out (and I don`t regret I haven`t brought my camping gear from Honduras down to save the 20 bucks ;) but I`m sure after 5 days buying it is cheaper ;) ..if it would be astronaut-space-super-small-and-light.. but nah.. just a regular sleepy :P
so well.. tomorrow hiking action and then 2000km north. Bought a good map here.. gas is cheaper (still.. a bit more than 1USD/ltr) and food seems also to be very tasty (and loooooots of meat!! :D HARR!! looking forward to that!
that`s it.. getting my shopping done and packing for tomorrow and then into the nature again! :D
hear from me soon!
..I reached "El Bolson" and from here, I will turn around and make my way back to Bolivia..
well.. today was such an awesome, incredible day.. I felt, I could continue for another while ;) hehe ;) yes, I know, lot`s of changes.. but when I started this morning, it was cold and foggy in Chile and I had another time the idea, it could clear up on the other side (seemed improbable), and it actually did!!! :D just after passing the Chilean part and climbing a bit higher in the mountains (there are 40km between the two control posts), it cleared up and blue sky got visible and I had a great ride with just perfect temperatures!! :D I`ve also seen as many motorbike-travelers as on the whole way down (friendly greeting each other) and it made me feel real good again!! while there are many (hundreds every year crossing that pass I bet), I was the one that was riding on my own.. :D it went all through my mind again.. the whole trip, so long, so epic, so many kilometers driven and so many things seen and done and felt and experienced.. yes, truely the best two years of my life! (up to now ;) hehe ;) then also the landscape turned into that, what I expected when I wanted to drive through Patagonia.. down here the nature and the smells remind me Alaska and Canada again :) ..the whole ambient turned less hostile here in Argentina ;) not only the weather, but also no pollums in the air.. makes riding even more pleasant!! :D
then had still some problems today with the bike, but made it down here and got a dealership adress on the way up.. I`ve seen so many BMWs today, there must be some shops around ;) hehe ;)
also seen many bicycle riders.. tough guys.. it`s good exercise, but since I started in Alaska, I`d never have changed my BMW for a pushbike ;) just takes forever and I needed the time to make some stops and accomplish some projects.
getting into Argentina was a piece of cake! :) there are so many bikes crossing that boarder, it was more than routine for the guy.. didn`t even check my frame number ;)
So I want to take some pictures riding north.. I passed mountains, forests, lakes.. very Swiss-like ;) I hope I get many more of these days (well.. can`t complain.. even having had some rough hours, I also had plenty of nice riding hours! :)
so then getting here found a place for 20 USD with breakfast (bearable) and got plans for the next 2-3 days.. will be hiking in the mountains and stay in mountain-shelters (hostals), so don`t need so much water and food and tent.. the good thing is, they charge just 12.5 USD a night (so really cheep), but the sleepy rental of the outdoor shop here is 10 USD a day :( so it`s not so cheap in the end.. I thought, should have just taken sheets and blankets from my hostal down here (they have matress to sleep on) would have been cheaper :P but anyway.. payable. the very one expense for doing such things without having them planned out (and I don`t regret I haven`t brought my camping gear from Honduras down to save the 20 bucks ;) but I`m sure after 5 days buying it is cheaper ;) ..if it would be astronaut-space-super-small-and-light.. but nah.. just a regular sleepy :P
so well.. tomorrow hiking action and then 2000km north. Bought a good map here.. gas is cheaper (still.. a bit more than 1USD/ltr) and food seems also to be very tasty (and loooooots of meat!! :D HARR!! looking forward to that!
that`s it.. getting my shopping done and packing for tomorrow and then into the nature again! :D
hear from me soon!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
..climbing volcanos and dealing with technical issues..
okay.. In the meantime, I already got close to the boarder to Argentina and here is why:
so I made my way towards that volcano..landscape is quite pretty down here! :) there are plains with cows on it, trees, and lots of yellow, dry weed, that gives me the worst hay-fever since I can´t imagine ;) ..riding with 80km/h I get 10 times the ammount of stuff in my eyes and nose and they are tearing and running.. but anyway.. survived and when it got too bad, I still put my skydiving goggles on, they seal around. (and driving with open viser just has to be! ;)
got sidetracked in Temuco (wanted to drive around, but who does understand streetsigns? ;) I also made it there nicely and found a place to stay for 20 dollars a night, breakfast included (I think they had homemade bread and jam and was tasty food! :) ..in general, I eat really good lately! the trick is to go for a menu they have, that´s mostly cheap and is way healthier than a hot-dog or a burger ;)
so I got everything ready for the next day (big day! ;) and got a good sleep.. got up early and when I was on the way to the volcano, I got problems with the bike :( ..well.. since my fan-failure, this is the nastiest bug I´m fighting with, but I´ll handle it as usual..
so the problem is that bumps (shaking) makes the engine turn off :( restarts quickly, but then the RPM are displayed wrongly.. was pretty stressful to get out of there (well.. I decided to drive all the way in anyway and not let go of my plan to climb the volcano ;)
so this is very I stand.. had a stressful drive out of that national park yesterday, took then some things apart in the late afternoon and couldn´t find anything.. there must be a loose contact or a broken print or something creating a short-circuit for a milisecond.. no idea what it is and for it´s sporadically, it´s hard to say..
so a message to all emails of BMW-dealerships I got on this continent has been sent out and I´m ready for whatever it takes to get back to Bolivia.. fix the bike and sell it there.
This morning I decided to drive down to Osorno and a bit further to the Argentinian boarder. driving to Santiago to the dealership would have taken longer than taking the only paved pass down here. So my wondering about where to go and what rout to take has been ended.. I simply can´t drive any unpaved roads having the bike with this issue and I also feel that I got to the end of my trip..
yes.. that´s another thought I had lately.. soon, I´ll have ridden over 50´000km on that bike and it´s a good stretch.. if it´s not 24 month, I can live with that :) ..I´m not a hardcore-fullon-biker and for being a traveler in this world, was pretty amazing what I´ve done, even if it was just from almost the top to almost the bottom ;)
so tomorrow Argentina.. if bike does (and Route 40 paved down here ;) then going to El Bolson and then driving up to Mendoza, where I can switch to Santiago, if I need urgent repairs (bike failed about 12 times today on the way down here.. so it might just work a bit longer.. *touchingwood*
otherwise I can drive to Buenos Aires or organizing getting it transported to some place..
ahh.. well.. in the end, it will be anecdotes and even if I don´t ask for these experiences, it´s was makes you stronger and better in life ;)
..so there are some thoughts I had lately.. also the plans to stay for another month in NY with my friend have been cancled, because stuff happened also in her life and the universe changes and it seems in the end, that these special gifts of life, these jewels of experiences just come once in your life and better make use of them!! :D
so trying to make my way up, slowly and steadily and make some more holidays in Cochabamba and then simply see, where the wind takes me.. one option is that I get a job and have a date to be back home or then I don´t find a job right away (gives me time) and I check my money and end up finally in Brazil after all, to get my Portugiese better :) was planned, then cancled, no back on table, but not really thinking about it now :)
I´m also finally uploading all my pictures of Chile.. and then maybe later also naming them ;) but for I don´t have been too picky (end of my trip and opening new web-album), it will be a few comments to write :P
..before I forget.. my sunburn is getting better.. just right in time, then carrying a backpack with 5lt of fluid yesterday was not too pleasant ;) but crab-red is changing to something less scary and still no skin fallen off ;)
then my reward for the bike-issues: climbing up that volcano LLaiman.. well.. at lest I tried ;) because first I got into some canyon that didn´t have any exit.. I ended up in a place where constant winds break out stones of the wall (blowing sand away until rocks fall out of the wall). Every five minutes a chunk comes down that would know you out :P so I was careful and also left the place quickly, climbing back to where I came and cutting over somewhere, where there were little flags to mark the path ;)
it was still enough challenging to find a way and stay on track. went then up to the hill next to the volcano (was higher than all the mountains around --> the view from the volcano must be INCREDIBLE!!! :D but anyway.. would have taken more equipment and a helmet and some more experience that I have to climb the peak (this became clear to me when the parkrangers instructed me about reaching the top).
but I couldn´t complain about the view I had from this outpost.. then saw a group of people going down another way and decided to persuade them ;) to also go back on another way.. I felt like walking a long distance, but when I´ve seen the path on a map, it was so super small.. one of the shortest hikes you could make probably ;) and there would be some really good long day hikes with wonderful panoramic view! :)
well.. for having had my hiking day and having enough trouble with my bike, I didn´t spend too much time there. ..might have been worth to pass closer the volcano in Villarica, but in the morning I had fog and it was pretty cold until almost noon.. could change clothes, but then I´m too lazy for it and hope for a sudden change! ;)
..changing weather this season down here is also a reason for not going until Punta Arenas all the way down ;) I´m sure it´s super beautiful down there, but it´s not too accessible and stranding with my bike out in nowhere is not what I´m looking for ;) hehe ;)
so I would gladly change a mountain of Switzerland for a volcano (inactive one of course ;) hehe ;) because was really nice to hike it! it´s as it would be a snowy surface, but you have more grip, but it´s soft and makes the same noise walking on it (about as eating choco-pops ;) and depending on the steepness you chose, you walk on two or four legs :)
then you can run down the slope and even if there are just rocks laying around, they have different colors and are all lighter than normal rocks, because of all the air inside.
So I enjoyed the day!! hiking up to some high look-out point and then going down to where the forest starts and walking through the trees (own flora down here/around volcano) and no people to meet during the whole day! (as I love it!!!! :D just some small points moving in the very far distant.. much better than being with a guide and a group on the volcano in Villarica.. it´s more touristy as I heard, so I think I made the right pick! :)
okay.. pic-upload is done and I´m logging out after more than 2 hours internet :P ..well, had some things to do and will enjoy a easy night in my little room with TV and cable and private bath for just 25 USD :) ..everything is cheaper down here.. even beer just costs half the price as in Santiago..
so I made my way towards that volcano..landscape is quite pretty down here! :) there are plains with cows on it, trees, and lots of yellow, dry weed, that gives me the worst hay-fever since I can´t imagine ;) ..riding with 80km/h I get 10 times the ammount of stuff in my eyes and nose and they are tearing and running.. but anyway.. survived and when it got too bad, I still put my skydiving goggles on, they seal around. (and driving with open viser just has to be! ;)
got sidetracked in Temuco (wanted to drive around, but who does understand streetsigns? ;) I also made it there nicely and found a place to stay for 20 dollars a night, breakfast included (I think they had homemade bread and jam and was tasty food! :) ..in general, I eat really good lately! the trick is to go for a menu they have, that´s mostly cheap and is way healthier than a hot-dog or a burger ;)
so I got everything ready for the next day (big day! ;) and got a good sleep.. got up early and when I was on the way to the volcano, I got problems with the bike :( ..well.. since my fan-failure, this is the nastiest bug I´m fighting with, but I´ll handle it as usual..
so the problem is that bumps (shaking) makes the engine turn off :( restarts quickly, but then the RPM are displayed wrongly.. was pretty stressful to get out of there (well.. I decided to drive all the way in anyway and not let go of my plan to climb the volcano ;)
so this is very I stand.. had a stressful drive out of that national park yesterday, took then some things apart in the late afternoon and couldn´t find anything.. there must be a loose contact or a broken print or something creating a short-circuit for a milisecond.. no idea what it is and for it´s sporadically, it´s hard to say..
so a message to all emails of BMW-dealerships I got on this continent has been sent out and I´m ready for whatever it takes to get back to Bolivia.. fix the bike and sell it there.
This morning I decided to drive down to Osorno and a bit further to the Argentinian boarder. driving to Santiago to the dealership would have taken longer than taking the only paved pass down here. So my wondering about where to go and what rout to take has been ended.. I simply can´t drive any unpaved roads having the bike with this issue and I also feel that I got to the end of my trip..
yes.. that´s another thought I had lately.. soon, I´ll have ridden over 50´000km on that bike and it´s a good stretch.. if it´s not 24 month, I can live with that :) ..I´m not a hardcore-fullon-biker and for being a traveler in this world, was pretty amazing what I´ve done, even if it was just from almost the top to almost the bottom ;)
so tomorrow Argentina.. if bike does (and Route 40 paved down here ;) then going to El Bolson and then driving up to Mendoza, where I can switch to Santiago, if I need urgent repairs (bike failed about 12 times today on the way down here.. so it might just work a bit longer.. *touchingwood*
otherwise I can drive to Buenos Aires or organizing getting it transported to some place..
ahh.. well.. in the end, it will be anecdotes and even if I don´t ask for these experiences, it´s was makes you stronger and better in life ;)
..so there are some thoughts I had lately.. also the plans to stay for another month in NY with my friend have been cancled, because stuff happened also in her life and the universe changes and it seems in the end, that these special gifts of life, these jewels of experiences just come once in your life and better make use of them!! :D
so trying to make my way up, slowly and steadily and make some more holidays in Cochabamba and then simply see, where the wind takes me.. one option is that I get a job and have a date to be back home or then I don´t find a job right away (gives me time) and I check my money and end up finally in Brazil after all, to get my Portugiese better :) was planned, then cancled, no back on table, but not really thinking about it now :)
I´m also finally uploading all my pictures of Chile.. and then maybe later also naming them ;) but for I don´t have been too picky (end of my trip and opening new web-album), it will be a few comments to write :P
..before I forget.. my sunburn is getting better.. just right in time, then carrying a backpack with 5lt of fluid yesterday was not too pleasant ;) but crab-red is changing to something less scary and still no skin fallen off ;)
then my reward for the bike-issues: climbing up that volcano LLaiman.. well.. at lest I tried ;) because first I got into some canyon that didn´t have any exit.. I ended up in a place where constant winds break out stones of the wall (blowing sand away until rocks fall out of the wall). Every five minutes a chunk comes down that would know you out :P so I was careful and also left the place quickly, climbing back to where I came and cutting over somewhere, where there were little flags to mark the path ;)
it was still enough challenging to find a way and stay on track. went then up to the hill next to the volcano (was higher than all the mountains around --> the view from the volcano must be INCREDIBLE!!! :D but anyway.. would have taken more equipment and a helmet and some more experience that I have to climb the peak (this became clear to me when the parkrangers instructed me about reaching the top).
but I couldn´t complain about the view I had from this outpost.. then saw a group of people going down another way and decided to persuade them ;) to also go back on another way.. I felt like walking a long distance, but when I´ve seen the path on a map, it was so super small.. one of the shortest hikes you could make probably ;) and there would be some really good long day hikes with wonderful panoramic view! :)
well.. for having had my hiking day and having enough trouble with my bike, I didn´t spend too much time there. ..might have been worth to pass closer the volcano in Villarica, but in the morning I had fog and it was pretty cold until almost noon.. could change clothes, but then I´m too lazy for it and hope for a sudden change! ;)
..changing weather this season down here is also a reason for not going until Punta Arenas all the way down ;) I´m sure it´s super beautiful down there, but it´s not too accessible and stranding with my bike out in nowhere is not what I´m looking for ;) hehe ;)
so I would gladly change a mountain of Switzerland for a volcano (inactive one of course ;) hehe ;) because was really nice to hike it! it´s as it would be a snowy surface, but you have more grip, but it´s soft and makes the same noise walking on it (about as eating choco-pops ;) and depending on the steepness you chose, you walk on two or four legs :)
then you can run down the slope and even if there are just rocks laying around, they have different colors and are all lighter than normal rocks, because of all the air inside.
So I enjoyed the day!! hiking up to some high look-out point and then going down to where the forest starts and walking through the trees (own flora down here/around volcano) and no people to meet during the whole day! (as I love it!!!! :D just some small points moving in the very far distant.. much better than being with a guide and a group on the volcano in Villarica.. it´s more touristy as I heard, so I think I made the right pick! :)
okay.. pic-upload is done and I´m logging out after more than 2 hours internet :P ..well, had some things to do and will enjoy a easy night in my little room with TV and cable and private bath for just 25 USD :) ..everything is cheaper down here.. even beer just costs half the price as in Santiago..
Friday, February 18, 2011
..FUCK virginity! ;)
okay.. before going to Melipeuco and climbing a volcano, I´d like to write down the happenings of the last days..
so one thing keeping my mind busy these days was my future job.. I finished my CV and sent it out to some headhunters that hopefully find the perfect job for me. I don´t just want any job, I want THE job that I really can do for 2 years. But many offers are "from now on" and I´ve seen that I have to make decisions (flight back and rest of my trip), before I have a signed contract. I thought that getting a job would define that, but I just have to risk it.. let there be a job for me when I come back!!
then I´m trying to get back into the LifeRolePlay-scene in Switzerland and so about 4-5 month before the game actually happens, I have to talk to organisators and subscribe for the event. One of the events that really sounded good has been booked fully while I was writing the first email.. so I still hope they can get me in, but after being so happy to have a positive answer, the game was full and they had to turn me down :( ..let´s see if they get me in anyway.. I hope for it SOOOO much!!
while driving I lost my hippy-hat and my glasses from my bike-journey in Thailand. Stupid me, dind´t close the bag (thought about and then forgot). but yes.. stuff can be replaced and was not in too much use anyway.. just another reminder that things don´t last forever and some more stuff I lost along the way.
Then I should have proabaly taken the coastal road and not the Highway from Santiago to Chillan. Because the highway was pretty boring and the Andes were too far away to appreciate them.. they kinda got lost in the smog or fog at the horizon. But then maybe I would not have enden in the Chillan hotsprings... a wonderful experience and if I wouldn´t have gotten a bad sunburn, it would have been the perfect day! :)
yes.. really sucks! I care a lot about my skin and luckily can´t even remember when this happened to me the last time. But at the moment it even hurts to wear my jacket (not mentioning how it is to take it on and off). I put sunscreen on my face and shoulders, but maybe didn´t wait long enough before going into the warm water or just stayed for too long (approx 4 hours talking to somebody in the pool) and the sun burned my shoulders and breast :( forgot about the time and even if the water was sulfuric and silted, the sun got through anyway. Well.. now it´s Aloe Vera and getting another cream to heal my skin. Glad this doesn`t happen too often to me!
so I went to the Chillan hotsprings.. it´s kinda like St.Moritz, but off-season.. so I could get a room for 16USD and the place was not too crowded with tourists (it´s for skying in winter.. I was for walking in summer! :)
there were almost no restaurants open, but the one that was open had incredible tasty food!!! so I eat like a king!! :D also had a 20 USD breakfast buffet in a 5-star hotel that was best buffet I´ve ever had! ..I didn´t find something in the village down and when I checked up in the hill, there were only these fancy hotels, so I spent the money, but also grabbed some fruits and made a little sandwich that was my lunch later on (so I could compensate the expenses ;) hehe ;)
so was talking 4 hours in the hot pools and then walking up to some steam-wholes, where sulfuric vapour comes out of the mountain. Got nice view and was a nice hike to smell like sulfur afterwards! ;)
the cheapest option is 9 USD all day long and you can hike in the park as well.. so I was totally fine with that!! otherwise it´s 30-40 USD to use the pool of the hotel and that was WAAAAY to much. I can´t enjoy the fancy expensive hotels.. it´s spending too much money!
I also had more time lately to practise my kung-fu-stuff and it´s looking better and better ;) hehe ;) ..just at the moment can´t move my arms without being in pain :-/ so probably have to wait a day or two, until picking up my toys again.
then at this point I have to mention, that all the people I meet in Chile are REALLY, REALLY nice!! :) ..the country itself is not too stunning.. they got 2000km of desert, then 1000km of nice landscape and then 1500km of also nice landscape, but pretty much unaccessible :P but got a lot of Earthquakes and Tsunamis.. so changing it for Switzerland? NEVER!! :D not even for having 3500km coast! ;) hehe ;)
so the guy yesterday installed my cable TV in my room.. they just had 1 decoder, so he transferred the signal to my room, putting me a TV there and even taking my bike inside over night (I was already sleeping and would have let it outside.. small town in Chile, nothing would happen), but he and 3 other men took it inside and I really appreciate that!! he was also going to buy vinagre for me, so I could make compresses on my red skin. I guess it helped a bit :)
then this morning I had to mention things they forgot to charge me, but it was still very cheap!! the room was 10USD without TV and for all the circumstances he asked for 12 USD finally (my cheapest TV-Room was 30 USD I got in Chile so far). and I was SOOOO happy to watch the Simpson for 2 hours and go to sleep! :) ..really wanted to watch TV and turn off my mind.. and mostly in places, I went to sleep very early, because nothing to do and no TV.. so I appreciated that he installed my a TV! :D
So I had quite some up and downs since I left Santiago.. passed a lot of great moments, but also worried about job, got sunburn, and thinking in general about this trip and my future..
this morning, riding on a dirtroad, I got a stone hitting my foot.. never happened before and hurt a lot!! so I consider just to go to Osorro and then over to Bariloche (where I will NOT stay for long because very expensive) and then going up the Argentinian side.. I know, the most beautiful part of Chile is Puerto Montt and further down.. but all unpaved and then if the waether is cold or covered sky or even raining, then it´s a NO-GO (especially because I knew, will be just 3 weeks of Chile and not too far down, because I´ve already delayed too much with the climate). ..So maybe just another few days in Chile and a few 100km more and then Argentina and all the way up to Bolivia (because that is Fix! -> going to Bolivia, selling the bike and then stop a month in NY and being back home.. actually.. I know already the ending of my trip).
then something that I was also thinking about lately.. well.. have to research it a bit more, but seems to be a tendency:
Virginity seems to be waaay overvalued here in Chile!! So some individuals I talked with, really shocked me with their actitude!! you might find a 28 year old woman that is still virgin, because not married yet.. thats HORRIBLE!!!
first of all.. I think it´s wise to try someone in bed before marrying and living together before marrying.. so you know, if you can stand it and you don´t get divorced right away!
here in Chile, there were more divorces last year than marriages.. wonder why? if they just had 1 person in their life, so they might want to try more.. and: if you are the very, single one that ever got my pussy, so you are MINE and ONLY MINE! and this leads to jalousy (a feeling as useful as hatred, fear or anger) and through jalousy and distrusting each other, people start to cheat on each other. ..so I can say, I will NEVER marry a virgin! ..someone who doesn´t know shit in bed.. can´t surprise me, but has to be taught everything by me.. can´t even show me something new. AND: if they waited for so long.. what meaning has sexuality to you? you never wanted it and now you enjoy it fully? I don´t think so.. I think you let it starve already. I was.. the next step is to prohibit sex and making babies in vials or cutting off their clitoris, because sexual pleasure is anyway denied by society. ..but then talking in double-sense all the time and dancing stupid Reaggeton, practically having sex on the dancefloor, but then being so conservative.. doesn´t make sense to me.. so if somebody said, Chilean women are one of the 3 worst things of South America, he probably had this behaviour in mind (want to be virgin Maria, then being hyper-jalous and cheating on their husband/wife).
well... you don´t know, what you are missing!! ;) haha :D
also thought about how it would be to marry somebody with a child.. not impossible to fall in love with somebody like that (and the child), but I think, I´ll meet somebody, make a lot of party, move together, travel together for long time and then having kids.. so in my plans, it´s hard somebody enters with a child. I might also want to be my first child being her first child.. so going through it together. ..but no worries.. won´t happen in the next 4-5 years ;) hehe ;) life is long and beautiful and I try to enjoy it fully!!
okay.. that´s it.. back on the bike.. want to get to that volcano and tomorrow climbing it.. will be good! :)
so one thing keeping my mind busy these days was my future job.. I finished my CV and sent it out to some headhunters that hopefully find the perfect job for me. I don´t just want any job, I want THE job that I really can do for 2 years. But many offers are "from now on" and I´ve seen that I have to make decisions (flight back and rest of my trip), before I have a signed contract. I thought that getting a job would define that, but I just have to risk it.. let there be a job for me when I come back!!
then I´m trying to get back into the LifeRolePlay-scene in Switzerland and so about 4-5 month before the game actually happens, I have to talk to organisators and subscribe for the event. One of the events that really sounded good has been booked fully while I was writing the first email.. so I still hope they can get me in, but after being so happy to have a positive answer, the game was full and they had to turn me down :( ..let´s see if they get me in anyway.. I hope for it SOOOO much!!
while driving I lost my hippy-hat and my glasses from my bike-journey in Thailand. Stupid me, dind´t close the bag (thought about and then forgot). but yes.. stuff can be replaced and was not in too much use anyway.. just another reminder that things don´t last forever and some more stuff I lost along the way.
Then I should have proabaly taken the coastal road and not the Highway from Santiago to Chillan. Because the highway was pretty boring and the Andes were too far away to appreciate them.. they kinda got lost in the smog or fog at the horizon. But then maybe I would not have enden in the Chillan hotsprings... a wonderful experience and if I wouldn´t have gotten a bad sunburn, it would have been the perfect day! :)
yes.. really sucks! I care a lot about my skin and luckily can´t even remember when this happened to me the last time. But at the moment it even hurts to wear my jacket (not mentioning how it is to take it on and off). I put sunscreen on my face and shoulders, but maybe didn´t wait long enough before going into the warm water or just stayed for too long (approx 4 hours talking to somebody in the pool) and the sun burned my shoulders and breast :( forgot about the time and even if the water was sulfuric and silted, the sun got through anyway. Well.. now it´s Aloe Vera and getting another cream to heal my skin. Glad this doesn`t happen too often to me!
so I went to the Chillan hotsprings.. it´s kinda like St.Moritz, but off-season.. so I could get a room for 16USD and the place was not too crowded with tourists (it´s for skying in winter.. I was for walking in summer! :)
there were almost no restaurants open, but the one that was open had incredible tasty food!!! so I eat like a king!! :D also had a 20 USD breakfast buffet in a 5-star hotel that was best buffet I´ve ever had! ..I didn´t find something in the village down and when I checked up in the hill, there were only these fancy hotels, so I spent the money, but also grabbed some fruits and made a little sandwich that was my lunch later on (so I could compensate the expenses ;) hehe ;)
so was talking 4 hours in the hot pools and then walking up to some steam-wholes, where sulfuric vapour comes out of the mountain. Got nice view and was a nice hike to smell like sulfur afterwards! ;)
the cheapest option is 9 USD all day long and you can hike in the park as well.. so I was totally fine with that!! otherwise it´s 30-40 USD to use the pool of the hotel and that was WAAAAY to much. I can´t enjoy the fancy expensive hotels.. it´s spending too much money!
I also had more time lately to practise my kung-fu-stuff and it´s looking better and better ;) hehe ;) ..just at the moment can´t move my arms without being in pain :-/ so probably have to wait a day or two, until picking up my toys again.
then at this point I have to mention, that all the people I meet in Chile are REALLY, REALLY nice!! :) ..the country itself is not too stunning.. they got 2000km of desert, then 1000km of nice landscape and then 1500km of also nice landscape, but pretty much unaccessible :P but got a lot of Earthquakes and Tsunamis.. so changing it for Switzerland? NEVER!! :D not even for having 3500km coast! ;) hehe ;)
so the guy yesterday installed my cable TV in my room.. they just had 1 decoder, so he transferred the signal to my room, putting me a TV there and even taking my bike inside over night (I was already sleeping and would have let it outside.. small town in Chile, nothing would happen), but he and 3 other men took it inside and I really appreciate that!! he was also going to buy vinagre for me, so I could make compresses on my red skin. I guess it helped a bit :)
then this morning I had to mention things they forgot to charge me, but it was still very cheap!! the room was 10USD without TV and for all the circumstances he asked for 12 USD finally (my cheapest TV-Room was 30 USD I got in Chile so far). and I was SOOOO happy to watch the Simpson for 2 hours and go to sleep! :) ..really wanted to watch TV and turn off my mind.. and mostly in places, I went to sleep very early, because nothing to do and no TV.. so I appreciated that he installed my a TV! :D
So I had quite some up and downs since I left Santiago.. passed a lot of great moments, but also worried about job, got sunburn, and thinking in general about this trip and my future..
this morning, riding on a dirtroad, I got a stone hitting my foot.. never happened before and hurt a lot!! so I consider just to go to Osorro and then over to Bariloche (where I will NOT stay for long because very expensive) and then going up the Argentinian side.. I know, the most beautiful part of Chile is Puerto Montt and further down.. but all unpaved and then if the waether is cold or covered sky or even raining, then it´s a NO-GO (especially because I knew, will be just 3 weeks of Chile and not too far down, because I´ve already delayed too much with the climate). ..So maybe just another few days in Chile and a few 100km more and then Argentina and all the way up to Bolivia (because that is Fix! -> going to Bolivia, selling the bike and then stop a month in NY and being back home.. actually.. I know already the ending of my trip).
then something that I was also thinking about lately.. well.. have to research it a bit more, but seems to be a tendency:
Virginity seems to be waaay overvalued here in Chile!! So some individuals I talked with, really shocked me with their actitude!! you might find a 28 year old woman that is still virgin, because not married yet.. thats HORRIBLE!!!
first of all.. I think it´s wise to try someone in bed before marrying and living together before marrying.. so you know, if you can stand it and you don´t get divorced right away!
here in Chile, there were more divorces last year than marriages.. wonder why? if they just had 1 person in their life, so they might want to try more.. and: if you are the very, single one that ever got my pussy, so you are MINE and ONLY MINE! and this leads to jalousy (a feeling as useful as hatred, fear or anger) and through jalousy and distrusting each other, people start to cheat on each other. ..so I can say, I will NEVER marry a virgin! ..someone who doesn´t know shit in bed.. can´t surprise me, but has to be taught everything by me.. can´t even show me something new. AND: if they waited for so long.. what meaning has sexuality to you? you never wanted it and now you enjoy it fully? I don´t think so.. I think you let it starve already. I was.. the next step is to prohibit sex and making babies in vials or cutting off their clitoris, because sexual pleasure is anyway denied by society. ..but then talking in double-sense all the time and dancing stupid Reaggeton, practically having sex on the dancefloor, but then being so conservative.. doesn´t make sense to me.. so if somebody said, Chilean women are one of the 3 worst things of South America, he probably had this behaviour in mind (want to be virgin Maria, then being hyper-jalous and cheating on their husband/wife).
well... you don´t know, what you are missing!! ;) haha :D
also thought about how it would be to marry somebody with a child.. not impossible to fall in love with somebody like that (and the child), but I think, I´ll meet somebody, make a lot of party, move together, travel together for long time and then having kids.. so in my plans, it´s hard somebody enters with a child. I might also want to be my first child being her first child.. so going through it together. ..but no worries.. won´t happen in the next 4-5 years ;) hehe ;) life is long and beautiful and I try to enjoy it fully!!
okay.. that´s it.. back on the bike.. want to get to that volcano and tomorrow climbing it.. will be good! :)
Monday, February 14, 2011
..Visiting an old friend..
it's Sunday afternoon, I'm packing up again after staying a few days at Cyrils place (and Caliope, his wife). I really enjoyed my stay in Santiago!! well, were some strange days with even rain in Summer in Santiago, while they say it's more probable to get an earthquake than rain in this season ;) (never felt an earthquake and eager to experience one..)
then there was a bright mix of different stuff that I was doing.. a bit of swinging, going out with friends on Saturday, having a great night dancing, a yummi BBQ yesterday and drinking some good wine (drank a lot the last days, so my digestion is still kinda weak and I will detox during the week.. then I'll have to reason for drinking anyway ;) and we also played a lot of Magic (Cyril has great decks and was pure fun!!!), playing some board games and a Roleplay with his group.. playing Kuthulu the dark age and also this was very fun! (we all died in the end as it mostly happens in Kuthulu games ;) hehehe ;)
I walked from the center of the city to here.. bought a new sweater and lazy-pants (well.. they were second hand and very cheap.. exactly what I wanted! and I like the colors!! (red)), have a roadmap, today try to get a new visor and information what roads to take and where to stay.
I didn't feel like museums or taking pictures of the city.. not my style! ;)
then what more.. I'm really happy they have a guestroom here!! gives me privacy, because living on the couch is very tyring and the cats would take my stuff apart and I feel less intrusing their married-life ;)
they are but super welcoming me (from the first moment) and not kicking me out at all.. really appreciate that vibe too!! :) seems, they somehow want to hook me up with her sister, but as I'm really passing by and not staying or wanting to get married as Cyrill, better not to try to get too much hold on me ;)
..hmm.. that's it more or less.. stay tuned, gonna hear from me! :)
then there was a bright mix of different stuff that I was doing.. a bit of swinging, going out with friends on Saturday, having a great night dancing, a yummi BBQ yesterday and drinking some good wine (drank a lot the last days, so my digestion is still kinda weak and I will detox during the week.. then I'll have to reason for drinking anyway ;) and we also played a lot of Magic (Cyril has great decks and was pure fun!!!), playing some board games and a Roleplay with his group.. playing Kuthulu the dark age and also this was very fun! (we all died in the end as it mostly happens in Kuthulu games ;) hehehe ;)
I walked from the center of the city to here.. bought a new sweater and lazy-pants (well.. they were second hand and very cheap.. exactly what I wanted! and I like the colors!! (red)), have a roadmap, today try to get a new visor and information what roads to take and where to stay.
I didn't feel like museums or taking pictures of the city.. not my style! ;)
then what more.. I'm really happy they have a guestroom here!! gives me privacy, because living on the couch is very tyring and the cats would take my stuff apart and I feel less intrusing their married-life ;)
they are but super welcoming me (from the first moment) and not kicking me out at all.. really appreciate that vibe too!! :) seems, they somehow want to hook me up with her sister, but as I'm really passing by and not staying or wanting to get married as Cyrill, better not to try to get too much hold on me ;)
..hmm.. that's it more or less.. stay tuned, gonna hear from me! :)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
..there`s nothing to see.. =!
..actually takes me just 3 days to get to Santiago, for there is an event I want to assist on Thursday and for speeding up a little bit, I`ll make it tomorrow Wednesday already. That`s not too bad, because you easily pay 20USD for a room :/
so on Saturday we went flying in the evening and the winds were REALLY strong, so two Swiss mates help me a good deal to get into the air (kite flew so many times around, dragging us behind :P and could stay in the air for some minutes and then while kinda being hovering in front of the edge and people turning above, I made the (wrong) decision to turn inwards and got pushed behind the edge, where I toplanded smoothly behind some flagpoles.. will not try that again ;) but then after another start 30 min more flying and landing close to the hostel.. learned something (especially not to launch in winds of 25km/h :P
then on Sunday another great 1h30min flight, thermaling up to 600m.a.s.l. and flying over the city, landing on the beach, all by myself!! YEEPPIIII! :D that was FANTASTIC! ..some white russians in the afternoon and a yummi BBQ in the evening (watching Superbowl.. a very wierd sport! ;)
then I cancelled the rental and nights.. they told me 1 full day and 2 half days = 2 full days (what made it really cheap and super fair!!) and 5 nights of 16USD.. I lived really cheap! :) glad I stayed for some days, because after this, places are not that relaxed as the fly-hostel.. (lot`s of space around for camping and green area and out of the city with splendid view! :)
I easily spend 30-40USD on gas a day when riding a lot (as the last two days) and sleeping also 20USD (for just room tonight) and yesterday 30USD to have nice bed and private bath and TV (to watch holy monday night MTV animations ;) that was also good! anyway.. drove both days over 600km, so I`ll have a good sleep ;) driving itself not too hard.. just lot`s of desert. I like a zillion times more Switzerland for it`s such a compact beauty! :D you can get everywhere so easily and beautiful Landscape.. even the Balsthal offers more than the last 1500km.. well, lot`s of coast, but since the war for the bird-shit is over, just few people spend their holidays camping on the beach.. not too spectacular and smelling quite a bit after the seeweed, drying or rotting in the sun.
then it seems that further down and the more to the sea, the vegetations changes from nothing to dry bushes and other plants that managed to survive in this dryness (it`s one of the or the driest place in the world I think :P ..at least feels like this to my nose and my lips, driving through the endless desert (no way to walk through it and I`ve seen some people doing it on a bike.. they must have too much time ;) hehe ;) it`s OK to have it seen and nice to say, "I crossed it" but I`ve seen more spectacular things in less time (Guatemala e.g.) and I really hope that below Santiago, it changes to something more that reminds Patagonia..
with the wind from the sea, I still needed a pullover and my nose is wether closed or running from the constant wind in my face (just from driving, but still 100km/h). I wish for a 6th gear and if I could drive 150km/h with that bike then I would do it.. the endlessly long, straight and in very good shape being roads, are easily to drive.. but yes.. tomorrow making a stop for a couple of days in Santiago to rest and relax and spend some time sozializing :) from there on I`ll see..
as the room tonight is utterly simple, I might just go out, see if I can get the the beach (or rocks at the sea) and have dinner and some drinks, before bedtime :)
well.. have to mention.. that yesterday when I hit the coast, 50km above Taltal (I nice and small, cute town as I imagined Iquique would be it.. lovely at the sea, perfect so spend a weekend with your girlfriend! :) ..so the last stretch was an oasis for my eyes, after a lot of dust and sandy hills! the last mountains falling off to 300m wide flat part and over an edge down to the cliffs and a road winding smoothly through it (driven in the light of the late afternoon :)
okay.. for my nose bothering me and shower needed, I logout and hear from me when in the capital of this country..
ahh.. haven`t seen too much of good local cuisine, as lots of restaurant sell hotdogs and sandwiches ;) hehe ;) they must be found along the whole 3500km down south ;)
so on Saturday we went flying in the evening and the winds were REALLY strong, so two Swiss mates help me a good deal to get into the air (kite flew so many times around, dragging us behind :P and could stay in the air for some minutes and then while kinda being hovering in front of the edge and people turning above, I made the (wrong) decision to turn inwards and got pushed behind the edge, where I toplanded smoothly behind some flagpoles.. will not try that again ;) but then after another start 30 min more flying and landing close to the hostel.. learned something (especially not to launch in winds of 25km/h :P
then on Sunday another great 1h30min flight, thermaling up to 600m.a.s.l. and flying over the city, landing on the beach, all by myself!! YEEPPIIII! :D that was FANTASTIC! ..some white russians in the afternoon and a yummi BBQ in the evening (watching Superbowl.. a very wierd sport! ;)
then I cancelled the rental and nights.. they told me 1 full day and 2 half days = 2 full days (what made it really cheap and super fair!!) and 5 nights of 16USD.. I lived really cheap! :) glad I stayed for some days, because after this, places are not that relaxed as the fly-hostel.. (lot`s of space around for camping and green area and out of the city with splendid view! :)
I easily spend 30-40USD on gas a day when riding a lot (as the last two days) and sleeping also 20USD (for just room tonight) and yesterday 30USD to have nice bed and private bath and TV (to watch holy monday night MTV animations ;) that was also good! anyway.. drove both days over 600km, so I`ll have a good sleep ;) driving itself not too hard.. just lot`s of desert. I like a zillion times more Switzerland for it`s such a compact beauty! :D you can get everywhere so easily and beautiful Landscape.. even the Balsthal offers more than the last 1500km.. well, lot`s of coast, but since the war for the bird-shit is over, just few people spend their holidays camping on the beach.. not too spectacular and smelling quite a bit after the seeweed, drying or rotting in the sun.
then it seems that further down and the more to the sea, the vegetations changes from nothing to dry bushes and other plants that managed to survive in this dryness (it`s one of the or the driest place in the world I think :P ..at least feels like this to my nose and my lips, driving through the endless desert (no way to walk through it and I`ve seen some people doing it on a bike.. they must have too much time ;) hehe ;) it`s OK to have it seen and nice to say, "I crossed it" but I`ve seen more spectacular things in less time (Guatemala e.g.) and I really hope that below Santiago, it changes to something more that reminds Patagonia..
with the wind from the sea, I still needed a pullover and my nose is wether closed or running from the constant wind in my face (just from driving, but still 100km/h). I wish for a 6th gear and if I could drive 150km/h with that bike then I would do it.. the endlessly long, straight and in very good shape being roads, are easily to drive.. but yes.. tomorrow making a stop for a couple of days in Santiago to rest and relax and spend some time sozializing :) from there on I`ll see..
as the room tonight is utterly simple, I might just go out, see if I can get the the beach (or rocks at the sea) and have dinner and some drinks, before bedtime :)
well.. have to mention.. that yesterday when I hit the coast, 50km above Taltal (I nice and small, cute town as I imagined Iquique would be it.. lovely at the sea, perfect so spend a weekend with your girlfriend! :) ..so the last stretch was an oasis for my eyes, after a lot of dust and sandy hills! the last mountains falling off to 300m wide flat part and over an edge down to the cliffs and a road winding smoothly through it (driven in the light of the late afternoon :)
okay.. for my nose bothering me and shower needed, I logout and hear from me when in the capital of this country..
ahh.. haven`t seen too much of good local cuisine, as lots of restaurant sell hotdogs and sandwiches ;) hehe ;) they must be found along the whole 3500km down south ;)
Saturday, February 5, 2011
..flying over the dunes.. :)
I arrived in Iquique, after driving the last part with a German guy that is also traveling with his bike down :)
the ride was really nice, through desert (probably already the Atacama-desert). Nice because special from other landscapes I´ve seen.. I just really hoped, no overtemp. lamp is going on and no flat tire along the way, but everything went fine! :)
there is an old Sulfate-mining-town along the way (ghosttown now and UNESCO world heritage). and I´m glad, I stopped along the way.. there were 3700 people living at it´s peak and has been built in 1870 and closed finally in 1960. So many old buildings with rusty metal roofs, that are making great authentic noises in the wind ;) since I´ve been in this ghost town in Cambodia, this was the second really nice ghost town in my life that I´ve seen (too bad there are not more ;) so I hung out for a while, checking the old factory buildings, climbing on a hill and going through the community buildings as Theater, doctors office and some nice expositions of mining tools and daily things they used many decades ago.. you´ll see some pictures of it online later (have to be some good shots amongst the many I took ;)
then the German guy caught up with me (he had a flat tire in the morning) and we drove the last part together, after checking out another ruins just in front of Humberstone. He also has a paragliding license and was looking for the same place, so together with him, we found the place pretty quickly :) ..but he is finally not taking off, because it´s 5 years ago since his last flight.. well.. it´s not too bad flying here (easy compared to other places).
So getting here.. getting off the bike, I felt a bit lonely and empty.. while driving, I felt really good, having a purpose, but then unloading my things here, I didn´t feel to euphoric.. but then everything changed.. the people here are super totally awesome (young flying community) and I had on the first day a 2-hrs flight (longest in my paragliding history ;) and was great flying over the dunes here in Iquique. Then in the night even better, a super tasty BBQ.. SUPER-SUPER-TASTY!! :) everything soooo good! :) great vibes with the people, invited them what I got with me and we made good friends! ..then yesterday I went up again early in the morning and we had to wait for quite a while until the wind picked up.. and then finally when there would have been wind, I couldn´t take off.. wind too strong, glider flying all over the place, tearing me along on the strings.. maybe it would have worked out.. but the car was leaving, there was nobody to give me a hand, wing folding over and being dragged along the ground.. I gave up. Maybe better because enforcing it could have ended in an accident or me even more frustrated going down with public transport (even spending more time on the failed attempt). Then I´m sure with a little bit more of experience and ground-handling-practice, it would have worked (but I always left out ground handling and I just got today more tips for launching in strong winds). So yesterday was not too stunning.. I ended up walking along the beach and going to early drinking beer and not doing splendid stuff..) then they were flying in the evening and I didn´t know (they normally don´t, but did this very night). So I missed my other flying opportunity and got more sad, going to bed early.. :/
but then today a brand new day and going up again with the folks, launching again (after 1 failed attempt), having a nice start and catching good thermals.. was one of the highest pilots :) while others tried to get more height, I was with another two pilots waaay above :D
then I headed over to the point where they fly over the city and land on the beach, didn´t want to fly over straight away and didn´t know if it would work and wanted to fly anyway a bit longer than just beach and landing.. but then unfortunately on my way back, I lost a lot of height, couldn´t find any more thermals or upwind and landed behind a dune, quite a bit away from the hostel (where you can land as well.. as I did the first day) and had to walk for 20 minutes in the sun with all the gear.. but made it (I guess, it´s called exercises ;) hehehe ;)
but had a good flight over an hour and I´m pretty content with myself that (restoring my self esteem after yesterday ;) ..it´s a bit windy at the start, but not taking a long time, without bothering other pilots and having a smooth take-off gives me confidence! :) (otherwise the other pilots may not like you too much, if you suck already on the ground ;)
what more.. so tomorrow is Superbowl and other big BBQ here (that´s why I want to stay until Monday) and will try to fly this afternoon and tomorrow at noon and then chilling Sunday afternoon and taking off early Monday morning.
I´ve seen, it´s gonna take me 6 days to Santiago (it´s a really looong way down) and then staying a few days with my friend Cyrill from Switzerland (Expat married with Chilean girl ;) and then another 4-5 days further down in Chile (because it´s supposed to be nice there) and then over to Argentina and all the way up on the other side of the Andes (because going over to Buenos Aires would be a lot of boring flat country). so about 2 weeks straight down in Chile, then 2 weeks straight up in Argentina and then as foretold, going back to Bolivia for 1 month, have fun, sell bike and see when I have to be back (should have more idea by then). finishing my job-documents and will be happy having a signed contract in Switzerland for July/August :)
okey.. that´s it.. you´ll hear from me soon! :)
the ride was really nice, through desert (probably already the Atacama-desert). Nice because special from other landscapes I´ve seen.. I just really hoped, no overtemp. lamp is going on and no flat tire along the way, but everything went fine! :)
there is an old Sulfate-mining-town along the way (ghosttown now and UNESCO world heritage). and I´m glad, I stopped along the way.. there were 3700 people living at it´s peak and has been built in 1870 and closed finally in 1960. So many old buildings with rusty metal roofs, that are making great authentic noises in the wind ;) since I´ve been in this ghost town in Cambodia, this was the second really nice ghost town in my life that I´ve seen (too bad there are not more ;) so I hung out for a while, checking the old factory buildings, climbing on a hill and going through the community buildings as Theater, doctors office and some nice expositions of mining tools and daily things they used many decades ago.. you´ll see some pictures of it online later (have to be some good shots amongst the many I took ;)
then the German guy caught up with me (he had a flat tire in the morning) and we drove the last part together, after checking out another ruins just in front of Humberstone. He also has a paragliding license and was looking for the same place, so together with him, we found the place pretty quickly :) ..but he is finally not taking off, because it´s 5 years ago since his last flight.. well.. it´s not too bad flying here (easy compared to other places).
So getting here.. getting off the bike, I felt a bit lonely and empty.. while driving, I felt really good, having a purpose, but then unloading my things here, I didn´t feel to euphoric.. but then everything changed.. the people here are super totally awesome (young flying community) and I had on the first day a 2-hrs flight (longest in my paragliding history ;) and was great flying over the dunes here in Iquique. Then in the night even better, a super tasty BBQ.. SUPER-SUPER-TASTY!! :) everything soooo good! :) great vibes with the people, invited them what I got with me and we made good friends! ..then yesterday I went up again early in the morning and we had to wait for quite a while until the wind picked up.. and then finally when there would have been wind, I couldn´t take off.. wind too strong, glider flying all over the place, tearing me along on the strings.. maybe it would have worked out.. but the car was leaving, there was nobody to give me a hand, wing folding over and being dragged along the ground.. I gave up. Maybe better because enforcing it could have ended in an accident or me even more frustrated going down with public transport (even spending more time on the failed attempt). Then I´m sure with a little bit more of experience and ground-handling-practice, it would have worked (but I always left out ground handling and I just got today more tips for launching in strong winds). So yesterday was not too stunning.. I ended up walking along the beach and going to early drinking beer and not doing splendid stuff..) then they were flying in the evening and I didn´t know (they normally don´t, but did this very night). So I missed my other flying opportunity and got more sad, going to bed early.. :/
but then today a brand new day and going up again with the folks, launching again (after 1 failed attempt), having a nice start and catching good thermals.. was one of the highest pilots :) while others tried to get more height, I was with another two pilots waaay above :D
then I headed over to the point where they fly over the city and land on the beach, didn´t want to fly over straight away and didn´t know if it would work and wanted to fly anyway a bit longer than just beach and landing.. but then unfortunately on my way back, I lost a lot of height, couldn´t find any more thermals or upwind and landed behind a dune, quite a bit away from the hostel (where you can land as well.. as I did the first day) and had to walk for 20 minutes in the sun with all the gear.. but made it (I guess, it´s called exercises ;) hehehe ;)
but had a good flight over an hour and I´m pretty content with myself that (restoring my self esteem after yesterday ;) ..it´s a bit windy at the start, but not taking a long time, without bothering other pilots and having a smooth take-off gives me confidence! :) (otherwise the other pilots may not like you too much, if you suck already on the ground ;)
what more.. so tomorrow is Superbowl and other big BBQ here (that´s why I want to stay until Monday) and will try to fly this afternoon and tomorrow at noon and then chilling Sunday afternoon and taking off early Monday morning.
I´ve seen, it´s gonna take me 6 days to Santiago (it´s a really looong way down) and then staying a few days with my friend Cyrill from Switzerland (Expat married with Chilean girl ;) and then another 4-5 days further down in Chile (because it´s supposed to be nice there) and then over to Argentina and all the way up on the other side of the Andes (because going over to Buenos Aires would be a lot of boring flat country). so about 2 weeks straight down in Chile, then 2 weeks straight up in Argentina and then as foretold, going back to Bolivia for 1 month, have fun, sell bike and see when I have to be back (should have more idea by then). finishing my job-documents and will be happy having a signed contract in Switzerland for July/August :)
okey.. that´s it.. you´ll hear from me soon! :)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
..back on track again.. ;)
time to catch up with my blog.. I`m here in Arica, Chile.. it`s 1.30am and I passed out watching TV (musst have been pretty exhausted again ;) but as long the internet isn`t occupied at the hostal, I write down some lines..
first of all: Mom, if you see this: My internetaccount is blocked and I can`t send you any mails (GMX should fix me that soon!) if you don`t extended my insurance, wait with it.. will write you back in the next days.
So I finished all my tasks in CBBA: sending my last packet with clothes and roleplay stuff, giving back the TV and DVD and saying good bye to my friends (to some of them playing paintball, what totally rocked!!! haha! :) got two bruises, but had a lot of fun! :) was "action-jackson" again on the court ;)
then I had the last minute idea to get some bodypart lasered ;) but disappointingly found out that this is an over a year progress, that takes many sessions.. well, it would have been such a badass move ;) hehehe ;)
last Saturday when we woke up, Karen was not in a really good mood.. sad that I`m leaving and bailing out from paintball and finally getting sick, so I haven`t seen her all day long :(
therefore I changed my plans to leave on Sunday, but doing this on Monday instead, having another full day with Karen. I`m so happy I did it!! :) Karen cooked for me in the night.. DELICIOUS!! :D she brought a little table grill and we made some meat, russian salad, fried yucca, rice, sauce.. it touched me so much that she made all that tasty food for me!! I love that girl so much!! :*
then finally Monday morning, after the last sex, I headed out to the wide, wide world again. when I woke up first in the morning, it was clouded (Sunday would have been the perfect day to take off), but then cleared up and when I was starting in CBBA, I just wore a T-Shirt, because it was so hot! :)
but then going up to 4500m.a.s.l. it became much more freezing and I also got some rain (was OK to have Karen NOT with me, she would have suffered so much ;) (P.S. and the bike would not have liked it at all).
so on the way I had to put much more clothes on to not be frozen all the way through ;) ..was a pretty rough ride.. along the way to El Alto and then the turn off to Tambo Quemado that I actually reached, by passing a nasty storm at 5000m.a.s.l. :P really.. while rain was pouring down onto me, there were lightnings so close to me, as I`ve rarely seen them (because I`m mostly in a warm, dry bed if things like this come down ;) hehe ;)
before I could answer myself the question, how probable it would be to be hit by a lighting, I already passed that storm and was close to get to the frontier. There was snow lying next to me (and it was so cold that I wondered why it`s still drops of rain and not snow falling down..
when I got to the place, there was not much to do.. a few huts that mark the Bolivian boarder. Got myself a 7USD room with not much in it and ended up drinking tee and falling asleep at 18.30, watching some non-sense-local-TV-channel. Slept then about 12 hours, until they opened the boarder in the morning. (even started raining, when I was lying in my bed.. and COOOOOLD)
so at 8.30am I passed the Bolivian boarder and about an hour later, I also did all the paperwork on the Chilenian side.. for the first time in my riding-history, I`ve been searched.. had to take all the stuff off the bike and a guy in white plastic gloves went through it. Hey, what do you exept to find: a kg of coke?! ;) don`t think any backbacker is in the big drug dealing business.. but anyway, they probably did what they had to do. didn`t comment a lot on the bag of sextoys and the other personal items I had in my luggage ;) hehe ;)
well.. didn`t find anything and sent me on the way again, after I collected half a dozen of stamps. Well.. leaving the bike in Chile is not what I`m going to do, so I pretty much figured out that I`ll sell it in Bolivia in about 3 months. But then driving down to Santiago de Chile brings me pretty much down and I`d have to climb up again in Argentina.. we`ll see :) but saying good bye in CBBA, there were so many people (above all Karen) that make me wanting to go back!!
so then today (wow, that was just today :) I dropped 5000m down to the beach (where I`m now :) it cleared up and while I was driving through a snowy landscape with beautiful mountains, the road was leading constantly down, bringing warmer and warmer weather to me! :)
Yes, it was a beautiful ride over the Andes after all! :) big canyons and colorfull rocks (the red ones I liked most.. gave me some Mars ambient ;)
then after just 180km I arrived at Arica.. what can I tell you about Chile so far: first of all.. gasoline is of better quality (93/95/97 Octane) but also muuuuuch more expensive.. I think, I`ve never payed as much as 1.50USD outside of Switzerland :P but anyway, I hope they do something useful with these taxes ;) then the food is really tasty, but ended up always paying around 8USD for a meal.. can probably optimize that, but the beers I grabbed today were also pretty costly. I think I have to check some more ways to obtain daily goods (as drinking water).
Then I got here and took a room for 24USD (breakfast included at least) to stay until tomorrow (where I head down to Iquiqe and do some paragliding there! :D
was not too bad today (besides missing Karen a lot and having such a big change in my life again). changed my money (1USD = 500Pesos) so you easily have thousands of Pesos on you ;)
and made a little trip with my bike to the end of the beach road, checking some caves and doing quite some fancy-kung-fu stuff to move my body and fight my back pain (and having fun doing this stuff on the cliffs, while the surge was hitting the rocks below :D
then for having my bike unloaded, rode up to some antennas (above the lookout-point-with-Jesus where everybody goes ;) Arica is the driest town in the earth they say, so the terrain was perfect to drive a heavy bike without studded tyres up and down the hill! :D
..passed then the Jesus, filled my tank and my stomach and got even a haircut here (yes, was about time ;) and even when I doubted during the process, the guy did good work for 4USD :)
So tomorrow entering more into the heart of Chile.. living is more expensive here, but I think, I can handle it ;) still fit`s into the budget! :)
haven`t talked to a lot of people so far.. will connect myself more to the world again, but after being in CBBA with Karen, having this other life, it is a really, really big change to what I`m having now! but then it`s also OK.. traveling on your own doesn`t mean you`re always super entertained, but on the long run you get so much more out of it that it`s worth to pass through the other moments as well.
Then was doing pretty cool stuff today, I wouldn`t have done otherwise and I got a bit of my style back.. my wild, wild, adventureous spirit that brought me so far! :)
OK.. hope I didn`t leave out too much on this one ;) I`m pretty sure, I`ll have something to tell over the next days.. happening a lot, while being out there ;) hehe ;)
have fun and hear from me soon! ..just got that old spirit back of conquering the world ;)
first of all: Mom, if you see this: My internetaccount is blocked and I can`t send you any mails (GMX should fix me that soon!) if you don`t extended my insurance, wait with it.. will write you back in the next days.
So I finished all my tasks in CBBA: sending my last packet with clothes and roleplay stuff, giving back the TV and DVD and saying good bye to my friends (to some of them playing paintball, what totally rocked!!! haha! :) got two bruises, but had a lot of fun! :) was "action-jackson" again on the court ;)
then I had the last minute idea to get some bodypart lasered ;) but disappointingly found out that this is an over a year progress, that takes many sessions.. well, it would have been such a badass move ;) hehehe ;)
last Saturday when we woke up, Karen was not in a really good mood.. sad that I`m leaving and bailing out from paintball and finally getting sick, so I haven`t seen her all day long :(
therefore I changed my plans to leave on Sunday, but doing this on Monday instead, having another full day with Karen. I`m so happy I did it!! :) Karen cooked for me in the night.. DELICIOUS!! :D she brought a little table grill and we made some meat, russian salad, fried yucca, rice, sauce.. it touched me so much that she made all that tasty food for me!! I love that girl so much!! :*
then finally Monday morning, after the last sex, I headed out to the wide, wide world again. when I woke up first in the morning, it was clouded (Sunday would have been the perfect day to take off), but then cleared up and when I was starting in CBBA, I just wore a T-Shirt, because it was so hot! :)
but then going up to 4500m.a.s.l. it became much more freezing and I also got some rain (was OK to have Karen NOT with me, she would have suffered so much ;) (P.S. and the bike would not have liked it at all).
so on the way I had to put much more clothes on to not be frozen all the way through ;) ..was a pretty rough ride.. along the way to El Alto and then the turn off to Tambo Quemado that I actually reached, by passing a nasty storm at 5000m.a.s.l. :P really.. while rain was pouring down onto me, there were lightnings so close to me, as I`ve rarely seen them (because I`m mostly in a warm, dry bed if things like this come down ;) hehe ;)
before I could answer myself the question, how probable it would be to be hit by a lighting, I already passed that storm and was close to get to the frontier. There was snow lying next to me (and it was so cold that I wondered why it`s still drops of rain and not snow falling down..
when I got to the place, there was not much to do.. a few huts that mark the Bolivian boarder. Got myself a 7USD room with not much in it and ended up drinking tee and falling asleep at 18.30, watching some non-sense-local-TV-channel. Slept then about 12 hours, until they opened the boarder in the morning. (even started raining, when I was lying in my bed.. and COOOOOLD)
so at 8.30am I passed the Bolivian boarder and about an hour later, I also did all the paperwork on the Chilenian side.. for the first time in my riding-history, I`ve been searched.. had to take all the stuff off the bike and a guy in white plastic gloves went through it. Hey, what do you exept to find: a kg of coke?! ;) don`t think any backbacker is in the big drug dealing business.. but anyway, they probably did what they had to do. didn`t comment a lot on the bag of sextoys and the other personal items I had in my luggage ;) hehe ;)
well.. didn`t find anything and sent me on the way again, after I collected half a dozen of stamps. Well.. leaving the bike in Chile is not what I`m going to do, so I pretty much figured out that I`ll sell it in Bolivia in about 3 months. But then driving down to Santiago de Chile brings me pretty much down and I`d have to climb up again in Argentina.. we`ll see :) but saying good bye in CBBA, there were so many people (above all Karen) that make me wanting to go back!!
so then today (wow, that was just today :) I dropped 5000m down to the beach (where I`m now :) it cleared up and while I was driving through a snowy landscape with beautiful mountains, the road was leading constantly down, bringing warmer and warmer weather to me! :)
Yes, it was a beautiful ride over the Andes after all! :) big canyons and colorfull rocks (the red ones I liked most.. gave me some Mars ambient ;)
then after just 180km I arrived at Arica.. what can I tell you about Chile so far: first of all.. gasoline is of better quality (93/95/97 Octane) but also muuuuuch more expensive.. I think, I`ve never payed as much as 1.50USD outside of Switzerland :P but anyway, I hope they do something useful with these taxes ;) then the food is really tasty, but ended up always paying around 8USD for a meal.. can probably optimize that, but the beers I grabbed today were also pretty costly. I think I have to check some more ways to obtain daily goods (as drinking water).
Then I got here and took a room for 24USD (breakfast included at least) to stay until tomorrow (where I head down to Iquiqe and do some paragliding there! :D
was not too bad today (besides missing Karen a lot and having such a big change in my life again). changed my money (1USD = 500Pesos) so you easily have thousands of Pesos on you ;)
and made a little trip with my bike to the end of the beach road, checking some caves and doing quite some fancy-kung-fu stuff to move my body and fight my back pain (and having fun doing this stuff on the cliffs, while the surge was hitting the rocks below :D
then for having my bike unloaded, rode up to some antennas (above the lookout-point-with-Jesus where everybody goes ;) Arica is the driest town in the earth they say, so the terrain was perfect to drive a heavy bike without studded tyres up and down the hill! :D
..passed then the Jesus, filled my tank and my stomach and got even a haircut here (yes, was about time ;) and even when I doubted during the process, the guy did good work for 4USD :)
So tomorrow entering more into the heart of Chile.. living is more expensive here, but I think, I can handle it ;) still fit`s into the budget! :)
haven`t talked to a lot of people so far.. will connect myself more to the world again, but after being in CBBA with Karen, having this other life, it is a really, really big change to what I`m having now! but then it`s also OK.. traveling on your own doesn`t mean you`re always super entertained, but on the long run you get so much more out of it that it`s worth to pass through the other moments as well.
Then was doing pretty cool stuff today, I wouldn`t have done otherwise and I got a bit of my style back.. my wild, wild, adventureous spirit that brought me so far! :)
OK.. hope I didn`t leave out too much on this one ;) I`m pretty sure, I`ll have something to tell over the next days.. happening a lot, while being out there ;) hehe ;)
have fun and hear from me soon! ..just got that old spirit back of conquering the world ;)
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