..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! :)