It´s All Coming Back Slowly

I stepped off the plane in Santiago with a sense that something good was going to happen. The routine was typical. Get through immigration, catch a bus and head to town. The smell of summer pentrated my nose as I left through the sliding glass dorrs at the airport. It was then I remembered that I was still wearing two layers of fleece which I had on due to the cold weather at the DFW airport. It seems as though I had been teleported to a different dimension overnight.

Buying the bus ticket to Puerto Varas was no problem. After depositing the backpack, I was off to the city center. Unlike the trains in Asia, the Chilean subway is NOT air conditioned. I´m lucky the trip wasn´t too far. So...How does one kill 9 hours in Santiago? Well, I made my way though the Plaza de Armas to the Mercado Central (no map needed). I had to get a taste of Chilean seafood as soon as possible. After that, I just strolled though the city taking a short nap in the Parque Forestal and taking a coffee at the BrainWorks cafe. Brain Works is one of those hipster cafes filled with mid-century modern furniture with Daft Punk and Fat Boy Slim blaring in the background. I was waiting for the techno twins to show up. I also remembered that the Chile cortado is actual cafe con leche. Not exactly what I wanted, but sufficient to cure my caffeine fix. Eventually I made my way back to the bus station and boarded the overnighter to Puerto Varas. I was suprised at how much Spanish I retained since August and which words eluded me.

I arrived in Puerto Varas at mid morning. The place kind of reminds me of Incline Village at Lake Tahoe, but more compact and nicer. The views of Volcan Osorno were spectcular. The first thing you notice when you get off the bus is the stiff wind which never really seems to stop. I think it´s a bit chilly and have two long sleeve layers on. However, some people are actually swimming in the water. They must be mad! The place seems to be a wind surfers paradise and there were a ton of people on the water.

I looked around for a good one day activity for tomorrow. My guide book is a bit outdated for this town because a few of the listed tour companies no longer exist. My hostel was pushing a canyoning excursion, but I wasn´t interested. I passed on the day hikes since I would be doing a ton of that later on. I couldn´t find anything that interested me, so I stopped in to the Orvis shop to enquire about flyfishing. The day trip was quite pricey so I went to a cafe to think about it over a cortado (cafe con leche). So Yeah. Say Yes to everything right? I ¨doctored down¨ and reserved a day on the river. I´ll likely never do this again, so I guess it is worth the cost. Hopefully, it will be a good experience and the scenery will be fantastic.

All of these experiences so far are quite familiar. It is weird getting into a routine, but a different one than what you were used to back home.

Misc Charges

It was bound to happen sooner or later. I just can't believe that it took so long for my credit card company to finally deny a charge. In the past week, I have made purchases in three different countries. I bought the Navimag ticket in Chile, The ETA for Australia, and tried booking the huts for the Routeburn track in New Zealand. Why didn't they flag me when I was in SE Asia? I'm sure I used the credit card in three different countries (maybe not in one week though).

I might be a bit crazy scheduling the next three trips back to back. If I miss one flight back to the US, I'm screwed. There has been no time to reseach the Australia leg of my trip. Lucky for me that Stephanie (a gal I met in Thailand) is still travelling there. She has already given me a good suggestion for a two and a half week loop. I should be able to see a few highlights and gather ideas for the next time I go.

My heart is pounding in anticipation to get on the road as if I had a quadruple shot at Starbucks. The shuttle picks me up in three hours. I'm looking forward to the warm weather, seeing Heather in PN, and having a beer at Pudu Hostel in Bariloche. I just need to remind myself to be cool...Be cool Sam...Be cool....and work on your Spanish.

Gap Year.......And A Half

Jane always told me this would happen. You plan to take only six months off, then before you know it, you have been travelling for a year and a half. I'm headed to Patagonia tomorrow. This trip doesn't hold a lot of mystery for me probably because I have already been to Chile and Argentina. However, this doesn't diminish the excitement I have for this journey. I always considered my first South American journey with Jane "her" trip. It is not that I didn't enjoy the three and a half months this summer. I really DID enjoy all of it. However, my initial plan when I was still working at TI was to backpack in the Andes and see those picture perfect snow covered mountains with turquoise blue glacial lakes. I'm really looking forward to heading down south during their summer and I plan on seeing as much natural beauty as possible.

I'm taking a different approach to packing my bag this time. I'm taking much more camping gear than before and also transporting some goods for my friend Heather in Puerto Natales. Apparently, Powerbars and other backpacking items are a bit pricey, so I'm bringing as much stuff with me to save on cost. Many of these things are consumable, and I should be able to lighten the load along the way. In total, I'm doing three overnight treks which include the Torres Del Paine "W", Monte Fitz Roy, and Nahuel Huapi Traverse. I hope I can accomplish everything in four weeks.

The end of this dreamworld I've been living in for the past year is in sight. At last I decided to travel to New Zealand and Australia starting in March until the middle of April. Then, I'll return to Switzerland to close out the ski season with Jane and the kids from the Peak Leaders program. It is fitting that my world tour end in Switzerland because this is where all of the craziness began. This is where Jane talked me into spending so much time in South America. I came to embrace her "who the fuck knows what going to happen" attitude. This is where the British kids breathed a new sense of adventure into my life. This is where I rediscovered the thrill of snowboarding steeps pitches and catching air off big kickers. I'm gonna continue making memories and friends all the way to the very end...We'll see if it truly is the end when I get there.

Talons Challenge

Doing the full day at Cu mentally prepared me for the beating I was about to take on Saturday morning. Paul, Mike, and I discussed our plan of attack for all 13 runs. It was agreed that we start with the longest double black runs off of Birds of Prey first, then work our way to the shorter single back diamond runs off of Larkspur. We were blessed with 5-8 inches of fresh powder which really helped with my speed on the first few runs of the day. There was enough soft snow for my board to sink into and I was able to make a few good connected turns early in the day. I knew there were going to be bumps, but I didn't think that the ENTIRE run would be moguls! Jeez! The only groomed run was the Golden Eagle which we bombed without any problem. My legs felt like they had been through a marathon and my punch card only had three holes in it. After a pit stop where we sipped on gatorade and chomped a few granola bars, we were off to tackle the remaining ten runs. Sticking to the plan, we completed all of the double blacks and moved on to the single black runs. However, we were a man down with Mike opting for an early beer and bratwurst instead of thigh busting mogul runs. Paul and I continued on to the last three runs. At that point our legs were so tired we just slid down the mountain not even worrying about technique. Even the groomed pistes back to the chair burned our quads. Once the last run was completed, we were presented with the challenge of climbing the steps to get to the bar for our free beer and brat. Neither Paul or I said anything as we ate our congratulatory lunch. I must say that the bratwurst was the best I have ever had! With my name now in Beaver Creek history, I felt some sense of accomplishment. Next year, I will be better prepared and not start training a week before the event.

Apparently, lift tickets at Alpine Meadows have breached the $60 mark. I guess I was looking at the 2006/2007 prices where they were still under $50.

Road Tripping Through the Heartland

Thanks to all of those social networking sites such as Linked In and Facebook, I was able to reconnect with an old college buddy. He mentioned doing the Talons Challenge this month, but wasn't sure if he had a friend to ski it with him. So I volunteered to join him in Beaver Creek this weekend to snowboard the event.

Do to a limited budget and cheap gas prices, I decided to make the drive from Dallas to Denver. I quite enjoy long drives through the US. One person mentioned once that they didn't think the scenery was any good going through the Midwest and the plains. I completely disagree. The empty wheat and corn fields with the sparsely dispersed farmhouses and grain silos are so picturesque. It would be amazing the see the bounty in the late summer right before harvest. The drive was quite tranquil and I had the perfect tunes to go along with it (Neko Case, The Jayhawks, Wilco, etc.). One problem was my ancient ipod (the one with the disk drive) only had 6 hours of battery life. I've driven through mountains, coast line, desert, Pac NW forests, and rural New England in the fall. I would say that the drive through the heartland is just as beautiful in it's own unique way. I'm immediately reminded of the scene in Forrest Gump where they show him running through the US to the Jackson Browne song Running on Empty. yeah! That's what I'm talking about! I think I'll buy an Airstream trailer when I retire.

Americans have a reputation of not being well travelled and culturally ignorant. However, when I'm presented with this criticism I always mention to non-Americans that most people travel for leisure and not culture anyway. Don't tell me that all of the Europeans on the beaches of Thailand are looking for culture. America has such a vast landscape that it is no wonder why most people stay close to home. We have beaches, mountains, deserts, forests, cities, and a huge mix of culture from all over the world right here at home! I'm not sure from where this new found patriotism came. Maybe I'm just glad that Obama intends on making the US more diplomatic so hopefully we don't come off as assholes abroad.

On another topic...Since when did ski lift tickets reach nearly $100?! WTF! I realized that I haven't been snowboarding in the US for nearly five years. This morning was the first time I've been to a US ski resort since Lake Tahoe in 2004. The last time I was at Cu mountain, the tickets were $68. This morning, I payed $92 and the Beaver Creek tickets are $98! At least Alpine Meadows still has tickets for under $50.

I had a terrible time on the mountain. I tried snowboarding the bumps in the morning and it was a complete disaster. My legs are absolutely trashed. I was only able to muster enough energy for one run after lunch. At the end of the run, I took a digger and slammed my body on the ground (nearly vomited a full bowl of chilli). I immediately unstrapped and walked to the shuttle bus. So I'm taking tomorrow off and hope that I have the strength to complete the 13 black and double black runs on Saturday.

I Think I've Gone Mad

I'm seeing so many signs that the US economy is crumbling all around me. Nortel just announced it was filing for bankruptcy. Texas Instruments is rumored to have a giant lay off at the end of January. All of my friends, if not already affected, are on pins and needles. It all seems surreal in a way. With that being said, there is nothing really waiting for me in the United States to keep me here. This should buy me a few more months to travel.

So many things have been running through my mind this past week. This may have been spawned from seeing my new nephew in New York this weekend. I mentioned before that I feel like I have been held back a year in grade school. There have been so many changes since my travels began and the pause button has been pressed for me since the end of 2007. 2008 seemed so well planned with every step leading to a premeditated conclusion. 2009 is a different story. While last year started tranquil and smooth, this year is chaotic and full of anxiety. There is a scene in the Darjeeling Limited where Owen Wilson's character is talking to his brothers and asks them to YES to everything no matter if it scares them. Since this year began, I've indulged in every fleeting impulse which came to mind. So what is on the horizon you might ask? I'm going to meet an old friend to snowboard the Talons Challenge in Colorado next week. After that, I'm headed back to South America, New Zealand, France, then Switzerland. Yes! I've gone mad!

Crap! I've done it again. Put too much introspective personal crap in my blog ;-)

It was acceptable in the 80's

Things are getting back to normal after returning from Thailand. My sleep pattern is back in sync with the days and nights here in Texas. I've been moving around non-stop since returning to the US and this week is the first week I have with no plans.

With the extra time, I'm plotting my next escape from Texas and the United States. New guide books for Chile and Patagonia have been purchased and I'm deciding on the route and activities for this trip. Initially I wanted to do a lot of trekking, but I think I may narrow down the backpacking to 4 major treks.

It is a bit strange to be sharing the house with a roommate, especially with one who is quite a bit younger than me. Early this week, I was flipping through the channels and found New Order in concert on VH1. Jaime (my roommate) had never heard of New Order before and I began to explain to her the significance of the band during the 80's. The next day, the movie "24 hour Party People " was on the IFC. The movie chronicled the Manchester scene during the 80's with references to Joy Division and New Order. All of this seemed to be lost with her, but I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised since she was born in the 80's. I'm sure this would have been comical from a third party perspective watching the conversation. I'm probably going to end up being that old guy who can't relate to people over 10 years younger.

Did I mention I'm an uncle now? I'm headed to NYC to see my brother, Jennifer, and their new baby boy Teo. I joke with my brother that they named him Teo just so they can call him Mr. T later on. I hope I can find all of the things I bought for the baby when I was overseas.