Sunrise on day 4 of my salt flats tour.
24 December 2013
22 December 2013
It turns out you don't forget
Monday 18th November
Today, for the first time in about 20 years, I rode a bike.
OK, technically I borrowed Petra's whilst in San Pedro and spent about 30 seconds on it, but today I hired a bike and spent a few hours cycling the streets of Pucon.
To my surprise the old adage "you never forget how to ride a bike" is true - I didn't. The best part of 20 years since I'd last ridden a bike just weren't there and within a very short time I'd gone from "wobbly, but cycling" to "cycling".
Yes there was, is, a long way to go in terms of rediscovering my confidence and ability on two wheels, but that is a matter of time, repetition and possibly a little training.
It was really good to be peddling around San Pedro - a small, quiet, town, at low enough altitude that I didn't have to worry, where all I had to do was keep an eye on traffic.
I have already asked a friend of mine for advice on what I should be looking for in a bike for when I return to London - it would be a nice option. I have also asked for any pointers on training courses, specifically aimed at safety.
I shall be spending as much time researching bike seats as everything else - good lord they are uncomfortable.
And don't worry - there will be no lycra.
Today, for the first time in about 20 years, I rode a bike.
OK, technically I borrowed Petra's whilst in San Pedro and spent about 30 seconds on it, but today I hired a bike and spent a few hours cycling the streets of Pucon.
To my surprise the old adage "you never forget how to ride a bike" is true - I didn't. The best part of 20 years since I'd last ridden a bike just weren't there and within a very short time I'd gone from "wobbly, but cycling" to "cycling".
Yes there was, is, a long way to go in terms of rediscovering my confidence and ability on two wheels, but that is a matter of time, repetition and possibly a little training.
It was really good to be peddling around San Pedro - a small, quiet, town, at low enough altitude that I didn't have to worry, where all I had to do was keep an eye on traffic.
I have already asked a friend of mine for advice on what I should be looking for in a bike for when I return to London - it would be a nice option. I have also asked for any pointers on training courses, specifically aimed at safety.
I shall be spending as much time researching bike seats as everything else - good lord they are uncomfortable.
And don't worry - there will be no lycra.
Kayaking in Pucon
Saturday 16th November.
Having tried and loved white water rafting whilst in Arequipa, I wanted to try other watersports. Pucon is one of the best places to do kayaking and I was there at one of the best times of the year to do it. Another opportunity to prove that few look good in a wetsuit.
The day started on the lake, learning the basics - paddling and control of the kayak. This mostly involved trying not to capsize the kayak whilst getting yourself around the lake, although obviously it resulted in a lot of getting cold & wet. It was a hot day, but the water was cold.
When you get in to a kayak for the first time there is a perfectly natural worry that when, not if, you capsize it you'll not be able to get out and will end-up trapped upside down underwater. From chatting to my instructor this is something everyone worries about; having capsized a kayak many times I can confirm that it is really easy to get out, so easy that I fell out a few times whilst trying to learn Eskimo Rolls.
An interesting part of learning to do Eskimo Rolls is intentionally capsizing the kayak and getting use to being upside-down underwater, which the first time you do it is scary and a lot easier after that. You just capsize the boat (very easy), wait for a bit (harder that in sounds whilst hanging upside down in a lake) and then have your instructor flip the kayak, bringing you back to the surface. Do that a couple of times and any fears about being trapped soon go - in my case as I fell out of the kayak the first time I tried it.
After a few hours on the lake doing a mixture of basic manoeuvring and failing to learn how to Eskimo Roll I was tired - a lot more tired than I was expecting. A 1.5 hour lunch break was most welcome.
The inability to do an Eskimo Roll made the afternoon's activities a little more interesting - 2.5 hours of paddling, covering about 10km of grade 2 river. My only choice if I capsize would be to pop out of the kayak and swim for the bank, keeping my paddle with me (something my instructor stressed several times - he would sort out the kayak.). Although the river was only grade 2 (i.e. mostly calm, a few faster & choppier bits - rapids-ish) and I'd very happily rafted down a grade 3-4 (i.e. lots of big fast rapids), this was more daunting.
Sadly I couldn't take my camera with me as there was no way of keeping it dry, and Gil was busy flying off a volcano (no, really) and so had her GoPro. This is a real shame I'd love to have captured the calm and beauty of slowly paddling down the river - the views of the river itself, along with Pucon's most famous view, the volcano. Stunning.
To my surprise, and that of the guy who runs the company, I managed to do the whole journey without falling in - I think in part as I was really *very* keen on not getting a soaking; I'd spent the morning cold & wet (and loving ever second).
Being cold & wet for hours, along with being surrounded by new germs - part of the fun of travelling - meant that the day after I was starting to come down with a cold, one that Gil had been fighting for a few days and for the rest of my time in Pucon I wasn't feeling well enough to get back in to the water - something I wanted to do.
Southern Chile is a place I want to return to and explore - I'll be back in Pucon and on its rivers.
Having tried and loved white water rafting whilst in Arequipa, I wanted to try other watersports. Pucon is one of the best places to do kayaking and I was there at one of the best times of the year to do it. Another opportunity to prove that few look good in a wetsuit.
The day started on the lake, learning the basics - paddling and control of the kayak. This mostly involved trying not to capsize the kayak whilst getting yourself around the lake, although obviously it resulted in a lot of getting cold & wet. It was a hot day, but the water was cold.
When you get in to a kayak for the first time there is a perfectly natural worry that when, not if, you capsize it you'll not be able to get out and will end-up trapped upside down underwater. From chatting to my instructor this is something everyone worries about; having capsized a kayak many times I can confirm that it is really easy to get out, so easy that I fell out a few times whilst trying to learn Eskimo Rolls.
An interesting part of learning to do Eskimo Rolls is intentionally capsizing the kayak and getting use to being upside-down underwater, which the first time you do it is scary and a lot easier after that. You just capsize the boat (very easy), wait for a bit (harder that in sounds whilst hanging upside down in a lake) and then have your instructor flip the kayak, bringing you back to the surface. Do that a couple of times and any fears about being trapped soon go - in my case as I fell out of the kayak the first time I tried it.
After a few hours on the lake doing a mixture of basic manoeuvring and failing to learn how to Eskimo Roll I was tired - a lot more tired than I was expecting. A 1.5 hour lunch break was most welcome.
The inability to do an Eskimo Roll made the afternoon's activities a little more interesting - 2.5 hours of paddling, covering about 10km of grade 2 river. My only choice if I capsize would be to pop out of the kayak and swim for the bank, keeping my paddle with me (something my instructor stressed several times - he would sort out the kayak.). Although the river was only grade 2 (i.e. mostly calm, a few faster & choppier bits - rapids-ish) and I'd very happily rafted down a grade 3-4 (i.e. lots of big fast rapids), this was more daunting.
Sadly I couldn't take my camera with me as there was no way of keeping it dry, and Gil was busy flying off a volcano (no, really) and so had her GoPro. This is a real shame I'd love to have captured the calm and beauty of slowly paddling down the river - the views of the river itself, along with Pucon's most famous view, the volcano. Stunning.
To my surprise, and that of the guy who runs the company, I managed to do the whole journey without falling in - I think in part as I was really *very* keen on not getting a soaking; I'd spent the morning cold & wet (and loving ever second).
Being cold & wet for hours, along with being surrounded by new germs - part of the fun of travelling - meant that the day after I was starting to come down with a cold, one that Gil had been fighting for a few days and for the rest of my time in Pucon I wasn't feeling well enough to get back in to the water - something I wanted to do.
Southern Chile is a place I want to return to and explore - I'll be back in Pucon and on its rivers.
21 December 2013
Airport security
As all regular traveller and most infrequent travellers know, airport security is joke. Security theatre at its highest.
Catching up on some reading today and found this, via Crypto-Gram.
http://www.terminalcornucopia.com/
The far easier way to to just buy a bottle of spirits and smash it - a broken glass bottle is a very effective weapon.
Thankfully we are safe from those evil terrorist plots which require more than 100ml of fluid </WeaponsGradeSarcasm>.
Catching up on some reading today and found this, via Crypto-Gram.
http://www.terminalcornucopia.com/
The far easier way to to just buy a bottle of spirits and smash it - a broken glass bottle is a very effective weapon.
Thankfully we are safe from those evil terrorist plots which require more than 100ml of fluid </WeaponsGradeSarcasm>.
19 December 2013
Salt Flats Tour pics - day 3
The day started with more amazing scenery...
... including this lovely lagoon. Those little black dots on the right of the lagoon are people.
On the other side of the tracks...
...another reminder of the scale - the little black dots at the waters edge are people. If you could see the pink dots, you'd see...
... flamingos.
18 December 2013
Salt Flats Tour pics - day 2
Day two started with llamas - cute and delicious.
We then had to drive through a little water.
With the rest of the day being all about the views. Again.
Photographically this isn't anything special - it is all about the scale of the landscape. Those little black dots next to the blueyblack bigger dot are people, next to a Landcruiser.
Shot from exactly the same place as the above picture, just turned through 180 degrees. A patch of snow surrounded by all this.
Ending the day at the red lagoon.
16 December 2013
Salt Flats Tour pics - day 1: The Sunset
These pictures don't do justice to the sunset I witnessed that evening, but they're all I've got. Enjoy.
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