A couple of pics…
Got back home a couple of hours ago, downloaded a batch of pictures from the camera. There are some nice shots, but I still need to sort them out. Either way I thought I'd share 2 of them here and now. You can click on them to go to flickr and see the description n' stuff.
Going back!
This post should be posted while I'm going back to Buenos Aires. It has been a relaxing week; no snowboarding tho.
Tons of pics and some vids are to follow as soon as I get a chance to look at all of them.
Smarter posting about all this and that shall happen upon my return.
Out and Away
I'm starting my vacation tomorrow morning. Timing couldn't be more perfect. Although there are still a couple fo days left till the Olympics close on Sunday I think the program can survive without me.
There has been a certain ammount of turmoil and unrest lately; time off is more than welcome.
I'll try to post every once in a while, maybe upload some pictures as well.
Countryside pictures
This past summer, while at Junin for new year we went to some friends' country house. While we were scorching under the sun a fast storm front approached.
It took me quite a while to upload this pictures (don't know why), but I thought I'd share.
(click on the images for full size and technicolor glory @ flickr)
Nest
Windmill:
Colour mixed Fields:
Storm approaching:
Power poles:
There and back again – Trip to Bariloche
I have to admit that I love traveling. It is probably the gipsy blood that runs through my veins or something genetic, but I tend to get rather bored when staying for long at a single place (I moved houses a total 10 times so far... it would of been more if it was up to me). Although there are some things I could live without (like trading in 19 hour bus rides for 2 hour plane equivalents) I really enjoy being on the road.
This time I didn't go to a new place, but rather an old familiar one: my hometown Bariloche. I had to do some paperwork there (that Argentine bureaucratic timing screwed up) and I had the chance to meet with the rest of my family. All of it.
Although work didn't allow me to go around more the way I usually do, I did take some pictures from the bus and around some other places.
Out of 19 hours worth of traveling, the final 4 hours are worth almost all the effort. The route winds all around Patagonia following the Limay River. Some breathtaking scenes can be seen while circling around. (you can click on the images to get the full-size versions)
A look at the real patagonia, a vast and arid place.
Gods Finger, at Enchanted Valley
A broader shot at Enchanted Valley
A natural Amphitheater overlooking Limay River
This is the first sight one has of Bariloche
The one short trip we did was to the Lower Manso River. "Manso" means "calm" in English. I have always wondered about the naming policy, since the place is awesome for rafting, with some kamikaze-style rapids. We did go to a relatively calm place where it makes a turn and creates a Pool. I'm glad we bathed on the cold waters that day, since it was the last summer-like weather we would witness.
The not-so-manso River
The pool where we got to take a nice dive
The one nasty thing was the humongous quantity of Horse flies that attacked us!
Upon returning home, we were delighted to get some very good Argentine BBQ (Asado), where the patagonic Lamb was the king
Overall, and despite the fact I worked normal hours, I had a relaxing time. I feel more energetic than on December and ready to cope with a couple of months before I head for a week's vacation. I'll post about that for certain!
Mountain Biking
I was 16 at the time, and was in the best shape ever. I had been consistently training for around 2 years, preparing for my debut in the Argentine Mountain Bike championship. I had had some moderately good results during the summer and was feeling confident looking towards the season opener that was due during Easter weekend, at my backyard, Cerro Catedral.
Less than three weeks before the actual event I hit a Toyota Pick-Up truck while on a descent through the main car road to Cerro Otto. Although I did land heads-on into the passenger seat (shattering the windshield and my bike) all I had was a right hand thumb dislocated. Still, that meant a month with a plaster and an additional 15 days with a splint. So much for my big-leagues mountain bike debut.
So did the winter arrive, and I was too disappointed to start a serious training. Not to mention the pain I had while trying to use the front wheel brake (the one that actually slows you down) while on downhills. Then I moved to Buenos Aires, and the rest is history.
I spent last week at Bariloche. Although I was not on vacation I had enough spare time to take my brother's brand new Specialized bike for a spin. Although I only did 2 miles of uphill I was happy enough by the fact that I didn't stop a single time. And I should mention that it was snowing. You read correctly. Snow in Mid summer, while in Buenos Aires people where suffering 100+ F temperatures I was up in a mountain while snow pilled up around me.
Such a short comeback to my beloved sport served two purposes.
- I am in a lousy shape. A 70 year old crack addict could beat me anytime. This leads to:
- I need to change my lifestyle. (A post on that will follow up shortly.
Another realization was that biking on a hardtail vs. a full suspension changes the sport. I spent half my downhill trying to get a clue on why wasn't I suffering every single pebble and root on the trail. Boy, have this bikes changed in the past 12 years.
End of year marathon closure
Home sweet home. Over the past couple of weeks I've spent well over 60 hours in buses traveling around. That is over.
After a 22-hour bus trip worth of a horror film (with two passengers getting sick right there, and a small kid who yelled a good 14 hours) I'm finally safe and sound at good old Buenos Aires.
Spending time with the family was good. That does not happen very often in my life, since we're all scattered around. Having to work while doing so put my concentration to the test. I somewhat passed. I'd give it a C+.
This next couple of weeks promise to be a representation of the term "sweatshop". I might rant, but I actually enjoy deadlines, stress and a couple of tons worth of pressure lingering right above my head. Business as Usual makes me numb, I'll take a good crazy deadline and complex project anytime.
My soul staying at Buenos Aires up till the end of February, when I plan to take a short vacation.
I've survived another end of year, and, quite surprisingly I feel more full of energy now than in December. Impeccable timing, I'd say.
Photo Fun -Issue 2 (the oldies)
Somehow I found some of my old pictures taken on Film 5 or 6 years ago. Quality is quite poor, I must admit it; yet maybe due to the personal feelings attached to them I do like how some look.
This pictures were shot back in my hometown, Bariloche. I'm starting to miss that badly.
This is one of my personal favorites: moon rising over Nahuel Huapi Lake:
I have an obsession with Clouds:
Black and White shot of the real Patagonia
A tree and, of course, some more clouds.
Some sad trees:
Finally a sunrise over Nahuel Huapi Lake
End of year Marathon begins this weekend
December is usually full of events. Not only does calendar the year come to an end as part of the holidays (which are demanding per-se), but there are also a lot of meetings, get-togethers and parties. All of it in the more tiresome month: December. There's a psychology behind December that is quite odd. There's that feeling of survival, as in "we made it through another year", that other burnt-out sensation, and the lack of concentration that is very usual for the twelfth month. Personally there's another caveat that comes from living in the southern hemisphere: the coming of the summer and the proximity to vacation (or to look at it from a "glass half empty" perspective: the long time that has went through since the previous vacation). I don't work well with heat, I'm a winter person.
This year a Wedding is going to mark the beginning of the end-o-year marathon. This upcoming Friday Luciana and I are taking a bus to Necochea at 11pm, arriving there at 6AM. The wedding begins at 7PM and will probably extend well into 5 or 6AM on Sunday. By 11AM we'll be on a bus again arriving at 7PM.
I foresee a tiresome December. I already have some events I know I won't attend because of conflicting times…
Family-wise I'm going to spend my first Christmas in Buenos Aires in a long time. My brother's arriving from the US Dec. 25th, and we're looking into trying to get my mom to travel from Bariloche for the occasion. New Year will probably happen at my wife's hometown and maybe a week at Bariloche after that to spend some quality time with the family.
Of course all of this has to happen while juggling things at work; it wouldn't be fun otherwise 
Raleigh travel Log – Day6, trip back and wrap up
I must admit that Friday was not what I’d consider as “productive”. But I expected that. It is not easy to start doing anything when I knew I’d had to cut it off early.
So, the usual headed to the airport stuff. Got to the plane, and got sited in the middle spot of a 3 spots row, right beside a monolithic individual. I have never wanted an X-tablet as much as in that Flight. Have you ever tried typing on a computer with your own elbow forced against your ribs? Not nice. The design team behind the coach seats needs to review what they do!
Thus I mainly devoted the flight from Raleigh to Miami to read “The Ultimate Question” (thanks David) and sort my mail out, hoping I’d get to reply some on the next flight.
I had to run to catch the Miami – Buenos Aires Flight. I mean that literally; I flew from concourse C to concourse A through some zigzagging hallways (the place is being remodeled) with some sort of paranoia that the airport security was going to put a bullet in my back because of my suspicious attitude.
The fact that I’m writing this post from someplace 30.000 feet above Bolivia depicts two things; one: I made it safely to the plane and two: once again I can’t sleep in the aircraft. The cool thing is I get to see the flight attendants run like crazy as we hit some turbulence.
The overall balance has been, of course, positive. I needed some face time with my new team. It is not that I ever felt segregated in any way, quite on the contrary, but nothing can beat good old human interaction.
If I had to choose a single world to describe the week, that would be, without a doubt: “inspiring”. I didn’t do much during the past 5 days in the sense of actually acting hands-on something. But I did a great deal in terms of knowing what my general direction is, what I need to do and what needs to be achieved. Besides I now poses a rattling brain, thinking already on the next level and steps.
Jim, Mark, Tim, Krista, David, Matt, thanks. It was a very pleasant week. Felt like home, 10.000 miles away from home.