and we're back

The blog continues. I was thinking about starting another blog focused on skiing for my current trip down to las lenas, Argentina. But couldn't think of a good name, ('lost in las lenas' while attractively lllll sounding, seemed unnecessarily pessismistic). Decided instead to revive the old one.

mini-catch up - since finishing my bike trip in seattle. I boxed merle up for fedex-ing (for bikes, use fedex, way cheaper internationally) to Ontario, bussed myself up to Invermere, picked up my car, and drove myself back to Ontario. Spent two and a half months making noises about finding an apartment (hey I looked at TWO) while living in one sister's guest room and on another sister's couch.

Then in November circumstances aligned such that I decided to spend the winter out west skiing. So packed up the car AGAIN and headed out to Revelstoke where I did precisely that and almost nothing else. Sometime around March, feeling like the season was already winding down and not satisfied with that, I googled Skiing, South America and stumbled upon Las Lenas. A resort hopefully more substantial than the information available on it. Booked a ticket. Drove the car back to Toronto. Spent three weeks mostly at my parents (excellent service, four stars). Then two days ago, after making me promise to 'Think About my Future' (by which he did not mean the next four months of skiing) my dad drove me to the airport and I got on a plane.

And so here I am. Buenos Aires. Migrating my way across the country to the Chilian border (where Las Lenas is located) with nothing but my trusty hiking boots, the clothes on my back and -

- Skis -2 (XXLs, Heads)
- Poles - (1 touring poles)
- Avy gear & skins
- helmet
- goggles (2 pairs - cloudy lense, sunny lense)
- Lange boots (hang in there please!!!)
- Ski Jacket and Ski Pants
- Mitts and liners
- One fleece
- One long sleeve slightly oderous bike jersey
- 3 sets of long underwear
- 3 t-shirts
- 1 pair of jeans
- 1 pair of capris
- 1 pair of boxers
- 1 little black dress (I'm worried about spontaneous charity events!)
- 1 pajama bottom
- 3 pairs of ski socks
- 3 pairs of regular socks
- all half decent underwear
- sunglasses/sunscreen/glasses/contacts
- my/heather's white and pink knitted hat
- my green knitted hat
- my blue ski hat
- my canada baseball cap
- neck warmer
- laptop
- video camera
- sleeping bag
- towel
- bathing suit
- my mug
- misc toiletries
- one hacky sac
- Two books - Gulliver's Travels and The Three Pillars of Zen
- my skiing mojo & my beginner spanish

so to answer the burning question:

No, I did not bring the bike. :(

Here is what I was told today about Las Lenas - from Pablo - who was seated one row a head of me in the airplane yesterday, and who I then bumped into at Plaza Italia today ('small 12.5 million city')

"Las Lenas!" he said. "You do not want to go there. Go to Bariloche. Las Lenas is nothing but snobby brazilians and europeons jetting. Rich people on vacation. The people will bore you. Go to Bariloche it has art, culture - there is ok skiing there and it is Patagonia. Patagonia!! Las Lenas has nothing."

Pablo's vote of confidence in my plans aside, I still figure - he's not a skier, so doesn't really get it, and two, generally, the more remote, unlikely, hard to get to, a place is, the better it is! At least that's my Philosophy of Travelling, and it hasn't failed me yet.... more or less. Balance of probability at least!

Today I wandered through some parks. I am rusty in my traveling. I was aiming for the Argentinian Polo fields, and instead ended up at the Center for Islam. Which in my defence, has some beautifully manicured grounds.

Tomorrow - Botanical Gardens and Japanese Gardens, and if all else fails - my safety tourist destination is Malba - Musuem of Art Latin-American Buenos Aires.

So uh. To the old readers. Welcome back. To those who are linking here to learn the ins and out of solo cycling touring in America, just go to the beginning of this blog and start reading.

Adios for now (or - Go! GO AWAY ! as the Argentinian custom agent shouted at me.)

[I mistook his wave for a friendly greeting, so naturally waved back. He kept on waving. I kept on waving too. Turns out his wave was really 'welcome to my country and I have no questions for you']