I`ve headed down south for a few days in a cute little town called Bariloche, full of log cabins (my hostel isn't one of them, but I have a bar with a pool table and free dinner so who am I to complain?), chocolate shops (Thortans has got to do some serious work if it wants my custom back) oh and Catedral Ski resort, I may be colder than a snow mans bits but I have snow!!!
1st day in after an overnight bus meant I was good for nothing that day other than looking around the town and venturing out as far as the bar -which was a few floors below my room- turns out a good few people from my last hostel are staying here also, managed to get some tips on the dos and donts of snow sports, really wish I would have listened to the oh so good advise I got and done some stretches and that I would have not put things in my ski jacket pocket and expected them to stay dry and unharmed, live and learn eh?
I booked up for two days playing in the white stuff, this being my 1st ski resort didnt know what to expect and I wasnt disappointed.
Day 1 and I was hitting the mountain in skis after the fun of trying to explain to the ski rental place that they needed to stop bringing me boots from the adults section, finally when the guy looked down at my feet he understood, laughed and got some from the kiddies bit.
Had a two hour lesson where I was more snow plow than french fries, not the worst but by no means the best either, my tutor did tell me `Cecil you have found your sport!`, she had called me Cecil in the beginning, didnt correct her the 1st time so I was called Cecil by everyone for the morning, which was surprising easy to get used to. In the afternoon I tried to go a bit further up the mountain, comical is the only word that can describe it, there were 4 year olds zooming everywhere intimidating me, but I did manage to get my own back when I lost control and went straight into a group, whipping an 8 year out!
Day 2 was me trying out boarding, boots are easier to walk in and well, its a cooler thing to say you can do... I still cant say I can do it yet mind.
I had a group lesson in the morning and I was shocking, balance and coordination not being great strenghts of mine I couldnt even get up off my bum unaided with both feet in the board, even when I was helped up I wasnt up for long, while the rest of the group got to go up and leaf down I was at the bottom, sitting on my bum lots and about ready to cry.
But do not despair board lovers, I did not give up, I marched right into the lessons centre and booked up for the afternoon, and I am so glad I did, had a really nice tutor, I explained the mornings accomplishments (or lack there of) to him and he took me though the basics again (turns out the English of my 1st tutor wasnt that good and I was actually being told to do the wrong things with my feet) and the guy had the virtues of a true laid back snow bum and was funny as hell, literally threw me right into it, once you figure out you dont have to worry about rolling around in snow its all good, I can now kind of stand up on my own, turn (sometimes in the direction I want to go in!!) and I managed to get to the bottom once and stop naturally without hitting to deck to make myself stop before hitting the fence.
I left there, wet thought (jeans under ski pants not a good idea people), shivering and aching head to toe, and even worse the next day, every single mussel hurts like hell, but the pleasure out ways the pain by far.
Where am I off to next? Up North to Mendoza.
Adios for now
2 comments:
What is all this snowplay, eh? I thought you were going somewhere hot!
You`re not the only one honey, you could cut glass with my nipples I`ve been that cold the last few weeks...
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