I have come to discover that what i previously regarded as a hill is no longer a hill and what i had previously thought was a windy day is no longer in my mind a windy day. everyday is a winding road and every day the road rises and falls and with each rise, a new vista and with each descent a beautiful freeing feeling. well this next part of the journey won´t be easily put into words and ironically it has been my favorite part of the journey thus far.
after leaving bariloche we decided to take our time getting to el bolson. well, we hadn´t initially intended it but, one day whilest we were packing up our bags after eating lunch off the road in the shade by a river we spotted a cyclist coming up the hill. two subsequent cyclists also ambled up the hill. they were three argentine boys on a bike adventure of their own--including a guitar and a flute. we all decided to head to a little remote lake called lago steffen. the 10km bumpy, gravel road (with parts of the road missing and two stream crossings without bridges) made for a dramatic entrance to the beautiful, peaceful lake. there we set up camp and for two in a half days, enjoyed cooking, attempting to fish, drinking matte with other campers, and bonfires at night. two other cyclists joined us as well and for a night we sat around that campfire and like the hippies of yesteryear sang ¨give peace a chance¨. sadly, i was unable to catch a fish with my homemade fishing rod, but we did take my bob trailer and use it as a grill to make some burgers**.
we found a way out of the lake hitching a ride from a nice guy who was willing to take us back to the road (c´mon we´re hard core cyclists but that road of 10km of up up up didn´t sound like that much fun...). and the funny thing was that we were able to secure this ride with my ability to speak german?! it´s true. argentina is full of older germans and german vacationers and since my german is better than my spanish...
last night we made it to the road as the sun was setting and enjoyed a vibrant 10km of downhill against the fading colors of the sky. we spent the night at a checkpoint station sadly missing our friends. the guards thought it would be safer than trying to bike at night and we couldn´t have agreed more. and this morning as we rode on, even the parts of the road that wound their way up seemed to neatly fit into the cadence of ¨give peace a chance¨.
so now, we will begin to work on the ranch. we´re here at the internet cafe trying to make our final connections. pictures will come soon along with other odds and ends....
peace, love, and happiness.
the hippy cyclist, jude.
ps. i have come to deeply enjoy having matte with people. one cup and straw is generally used and everybody takes a turn sipping from the mug. the matte is good, better with fresh mint leaves, but the conversation and the community that is woven together in this tradition is something beyond a cup of tea.
**i accidentally melted a plastic washer from my bob trailer. if i am unable to recreate this washer i was hoping that maybe i could get a little help from my friends and have the piece sent here. the trailer runs well as i have been able to put it back together but, it is not the same. however, the burgers were again, deeelicious!
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6 comments:
Hi, Jude: Rachel's dad, Paul, here, and I can't talk to her about your trip, 'cause she's enroute to England, with Bob.
Anyway, I sent your blog address to Ed Russo, at the Register-Guard, and he'll contact you in a week or so, after he chats to Rachel. So, we're moving to get you star status with publicity. I told Ed how you're using the trip as a sort of testbed for your wheels and wheel-building biz (so that's a nice tax write-off!) and hopefully, if you want the publicity and all works out as it should you'll be flooded with offers from Hollywood next...
We're off on our own Worst Day of the Year ride tomorrow, and the weather is living up to it, snow, sleet, high winds, but no mint tea, so you're even ahead of us there.
Go safely, keep the posts rolling and the hoops turning. Good thoughts, and congratulations.
Jennie and Paul.
jude. i'm crying. literally crying as i read your entries. i am beyond proud of you... so hard to put into words what i am feeling. sobbing now actually. i've been sick, so a little more emotional than usual, but regardless! the point here is that i am overwhelmed by your spirit. at the risk of sounding generic- you are an inspiration to me. your words,"what I once thought was a hill is not a hill..." oh they hit me deep. so interesting that i feel the same way from the comfort of my american apartment in tiny jackson hole. isn't it so incredible, the perspective we must face in times of trial and struggle? your energy and spirit are resonating deeply, here in jackson, here in my heart. we are so very far apart yet i feel closer to you in this moment than i have in years. i love you. keep riding strong. thank you for sharing yourself. always. chris
you ladies are great! please let leah know i love her and miss her and am peeeassed as hell that i am not with you gals! ~suzi
paul...thanks for your response...my e mail address is: judekirstein@hotmail.com i will be in town tomorrow to update the blog. hugs from the open road!!
chris...no need for tears. i was just telling seth that it´s amazing what you have within you. at the bottom of the hill i´ve looked up and thought...how the heck!? and then an hour or so later i´ve looked down and thought to myself...how the heck did i do that?! i love being able to live outside of myself...giving my imagination new things to contemplate, dreaming in different beautiful spots, and living for each moment (because if you don´t, the bike could fall right over and there you go!!) chris there are so many things i´ve thought about on this trip and in short, i´m just happy to be riding my bike. i´ve met so many amazing people because of that machine (which can you believe i built all by myself, wheels included in just one week?!). there´s too much to tell but thank you so much for reading and responding...it feels good to get a hug of words.
peace.
jude.
We do washers and we've got connections! Just let us know which one you need, or it's dimensions, or......and where to send it to. (Lucky all you lost was a washer. We can't quite picture how you used your Bob Trailer as a grill!)
-Marvin and Margaret
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