Thursday, March 22, 2007

Pucon


Whizzo!

I caught on overnight bus to Angol, south of Santiago (or STGO, as the marketing people say), to go to a national park nearby.

I arrived before dawn and had a wander, eventually getting into the tourist office at 8:45 to find out that the one bus to the NP left town at 4pm each day. So, I said "Screw that" and went back to the bus station to go early to Pucon.
Pucon has a lake, a volcano and assorted forests etc. It´s a major tourist place.

Anyway, I´m sitting out on the lawn of the hostelly thing in a very comfy chair watching clouds on the volcano and a bee licking the rim of my tea mug.
I think it´s about time I got a girlfriend.
Someone to tap on the shoulder and say "Hey, look. There´s a bee licking my cup."
And then we´d watch the bee for a while, happy that we were making each other´s life richer minute by minute. (Earlier she had pointed out blackberries growning amongst the dog roses. We ate some of them.)
Then we´d, like, totally make out.

Hmm. I haven´t put much thought into this girlfriend idea.

Wanted: Girlfriend. Must like insects and, um, berries. Oh, and totally making out. Preferrably not obscured by cloud. Bilateral symmetry desirable, but not essential.

The 7am volcano climb didn´t happen this morning due to inauspicious weather. So I watched a doco on pirates while waiting for the bik ehire place to open at 8:30. The suggested bike routes total 42km. It was tempting to return, having ridden all of them, cry "We rejoice!" and then collapse. Sadly that requires me having stamina.

I did 17k in four hours. I rode back the hire place, ready to cry "I´m knackered" and collapse, but they were shut for lunch.
I bought a selection of empanadas instead.

Athenian Dignatory: I wonder how Marathon is going?
(enter runner)

Runner: Sorry I´m late. I had a hotdog.

AD (prompting): So....?

R: We rejoice!
(runner collapses and dies)

AD: Remind me not to eat those hotdogs.

Bike riding is infinitly preferrable to horse riding. Sure, you hurt at the end of it, but that´s because you´re making Calves of a God!, and the Thighs of a Titan!, and unfortunately the Crotch Sweat of de Devil!

A hawk just flew overhead and landed on the roof. I saw quite a few hawks on my ride. Also plovers, ibis and egrets - all doing quite well from the paddocks (cows, sheep, goats) that abutt the steep forested mountains. The large lake is fed by a number of swift rivers that run over pebbles and fine volcanic grit.








13 comments:

Anonymous said...

ZHANG YIMOU!

The boy's discovered photography!

harry said...

I´m adding photos to previous posts and sticking them in thing

I´m sorry. I only speak a little English.

eg check 24th Feb,a Buenos Aires post.

Anonymous said...

Schwing, dude.

You know what THAT girl's thinking! Yeah, that's right, she's thinking: "Mmmh, Beetroot!"

Also, she is thinking: "Damnit, Harry, I look way less photogenic when posted at a right-angles."

Pip said...

You mean, we have to go back through ALL your posts to find the photos? Sheesh!!
(Hm, must inflict photos on people sometime...)

Pip said...

Glaciers!!! Please?

harry said...

It uploaded!?!?! I saw it was sideways and cancelled.....

Anonymous said...

Glaciers?!! Pfft.

Drink! Girls! Feck!

"It uploaded!?!?! I saw it was sideways and cancelled....."

It uploaded. I just assumed you liked looking at her in that position. If that's your thing, who am I to judge?

harry said...

Oi!
I fixed it.

I also stuck up some random Santiago shots dated the eighth of March.

Maybe Haiku Hoges is right, and you are a peddler of smut?

anti ob said...

Harry?

About those "hawks" you say you saw on your bike ride? Circling overhead?

Yeah well, just cover your liver before you stop for a nap, okay?

Anonymous said...

"Maybe Haiku Hoges is right, and you are a peddler of smut?"

Sheesh. Look who's talking.

Great photos up above, BTW. Also liked the ubernerd Alexandrian and lembas references. Because I am a massive nerd, as you know.

The Devil Drink said...

"Crotch Sweat of de Devil!"
A crisp light white, not too fruity, oak finish. It's what all the cool people are drinking these days, and you can get a case for under $50 if you know where to look.
The best thing to go with empanadas and bike riding, though, is stout, or some other kind of nice heavy beer. Keep those fucking bees away from it, though.

harry said...

Actually, I´ve found the number one spot for circling hawks in South America. Someone evidently does some backyard pig slaughtering in this charming seaside town called Ancud on Isla de Chiloe (1000+ks south of Santiago apparently.)
There are about 30 hawks and a dozen large gulls circling this one backyard.

harry said...

Very well, I´m off to find stout and empanadas.