A unos metros yo caí cual res de una manera muy estúpida ya que ni me estaba moviendo, supongo que se me atoraron los esquis y di un sentón. Pararse con esquis es de las cosas más complicadas que hay. Tuve que quitármelos para poder seguir. Y ya, estuvimos listos para echarnos de la primera bajada. Pese a los nervios me deslice bien y no caí para nada. Cosa que no podemos decir de Chaps y Sergio.

Luego el instructor nos enseñó más trucos, como ir en zig zag y otros detalles. Volvimos al lift y otra vez a echarnos. Nuevamente el Chaps caía y rodaba con singular alegría, pero eso si, siempre se levantaba y seguía. Sergio también caía. El instructor decía que se veían con miedo, que su piernita izquierda les temblaba. Y que la cuota de caídas ya estaba saldada por el Chaps. Ya por tercera vez nos echamos, ahora con más velocidad. Chaps salió volando con esquis pa arriba, todo un show, y obvio yo moría de risa. Las caídas de Sergio eran mas discretas.

Después de 3 hrs de clase, de estar a pleno rayo del sol, deshidratados y agotados fuimos un rato a la cafeteria por unos drinks y algo de comer. A la hora regresamos a los slopes. Subimos y ahora si el Chaps y Sergio no cayeron y estaban emocionados por el logro. Para esa hora ya la nieve está un poco más suelta y la velocidad aumenta y la frenada es más complicada. Nos echamos un par de veces más. Sergio y Chaps volvieron a caer, con más estilo, eso sí. Yo en una de esas iba demasiado rápido y la frenada nomás como que no daba y tuvo que aventarme, cosa que me sirvió para probar si ya había aprendido a caer y así fue, sin ningún problema. De hecho ya me quede un rato en la nieve acostada y descansado. Para mí ya había sido suficiente para hoy. Sergio y Chaps todavía se echaron un par de veces y a las 5pm ya estábamos listos para irnos.

Regresamos al hotel a dejar las cosas y caminos al Village a buscar algo calórico que comer. Acabamos en un restaurante italiano muy familiar, sabroso y llenador. Pasamos por un café y a las 8pm, en sábado, ya estábamos con la pijama puesta. Eso de la esquiada está divertido pero extremadamente cansando. Y mañana al parecer intentaremos el snowboarding, que honestamente se ve más cool que la esquiada.

*Hay video y muchas fotos de este día, lamentablemente fueron tomadas por la cámara del Chaps y no hay cable para pasar las fotos desde su cámara, pero próximamente serán posteadas. Las fotos que hay fueron tomadas de celular y tablet.

A una hr y media de camino nos topamos con un pedacito de cielo californiano, las hamburguesas In & Out, favoritas de la Little Miss Panda y nunca antes saboreadas por Chaps. El camino estuvo sin contratiempos, Chaps venía dormido. Llegamos a San Bernardino National Park, un camino lleno de curvas, de doble sentido y fuimos subiendo varios pies de altura. Nuestro tiempo estimado de llegada al hotel en Big Bear Lake era a las 3pm. Estábamos haciendo el check in a las 3:10pm. Right on schedule. El hotel, Marina Resort, está simpático, dado que la oferta hotelera de Big Bear no es la mejor. El cuarto es pequeño pero no necesitamos más. Tenemos balcón con vista al lago y las camas están muy pachoncitas.

Dejamos las maletas y salimos a explorar Big Bear. Fuimos al Village donde hay tienditas curiosas, restaurantes y cafecitos. Nos metimos a una pizzeria y pedimos una mediana de pepperoni. Saliendo pasamos a Leroy’s Shop donde vende y rentan artículos para esquiar. Yo renté unos pantalones para la nieve y el Chaps compró unos goggles.

Regresamos a cambiarnos y a prepararnos para ir a jugar a la nieve. Fuimos al Alpine Slide y 15 dolares después ya estábamos montados en una llanta y aventándonos de unas resbaladillas de nieve. La primera vez nos echamos en trenecito y fue de lo más divertido. Y así estuvimos un par de horas, probando diferentes maneras de echarnos (de frente, de espaldas, en circulito, en la resbaladilla más curveada, etc.). El Chaps salió volando varias veces, perdiendo la llanta en el camino. Fue muy cómico. Y nos sirvió de pequeño entrenamiento para ver si la ropa para nieve nos serviría mañana. La prueba fue superada.

Para las 8:30pm llegaron mis amigos, Ana y Luis, a Big Bear (ellos viven cerca de LA). Fuimos al hotel nuevamente a cambiarnos y fuimos a cenar al Denny’s. Después de varios platillos, hartas tazas de café y plática amena, decidimos ir a dormir porque mañana hay que madrugar para nuestros pininos en la esquiada.

El inicio es el viernes 6 de enero en el aeropuerto de San Diego, California con destino inmediato a Big Bear Lake, también en California, y donde la Happy Panda Corporation (HPC), integrada por:

Sergio López (Chief Executive Panda)

Carlos Alcocer “Chaps” (Chief Architect Panda)

Elisa Rugarcía (Little Miss Panda)

Ursulito, el muñequito aventurero amante del camino

La canica, ya más viajada que muchos de nosotros.

…Se embarcará en una bambuesca aventura de nieve, desierto, Ruta 66, pueblos fantasmas, termómetros gigantes, wedding chapels, casinos, tecnología, buena comida, junk food, paisajes y más, a lo largo de 10 días de intensa actividad.

Chequen diariamente el blog para nuevos posts y aventuras en el camino.

Nos gustan los comentarios y más nos gusta que nos lean. Cheers!

Del Rio, TX 1am

I apologize if my post this time is short but honestly, I got to this point where I’m tired of driving, travelling and I just want to be home. So I’ll let the pictures speak more than words itself.

Dic. 16
From Williams I drove like 2 hours and a half to go to the Grand Canyon. Amazing place and I liked the fact that there was snow. I always had this picture of the Canyon being all dry and hot. Ursulito had fun playing in the snow.

Around 3pm I started driving to the south. It was tough as I had to drive for like 8hrs. Finally I arrived to Roswell at 2am. Staying at a Motel 6, thanks to the fabulous coupon my friend Luis gave me. I went to have something to eat cause I was starving after eating only leftovers from Chipotle the day I left Vegas.

Today’s statistics:
Drove 1138km (already hit the 13,000km)
2 gas stops
1 bathroom stop
Food: Ham and cheese sandwich, cheeseburger and fries from Whataburger, 1 Red Bull, 1 Boing

Today’s song: Black and Gold- Sam Sparrow

Dic. 17
Woke up in Roswell. I wanted to sleep more but it was time to hit the road again. Went to the post office for the last time in this trip. No more postcards. Took some pictures. Roswell is kind of ugly and the only thing ”interesting” was that supposedly this UFO crashed in 1947. Drove and drove and drove. Saw lots of deers (like 10) and smelled a lot of skunks during the road. Thank God for the iPod the road is less boring. Finally I arrived to Del Rio, TX around 10pm. Another coupon, another Motel 6. Church’s chicken and ready to go to bed, tomorrow I hope I’ll be in Mexico.

Today’s statistics:
Drove 680km (hit the 14,000km)
2 gas stops
No bathroom stops
Food: Church’s chicken (2 piece), mashed potates, mac & cheese, iced tea.

Today’s song: Hold Tight!- Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich

Funny/Curious names
Mogollon Plateau
Tonto Village (I know a couple of people that should live there)
Rio Puerco (clean it!)
Manuelito
Yah-Tah-Hey
Iyanbito
Cubero
Seboyeta
Mesita
Loving

Williams, Arizona 11pm

I tried to leave Vegas early but I didn’t hit the road until 11am. My first stop was Hoover Dam. I’m so happy I had the chance to be there. Its amazing.
Height: 221.3 meters
Crest lenght 379.2 meters
Crest width 13.7 meters
Volume of concrete 2.6 million cubic meters

I wanted to go to the Grand Canyon today but I didn’t realize that the time will change in Arizona, one more hour. After getting to Kingman I decided to take a part of the Route 66. I put some gas and a guy approached me. He told me that my tire looked kind of flat, that he works in the tire shop and it will be good that I have it check. So I went with him one block. I thought he was just being nice but he had other intentions. He wanted to sell me tires, which maybe I need but I was sure, I need to consult this matters with my car doctor. I told him that I didn’t have money and he proposed me that if I went with him to this casino and stayed in a suite he had booked for today, his birthday, he won’t charge me.

Politely I said no thanks, but he kept insisting, then he said he would give me $100 to gamble and maybe I could won more money and pay for the tires. Finally I left and called the car doctor. I’ll send him photos and he will tell me if its necessary or not.

I drove around Kingman taking pictures of some Route 66 sites. Passed this places like Hackberry, Valentine, Truxton, Peach Springs, and Seligman. Only Kingman and Seligman had interesting things. The rest of the road was plain boring. I decided to use my first Motel 6 coupon and now I’m in Williams, which is still part of the Route 66.

For more information about the Route 66 and why it used to be so important take a look here , you will learn something new.

Today’s statistics:
Drove 397km (I already passed 12,000km!)
One stop at a gas station
No bathroom stop
Food: Leftovers from Chipotle, apple pie from McDonald’s (I’m starving)

Curious/Funny names
Needles
Coconino
Purple Heart Trail

Today’s song: Route 66- Depeche Mode

ALL THE DETAILS AND PICTURES COMING SOON.
VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!

Dec. 8

We woke late after all the chita chat from last night (Luis calls it ”Lavar la ropa”). We went to have brunch at Polly’s, where Ana works. I had this little bbq burgers and a salad. We ended having a lemon pie. I went back to the apt. to pick my stuff and headed to San Diego. By the time I left it wa already 5pm.

It was a short drive, less than two hours. I met Xochitl at Ikea. Bought some stuff and loaded my car once again. We went to her house and we talked a bit while she was doing cookies. This time is Christmas cookies (last time I was here where Halloween cookies). Tomorrow is going to be busy as I have to unload the car and try to organize all the stuff I have spread all over the car.

Dec. 9

I went to get all my stuff from the car. Xochitl was impressed with all the things I have. I worked on that and then she picked me up to have lunch. We made a quick stop with her mother-in-law and then we had sushi. And after that we had yogurt ice cream at Golden Spoon, yummy! We went to Borders as I needed to buy some books.

After I kept packing in trying to organize but it was too much. Got a little tired and gave up for today. Tomorrow I have to hurry as I have to in Las Vegas at 8pm in order to be in time for the Criss Angel’s show.

I went to Ashbury Street. Went to walk around, do some window shopping. As it was cold and still raining decide to go back home. I bought some indian food and Tim was hungry and happy. Not a very busy or productive day in San Francisco but I guess I saw everything that I needed and its Sunday, its a nice day to just chill out.

No pics today.

I drove Tim to the library in Civic Center and we said goodbye. I made a quick stop in the Jewish Museum (urgent need of a dreidel) and I finally said goodbye to San Francisco. Now I have to drive a long way to Huntington Beach.

I drove at a good speed rate. After 5 hours I started to feel tired. I bought a quick bite in Jack in the Box and then took a little nap in a rest area. My friend Luis was calling me to check on my status. By 10pm was already in Huntington Beach.

I went to Luis and Ana’s apt. He was still working. Ana had already made some dinner and we had some appetizers. We talked for a bit, catching up and then Luis arrived. I haven’t seen him like in 3 or 4 years so it was very nice to finally catch up. I met him through my ex boyfriend long time ago and I always considered him a very nice guy. Now he lives in California with his girlfriend Ana, which I haven’t had the chance to know her very well but she is really nice. She seems very in love with Luis, after 7 years of being together. Luis is currently working at a Motel 6 and he gave me some coupons to say for free in any Motel 6. I’m so happy!

We had a very nice dinner, we talked until 4am and went to bed. I slept in an air matress in the living room. I really needed to rest.

Today’s statistics:
Drove 650km
One quick stop in Jack in the Box
1 bathroom stop (in Jack in the Box)
Food: leftovers from indian food, 1 cheeseburger, salad, meat, 1 brownie, Gatorade, 1 Red Bull

Funny/Curious names
Weed (enjoy Weed!)
Easy Road
Pasatiempo Drive
Casitas Pass Road
Carpinteria
Rainbow
Zzyzk Road (pronounced zaizik)

Today’s song: Golden Skans- Klaxons