b-roll, pizza, & The Real Luke: Chile Day 4

13 Aug b-roll, pizza, & The Real Luke: Chile Day 4

This was our “off day.” A day to relax and rest up. We’d been riding pretty hard, at high altitudes, in the middle of summer and were pretty sore. We didn’t really sleep in, since breakfast was at the same time…but we did get to laze around.

moonset

After breakfast and a few cups of coffee I grabbed the Super 8 camera and set out to record some B-roll. I wanted to get out before the light was to bright and high in the sky. I took with me a roll of ASA 50 and one of ASA 250. As I walked around the sleepy mountain village I shot houses, dogs, hitch hikers and vistas. It was still a bit of a mystery how the footage would turn out, but I felt like I was exposing it better.

Back at Lomas we hung out by the fire. Surfed the intertubes, stretched, etc. Laura and Paulo showed up with a bunch of groceries and more wood for the fire. After unloading the food, Clara walked over to the fireplace and threw ALL the plastic bags into the fire…right in front of us.

The pollution in Santiago was making a bit more sense. In fact, the air in the Farellones was often thick with pollution…I remember a Toyota Yaris driving by and its exhaust being so brutal that it took the air out of my lungs. This is a car that in the US is super clean and super efficient. But here in Chile…things were different.

One of the dogs that “didn’t” belong to Clara…this one she called “Negras.”

For lunch we went to a Pizza shop / Bar that we’d tried to visit a few nights before. The food was good and the people were friendly. We noticed that BELOW the restaurant was another lift of El Colorado – plus a snowboard park and boardercross course. We debated going there for an afternoon session, but after looking at it for a while realized that the park wasn’t actually open. So it wasn’t really worth it.

After lunch we tried in vein to find some souvenirs. It didn’t seem like anywhere had a “Ski Farellones” t-shirt or a “La Parva” headband. The very idea of such seemed strange to them when we asked. It was odd especially since I saw stickers on cars from US ski resorts and people wearing hats from places like “Alpine Meadows.” I guess they didn’t do “logo” apparel here.

The “cloudy” area in the distance is really the smog covering Santiago.

Another napping dog…he had the right idea. We went back to the lodge and crashed out.

We got up just as the light was getting really good. I put on my Real Luke clothes and grabbed the Super 8 and the black and white film I brought. Will filmed me acting out a little spot…I’m going to keep WHAT exactly I was filming a surprise. But rest assured, you’ll see it soon.

Dinner was nice and hearty. We had a cheesy, eggy, meaty souffle sort of thing. And a meringue pudding desert.

We went back to the bar, Las Montañas…this time it was open – but oh, so empty. I think the only other people there were dudes our age. *sigh* I had another Pisco Sour – this one was made completely different. It was a blended version of the drink I had before. It wasn’t bad, but I think I prefer my whiskey sours.

Tomorrow we’d be going pack to La Parva and maybe doing an interconnection to Valle Nevado…