TOWARDS THE SOUTH WINDS
The big trees of Mendoza city leave the fresh shadows back, the people that I love there, become a memory too fast, happiness and bitter flavor at the same time, in my lethargic day I was preparing my things to keep moving, at the same time I was looking for you but I couldn´t find you at all, Inside me a passion was boiling, I will be going back on the road again after all this time.
Mendoza, another of those places where I could feel much more human, another of those places where the people that gave me love and gratitude they did it without asking me anything back.
Again at this day I am sure that all of this it´s my strength to move this heavy bicycle, a worthy dream that I should share with the others.
COMPARTIR / SHARE
Anyway, the waited day arrived, close your eyes babe we will go on travel.
As usual I have arrived at time, I did with a noise inside my stomach, there I have waited my dear friend Salva, meanwhile I’ve look for a shadow to escape of the strong sun, Valeria´s and Pablo´s made me company till the last moment, they were the last ones that I’ve hugged, kissed, the other ones they have said goodbye to me before, they did it with barbecues, smiles and lots of friendship.
My dear Salva´s arrived with Aram´s, a duch guy that lives en Andalucía and plays guitar like the best ones, I am sure that the following nights will be full of happiness at the flamenco rhythm.
Silences, hugs, kisses and two punctures was like we started the first day together, the three riders, our way was towards the cordillera to reach Chile, my journey was continuing, more discovering, and for sure new eyes to see all this that I am feeling.
VER AQUELLO QUE SIENTO / SEE WHAT I AM FEELING
The three ones keep moving, we did in a good speed and without many stopping, when we arrived to Chipoletti´s dam, we shared our first nap, well, actually we tried because the grass sprinklers of the lovely entrance of the YPF refinery started spitting water, like saying you guys aren´t welcome here, while we were escaping of this water attack, Pablo´s and his family passed by without having the chance to see us for the last time, Shame!
It was already late in the afternoon when the colors are so pretty when we arrived to Potrerillos, not many miles that day but full of passion, this first night the Mendoza´s river was our home, its cold waters refreshed our tired bodies and at the same time give us company, my body was tired and it didn´t take long to fall sleep, I may dream that night, I have dream that I wanted to grow, that I wanted to keep taking risk, that I want to do mistakes, have fun, anyway, just keep breaking rules…
In the next morning the music of the river awake me, the sun was already strong, and the road towards Uspallata started to climb gradually, the three riders enjoyed of their freedom, a shiny light in their eyes could tell it, but, suddenly and without warn, an strong face wind appeared, the expressions of our faces changed, and a silence without need of words was our companion.
That night, another river was our home and one of its bridges was our protection against the wind, a huge plate of rice with lentils could design a big smile in my face when I finish it, my personal world was tired, I lower the curtain of my day, and I felt sleep without applauses…
When I awake up a lovely light huge the mountains, but something behind my knee told me that something was going wrong, a little pain that brought me suffering memories that I didn’t want to remember, but…
NO QUIERO RECORDAR / I DON´T WANT TO REMEMBER
Pedaling with an 80kilos bicycle isn´t difficult neither easy it´s just very aggressive for your body articulations, and if at this you add the wind and the climbs, you´ll have a kind of cocktail that you could name “Without mercy”
After all this time, my heart beat again, my eyes enjoyed with the landscapes, and my emotions I could share it with Salva´s and Aram´s, what a scenario! But, more and more my knee said, at this rhythm you will not go very far, and yes, this is how it was, the pain was stronger, but my stubbornness was much more harder, and while I was pedaling in a bizarre way I was saying inside myself, “I am not getting down of this donkey even if they kill me”
But, by then I couldn´t hide my frustration anymore, and the sensation of realizing that I may had to see a doctor bothered me all the time, the simple fact of thinking that I may not could continue with Salva made me feel angry.
Anyway, while those things happened we passed three days in Santiago de Chile, a place that doesn´t deserve many words, because in this precisely moment the only thing I did want, was, arriving to Talca´s city, there I knew that I could rest near loved people, Patricia´s, Ale´s and Daniel´s were waiting for me in their house, so let´s go Nando´s a bit more of effort.
When we passed the Tena town, Claudio´s and a friend of him were waiting for us, by then the riders we were only two, Aram’s stayed one more day in Santiago´s to do some buying, Claudio´s ride with us and when we arrived some miles before Talca´s city, Patricia´s and Claudio´s were there with a huge smile waiting for us, a happiness illuminate my inside and this seemed to help me to forget the pain for a while, hugs , laughs and tears made me realize one thing, I am going to do always all that I really want to do.
HACER LO QUE QUIERO HACER / DO WHAT I WANT TO DO
Then, after some days with them, Salva´s decided to go, yes, Salva´s he went, some tears decided to get out looking for its freedom, a terrible anger blocked all my words but life smiled me.
So, here in Talca alone I do smile even if all the mornings aren´t wonderful, I cry, because I know that every free tear makes better my existence, I share because I feel that I am growing as a person when I am sharing my difficulties, I dream because maybe one day my dream it will be much more real, and of course! I do love, because I know that if I love I will receive love back.
I am here in Talca city, Patricia´s, Ale´s and Daniel´s take care of me like I was their son, and meanwhile I will keep looking the horizon and searching for the prints of new path.
I wish that today freedom could lie my sanity and took me there where everything it´s crazy, on my way to the south winds I will keep looking for the lips of the freedom to kiss it.
Oh well, luckily, in life we can´t play with the marked cards, and we have to learn about winning and losing, now I am loosing but I am sure that I will keep betting.
WE LEARN ABOUT THE ART OF WINNING WITH THE LOOSINGS.
HEALTH AND GOOD JOURNEY, NANDO.