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*Liam's Wild Ride*

There were several Artic Cat two seaters and this Kawi 700cc two stroke beast! We met up with a snowmobile guide and he led us through the controls and how to operate them properly (heh heh heh). Thumb actuacted throttle on the right and left lever for the brakes. Pretty simple stuff. . . . . or so I thought! We formed a line and proceeded to rip through the hills and over little streams into the night. The headlights provided plenty of light and the two stroke power was amazing. I'd never had a hit quite like this before and the traction from the track was awesome. I didn't know you could "wheelie" a snowmobile, but even if the skids never left the ground (super long suspension in the front) you couldn't control it because there wasn't any weight on the front skis. BBrrraapppp! We stopped for a second to drop one of the guys off on the side of the "road" and continued on deeper into the night. Eventually, we came to a full stop in a secluded valley and took some time to look at the moon and the stars, the mountains, and listen to some history about the area and the people that lived there. This area was known as the Muntanya Negra (black mountains, or something like that) and was very dangerous because it was full of wolves and black bears. We were advised to turn off all the lights and not use flashlights because they would attract unwanted attention. Additionally, the lead guy's snowmobile had slipped a track and was out of commision. We rolled it over onto it's side and between myself and two other guys we managed to lever the track back into place. Thank goodness, because I had no idea where the heck I was and I didn't want to go exploring to find out. Funny how you least expect to be working on a "bike" and then here you are in -6 below conditions working in two feet of snow on something you've never even seen before. But we did it!

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We had stopped at the base of a famous mountain that separated Spain from France. France! Due to all the switchbacks in the area, I didn't know how many times we technically crossed any borders, but it was really cool knowing that we could just aim north and be in another country in a few minutes, by snowmobile! How's that for international evasion! We continued along for a bit and I had fun waiting way in the back of the line, only to hit it before entering the corners to really get a feel for the machine. Woo-Hoo! After a couple turns I realized I was instinctively counter-steering and ruining my lines a little. I would be hanging off with everything I had and punching it and Sha-Zam, these things would rocket away! Awesome fun, and if I could deal with living in a cold place like this I'd definitely own one of these. We ended up at a small cottage in the trees, which was the home of Jordi Galindo, one of the top ski instructors at the resort and also known at the Yeti of the Mountain. We had met the previous day over lunch and he was really cool, full of warmth and a hearty laugh. We got in the house and tried to warm up next to the only fireplace and I walked around to take some pictures. I was really happy my camera was still working, because I fell down on it a lot while snowboarding, and I still have a huge bruise on my ribs to prove it! These old pieces of wood were hanging around and no one knew what they were for. I assume they're for pelts or making something. Anybody know what these are?

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Another shot of the wood things. The house was built by Jordi's grandfather and was well set up. There was a satellite phone and a huge stereo in place and we started to party as we warmed up. We hooked up some home made skiing video's that Jordi and his friends had made and had a great time listening to music, enjoying the drinks, and waiting for dinner! One of the videos was of Sete's cousin and family getting helocopterred to a remote mountain and featured footage of all of them kicking butt and doing tricks. I guess when you're cousin is Gibernau and gramp's owned Bultaco, your family has enough time and money to become good skiiers, much less use a helocopter when you want to go somewhere!

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This is Jordi, who was busy cooking all manner of things, from eggs, to sausages, to lamb chops, all kinds of things! The food was prepared over an open fire and was delicious. The courses never stopped! We had homemade Pate, butifara (a spicey sausage), more Morcilla, salads, more stuff than I can remember. Lots of wines and pan con tomate with lots of fresh garlic. The food was the best and everyone had a great time because the flavors were so potent and nothing was store bought it seemed. You just can't beat fresh, home cooked food! When everyone was referring to Jordi as the Yeti of the mountain, I thought that was just a friendly way of saying he was a real mountain man. I mean, sure, he was really big and burly, but a Yeti?

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This is where Jordi got the nickname, though this says Yeti of the Month :)

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Here's a shot of everyone enjoying the food. It was a little crowded at the table but the conversation was lively and I could barely follow what was going on! We ate for another three hours and ended the night playing drinking games from the mountains. Everyone had a blast and being in the wilderness with such good people was awesome. I still can't believe how much good food there was, and how much Pacharan and other spiced drinks we made it through! There was a tasty lemon liquor and many of the drinks were made in the small villages, the same recipe for hundreds of years with old recycled bottles and homemade labels. Really makes me look down on Bud Light now.

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Eventually the night wound down, but not before we had squeezed every last drop of life from the day that we could! Rarely have I had such a complete and mind-blowing day filled with totally new and fantastic experiences. Thanks to Jordi Galindo and Nacho for the incredible hospitality and phenomenal food!

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Woke up early the next day to find another "snowed-out" morning. Had a coffee at this cute little hotel in the mountains and read some of the local magazines. Turns out in the Spring there's a BMW ride that sees 3000 riders turn up in Vielha for a rally. The roads around here are really long and twisty, and it's easy to see why one would want to ride a bike around here in better weather. Beemers are really popular bikes in Spain, and they even have a cool scooter with a roof (like the Mercedes one). The only problem with the roofed models that I can see it that the rider gets the roof and the passenger hangs on back and holds on for dear life! I'll try to grab a photo of one the next time I see one parked.

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Grabbed a photo of this dog I had seen all week. He was constantly sniffing the snow and rolling around in it. I'd never seen a dog playing in the snow and it was really fun to watch. He didn't seem to mind the freezing temperatures at all and was growling and wuffing away without a care in the world.

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Had a snack at the Parador in Arties, which consisted of Spanish Tortilla (which is actually a thick omelette) over pan con tomate (which is toasted bread with fresh tomato rubbed on it, with olive oil and sometimes garlic). It was great, and was a welcome addition to my usual breakfast of cigarettes and beer! Just kidding.

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It was time to head back to Barcelona, and I was tired and ready to sleep for a couple days. The lifestyle here in the mountains is for truly hardy people and with all the cold I was ready for a change. I met some fantastic people here and also from Madrid, and overall the trip to the snow was inspiring, educational, and not one I'm likely to forget. Spent some time at this stream and then pointed the car in the same direction and headed out! It was a long and peaceful drive filled with Cokes and Doritos, and the little car held up just fine. Tonight I'm watching a futbol game on tv and then going out with the roomates. Don't these people ever quit?!?

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Sounds like your really enjoying the people, the places, the partying and especially the food of Spain. It's great to hear all about it.:thumbup
 
Robo50 said:
Beemers are really popular bikes in Spain, and they even have a cool scooter with a roof (like the Mercedes one). The only problem with the roofed models that I can see it that the rider gets the roof and the passenger hangs on back and holds on for dear life! I'll try to grab a photo of one the next time I see one parked.
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Liam, you talking about one like this?
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Mine's Faster, cause it's red!

Great Googily Moogily! You beat me to it Dan! Here's a shot I took this afternoon while strolling through the Raval. Sometimes people ride on the back, oftentimes there's a bike trunk mounted. This guy must have bought the "sport" package. M-Scooter. :laughing

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Why don't the coffee cups have holes big enough for your finger?!? I don't know why this is, particularly because Europeans love to drink coffee. You end up pinching the handle and maybe it looks more dainty and metrosexual. I miss American Coffee, but more than that I miss my regular Boba's in Cupertino!

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Found it! Great place for us Expats to gather and talk.

FRICKD'UP said:
hey while your there check out the bar 213( i think its dos treca)
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I searched for a while and finally found it. Dos Trece! Great ambiance and I immediately felt comfortable. The next time you're in town we'll definitely check it out again. How strange would it be for two motorcycle mechanics who worked in Redwood City to knock a couple down deep in the heart of Barcelona?

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Although Honda is not making two-strokes for their streetbike market, there are still plenty of them running around here. I believe this is the '02 model NSR 50. I've seen a couple buzzing by, tricked out, or street-fightered! Lowest price I've found for one of these in dubius condition is about $1500 USD. Not bad, but still pretty pricey for a little bike. While race replicas are not uncommon, they still bring a smile to my face. My roomates think they're stupid because "Repsol isn't paying me to ride their bike". They've got a point.

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