Treinta y siete

I slept in and loved it!

Steak and eggs, queso (cheese), pan (bread), and a sweet fried bread ball (bruñuelo) made if corn flour.  Café con leche and jugo de lulo y mango (lulo and mango smoothie). I managed to get the normally challenging wifi to allow me to pick my seats and secure my boarding passes. Bueno!

Returned my favorite lamp to room 3 downstairs. (The management lets me exchange it for the one upstairs where I stay). 

One last gaze at the pools. Ahhhhh. 

The beautiful walk to the waiting bus where I say my goodbyes and hope to come back again next year. 

Rolling through the parque (town square) with the Iglesia (church) reflecting off the glass of our bus. 

The weigh in.  23 Kg each for the big bags (51 lbs), whew! Made it. Brian and I sailed through and had no extra fees. We went ahead and grabbed some food while Ali did her thing. 

Italianisimo for me turkey (pechuga de pavo) for Brian. Ear fresh!

Finally at the gate. Ali (Alicia) rejoined us and we took over a charging station together. Ali helped me correct a few blog typos and fill in some blanks on previous posts.  Aprendo mucho mas ahora, gracias a Ali. 

Its a wrap. Lots of memories, photos and GBs of data from GoPro footage. Marge sure did a great job of capturing the fun on her camera. I'm sure we'll see more from her at the next club meeting. 

We lost a dear friend and experienced pilot back home due to a tragic flying accident that occurred while we were away. I haven't mentioned it until now, because I needed to stay focussed and composed. It has made me very emotional lately. This trip is dedicated to him and his family, and the flying community who knew him. 

Marty

Treinta y seis

The sky was perfect this am. I had lots to do but made it to breakfast only 5 minutes late. 

Pineapple, papaya and strawberry smoothie today, coffee and a beautiful plate of grilled chicken, and fresh fruit.

Included was a special fruit (Granadilla) that you slurp up seeds and all.

Flaco's wife Karen was with us fior the rise up today. She had a beautiful butterfly tattoo. Coincidence? 

Helen and Oscar we're excited to bring out the flag for us today.  I gave them the last of the  snacks and goodies left by Dawn Westrum who left last week. I gave Helen the markers I used for making wing cheat sheets and for Oscar Junior, a toy set that I had used as a funny prop in my presentations. They asked if we were leaving tomorrow and I said, "si pero espero que verté in el próximo año." (Yes but I hope to see you next year) They were happy to hear it and were all smiles on launch. 

The final hike up the crumbling stairs. 

A shout out to Stacie Stuchartd and Pearl Izumi for my sponsored shoes, wool socks and favorite wind jacket. Still perfect after two years use. Love them!

Everyone launched and it looked really promising until the north wind arrived and made it more challenging and turbulent for getting established. 

Bradley coaching pilots via radio.

Farmer, Hamming it up for the photo. 

The guides remained on launch coaching and helping their group get established. 

Christian got low and I knew he could pull off a save and stay in the game. He stuck with it and went from just a few hundred feet to cloud base in what seemed like 30 minutes or more. He hung in the air longer than me today, launching before me, and landing afte me. So stoked for him. He really performed well today.

Several landed soon after taking off while the rest congregated at cloud base at the jumping off spot to the south.

I was happy to get a climb just to the right of launch and made it to cloud in minutes. The day before I followed Bradley off launch, flew straight to the end of the ridge and we were both at base in 5 1/2 turns in a 1000 foot per minute climb. Yes!

The sky blued up and high pressure conditions dominated the day. The north wind forced us out of the higher terrain early again and only a handful made it across the valley. 

Ali and Brian before launching today. 

Phyllis and I got a low save behind Roldanillo and tried in vain to find a climb out in the valley. We were grateful to land on grass, into the wind, and pack in shade next to Brian and Ali who landed on tandem just minutes before At the oration landing spot in the middle of the valley. Nice. 

Ahh, bus shade with an open window...

We flagged a bus just as I finished packing up. 

A bus with my glider color on it. 

We transferred in Roldanillo to get Ali back in time to prep for dinner. !

Marge went big with a sundae!

Mr. Hand gloves up for action. Mmm. 

Back in La Union, juice (banana, mango, pineapple) and a half chicken had me full and content.  It is Sunday and most shops are closed. I did find a few last minute items, but the time shopping made me miss the ride up in the Cipri. As I rounded the corner of the church, I saw them round a corner just a block away. No hay problema. I could have taken a Tuk Tuk or taxi but opted to brave the sun one last time and hiked back in 10 minutes. Boy that was hot. 

The pool looked inviting, but I wanted to start packing early so I could hang out with everyone tonight. I got a few things sorted in my room before a siesta overtook me. I love the fan in my room!

The hotel staff gifted the guides serapis and some got hats. I love mine! I shaved my sunprotective stubble, donned my swim trunks and headed for the pool. Perfect temperature. Ahhhh. 

John Dudley was gifted a serapi too, as he was with us all four weeks as a pilot on tour. Everyone loves Dudley. 

Ali and the cooks did such a great job. I looked forward to meals every day. Thank you all for making the tours even better than before. Bravo!

After dinner there were awards for most improved and best flight, thanks to Clyde so brought them from Alaska for all four groups. Thanks Clyde (aka polar bear)!

John G. Thermal hunter. Poker player. 

John G got the bear for coming here will only one mountain flight and then ending up with several flights over 3 hrs. Nice work. 

Bianca really put farmer to work, amassing flights of 3-5 hours each day earning her the eagle award.  Pow!

Of course there was also a foam party for the unsuspecting by the pool. Canisters of foamy suds that are harmless and fun to douse each other with were emptied in minutes. More needed for next time.

Next on deck was Tajo. 

It's like horseshoes only you throw steel disks the size and shape of a small orange cut in half. Instead of a steel spike to hit, you aim at a metal ring embedded in clay within an angled box at either end of the playing area. The Magic is there are also paper triangles filled with explosive powder placed on the ring that is flush with the angled clay filled box. If you hit the triangle with the metal puck compressing it against the embedded metal ring, POW!  Everyone cheers when this happens, and the only way to get more triangles is to buy more beer from the bar. What could be more fun?

This bar also had several pool tables. 

Boris, Flaco and Brian playing a Colombian pool game with only two que balls (one for each team) an a scoring ball. The object is to hit your cue ball into the other one, and then any three rails, followed by hitting the dark ball. There are no pockets on this table. Fun. 

Rob Sporrer playing "Kiwi" a visiting pilot also in Colombia, while Nathan watches. Carmen called with the kids on FaceTime and I showed them around the bar and tries Tajo for the first time as they watched. Home tomorrow!

I love this place!

Eventually we made it back to the hotel and played poker until very late. Some went much later. Good fun. 

Breakfast at 8:00am tomorrow. Bus loads at 10:45. Bus leaves for Cali at 10:00. 

Muy buenos noches. 

Martín

Treinta y cinco

The sky was dark today. Refreshing. It rained last night.  Potential is high. Feeling a little tired. 

Breakfast was on time and we had fresh fruit, granola, guanabana fruit wedge, and a crepe with chicken and mushroom sauce. Quite good. 

The guides are all holding up well, but we will all be ready to go home in two days time. Everyone is plugged into thier phone or iPods on the way up today. I blog on the ride up and at night if I'm not asleep already.  Time to center and rev up for the day. 

The four month old let me rub its nose on the hike up the stairs today. Sweet. 

We launched as early as possible to avoid the north wind we saw in the clouds. Only two out of the group landed early today. The rest did a fantastic job of getting up and recycling at cloud base. We hung out for a while, then crossed to Roldanillo and gaggled at base there too. The west wind arrived early and forced our hand.  We glided out to the valley and we all got a climb together

View from the top of the first valley climb..

Farmer and I topped the climb first and we went looking for the next one together along the road towards Zarsal. We hoped it would be at the bridge where the river cuts under the road, but the north wind had us drifting to the south, over the 'hard to retrieve zone' instead. 

As pilots showed up they found the climb and it looked like we might all get out and make it to the next town. Rob dove in on tandem, but was too low to get the climb, landing perfectly into the north wind. A few others had the same fate. 

As  Farmer, Bianca and I topped out the climb we were still lower than cloud base and opted to run for Zarsal with what we had. Clyde got high enough to make a play for Zarsal too, but he and Bianca were too low and landed at just outside of town while Matt (Farmer) and I beamed up to base in a huge climb over the tile roofs deep in the center of town. 

The others continued to struggle in the light lift and a few made it upwind to an easier retrieve zone on the north side of the road.  The cane fields south of the road, surrounded by locked gates = long hot walk in the sun to where the retrieve vehicle is forced to wait for pilots who land out here. No pressure!??

Finally high, I watched and confirmed all the pilots in my group had landed safely. Farmer and I decided to fight the wind back to La Union rather than spend all day on retrieve going south towards Cali with the wind at our backs. Rob Sporrer came on th radio ad said Bradley was in the air south of Zarsal and was headed our way too. 

After fighting a 13 mph headwind at times, Farmer and I finally landed in town. Bradley came in just minutes behind us. Juice bar time. 

Brad had a car stashed nearby and we drove to the town center (the parque) "park."

Some funny stories were told around the pool when we got back. Shane had landed deep in the no retrieve zone but was close to the boundary and the road. He ended up hiking along canals and even tried to cross a stream using s fallen tree.  He fell in of course, but the water was shallow. The mud was waist high. 

Avocado starter for dinner. 

Giant tamale night again. Yummy. 

A special dance program in our honor took place after dinner. Complete with mint tea and group involvement as we followed along learning all kinds of salsa moves. It was quite a work out and the west wind was perfect to help us stay cool. 

Near the end of the program there was a candle dance with handkerchiefs and about half of the group was there for that.

Finally the staff of Casa Blanca thaned us for being tier guests, and gave us bracelets as gifts. 

They even had a special t-shirt made for Rob Sporrer and Marite's baby girl at home. So thoughtfull. 

We went to bed late and I woke up at 6 am realizing I hadn't emailed home, blogged or stayed awake for a FaceTime chat with my family. 

The last day and night will be non-stop action. I'll have to catch up on the blog on the bus to Cali perhaps. 

I'm finishing this on the ride to launch. I won't be able to publish it until I get back tonight. 

Cheers,

Martín