THE PEP REPORT: Fear and Powder in Argentina and Chile
Holy hell in a hand-basket batman! Right now I am traveling from Mendoza, Argentina, to Portillo, Chile, in a 14-passenger van going as fast as the engine will carry us, following a double-decker bus with a giant sticker of the Tazmanian devil adorning the back window. The bus company is appropriately named El Rapido. I think they should add Corazon to it because that's how rapidly my heart was beating watching it pass trucks and coming dangerously close to oncoming traffic. One truck was even forced onto the shoulder on one occasion. I broke out the computer in order to concentrate on something other then getting in a head on collision with an unexpected car or truck that the driver didn't see.
On the way here, Dash (Longe) and I took a big bus and were warned not to sit in the front and close to the bar. We opted for one row back from the front. The bus wasn't quite full, but no one opted for the front. The traffic was low and it turned out to be a very enjoyable and picturesque ride. In Argentina, there are police check points all over the place but they usually don't check anything. I laughed inside when we approached a checkpoint and all of the guys in the front put on their seatbelts and as soon as we passed, they unfastened them.
Fast forward...I stopped writing because we had reached immigration at the Chilean border, which is minutes from Portillo. After getting through, we drove down and the van driver stopped so I assumed it was my time to exit even though I was a bit confused. What I got from what he said was the hotel is right there. I had two ski bags, a small roller and a fairly heavy backpack. The van pulled away without a goodbye. When I turned the corner, the hotel was up a hill and about 400 yards away. It was a relief to get to the hotel, stop sweating and check in.
The hotel is pretty full on. It is the only hotel here and has everything from ping-pong and pool, to massage, a gym, basketball court, hot tub, you name it...club. It was a nice change of pace from the youth hostel in Mendoza, even though I enjoyed meeting a bunch of different travelers from all over. The first couple of days were spent ski testing, which wasn't all bad as it was sunny and firm and softened up in the afternoon. I premiered IDEA, the movie I worked on this year, and got everyone stoked as well as myself on shredding some pow.
