Hello everyone (anyone?),
Just as I'm settling in to work for the day, Lizette says that she and Mauricio have to go back to the bike shop and do some more administrative stuff for Mauri's bike. Good news, as it was going to be hard to not watch the clock all day, waiting to go the the shop in the afternoon.
Once we arrive, I head to the KTM. It was easy to see, as the size of it dominates just about all of the other bikes in the shop. Aside from that, it still wasn't actually love at first site. The cold, hard, fact of the matter is that the KTM is not, in a superficial way, the most beautiful of motorcycles that I've been looking at. The Guzzi is/was far more aesthetically pleasing. For those of you who know a little about such things as "stealth" technology in the military, having seen pictures of stealth boats, planes etc, to me, the KTM looks a bit like a stealth bike. However it grows on you. It is big and brutal-looking. Muscular? Perhaps. Powerful? Definitely. About the only thing about it that reminds me of myself is that it is big. It's also mostly black, with a bit of white, and a tiny bit of KTM orange on the frame. In my excitement, I've forgotten to bring my camera, and I while cursing that, I forget about my camera phone as well. Doh!
I'm going to have to do stretching exercises to be even able to throw my leg over it properly, and it is a remarkable feeling to be getting on a bike this tall. When you are my height, you are used to the world being organised for smaller people, so finding something that feels like it has been made for me is awesome. Sitting on the seat, my feet comfortably touch the ground, but only just. The riding position is nicely upright and as I take it for a fang around the block, it just feels very comfortable. I do a bit of weaving from side to side and there is no fuss from it at all, whereas the Guzzi had felt a little out of balance (although again, it could just have been the dodgy square tyres?).
When I open up the throttle, it jumps forward quite happily. As I back off, there is a very satisfying crackle from the twin carbon-fibre exhausts. For whatever reason, the standard ones were whipped off early in its life and these beauties were added. I fall deeper in love...
Back in the showroom, I park it up and spend time crawling my way around the bike. It has heated hand-grips (luxury), a 12V power outlet for the GPS, three big panniers, all of the guards and bash-plate protection you could want, and one very ugly headlight. I'm sure it is effective, but... Perhaps I'll get used to it in time? I still can't help but wander around the Guzzi, thinking about the looks and the sound, but the practicalities of it (i.e. no servicing available any closer than Santiago) start to worry me more and more. In the end, I think the choice is simple. KTM. I know Callum will be pleased!
Via Lizette (who is also there with Mauricio, doing some more administrative stuff for his bike), I learn that having said that I'll buy the bike, I'm being invited on various tours that the KTM owners in the area do. Sounds like a fabulous way to get to see a bit more of the countryside from people who know where to go, and another opportunity to mix with "non-work" people, which is great.
It is fair to say that the rest of my day is anti-climactic after that excitement. It seems like my first trip will be to Caldera, perhaps this weekend, for lunch. Sounds like a nice way to ease into it!
The only other thing worth of reporting was tonights effort at cooking. Lentil and chickpea soup. The original recipe includes chorizo sausage, but I'll just leave that out and see how it goes. I'm feeling brave enough to modify it a little further by adding eggplant. Yeah, wild and crazy, I know!
After simmering away for an hour or so, I decide that I'll make use of the "put half of the mixture in a blender, give it a whizz and then add it back to the rest of the soup" technique. No problems with the first half of this exercise, but when I do the second (smaller batch), despite holding the lid (tightly) with one hand, the whole thing erupts from the blender, blowing off the top and covering my hand in near boiling liquid. I let out a manly roar, partly in fright, partly in pain! During a physics class at uni, I once electrocuted myself on an electronics circuit board. At the time, I would've sworn that I let out a "manly roar" then too, but I was assured by the rest of the class, supervisors, lecturer etc that it was a high-pitched girly squeal. You'll have to trust me that this time, I got it right. Manly roar! Definitely.
Fortunately there doesn't appear to be any apparent damage to the skin on my hand. Cold running water and a wet face washer seem to have limited the damage to the aesthetic of the kitchen. Senora Gloria is going to have more of a challenge this Friday than I usually give her. Don't get me wrong, I've spent a lot of time cleaning it up, but I keep finding extra bits I've missed, so I'm looking forward to her making it all beautiful and sparkling clean again (this bits she can see)!
Not much excitement likely for the rest of the week, with lots of work to be done prior to visits from the JV heavies at some stage in the next week or two. More "head down, bum up" time!
Love to all,
A
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