From Cali- Entry #4

From Cali- Entry #4: Let me get you up to speed with what's going down in Cali. The racing faclily is almost complete. They are still doing a lot of construction and they are working at a feverish pace.

We've been working a lot of speed, tying to go faster and faster on the track. My lap times are right around mid-17's. Compare this to Chinese Taipei skaters who are apparantely doing 1/2 laps at 7.8 seconds with their hands behind their backs.

All the countries that I have watched train look good. Really good. It's a deep field loaded with talent.

The rest of the Canadian team arrived safely this morning. They are happy to be here.

And now for a few pictures from the last couple of days...


We've been getting around Cali by using taxis for the last few days. I'm going to be honest with you, I have felt genuine concern for my life as well as many of the other people using the roads (pedestrians, cyclists, motorbikes, cars) pretty much each time I get into a taxi. I also have this strange level of amusement that I feel during the cab rides. It's like being on a roller coaster- one that doesn't have tracks and comes really close to anything near the roads and anyone else using the road for whatever purpose they may...

Do not go into the taxis that look old or beat up. Let me explain; these taxis do not enough power to make it up the steep roads that make the way between the track and our hotel. The powerless wimpy taxis can make it partially up the hills, but then they stop and start to roll back! When this hapenned to Sergio and I yesterday morning, I was really scared...and kind of amused. Definitely more scared than amused. You know, I wonder how the drivers that were coming up the hill and saw careening down the hill in reverse towards them felt. Amused? Scared? Angry? Concerned?

Greggory Duggento (Italy) and Kalon Dobbin (New Zealand)- how many sprint world championships do they have?

New Zealand junior skaters Sam Michael and Emily Koot

Australia on the track

Morroco's Samir Ghizlane

New Zealand skaters Shane Dobbin and Scott Alridge doing cable sprints/ accelerations

Sergio Almeralla, Morgane Echardour, and I spent time at the movie theater watching Los Simpsons- La Pellicula

A picture of some of the homes on the hills of Cali

Getting around in Cali

Like those Luigino boots? They are supposedly prototypes for 2008- Eric Gee, this picture is for you

The Belgium team after Monday evening's practice- In the front you can see Annabel De Cleer; she crashed hard coming out of a turn at full speed over a fallen skater during a relay, and I thought her teeth were going to be all over the track. You would have cringed at seeing her go down. She got up, and skated the rest of the practice. She is one tough girl!

We get to make our own meals at our hostel- the kitchen is all ours. Last night, Sergio, Morgane, and I made quesedillas and a salad

Yummy yummy food! We made it, you know it!

This morning we woke up to someone showing us pictures of us in the newspaper. The funny thing is that it says that the Canadians are looking for gold at this year's worlds... We are, right? So are the Colombians, Koreans, Americans, French, Italians, New Zealanders, Chinese Taipei, Chileans, Argentinians...

Chile on the track

Team Taiwan

Guatemala on the track

Shot from my room's balcony in the early evening