Ariel Zorion's Blog, page 13

X-ray of a trauma

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What am I doing here? I don’t remember how I got here or what happened. My mind is blank. The last thing I remember is that I was walking down Main Street looking for a store that a friend had recommended and… Nothing else. A blackout.

Without a doubt, I’m in a hospital. What happened to me? I look me up and down trying to find bruises but there is nothing. I feel no pain in my body. I touch my head and there are no strange sensations either. All this is disconcerting. I see a bell next to the bed and I press it, hoping that someone will come soon who can explain what is happening. Fear, bewilderment, unease about what might have happened to me, fill everything at this moment. Uncertainty is a powerful agitator of the soul.

Well, I hear footsteps at the door. There is a knock, and then someone opens the door. This suspense is going to kill me. It’s a very young doctor, apparently. She greets me with a compassionate smile, which makes me wonder with trepidation what has happened.

Good morning, Lorena. I’m Dr. Garcia. Do you know why you’re here?No, not really. I have no idea,” I answer with a certain tremor in my voice.They brought you in an ambulance because, apparently, you suffered what we believe was a panic attack of such magnitude that you even lost consciousness.
He stares at me with his big eyes the color of a calm sea. They convey tranquility. He has a clean look, as if he were one of those people in whom it is easy to abandon oneself and trust. Still, of course, I am absolutely shocked by what he is saying. A panic attack. A loss of consciousness. It’s impossible. Nothing like this has ever happened to me.There are no contusions or anything like that in the head, so we have determined, together with what some witnesses told us, that it must have been a panic attack, as I have just told you. Maybe something happened to you and your brain just blocked it out. And let’s try to guess, shall we?
I nod my head slightly. The tension I feel doesn’t allow me to do much else. I try to remember but nothing comes to mind.Does it sound like anything out of the ordinary happened?No, nothing. I was looking for a store that had been recommended to me because I wanted to buy an original gift for a relative. I remember I was walking down Main Street, near the Ciudadela café. And I don’t remember anything else. All right, don’t worry. Let’s try to unravel together what could have triggered it, okay? It could be repressed memories of something that happened to you a long time ago and that your brain has buried in your subconscious to protect you from the pain they mean for you. That’s why I’m going to need your full cooperation. Together we are going to try to remember things that happened to you on that street. We have to start from the beginning, from when you woke up this morning. I beg you to be very meticulous with the details, because everything can be important. Sounds, smells, things that caught your attention or things that you didn’t pay attention to at the time but now seem relevant to you for whatever reason.
She grabs my hand, I guess to convey that she is with me, that I can count on her. Her tone of voice is also restorative, with the perfect volume, with an ideal timbre that rocks you and invites you to relax and trust. I think she senses that something big has happened to me because if not, why so much attention?Are you ready?Yes.Okay, good. Get into a comfortable position. Close your eyes to avoid being distracted by anything. Breathe deeply, being aware of each inhalation and exhalation. Notice the cleansing effect the breath has on your body and mind, emptying them of distractions. And now, breathe at a normal rhythm, without forcing.Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.com

I follow his instructions to the letter. I concentrate and feel the effect. The tensions dissolve little by little. I surrender to what his voice tells me.

Tell me everything you have done since you got up, step by step, leaving absolutely nothing behind. Keep your eyes closed.The alarm clock goes off at 8.15 am.The melody or the usual sound?Yes, the song Explorers by Muse is playing, because it is a beautiful and very calm song that helps me to wake up without agitation. I stopped the alarm clock, although not immediately. It took me a while to get up because I was too lazy. I put music on my cell phone, the penultimate Bruce Springsteen album. Western Stars was playing when I plugged it in. I went to the bathroom, took a shower. The usual.You’re doing great. Do you remember the smell of the shower gel, shampoo, cream?Yes, they smell of coconut, because I don’t like to mix fragrances. I stay a little under the shower because it makes me feel good. I put on my underwear and bathrobe and go to breakfast. I make coffee and toast.Did you feel rested or, on the contrary, did you feel that you had slept badly?No, rested.Are you nervous or worried about something?I think so, a little. But I don’t know why. It’s just a feeling, I guess. It’s Saturday, I don’t have work or anything. I wasn’t meeting any friends because I wanted to go early to buy the gift and get it over with as soon as possible.Okay. So tell me more. Did you drive, walk…?No, I took the bus. The center is a bit far from my house but there is bad parking there, so I preferred public transport.Any problems there? Any uncomfortable presence, any sensation?No. Everything was fine. I got off at Plaza de Los Caídos and went straight to Calle Mayor.Very slowly here. Was it cold? Was it crowded?I buttoned up my coat and adjusted it to my body because there was a wind blowing that made the wind chill drop several degrees. There weren’t too many people.What do you see?There’s a mime getting ready. He is dressed as a tin man and is in the middle of the square. The cafés are already open and there are terraces with stoves. I head straight for the main street. Come to think of it, I never liked going there, you know?Any reason?I don’t know, it’s a rather dark and sad street. Narrow, almost cramped, with dingy facades. I don’t feel comfortable there. I’ve never felt at ease there.Yes, you’re right. It’s not exactly a bright street. What do you feel when you enter the street? Is there anything that worries you, do you see anything that alarms you?No, the stores are opening. I’m about halfway down the street and I can already see the alley where I’ve been told the store is. There are few people and…

I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can hardly breathe. I can’t control it. That smell. That smell that overwhelms my senses. My heart is going to burst…

What’s wrong? – asks the doctor in alarm.I don’t know! That smell, that damn smell…What does it smell like? Describe it.I can’t, I don’t want to – my tears start to spill over and I can’t control it and I don’t even want to cry. It’s stronger than me and controls my will.Make one last effort. Tell me everything. Describe the smell.It’s a sweet smell, like from a bakery or a candy store.There’s an old candy store in St. Luke’s alley. Is that it?Yes, that’s it. Oh my God!!! Nooooooo!!!!What’s going on?There’s some guys in there. They’re coming towards us.Who are they? Who are the guys? You said you were alone.Me and my dad. I don’t get it. He’s taking me by the hand to buy trinkets because he used to come here when I was little and… No, please! Leave us alone! Let go of my daddy! Help, please! He’s bleeding! Daddy, wake up! Daddy, wake up!

I’m waking up here again. It’s like a loop where everything keeps repeating itself. Groundhog day. I don’t get it. I’m still in the hospital. I was talking to the doctor. And now there’s no one there. I’m all alone. I don’t even know what time it is. I press the button again and wait impatiently for the doctor to show up again. This is a nightmare. I don’t understand anything. I don’t really know what happened.

Hi Lorena! I’m glad you woke up. We had to sedate you again.What happened?A lot of things, I think. Have you ever heard of PTSD?No, what’s that? What does it mean?Post-traumatic stress disorder. I think that might be the answer to what’s going on with you.

A.Z.

If you’re interested in learning more about my books, visit my Amazon page. You can read new releases in the START READING HERE section. I just released my latest book, El Ocaso De Los Días.

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West Coast USA 🇺🇸 – Travels that inspire novels

Monument Valley

The summer of July 2014, we traveled part of the West Coast of the United States. It is a trip that undoubtedly has many special memories, but what marks it as an unparalleled and indelible one is that it was the first time we set out on a trip on our own. Up to that date, all the trips we had taken had been more or less organized, perhaps with the exception of Paris, Carcassone and New York. However, it is not the same to travel only through a city as it is to drive a car on the highway.

Disneyland – Anaheim (California)

This trip, therefore, had a lot of adventure. For starters, it was the first time we drove an automatic car, a lead gray Toyota RAV 4 that we rented for 600 € for 21 days, which gave rise to some scenes that could go into top videos without hesitation. Getting onto a six-lane Los Angeles freeway in rush hour as soon as the plane landed to get to Anaheim was a process to assimilate in a matter of seconds because, obviously, rush hour gridlock doesn’t wait for you to be ready.

Bryce Canyon

We traveled through incredible places, breathtaking scenery and visited small towns that dot the American geography and that have a special charm. We talked to many people and met very nice and friendly people everywhere.

Calico – Ghost Town

Many years later, this trip continues to inspire my novels. The first was The Encounter, whose main locations are Las Vegas and Los Angeles, but in which we also travel through the Sonoran desert or the Grand Canyon, for example.

More recently, the Twilight trilogy takes place mainly in a coastal town in Northern California, Carmel-by-the-Sea, but it features many of the magical places we once traveled.

Golden Gate – San Francisco

In the travel section dedicated to the USA, little by little I will be uploading entries about the following places:

Anaheim and its theme parks.Calico, ghost town.Death ValleyLas Vegas.Bryce Canyon and Zion National ParkMonument ValleyGrand CanyonAntelope CanyonGrand Sequoia National ParkYosemiteMariposa ParkMamoth CreekMono LakeSan FranciscoCarmel-by-the-Sea and MontereyBig SurSanta BarbaraSolvangMalibu and Santa MonicaLos AngelesGrand Secuoya National Park

North America is certainly an impressive place to travel. I’ve only traveled through part of the American West Coast and part of Western Canada, but it was enough for me to know I want more.

Yosemite

The natural scenery is breathtaking and awe-inspiring. Seeing the elegant and magnificent Californian giant sequoias, so majestic and mournful, because they have withstood without flinching hard onslaughts, are things you never forget.

The red clay canyons of Arizona, including the famous Grand Canyon that leaves you speechless, and the incredible rock formations of Utah, the city of Las Vegas, the white sand beaches bathed by the Pacific?

Don’t tell me you can’t wait to go? Until that long-awaited moment arrives, I invite you to visit some of these spectacular places through the pages of my books:

Las Vegas – NevadaEl EncuentroLa Hora del Ocaso (English version coming soon as The Twilight Case)El Ocaso de los DíasOcaso (coming soon).

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You are there again

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I open my eyes and there he is again. He is looking at me defiantly. I seem to remember the last time we met I told him I wanted nothing to do with him. The last time, by the way, was last night before I went to bed and tried to get some sleep, something I’m finding increasingly difficult. Whatever. He turns a deaf ear and shows up even if I don’t invite him. He’s in charge, or so he thinks. I’m too tired to argue, so I just let him follow me around until one of us decides to talk. This time I’m not going to be the one to make the first move.

This is exhausting. I mean this impasse where the silence is almost as cruel as the conversations we have. The truth is that I don’t know if they can be called conversations, because we always end up shouting. To be honest, I’m the one who ends up shouting, because he manages to maintain a calm that seems superhuman. He drives me out of my mind and I don’t know how he can have so much power over me. Maybe it’s the way he tells me things. That tone of voice, that penetrating look, that overwhelming self-assurance, that self-confidence, which is exactly what I lack. I notice how rage begins to take hold of me. My heartbeat quickens. I clench my fists and dig my nails into my palms so that the pain distracts me from its presence.

I make myself breakfast. No one else is home, so I have to concentrate on what I’m doing to distract myself from his presence. It seems like a contradiction to have to concentrate to distract yourself, doesn’t it? I suppose it is. But sometimes it has worked for me and I can’t think of anything better at the moment. I focus my attention on getting the milk from the fridge, pouring it carefully into the bowl, pouring the cereal so slowly that I can almost count it as it falls and splashes lightly on the counter in contact with the milk. My efforts seem futile. I feel my strength failing me again and I feel like I’m going to give in because I can’t stand her gaze fixed on me, waiting for my reaction. But no, I have to hold on, I can’t give in to his desires.

He’s still there. Unperturbed. God! How does he do it? It seems that nothing fazes him. Sometimes I think he’s capable of waiting forever if he puts his mind to it. However, something has changed lately, because I know him well. Even if he doesn’t express them out loud now, I can guess what he’s thinking. Always asking me for things I don’t want to do. Because silence anticipates something terrible. It’s like a cold war. And I know I shouldn’t listen to him because, every time I do, I get into trouble and my parents have given me an ultimatum. They say they’re not going to help me again, they’ve made that clear. Not until I take the medication the psychiatrist recommended. They don’t understand that he is not really a doctor, but one of his lackeys and that the medication is a poison he has sent them so that I will succumb to his wishes. They don’t understand what is going on here and I am desperate. No one believes me. He has this power of persuasion. He is so convincing that even they claim they have never seen him, let alone talked to him, even though the last time we were discussing this topic in the living room I saw him reflected in a crystal. They are all trying to deceive and manipulate me. So, I’m on my own and I have to come to terms with it.

I go outside and he follows me. I have to go to the supermarket. My mother has left me a list of things I have to buy. She says if I don’t study, at least I have to help at home. But it’s not that I don’t want to study. I got expelled from high school because of him, as usual. He follows me to class and doesn’t let me concentrate because he won’t stop talking to me. The last time before I was expelled he told me that I should beat Luis up because he was talking about me behind my back and had turned the whole class against me. He told me that I had to assert myself and show him who was in charge. He told me that if I didn’t, I was a pussy who didn’t deserve to live. He got me to explode and when I saw Luis in the courtyard I pounced on him without a word. I prefer not to remember what happened next because it is not pleasant and, moreover, it embarrasses me. As a consequence, I was expelled for a week.

Things are bad. No, not bad enough, that’s an understatement. My parents are conspiring against me with the damn psychiatrist. He told me the other day, though maybe I shouldn’t listen to him. But I think he’s right about that because my relationship with them has been dire lately. I see the way they look at me. I can read their contempt. I can see that they have given up on me. I am now 18 years old and I realize that they want to kick me to the curb, or maybe worse. And now he’s the one who’s whispering it in my ear. He says they are going to put me in a hospital. I tell him to shut up, but he continues with his whispers. He says I have to do something about it.

I turn around and tell him to leave me alone, I don’t want to put on a show in the store like we did last time. Besides, every time he shows up, I get in trouble. Okay, I think I’ve raised my voice too much. I’ve lost control and I promised myself it wouldn’t happen today. People turn to look at me, their eyes locked on me with dread. Someone has picked up the cell phone, a lady, and I think she’s going to call the police. I put on my hood and continue on my way so they can’t see my face. Hopefully, with the hood up, I won’t see him either.

He keeps telling me that I have to go get the old woman on the phone because the police will come looking for me. He says I have to do something. He says I’m a coward, that I always hide. He says and says and says and says and says and keeps telling me a lot of things I don’t want to hear. And then I scream for him to leave me alone, to go away, to forget me once and for all. And he starts again with the endless string of things. He says the system is against me. He says I’m being watched. He says I won’t be able to escape if I don’t take charge and act. It says I’m being spied on through my cell phone. He says to grab the garbage can next to him and throw it on the floor because there are listening devices inside and I must destroy them. And finally I listen to him, throw it down and kick it with all my rage. And then there are sirens in the background and everything goes dark once again.

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The cage

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The cage in which I lived for so many years was no ordinary cage. It was not made of iron, although it was ruled with steel fists. Nor did it have a clear and defined structure, for at times it seemed to have soft and sinuous shapes and at others, on the contrary, it seemed that its forms were straight, firm and rigid, aggressive and painful. Perhaps it is because the boundaries were always blurred: what was fine one day, the next became an unforgivable offense to be punished in a cruel way. Crossing that unknown, unknowable boundary brought terrible consequences, even if you had no idea you had done it.

The bars were invisible, but not intangible, for I felt I could grasp them. I closed my eyes to escape, and instead of being able to leave my physical self, I perceived them with total clarity. They were cold, freezing. You felt that they froze your soul and, at the same time, they burned your skin. It was a kind of open-air cage in which you could not breathe. It was a prison of sighs, of choked cries, of repressed screams, of a torn heart.

Worst of all, I entered it voluntarily. I must honestly say that I didn’t know it was a prison because it looked more like a palace. At first, everything was so beautiful that it resembled a fairy tale. Of course, now that I look back, I realize that was my first mistake: believing that Prince Charming existed.

The palace was transformed little by little, almost imperceptibly, into a very real hell and Prince Charming became an angry jailer with a strict and dictatorial regime that did not allow me the slightest license. I never understood what I had done wrong, did I deserve to be treated as if I were a piece of human waste, a piece of unfeeling flesh?

It’s not worth thinking about anymore. I only want it to serve for other women who, like me, only want to be happy, without any other pretensions. Perhaps if I had loved and valued myself more, if I had not put the feelings of others before my own, perhaps if shame and fear had not taken hold of me, I would be telling a different story now.

People cried when they found out what had happened to me. They could not believe what had occured. A tragic outcome. But they did not know that what was a tragedy for them was a liberation for me. My body will never suffer from it anymore and my soul has finally been liberated. Now I finally have it all. Freedom. Calm. Peace. I only lost my life.

Ariel Zorion

Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Lectura Conjunta La Hora Del Ocaso

El 1 de junio de comienzo la primera Lectura Conjunta de La Hora Del Ocaso, un trepidante thriller en el que también encontrarás una bella historia de amor. Esta novela tiene unos personajes con personalidades muy marcadas que seguro que te atraparán en su historia hasta el punto de no poder parar de leer. Esto no lo digo yo, sino que es lo que han comentado los diferentes lectores. Si no lo crees, puedes leer las opiniones en Amazon o las que podrás encontrar en los Repost que he hecho en Instagram o en las publicaciones de otros usuarios que me han etiquetado, a todos los cuales les agradezco su tiempo dedicado a valorar y reseñar este libro.

La lectura está organizada en cuatro semanas, de tal modo que no sea agobiante en ningún sentido. En cada una de ellas se leerán aproximadamente 100 páginas y cada lunes nos reuniremos a través de una videollamada para comentar todo aquello que los lectores queráis.

Esta LC ha sido organizada por @descubriendoautores y la organizadora ha preparado estos maravillosos materiales que podéis ver en las imágenes que pueden serviros como marcapáginas si lo leeis en papel. Además, otra de las imágenes sirve para resumir lo que más te está gustando del libro y cómo te sientes hasta el momento con su lectura.

Si te apetece apuntarte a esta emocionante aventura, puedes contactar con @descubriendoautores a través de Instagram o conmigo a través del medio que quieras, ya sea por mi Instagram, el correo electrónico o a través de un comentario en este post.

TE ESTAMOS ESPERANDO. Los participantes se beneficiarán de una pomoción especial.

Conoce a… Pete

[image error]Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Honestidad. Esa es la palabra que mejor define a Peter Smith, un hombre sin demasiadas aspiraciones salvo las de hacer el bien y cumplir con su deber. Pete es uno de los personajes clave de la Trilogía del Ocaso, no sólo por su labor policial sino especialmente por lo que su presencia supone en la vida de tantas personas.

De mediana edad, 45 años, casado con Susan, su pareja desde que eran casi unos críos, y padre de dos niñas, una entrando ya en plena adolescencia. La pequeña sufre de una enfermedad respiratoria que la obliga a someterse cada cierto tiempo a una caro tratamiento. Siempre ha tratado de que el trabajo no interfiera en su vida familiar, conciliar al máximo sus dos pasiones. Sin embargo, casi sin previo aviso verá como uno de esos ámbitos fagocitará parte del tiempo del otro.

En la comisaría de Carmel-by-the-Sea Pete ha sido una pieza clave desde su incorporación. Es un hombre pacífico, colaborador y un gran policía, de esos que le hacen la vida más fácil a los que tiene alrededor. Sus compañeros le tienen en gran estiman y suelen tener en cuenta su opinión. Es un hombre afable, de trato fácil en el que resulta sencillo confiar porque en su mirada se lee con claridad la lealtad.

Photo by Rosemary Ketchum on Pexels.com

Cuando llega Kisha Jennings a la bella Carmel, se convertirá en su pareja de patrulla, lo cual será decisivo en su vida puesto que será una de sus personas de confianza y uno de los pocos amigos en los que ella realmente confiará.

En el transcurso de la trilogía su vida cambiará significativamente. Como todos y cada uno de los personajes, podrás observar su evolución psicológica a lo largo de las más de mil páginas de la saga.

Conoce al resto de los personajes aquí.

Empieza a leer El Ocaso de los Días, la segunda novela de la Saga Ocaso, de forma totalmente gratuita aquí y, si te gusta, puedes adquirirla en este enlace. No obstante, para entender completamente lo que sucede en ese libro te recomiendo empezar a leer La Hora del Ocaso, el libro que abre la trilogía, aquí y adquirirlo a golpe de clic.

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COMENTA SI TE HA GUSTADO Y COMPARTE EN TUS REDES SOCIALES.

ESTOY DESEANDO LEERTE…

ANTES DE IRTE, VALORA DE FORMA SENCILLA CON ESTRELLAS JUSTO AQUÍ . GRACIAS

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The Great Influenza

ᖇᗴᑕᗝᗰᗴᑎᗪᗩᑕᎥóᑎ

No es del tipo de libros que habitualmente encuentras reseñados en redes sociales como Instagram o, al menos, no es del tipo de los que yo suelo ver por ahí. Sin embargo, creo que es de esos libros que merecen ser leídos, especialmente por el momento que estamos viviendo. Vivimos una pandemia que parece ser una réplica en más de un sentido de la que aconteció hace ya más de un siglo. Cuando lees este libro, es inevitable hacerse preguntas y, sobre todo, te queda la sensación al final de su lectura que, en cierto sentido, es como una premonición. Y nos creemos muy listos y que hemos avanzado mucho. Pues siento deciros que no es así.
Este libro analiza lo sucedido hace más de un siglo con la que se conoció como gripe española en el contexto concreto de EEUU . Hubo varias olas, tal y como está ocurriendo hoy en día. Una de las diferencias con la actual pandemia es que la gripe española atacaba principalmente a los jóvenes, especialmente a los que estaban entre los veinte y los treinta años. La reacción inmune era tan desproporcionada, que la propia respuesta inmunitaria del cuerpo al agente invasor era lo que en última instancia provocaba la muerte en algunos casos.
Habla del desafío al que se enfrentaron médicos y científicos para abordar una enfermedad con un grado de virulencia inaudito. Debido al rápido contagio y al elevado número de contagios y fallecidos, el miedo se extendió como la pólvora hasta el punto de que resultaba difícil encontrar sanitarios voluntarios que quisieran echar una mano. Algunas familias morían de hambre porque, al estar enfermos y en cama en casa, nadie se atrevía siquiera a llevarles comida.
Hace un recorrido extenso sobre los diferentes desafíos a los que tuvieron que enfrentarse (detección del patógeno, tratamientos, vacunas… ¿os suena?).
Saca a la luz los errores que se cometieron, tan parecidos a los actuales: el ocultismo, el engaño a la población, la negación de la evidencia…
Muestra las medidas que se abordaron en su momento, tan parecidas también a las de hoy (aislamiento social, mascarillas, ventilación de las estancias, higiene de manos…). 
El epílogo parece toda una premonición de lo que podría pasar y, en efecto, ha pasado (el libro comenzó a escribirse en 1997 y se publicó por primera vez en 2004, última edición de 2018). ¿Se podría haber evitado? Nunca lo sabremos, pero después de leer este libro con atención, cada vez me parece más probable decir que la respuesta correcta es sí.

Este libro de John M. Barry sin lugar a dudas es uno de esos que hay que leer porque nos ilustra y nos ayuda a reflexionar.

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Carmel-by-the-Sea

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Bañada por las aguas del Pacífico, Carmel-by-the-Sea es una encantadora localidad que se sitúa al comienzo del famoso Big Sur, un recorrido con acantilados de esos que te dejan sin respiración y con unas vistas únicas. Dan ganas de pararse a contemplar el paisaje cada pocos kilómetros, lo cual no siempre es viable debido a la orografía del terreno y a la configuración de la propia red vial, en la que sí hay establecidos distintos miradores para deleitarse con esos paisajes sin igual.

Foto de Google Maps

Entre sus curiosidades, es inevitable comentar que Clint Eastwood fue su alcalde en los años ochenta durante dos años. Cuando estuve allí en el verano de 2014, me llamó mucho el ambiente del centro de la ciudad, con muchas cafeterías y restaurantes con bastante estilo y, sobre todo, por el elevado número de galerías de arte teniendo en cuenta el número de habitantes y la extensión de la propia localidad.

Según dicen, el nivel de vida es bastante elevado en Carmel. Junto a la playa, se pueden observar imponentes casas con unas vistas exquisitas hacia el océano pacífico. Sus playas son de arena blanca y tienen esa fragancia indómita de las que son aún vírgenes, aunque ni mucho menos se las puede considerar así. Sin embargo, esa naturaleza salvaje que crece en las proximidades de la arena le da ese halo de irreverente naturaleza que no quiere rendirse a la fuerza destructora del ser humano.

En sus proximidades, se encuentran lugares relevantes como la conocida localidad de Monterey, especialmente después de ser el enclave principal de la serie de HBO Big Little Lies, así como el emblemático Ciprés Solitario que resiste el paso del tiempo en el filo del acantilado de una forma asombrosa y única. También es muy destacable la Reserva Natural de Point Lobos, así como Spanish Bay, una preciosa playa situada al norte de la península de Monterey. Antes de finalizar, quisiera destacar la 17 Miles Drive  un camino escénico de pago a través de Pebble Beach y Pacific Grove que merece la pena recorrer por su espectacular belleza.

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Costa Oeste EEUU 🇺🇸 – Viajes que inspiran novelas

Monument Valley

En el verano de julio de 2014 recorrimos parte de la Costa Oeste de Estados Unidos. Es un viaje que sin duda tiene muchos recuerdos especiales, pero lo que lo marca como uno inigualable e imborrable es que fue la primera vez que nos lanzamos a la aventura en un viaje por nuestra cuenta. Hasta esa fecha, todos los viajes que habíamos hecho habían estado más o menos organizados, tal vez exceptuando París, Carcassone y New York. No obstante, no es lo mismo recorrer únicamente una ciudad que lanzarte con un coche autopista adelante.

Disneyland – Anaheim (California)

Este viaje, por lo tanto, tenía mucho de aventura. Para empezar, fue la primera vez que conducíamos un coche automático, un Toyota RAV 4 color gris plomo que alquilamos por 600 € durante 21 días, lo que dio lugar a algunas escenas que podían entrar en Vídeos de primera sin dudarlo. Meterte en una autopista de Los Ángeles con seis carriles en hora punta nada más aterrizar el avión para llegar hasta Anaheim fue todo un proceso a asimilar en cuestión de segundos porque, obviamente, el atasco de hora punta no espera a que tú estés preparado.

Bryce Canyon

Recorrimos lugares increíbles, parajes de esos que te quitan el aliento y conocimos pequeñas localidades que salpican la geografía americana y que tienen un encanto especial. Hablamos con mucha gente y nos encontramos personas muy agradables y amables por todos lados.

Calico – Pueblo fantasma

Muchos años después, este viaje sigue inspirando mis novelas. La primera fue El Encuentro, cuyas localizaciones principales son Las Vegas y Los Ángeles, pero en el que también ser recorre el desierto de Sonora o el Gran Canyon, por ejemplo.

Más recientemente, la trilogía del Ocaso transcurre principalmente en una localidad costera del Norte de California, Carmel-by-the-Sea, pero en ella aparecen muchos lugares mágicos de esos que recorrimos en su día.

Golden Gate – San Francisco

En la sección de viajes dedicada a EEUU, poco a poco iré subiendo entradas sobre los siguientes sitios:

Anaheim y sus parques temáticos.Calico, pueblo fantasma.Death ValleyLas Vegas.Bryce Canyon y Zion National ParkMonument ValleyGrand CanyonAntelope CanyonGrand Sequoia National ParkYosemiteMariposa ParkMamoth CreekMono LakeSan FranciscoCarmel-by-the-Sea y MontereyBig SurSanta BárbaraSolvangMalibú y Santa MónicaLos ÁngelesGrand Secuoya National Park

América del Norte es sin duda un lugar impresionante para recorrerlo. Únicamente he viajado por una parte de la Costa Oeste estadounidense y una parte del Oeste de Canadá, pero me ha bastado para saber que quiero más.

Yosemite

Los parajes naturales son de esos que te quitan el aliento y te sobrecogen. Ver las elegantes y magníficas secuoyas gigantes californianas, tan majestuosas y dolientes, porque han resistido sin inmutarse duros embistes, son cosas que jamás se olvidan.

Los cañones de arcilla roja de Arizona, incluido el archiconocido Gran Cañón que te deja sin palabras, y las increíbles formaciones rocosas de Utah, la ciudad de Las Vegas, las playas de arena blanca bañadas por el Pacífico…

¿No me digas que no tienes ganas de ir? Mientras llega ese ansiado momento, te invito a que recorras algunos de estos espectaculares lugares a través de las páginas de mis libros:

Las Vegas – NevadaEl EncuentroLa Hora del OcasoEl Ocaso de los DíasOcaso (próximamente).

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🌟La Serpiente🌟

Hay series que sin duda sobresalen del resto. Series con luz propia y con una calidad que las diferencian de la mayoría. No sé si compartirás mi opinión, pero vivimos en una época sumamente rica en oferta, lo que no siempre es sinónimo de calidad. A veces, es lo que trae la abundancia, que hay demasiado de todo, de lo bueno, de lo mediocre y de lo malo. La Serpiente , serie de Nerflix, es una de esas que destacan porque cumplen los requisitos de lo que los seriéfilos entienden como sello de calidad.

Me considero una espectadora bastante crítica. No me vale cualquier cosa y no suelo engancharme a las series simplemente porque están de moda. He dejado muchas tras el primer capítulo, a pesar de las buenas valoraciones y de que todo el mundo parece creer que están bien. Algunas, incluso, las he abandonado en mitad del primer capítulo. El tiempo es demasiado valioso como para perderlo haciendo algo que no disfrutas. Si algo bueno tenían las series de antes era que había un capítulo piloto que servía para saber si funcionaban o no. Hoy esa tendencia está llamada a la extinción.

La historia que se narra en La Serpiente ya de por sí es brutal, especialmente teniendo en cuenta que está basada en hechos reales. Simplemente, ese dato te pone los pelos de punta. Pero si hay algo que destaco por encima de todo es la ambientación de la serie en los años setenta del pasado siglo. Realmente parece que ha sido rodada en esa época y no en la actualidad. Te sumerges en ella, en esa estética tan característica, en sus ambientes. Es destacable también la actuación de la mayoría de los actores y actrices, así como el guión, que me parece que es de diez. La forma de rodar, como te transmiten las sensaciones y emociones con los distintos planos, como te acercan a lo que pasa por la mente del personaje, como te pones en su piel. Es una serie que está rodada con maestría y que sin duda merece la pena ser vista.

La sinopsis la podéis encontrar en cualquier blog, pero yo no quiero dejarla aquí porque creo que me sería difícil decir de qué trata sin desvelar algún dato importante. No quiero hacer Spoiler porque es una serie que honestamente creo que hay que descubrir.

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