8-5-10
Catching up now after a few days. Jonathan arrived the morning of the 2nd. Surf has been continuing to pour through until this afternoon. Now we just keep our fingers crossed it will come back up.
Our days have mostly consisted of the following: wake up 5:30, coffee, boat ride, surf, eat, nap, surf, drink, dinner, sleep then repeat.
The boat ride at 6 am is an interesting event all in itself. The boat driver surfs too but he too is either sleepy or hung over ( it is hard to tell) . We have just enough time to down some coffee or have a jelly sandwich from the “continental breakfast” before loading our boards and towels in the boat before launching. I have a dry bag! The launching process consists of pushing the old rusty trailer holding the boat with the bearings in the wheels totally gone so there is just a rusty axle and hub grinding against each other. This makes for very smooth rolling haha. The wheels wobble back and forth as we push this rig down the slopped beach toward the white water depending on where the tide has the ocean level. Thankfully we have been leaving at fairly high tide so the push is shorter. This is not the case when we return at low tide and repeat the process in reverse up the beach. Keep in mind we are backing the boat in far enough so the tires on the trailer are under water so the boat will float when the waves surge in. We push the 25 foot panga (with 130 hp Johnson) backwards into the surf and the waves are coming over the stern. Then once floating free of the trailer we spin the boat around so the bow is pointing into the surf. The captian is usually bailing water out of the stern so the back of the boat floats better .At this point things get easier and a little calmer for the moment while we all climb on board. At this time ( 6am) no one is dry by the way! I try doing this with my togo cup of coffee which is a challenge in itself. Have you tried salty coffee? Not bad!
Now the excitement begins!! Usually 1 or 2 local guys hold the bow into the waves of whitewater that are in a constant procession trying to turn the boat sideways and back to the beach. The “captain” starts the motor (the prop is all chewed up and I don’t know why!! ) and tells the guys in the water to let go when it looks like a break in the waves and we proceed our path out. Three things usually happen: 1- we slowly go over the waves and make it to the outside and calmer water. 2- we just keep the bow pointed into the oncoming waves (some of which come over the high flared bow and give us all another bath) and eventually the break comes and we make it out. 3- We have to circle between the oncoming white water lines to reposition pointing out if big sets keep coming. At some point the waves will let up enough to make a run for it. Number 3 was the case the other day when the surf was the best. Sometimes we get a little air coming off the back of the wave as we go over the crest. I saw another boat hover in the whitewater about 5 minutes one morning waiting for the chance to go for it. This is the way most boats, surf and local fishing boats launch every day down here in the area south of the good ole USA. There are no boat ramps or jetty protected inlets for most of the coastline. This is just a daily routine in quite a bit of the world.
The mornings are usually calm down this way so the actual boat ride is fairly nice once outside the breakers. I have videos to show the launch process if you want to see them. It sounds more dangerous than it really is, none the less you are fully awake once in the calm water 100 yards offshore. Arriving at the surf break is a frantic see who can be in the water first but is dictated by who’s board is on top of the stack. Little boards are on the top so guess who jumps overboard first. The boat is anchored after all passengers are off loaded and the fun begins or continues which ever way you look at it.
When returning back running through the surf to the beach is an easy process, just stay between two waves with no large set in sight and go till the water gets too shallow. Put the boat back on the submerged trailer then push it up the beach after surfing till exhaustion. The trailer moves very slowly!! Even with 10 people pushing!
The beach side shower is one of the best!! Huge amounts of water come out of the large shower head. Super refreshing, perfect temperature. The perfect way to start your day.

El Salvador

7-31-10
Our trip down went fairly smooth . The highway south from the airport was nice for our 2 hour drive to Las Flores. Hotel, service, and food are all very good. Surf has been an all day affair starting with a 6am boat ride 2-3 miles down the beach to Punta Mango and a really good beach break called El Toro. The beachie has been our favorite so far because we have it to ourselves. Waves have been in the head high range with some bigger. Definitely nothing to complain about that is for sure. As always at a place like this you meet people from all over world who come for the surf. So far the caliber of surfing in the water has been below average. Dillon and Mason have been some of the standouts. This is good for us as we can get more waves because it is not such dog eat dog in the lineup. We have a very fun playful 200 yard long right out in front of the hotel.

8-1-10
I just had one of the best surf sessions of my life this am! You never know when one of these will happen but when it does it is sure nice. I went on the early boat to Punta Mango with 2 other guys and arrived to see about 12-15 guys in the water which was depressing but jumped in to join them none the less. I grabbed a few insiders then paddled on out to the peak and proceeded to pick off 20-25 choice set waves. All these were a couple feet overhead off the rocky shoreline with a very fast long right wall down the line. After the first couple of waves I got caught inside on one of the bigger sets to come through. This was not fun! One spends more time under water that above. All this while you are being pushed steadily towards the rocks. Luckily the set let up and I could paddle for the channel for a little breather on the way back out. This wave requires you to drive down the line as fast as you can the whole way till the kick out. This is the kind of wave I like the most but very seldom see. Being able to get that many good waves is another challenge, but I will take what I can get, just give me some more!!! The paddling back out was the worst part because your arms just hurt, but it is a good hurt. After 3 1/5 hours of glassy conditions the wind picked up so we headed for breakfast and a much needed rest.
The point just in front of the hotel is a good right itself although a little “fatter” as we say. Which means an easier take off and just a fun wave to surf. Not very punishing when you get caught inside on a cleanup set either. Still some long rides with a big section at the end to do a hit of some sort.
Food has been very good. You will not go hungry here! All food is included with the rooms. Mark and Brandon showed up this afternoon. Good to see them and spend some water time with both of them. more later, jim

The last entry for now

4-4-10 Easter Sunday
We have met a videographer who likes bike touring and lived in Wilmington for a while. Also a still photo guy who I had met before. Both are down here just shooting some pros in hopes they get some good shots. I have learned some tips off these nice guys and see the results already in my photos. I have fun shooting pics just to see what I can get.
The surf yesterday afternoon was very fun even though the wind had it choppy. Some bigger waves as well as smaller ones with some definite punch. Mainly long lefts coming through. Just watching the level of surfing we are witnessing is amazing with all the airs, tube riding, lip hacks, fins free turns, and etc. Dillon and I had come in just before dark and we were just standing there on the beach watching the ‘surf show’ when one of the guys does this giant air and lands it!!! Dillon said he could have been standing there under the guy as he flew through the air he went so high. When the surfer came in he said that was the highest air he had ever completed!! The level of surfing these guys are doing is inspiring, even for me. It makes me want to do a turn a little harder than I usually do. I think for Dillon especially Jack it is a trip they will never forget just meeting and hanging out with these amazing water artists.
This morning we were greeted with probably our best waves of the trip. The sun was coming up behind a cloud covered sky which usually means less wind which converts to better surf. We all surfed until we could not move our arms any more we were so tired. All this by 10:30 in the morning. Once again we rode and saw some incredible waves ridden. The locals sometimes call this morning crowded with maybe 20 people scattered out down the beach. At home there would have been hundreds of bodies “littering the lineup”. Maybe we should come back on a future trip for some more uncrowded waves. At least I will have something to think about on the way home tomorrow.

4-2-10

4-1-10
Our german friends took off. So it goes with friendships on a trip. Everyone on their agendas. If we go to southern Germany we have a place to stay! Jonathan buckled his board yesterday morning and had it fixed by Felipe the ding repair guy by the afternoon for 20 dollars. This job would have been 75 dollars and a week at home! Go figure! But this am on about his last wave broke it in two pieces to finish it off for good. Jonathan said that was the 6th time that board had had a serious patch job. A good board laid to rest unless Felipe puts it back together again, as it is his now.
Whenever you see one knob in a shower (and I am not talking about that kind you pull or push up then turn left or right for hot and cold water) you know it is not the hot water but rather the cold water knob! Well that is the case in this place. But this shower is different. One does not have to take a deep breath when you first get in. In fact every shower I have taken by the time I get through I have forgotten that it is a cold shower! A very nice plus at shower time. Jonathan and I have discussed this and the water must be naturally warmed by the intense heat of the day. There is a big barrel way up high generating the water pressure that catches the sun’s rays during the day. Thus a nice shower with plenty of pressure and a pleasant temperature!! I love it!!
The AC is another dilemma. We are all in the same room. Everyone wants the thing set at a different temp. The controls are in celsius so no one knows exactly what it should be. Cold during the afternoon when the sun is blasting the porch is nice but going to bed the place is cold. Then about 4am every morning Jonathan who does not have a fan starts complaining it is hot and Dillon/Jack are saying it is too cold, and I am the one who has the AC control. Dillon has the ceiling fan controls by his bed. Anyway something gets changed and we all go back to sleep for another hour when we are all getting back up to check the surf because we are scared we will miss some good waves. That last hour is sweet sleeping though!!
Surf today was bigger not not necessarily better. Sometimes when the swell is on the way up it lacks shape so we will see what tomorrow brings. The air show by the pros in the water was rather cool to watch this afternoon. I hope the AM brings some perfect waves. When down here the level of expectation rises to the top!!

3-31-10

3-31-10
A little recap from the last few days. Surf has had a bad combination of tide in the morning when the wind is more favorable. The place needs a higher tide to break right. Now low tide is about 10 am and moving 1 hour later everyday so our window for better surf is looking up. Also another swell is suppose to arrive tomorrow. We are keeping our fingers crossed. This am had some fun smaller surf and maybe the best so far.
Yesterday we put the car to use and drove to Leon and wandered around downtown. Saw the largest Cathedral in all of central America and as always in front of the church is the town square with all the vendors selling their wares. The central market was also nearby so a stroll was in order through that maze of fruit,veggies,meat,fish,clothes, and you name it. The sidewalks are also crowded with just about everything for sale you can think of. I think Jack was amazed at all the sights. Dillon too! This is an everyday happening that should not be missed by anyone traveling to countries outside the good ole USA. “Central” as downtown is referred to in lots of other countries varies from place to place but is always worth a visit. This time we were not hassled ‘to buy” by anyone, a nice change from some of the more touristy cities. I am sure we stood out like sore thumbs because of oour skin color. We saw very few white people until we went for lunch at the ‘big foot’ hostel where we had a very nice lunch in their vegetarian restaurant. Excellent salads with sandwiches and smoothies. Somehow we were even able to find ‘central’ and our way back out of town in the maze of one way ,narrow, and dead end streets. We were told to get to the edge of town and hire a taxi for us to follow so we could find the place. The challenge and luck played out in our favor!! haha !! I only tried to go down two streets the wrong way!! On the highway to and from our place we pass a volcano that has smoke coming out of the top of it. It is really pretty cool to see.
The day before we went to the next beach to the north just poking around. This whole country is about ready for a huge influx of locals to hit the beach this weekend. We saw temporary restaurants, concert/dance venues, and campsites being set up in fields. Busses are also crowded going to the beaches. Some of them so crowded they had people sitting on the roof with all their stuff and hanging out the back doors. Our spot should not see (I hope) the massive amounts of humanity that will be descending. This place is in front of a good surf spot which does not mean it is near a town. We will wait and see.
The day before Dillon wanted some more stick shift lessons so we went exploring to the “Marina”. Cool place back in the mangroves, with enough room for 20 or so good size cruising yachts but mostly vacant. Beautiful hotel, restaurant, and grounds. Maybe Easter weekend will fill the place up. Always a smile or a wave in return of the same when greeting someone. Dinner of spaghetti with chicken and a bottle of red wine. Jack beat us all to bed as he was out by 8pm!! He went hard all day as I figured he would. But what else should he do?
Our hosts here at Hotel Chancletas are a couple from Miami with their 3 little girls the oldest being seven years old. Shea bought the land 7 years ago and built what is here since then. He found the place while on a surf trip. The land was an old cotton plantation. We are very comfortable here. Two surf guys we have made friends with which are staying in the room next door are from Germany. One is a teacher , the other works for a company that makes currency for different nations. Both are about 35 years old. They have traveled to surf for the last 10 years or so. Being from Germany they have to travel for waves. Both are snowboarders. I have seen this crossover of sports through meeting other traveling surfers in the past.
We had a flat on the rental car. Picked up a small nail. Had it fixed at the “tire shop” down the street. Pics attached.
More later,
jim

3-27-10

The photo above is sunrise just outside our room. Just the Nica's burning the fields!
Up at the crack as I have always described getting up early. The coffee was already made in the restaurant just 30-40 steps away for our room. Yes that small luxury is sure nice!! Surfed from 6:30 till 10 when the on-shores came and blew out the cracking beach-break. We have been taking some surf photos. Walking around outside during the middle of the day one feels like being a chicken on a rotisserie grill it is so hot. There is not much humidity just dry heat. This is the dry season and most “greenery” is brown and much of it burnt as they burn it due to lack of lawn mowers I guess. A lawn mower down here is a machete by the way, everyone carries one. Even bicycles have sheaths for them. Good for most anything tool and cheap!
Took a drive this afternoon just exploring the area. We did have our boards just in case! The drive was a view of what it is really like down here away from “civilization”. We ended up in some very off the beaten path areas. “Where ever you go there you are” is the cover on a Mexico travel book I have. That was never more apparent than this afternoon. Just looking around made you realize that having an indoor toilet, a floor that was not dirt, a roof that was not palm fronds, a kitchen that was inside and air conditioned at that, running water and not a well to haul your only water by the bucket full, a shower that was not at the well with the bucket, did I mention electricity!! , maybe a car, which we saw very few of, all of these places with people in the yards had a smile and a wave if offered the same, as we drove by slowly. The road was so bad one could not drive fast. Just idling in 2nd gear was about the right speed. I hope Jack and Dillon really remembered what they witnessed as everyday life down here. The scenes were normal for down here but unheard of for the most part in the good ole USA. The next time you complain about the modern conveniences we are use to having but not functioning just think of everyday life down here. It will make you feel very lucky!!!

Nicaragua 1st entry

3-26-10
First I will play like I am on twitter!! drive to rdu smooth -board checkin smooth until they pulled out out of the security line because we had more than one board per bag !! I thought we had made it !! but no way!! - flight to miami quick! - 45 min late leaving Mia but in rental car by 2:30 pm and on the road. 30 minute drive through Managua to get to the outskirts of town for our hwy “La Nueva Carretera Norte” where we quickly found a “Tip Top” and pulled in. This is the Nica version of Chick Filet except complete with parking lot attendant that happily watches your car and a rent a cop that opens the door for you to enter. Now being gringos we bellied up to place our order only to find out it is sit down service complete with a waitress!! All the above received a “propina” (tip) BTY. Just the regular chicken, fries,and a drink but it hit the spot and we were on the road again. Very interesting driving down here. To begin with the scenery is totally different than going south to the other place we had been before. A good road and not too much traffic but for the traffic that was there it consisted of everything you could think of including: big ass trucks and small ones, lots of bicycles, fast cars, slow cars, horse drawn carts, pedestrians , and the occasional loose horse or cow!! A fair number of cops. I like seeing these guys as it makes me feel safe as long as they do not stop me!! No we did not need to “offer cash “ to any of them like we did going south. I think the only reason we got stopped going south is because we had surfboards on the car. Maybe that means not many surfers go north! Stopped at a good grocery store again complete with armed personal in the parking lot (this is normal for countries like this BTY) and is expected. Stocked up on snacks, fruit, water, and peanut butter and jelly. We do not have a fridg! Made it to La Chancletas by dark and the cold beer tasted great. Dinner of stir fry chicken wasn’t bad either. The room has two queen beds and a single, AC, a nice bath, and very clean..We put Dillon and Jack in a queen together so we could sleep. Bed was even better by 9pm. It gets dark about 6:30.
Had coffee at 5:30am. We had arranged for a boat to pick us up at 6:30 am to carry us about 5-10 minutes offshore to a fun left point break while the tide was low. We surfed for 15 minutes before the boat (panga) arrived at the beach break just outside the peak. We just paddled out and climbed on board. Now the gas tank on this fine craft was a gallon plastic jug sitting on the back seat with a hose stuck in the top wedged tight with some rubber!! We felt like we had a good captain ! USCG approved I doubt it!! He surfed with us , he had (not with us bty) a 1.5 year old girl and a 4 year old boy. A fisherman when he has no surf charters. He knew how to make a buck. It was a good call to skip the beach at low tide. Surfed the point head high for an hour and a half then got dropped off at the beach break which is right out front of our place. The waves had improved and we found out why they call this beach break “BOOMS” !! Only about 10 of us surfing along this section of beach too! Brunch was good at the little Palapa restaurant here at Chancletas. Pronounced chan-klet-aas. Hotter than hell at the moment 2pm. Dillon and Jack just went swimming. Last time we were here down south we needed wetsuits. This am Dillon described the initial plunge into the waves as “there wasn’t even a slight chill, just warm” . Maybe a nap is in order? Thanks for reading! Jim, Jonathan, Dillon , and Jack

The Last day

I am sorry to report that this trip has just made me want to surf more!! It has done nothing to quench my thirst for waves. Yes I did have a number of good surf sessions but not enough. This is just the truth and nothing else. You are getting my opinion because I am the only one who will post to this blog so far! Yesterday Jonathan and I surfed Uluwatu 3 times on all tides and it never really started working like we had seen it. Dillon went to Blangan and found some longer lefts with some of the High School surf team staying here. This afternoon we had a fun session in shoulder to head high waves until dark. Then a major low tide reef walk which made you glad you had your reef booties on. Jonathan did not wear his and had a 15 minute paddle to a sandy get out spot so to avoid the reef dance.
Mary Anne and I went to town this morning for some shopping and just general dealing with the masses. Walking down the street the vendors spot us like we stick out and I am sure we do. The common phrases heard are: where you from, I give you cheep price, do you want ……, how much you pay? (After asking how much), transport (taxi), hey boss, what is your name? , are you on your honeymoon?, let me show you ….., and there are plenty of others. One just has to keep walking and say no thank you or you are sucked into their shop to have a look at their goods. They are more persistent than tele marketers. Any way we found our own little goodies and had fun for a few hours. The prices are just plain dirt cheap. It is amazing how they can stay alive when you compare it to what we pay in the US. One thing I will say is the service received is the best I have seen anywhere in the world as far as my travels go. An example was this one guy talked us into his custom made leather clothing store. All the product was very nice looking with great feeling soft leather in many colors. This was about 10 am and he would make anything you wanted and deliver it to your hotel later that evening. At prices that would blow your mind also. We are not into leather, but this is the kind of service, competition, sincerity, or just the normal way of doing things here. I dinged my board coming in on a rock and it was fixed in 1 hour while I had a cup of coffee. The guys sit and watch for dings on your board while you get out of the water. At least three people wanted the business too. All the people (Indo and travelers) we have come in contact with have been some of the nicest people I have ever met. I am not kidding! I do not feel as though anyone has tried to take advantage of us either. Yes they are trying to make a living but in a good way. I did see a guy with a bathtub on his bicycle today!! Where there is a will there is a way!
As I write this we are all packed up ready for a trip to the airport July 4th at 7 in the morning and everyone else is sleeping. The trip home will be long but doable. We should see the sunset and a sunrise on the leg from Singapore to LA. All the while loosing 9 hours on that flight segment. Arriving in ILM 9am July 5th.
Thanks for reading I have enjoyed doing the posts. If the picture loading was not so slow I would have inserted more. With digital pictures I took plenty! The sights are numerous. Good night, jim

Singapore airport 4 hour layover

I typed a blog last nite and before I could post it my internet connection timed out! I will post it ,probably once I am at home though. I doubt I will find a way to post it between now and then. This computer has no usb port. I wrote a page to post which took me an hour, so log back to read it please. See you at home. jim

Back in Bali

Back in Bali for the first full day. It feels like home almost. We have come and gone from this place 3 times now. This time we returned to find the place filled with surfers which was fun. J, D, and myself went to Uluwatu for the morning session and saw it go through major transformations as the tide dropped out during the 3 hours we were in the water. Paddled out at high tide and came back across a low tide exposed reef. The cave is very intimating at high tide as the waves wash in but it is just rough water that does not have any current so it is just a washing machine. That is a term I learned as a teenager. You need to paddle between these knarley rocks through rough water but it is really a piece of cake until you get to the impact zone. There is no timing the sets on this paddle out as you can not even see the waves when you start the paddle. I actually anticipated the worst but never even got my hair wet on the way out. The surf was 5-6 feet which is decent size! Of course Dillon wanted to drive the motor scooter everywhere. I had dropped off my surfboard to have a ding in the nose repaired. I hope it hit the reef and my head because the ding was not minor! The guy “Jocky” had told me (Rupia) RP 300,000 which is 30 dollars for the repair which would have been a deal back home. When I went to pick it up the repair was first class. Jocky has 3 kids that I could see plus a wife and numerous other folks,2 dogs, and 3 birds around the house. This was the second time we have had him do board repair for us so we felt like locals! Haha! Any way I gave him the 30 dollars plus an extra 10 dollars for doing such a good job in less than 12 hours! He immediately gave me a hug and said he was so appreciative that it would help his family. This is the sincerity we have received from most of the people we have encountered on our trip here in Bali! It gives you a very warm feeling about these folks.
After lunch Dillon just wanted to go ridding/driving ( he is a good scooter driver) so we made the rounds then went surfing at Padang/ Impossibles till the sun set. Impossibles is just as the name says, you can make it for awhile but almost never all the way. It is the ‘almost’ part that keeps you coming back for more! Joanthan paddled the 15 minutes to Padang and on his first wave broke his Merrick again! He said retrieving the other half off the rocks was a little on the tough side as in sharp rocks!
Sat around talking to the Surf club guys from Calif. They have competitions between the different high schools depending on how far they are away from the beach. The surf class goes to the beach for practice 3 times a week. In there school they can choose between the normal sports and surfing ! How cool is that!!
OK I just ran out of things to say so good night, jim

Our captain and crew

Underwater shot to the right. I took my waterproof camera surfing twice then shorkling and it worked great. I took it surfing again and it filled up with water!! I will check to see if my extended warrenty works at Best Buy when I get home!! jim

Boat Trip

Boat trip Day 1
Thursday morning we gathered our stuff to go meet Don Bennett and board the Moggy for a 5 day trip to the islands to the east. This was a 45 minute car ride through town with heavy traffic to the marina. We found the 45 foot catamaran without a problem. When it came time to pay Don I asked if he took travlers checks and he said no! Travelers checks must be old school because it has been a problem getting them cashed since we have been here. Only the banks take them and then only 1-200 dollars worth. So Don took us to a bank where we found they don’t take them period! I had a couple of 100 dollar bills but no one wants them either unless they are dated 2003 and just certain serial numbers! There are just too many counterfeit bills floating around this part of the world, I guess. So we did a cash advance on the credit card and off we went. We had a pleasant trip to Nusa Lombagon and of course surf was on our minds , so we anchored at ‘shipwrecks’ which had a very clean 4-5 foot right reeling off with 20 people in the water. The three of us paddled out and amazingly enough caught quite a few waves. I personally had a great session. So was Jonathan until he hit the reef and got his ‘tattoo’ across his lower back and hand. Now all three of us have scrapes to show our efforts. Nothing serious but there is always that chance. Off to the anchorage before dark where Goose and Eric (two very nice Indo guys who are mates on the Moggy) cooked barbequed fish and veggies on skewers. After that it was lights out.
Don (the captain) is from New Bern and probably one of the first surfers in NC. He went on to shaping boards and moved to Hawaii to continue his trade. After 20 years there he moved to Bali bought the Moggy to start surf charters which he has been doing for 15 years now. We are enjoying his company and stories which there are many!!

Boat trip Day 2
Morning started at 4:30 am when we moved out of the anchorage for Desert Point rated one of the best lefts on the planet. The sun rose about 6 am as we crossed the Lombok Straits to see 200-300 small local fishing boats all with a different colored sails. The sail rig is called a “Lateen rig” on all these smallish boats that look like large canoes with outriggers on each side. They look like a bug from the front. The trip across the straits took about 3 ½ hours going 9-10 knots. We have been trolling while moving but so far no fish. Dillon is loving the boat life and just can’t sit still. On the bow being a lookout or jumping over the side when anchored is the norm. Surfed Desert Point about head high but not what we hoped. This wave is considered elusive and fickle so we had fun with what we had. Of course the bottom is just ragged coral. My heel drug across it after one wave but luckily I was wearing my reef boots. The current through the Lombok Strait is rather serious running 3-4 knots at times to the south as the Pacific ocean flows into the Indian ocean. Get a map and you can see how this can happen.
All meals are deluxe with both Goose and Eric being good cooks. Both of them have worked for Don for the last 8 years or so. The surf coming up did not look promising so we went 6-7 miles to a great snorkeling spot and it was beautiful. Mary Anne enjoyed the hour especially because the water was so warm. Next was a walk on a nice beach then to an anchorage for the nite. Watched ‘Water World’ on the DVD player before a dinner of BBQ chicken , corn on the cob, potatoes. Mushroom/bean sauté, and French bread. It was lites out by 9 for all except me as I am typing this to post in 4 days from now!


Boat trip day 3
We had anchored ¼ mile off a small village for the nite. I had looked closely with the binocs and could see fishing boats, cows, and general home type structures on the beach. The boat guys had said it was a Muslim village before we went to sleep. Any way about 4:30 am this Muslim prayer music started blaring over the loudspeakers from town! This continued for at least 45 minutes. The sun does not start to show light until 6 am. This village defiantly gets going early! We were under way for the 45 minute ride to Desert point again as the sun rose from behind a 10,000 foot volcano on Lombok. The haze (smog) is so that you can not see them most of the day. Indonesia is the most densely populated area on earth. The fresh coffee made the trip quite pleasant. The surf had come up to 4-5 feet and fairly decent, a different swell than the day before. We jumped in the water and had a good session for a couple of hours. Had breakfast then went out for another surf session. Jonathan got a’ tattoo’ on his butt which shredded his surf trunks. Not just a tear but shredded!! Next Dillon comes back out with the same surf trunk problem! The lefts were very fast and steep with rides of about 200 yards at high speed. Jonathan being goofy foot got some serious barrels , me I was just trying to get some rides and stay alive and off the reef which did not work! It is something else to be standing in shin deep water on a knarley reef and have 3 feet of white water coming at you 5 or 6 times in a row. It makes you feel a little helpless. Just before the whitewater mows you down you jump as high as you can and hopefully land on your surfboard paddling like crazey just to repeat the process in 12-15 seconds. Dillon has the technique down pat. I did have some great rides and only a little scrape on my left ankle. That makes about 5 boo boos I have so far from the reefs. Had a sandwich and we could see some very clean gaping barrels coming down the reef from where we anchored so Jonathan and I went back for another session at 3:00 pm . We had been in the water for at least an hour and not a single wave came in. There were about 8 guys in the water and I mean no one have a wave. It was like mother nature had turned off the wave machine. An hour before the reef was raging and then nothing at all. Jonathan never got his hair wet. We both just laughed because it was so unreal. Over all this was one of our better surf days of the trip. To catch desert point is a real feather in you cap so we were happy! Moved around to another anchorage for the nite and we will see if we have music in the morning again! If there is no surf we have two snorkeling spots to check out as a back up activity. We did see a sea turtle that was as big as a double bed mattress! I am not kidding. There are number of ‘surf’ boats cruising around. We had 2 here for a little while today but one of them moved on. Each one of them carries about 10-15 surfers each. Their normal trip is about 10 days hitting all the different surf spots in the Lombak and Sumbawa. Good night! Jim

Boat trip day 4
Under way by first light without the wake up music. The village (as well as most) had a fire that smoked up the whole area even flowing oout over the ocean. I mean lots of smoke. It must be for mosquito control is all I can figure out. Malaria is in these islands. On the boat we have not seen the first mossie as the aussies would say. Coffee while watching the sunrise beside a volcano is a little different than I am use to as well as seeing the southern cross every nite in the southern sky! Surf was on the smallish side so we had breakfast then went for a session. The swell had dropped off so we had a few in an hour and a half but not much. Left Desert Point by noon for the 2.5 hour crossing of the Lombok Strait under calm conditions. We did see a decent southwest 4-6 foot ocean swell running as we passed 3 tankers which were headed north. Fished the whole way but no bites. Stopped between Nusa Lombagen and Nusa Penida to go snorkeling in a very small cove. The coral formations were spectacular. Goose stuffed bread into an empty water bottle and filled it with water before we jumped in. Once diving you squirted the bottle a bit to squeeze out some bread and the fish just swarmed to eat right in front of you ! You could see the colorful fish up close. It was fun. The current between these two islands was running 6 knots and created whirlpools and some very unusual water in this 400 foot deep channel about ¼ mile wide. Here the locals grow seaweed and there are miles of farms on the edge of the islands. Stopped at Shipwrecks for a late afternoon session but the swell must not have been hitting this place at the right angle as it was on the smallish side too. Watched some Indiana Jones movie and had an absolutely spectacular dinner then lites out. The stars at nite are really something. The big Dipper is low on the horizon and the North Star is out of sight below the horizon.

Boat trip day 5
The boat was just too still for the surf to have come up during the nite. We would have felt some motion if had picked up. Mary Anne slept out on deck for the last two nites on a cushion! Actually slept in until after the sun came up but not much. With surf prospects poor where we were, we went to another spot about 20-30 minutes away. Found about 6-7 people in the water and watched for 15 minutes but did not see anyone catch much of a wave so we headed back to Bali. Arrived at the marina before noon to have lunch after we tied up. We enjoyed the Balinese crew as they were very friendly and nice which made the trip much more pleasant. Grabbed a cab for the trip back to where we had been staying to find a new group of people. This time it was a high school surf team, coaches, and 2 dads to share our time with. Jonathan , Dillon and myself went for a surf but could not find any good waves. I mean the swell had picked up but it was just not breaking right. So we rented 2 motor scooters for 4 dollars a day each with surf racks! Dillon is more excited about these than anything! So we are mobile at a moments notice. Dinner and bed at this point on Monday nite when it is Monday morning on the east coast.
Thanks for reading I enjoy posting. jim

Surfing Uluwatu

We have spoken to quite a few people like taxi drivers and just normal indonesian folks that have ask me about Obama. I usually never bring up the subject of politics while out of the country but it is interesting to listen to these people. They are all for him and getting rid of Bush. I think Obama's mother is from here. I just found it interesting that people so far away from the USA seem to keep track of our election. Surfed Uluwatu this am and pm. Good waves down the race track section both sessions. Some really smoking barrells. I could not seem to find one or the nerve backside but Jonathan held his own. Dillon got a some good ones (with pics to prove it) but on his last one he got slammed on the reef in a tube section. He came up shaken with a few scrapes to show it. The pic of Dillon is Uluwatu and Jonathan was the best and most fun day at Gland. It take 10 minutes to upload each photo. Found a good Mexican resturant tonight owned by a guy from Puerto Rico. Off tomorrow for a boat ride to last 5 days on the next islands to the east. The captain is from NC/Va Bch. His son comes into the bikeshop as he lives in Wilmington. I am not sure of the internet connection though. We did buy a cheap cell phone for $30.00 though , call Georgia at the bike shop if you need to get in touch as she will have the number.

jim

some more ramble 6-24-08

June 24, 2008
Body boards are ‘lids’ in Aussie speak! I was talking to this Aussie surfer and asked if he rode bikes and he said yea mate! I ask what kind and got the reply of a road bike that does 250 kph down the straight-aways! This guy is in his 50’s too. So much for finding another cyclist. We are not in any area that got hit by the tsunami a couple of years ago as Ginger asked. Surfing at Gland required some kid of wetsuit as the water was a little chilly and a breeze cooled it right down. Some people wore short johns. As far as drinking water it is mainly bottled we consume. Some of you ask about the food and all I say is it is good. Same bkfast as in the states cereal, eggs, toast, juice and fruit. Lunch is sandwiches or pasta. Dinner is Asian usually curry for me, fish, chicken or pizza once! My triathlon training is not going very well unless you count paddling my surfboard numerous miles. I will use this as swimming training. The boat ride back from Java to Bali was fairly smooth and pleasant but it could have been very rough but we lucked out as the trade winds did not pick up in the morning. Shopped the tourist central Kuta all afternoon which was fun. Haggling over the price of anything is the normal. Sometimes I ask the price of something and I get an answer of ‘how much you pay’ and it goes from there. The driving is really totally nuts! Every available square foot of pavement in town not taken by cars is jammed packed with thousands of motor scooters. It is normal to see a whole family on the same scooter mixing it up with the rest of everyone else. There are very few cyclists. Gas is $6.00 a gallon so we should be happy back in the US. On the 26th we are getting on a boat for 4 nites with a captain from NC of all places way over here. I probably will not have any internet access during this time. The service we experienced at Bobby’s G-land surf camp was fantastic. Just an unbelievable encounter. Above most service received at home and these people don’t make much. Just truly genuine employees that love their job and are there for the guests. I can not say enough about this! Time for bed , more later. Thanks. jim

Just mucking around

Just mucking around is what the Aussies say for goofing off or doing nothing. Pretty well says it all. Another in when it is raining hard is 'pissing rain'. I will think of more on that subject later. The well paid help here at the camp make $3.00 a day plus room and board. . I did not missplace the decimal point either. They are very helpful and extreeemly nice too. It is the way everyone in the world should behave. The surf has come down to a more manageable size but is suppose to come back up by the weekend. Dillon is surfing really well. The paddle out and back is at least 1/4 mile and dillon did it twice this morning for a total of 1 mile.We leave here in the morning to get back to Bali. Catch a boat at 7:30 am. We made it through the Gland surf without any major reef encounters which this place is noted for or any bad hold downs. We saw conditions that could have done either. We saw a monitor lizard which was 4-5 feet long. I do have pictures! Wild boars the size of a big dog, tons of monkeys, and MA saw a snake. I could come back to Bobby's surf camp again. Coffee is ready by daylight, maybe that is a good reason. The vibe is the water is very nice and mellow from what we have seen. I was scared it would be worse. But a nice supprise!! Thanks fore the report on Fiona! We have met many fun people so far and hope the meet more in the coming days.. Jim

Sunday 6-22 9:00 am

Surf was cranking again yesterday although a little smaller this morn. Jonathan said he got more tube time yesterday than he has had in all the rest of his surfing career combined!! He was charging in the welllllll overhead waves. I was proud of him and his surfing ability. One wave he pulled in 3 times and made the wave. I can't say that for myself though but it was fun watching .
I tell people i have a bicycle shop and they don't understand. If I say push bike then the aussies know what i mean. Another word for a bicycle used in Aust. is treadly deadly !! The food continues to be good here at camp with a decent variety to chose from. Currently there are about 50 people at our camp and probably 100 total in all the camps combined. The people we meet are all interesting . It is fun to make new friends. The local photographer here up where I grew up in Houston although he went to Sharpstown High school, just the next school down the road. I did find one other cyclist here with us (an ex triathete) with his nephew.
more later, jim

bigger surf

The waves started out about 6-8 feet for an hour or so. I got a few good ones. Jomathan brought out his 5-8 which was a mistake so he headed in to get his bigger board and snapped the merrick in the white water as he tried to swim under a big one. He spent a total of an hour just paddling in and out to the line up today! Then the sets just kept getting bigger and bigger. Each set the whole line up changed. it was hard ot figure out. But there were some bigguns. Mary anne and myself did a run today. the road is a little better than the Uwharrie trail but not much. Dillon went and surfed a place called tiger tracks. Here in the jungle it makes you wonder why they named it that. The people here are friendly and we are enjoying the place so we are staying another 3 days before heading back to bali. Hopefully more tomorrow. jim

Cranking G land and 96 Bintangs

This computer took 15 minutes to load this website!! As far as the Bintangs (the local beer ) we recieved 96 "free" beers with our room for 4 people! Georgie, I need help drinking these cold things!! Trust me I am doing my best. We stayed at a place in Kutsa called Un's hotel for a 5 am wake up call for a 15 minute bus ride to catch a boat at one of the local beaches. It was still dark as we boarded the 30 ft triple 200 hp yamaha speed boat with about 10 others for the 30 mph 2.5 hr ride. The ride was very pleasant ending running between the waves to cross the reef to get to the beach. On the beach was an old old 30-40 yr old hand crank truck that we got in the back for a ride to Bobby's camp. The nearest village is 30 miles away via horrible road. I have never seen a jungle but this seems real to me. I can't believe anyone even hacked out the path for the road but when you see the surf and you are a surfer you would know. Bobby's is like a deluxe summer camp for surfers although there are surfers friends and girlfriends here. Jonathan and I went out for a surf after breakfast. Jonathan snagged a couple but it was hard to surf. Solid 6-8 feet with monster sets rolling through every once and a while. We came in at low tide so it was a 1/4 mile walk across the inner reek instead of the 15 minute paddle out like 2 hrs before. The Indonesians smoke like there are no health risks! In the afternoon we went to a place called 20 - 20's due to the 20 minute walk each direction but we renamed it 40-40's. There we caught low tide conditions with a long walk across the reef and more sea urchins than I have ever seen in my life. J , D and myself caught some fun fast lefts. They had a full moon party complete with local band and 4 traditional dancers. A nice evening with some poeple having a little too much fun. If you can't tell we all like G-land and are staying another 3 days if possible. A couple of days ago Jonathan broke (schreadded) his board at some barrelling right . Really it was not his board and we were going to tell Nick C that his cord broke and he never saw the board again. We gave it to a surf shop that was going to repair it and give it to some kid that does not have a board. We did find a good back up Simon Anderson (boards are hard to find that fit a kid jonathans size) at one of the local shops in surf central Kuta. Surfing is very respected in this part of the world!! Unlike Wrightsville Beach ! Evidently Taj Barrow and Luke Steadman were here yesterday and surfing bit we missd them. This morning Jonathan said he had one of the best surf sessions of his life. He was charging on the bigger ones with pics to show. I was very happy with my 5 waves and is one or my better sessions too. Yes 5 waves can be a very great session especially if you never eat it or get the thrashing of your life and get to the beach in one piece at one of the Narliest lefts in the world. Mary Anne is enjoying the surf camp too. The crowd in the water is very pleasant much to my surprise and not that crowded. Even the Brazialians were nice. now that is a change! Dillon and I spent 2 hrs walking the reef at low tide this aft. I told him it was better that any semester he could ever spend in biology class at school. Pardon the ramble but this is what i do the best . I am scared to spell/grammer check this for being scares of loosing it, so just enjoy for what it is. Thanks for reading Jim