New Years Eve Baja Style

While most people on the West coast were partying like there was no tomorrow Tres(three) Amigos(friends) were prepping for a week long adventure in Baja. After I finished by bar shift at 10pm on NYE I did my rounds at the local grocery stores picking up some last minute items for the trip. Once I had everything set to go for our 4:00 am departure I laid down for a short nap.

With our car stuffed to the gills with surf equipment and camping gear we began our journey south. We crossed the newly refurbished Tijuana border at approx 5am and made quick work of what can be a dragging section of the drive through Ensenada. Turns out not too many Mexicans are out and about early on New Years day, so we flew through all the areas that generally slow you down due to local traffic.

After 12 hours of driving we arrived at what was to be our new home for the following week. Greeted with head high waves and howling offshores we quickly put on our wetsuits to get a surf in for the last hour of sunlight.

The strong offshores continued for the first two days. So strong that take offs were generally "blind" due to the intense spray of water in your face while paddling into waves. The offshores made their typical afternoon appearance throughout the trip, but more manageable than the first two days.

One afternoon I stayed out by myself, well into the dark. I had perfect waves all to myself. It was an unreal moment to be so far from everything else in twilight light paradise just me, my board and a perfect right point. Although I didnt think about it at the time, the night session was great practice for the blind, offshore take offs.

During our stay the low tides (which were best for this spot) were in the early am and late afternoon. When the tide filled in mid day, logging sessions were the hot ticket. On one occasion I dove deep into our quiver (two logs, a single fin 6' 8", a 5' 10" fish, 5'8"swallow tail short board, a 4' 10" twin fin made by Chris, a handplane and a surf mat)  and gave Chris's surf mat a go. I got a wave all the way from the point into the beach. It was a fun challenge riding that thing, but I must say if im gonna lay down I'd rather ride a bodyboard than a mat. 

 The wave was simply amazing. 200 yards long, you could easily do a dozen or more turns on a wave. If you fell, no need to worry. The crowd was so thin you could usually just pick up where you left off on the very next wave. On low tide you could accelerate the process of getting back to the takeoff area by running back to the point along the beach. Most everyone opted for this, unless they were riding a longboard, best save your arms for days upon days of surfing seemingly never ending waves.

During one session when it was possible to take off behind the rock I managed to get myself washed over the rocks, not making a critical section. I ended up slamming my tailbone into a boulder. I floated laying still for a moment hoping I hadn't severely injured myself. Thankfully I was fine, just some bruising which I can still feel while writing this now.

The rock on the far right was not my tailbones' friend.

 Food has never tasted better! There's nothing quite like eating hot food next to a bonfire after a full day of surfing.  We had a fire every night, with the exception of our first night. The fires were made possible by short drive north during high tide where we would collect dead Yucca and Agave plants. 

Full and warmed by the fire we made our way to bed early each night. I slept through most nights, except one.  We forgot to put our trash in the car and without fail a Coyote showed up and proceeded  to drag our trash all about camp forcing us to get up and scare him off. Another night just before bed, while tidying up camp we discovered a snake in my board bag. I remembered watching Endless Summer II as a kid, seeing Wingnut do back flips when he discovered the iguana in his bag; I couldnt help but chuckle to my self. It was a small and probably harmless snake, so we just carried him away from camp on a shovel.

Even the view from the outhouse was great!

 Waking each morning with the sun was never difficult knowing that there were perfect waves peeling off a stones throw away.

We surfed all day, every day. We stopped only to eat and gather fire wood. Spending so much time in the water, we inevitably made some new friends throughout the trip. Steve Gade from Los Osos, Gary from Oregon, Mike w/ the bad hip, a guy from Colorado whose name escapes me. Several other small groups from Santa Cruz were also in the mix. Most of the older guys in camp had been making an annual pilgrimage to this spot for decades, so I imagine we'll see them again next time.

  Travel partners hanging out

 good trip boys!

We scored. Perfect waves for a week straight was truly amazing. Its rare to get good waves for  a week straight, and even harder to find those waves with cool people to share them with. I realize it might not always be so perfect, but you can bet i'll be going back sometime soon.

THE END

Costa Rica

One of the many "cow like" locals

View of the village

A few months ago I was put in contact with Guru from Campfire Creative. He told me about his company and how they were planning to work together with Walking Tree Travel. Now, for the remainder of July I am working as a Campfire Creative Media Guide on a Walking Tree Travel trip (Immersion Group B) in Costa Rica. Here is a glimpse of my life here so far...

Para-sailor close in Manuel Antonio

One of my host families Parrots eating my thumb

Costa Rica is “tranquilo”(chill, laid back). Super tranquilo. The locals will probably add “pura vida” to drive home the point. They essentially make it impossible for you to stress yourself out over pointless things. This may be part of the reason I’ve been able to get a lot work done, while still enjoying my trip. After being here for the past 2 weeks I’ve become accustomed to the culture differences. The days start early here; the locals or “Ticos” in the village wake up @ dawn or earlier to tend to their cows. The family I’m staying with happens to be one of the families that owns cows (13) and so breakfast is served at 5:30 am after the cows have been taken care of. Most people would say the food is something that you have to get used to, but thats not the case if you’re from San Diego and Spanish dishes are the staple of your diet. I suppose the second biggest adjustment if not the biggest would be speaking spanish ALL THE TIME, which I don’t mind. However, i’m certainly accustomed to being able to get away with speaking Spanglish to the mexicans back home. The ticos, especially in the village, know not a word of English which is constantly improving my Spanish.

Me milking a cow for the first time

Local nino and his new puppy

When I have time to step away from shooting the group, editing or joining in on the community service w/ the group I’m not able to keep it too tranquilo as there are still many other things to do. I keep busy by shooting landscapes and lifestyle photographs of my surroundings. I just had to run outside to corral three (family) cows that escaped their pen while I was the only one home! Classic! I keep the two kids in my family entertained Maria who is 3 years old an Justin who is 6. Occasionally I join the group leaders who are staying with a family down the street for coffee and a game of cards.

Group leader Jonathan enjoying our make shift bench press

Waterfall close to pura suerte

Although the first two weeks have gone by fast, its hard to believe that we still have 2 weeks left. We have a little over a week left here in the village and then were off for some more adventure, via ziplines and white water rafting. I’ll be sure to post a blog or two along with video of the remaining time with the group. After that my friend Steve will be joining me down here for a week filled with surfing and hopefully some fishing as well. Until next time, tranquilo mai(take it easy dude)!

Lightning storm in Pura Suerte

Lo mismo

Blog post for Walking Tree #1

Hola!

Group B's travel guides here with our inaugural blog post of the Costa Rica Immersion B trip. First of all, whew! - we made it. The midnight flight was long, but we hit the ground running, as there was little time to relax. Adjusting to the Costa Rican way of life (“Pura Vida, dude!”) and running errands in Alajuela, a town on the outskirts of San José, was the first order of business (phone cards, changing $, etc). After wandering about In the first afternoon rainstorm, we made it to Merecumbé for salsa and cumbia lessons with our instructor William. The consensus was that salsa is hard! However, everyone had a smile on their face. Calling it an early night, we crashed after dinner.
The next morning we met Félix, our driver, for a quick coffee and breakfast before heading out for Pura Suerte on the southern coast. Félix is from San José and quickly became a friend. Along with his expert knowledge of the country’s geography, he is happy to chat up everyone. He gives perspective to the laid-back Costa Rican lifestyle, pretending to call the clouds to ask if it will rain (“Pura vida mai!”) He also joined our hike to the Nayaca Waterfalls and our surf lesson.

Next, we spent two nights in the picturesque, jungle bungalows in mountainous Pura Suerte, i.e. “Pure Luck”. How lucky we were! That afternoon, we took a tour of the Pura Suerte farm, learning the usage of indigenous plants and the characteristics of the local ecosystem. Later while on a rather challenging run up steep hills, we came upon a soccer field overlooking the valley. No sooner had we started to kick around an old, deflated soccer ball, a bunch of local kids came out for a game. Through this impromptu match, we were able to appreciate first-hand the universal language of “futbol”.
The next morning, after having passed through the rural farmlands and mountains, we descended into the sounds and smells of the Nayaca jungle. The hike to the Nayaca waterfalls, or “cataratas”, was strenuous, but scenic. We soon realized that the water was a force to be reckoned with, as we swam out and stood under the falls. Downstream, clear blue pools awaited us. After soaking and enjoying a picnic, it was time to hike back. Later that afternoon, Noemí led the group in a yoga and meditation session on an open air bamboo yoga studio.

The evenings have been filled by many games, the most popular of which have been Apples to Apples and cribbage, which Jonathan and Cody introduced us to on the bus. We even taught Felix and our hosts how to play.

Casados (combination entree) and pintogallo (rice and beans) are true staple foods here, the latter being a perfect mix of rice and black beans and the former the national dish. Also the list of new foods includes guanábana (a tropical fruit), star fruit, and the most delicious, golden pineapple that melts in your mouth.

Yesterday, we waved goodbye to mountains. Our next stop was Manuel Antonio. Here there were amazing outdoor patios, pools with unobstructed views to the ocean beyond, surf lessons, walks on pristine clear-water beaches, fresh coconuts, sloths, and monkeys. We’re hard-pressed to say what has been the best part of the past two days, but perhaps the most exciting moment was when we swam out, turned around, caught a wave, and road it all the way in to the beach.

All of these moments have been meticulously documented by Cliff, our media guide, aka Sueco (“The Swede”). Hailing from San Diego and a professional extreme sports photographer, Cliff has melded into the group dynamic with ease, always willing to share his expertise or a joke. He has been shooting the group at each turn, practically living underwater to catch everyone’s first ride on the waves here in Manuel Antonio. Tonight is our last night in this beach haven, and tomorrow we are off to Las Brisas.


Las Brisas is a village in the northeastern mountains near the volcano, La Fortuna. Here we will begin our home-stays, each student living with a different local family and working with the community on various service projects for 2 weeks. We are all nervous, anxious, and excited to start the most important phase of this journey and look forward to updating you in our next blog post!

Costa Rica First Video

This is the first time I've shot and edited video in 5 years +...hoping to continue to improve my skills throughout the remainder of my time here and when I get home as well. Week 1 of the groups travels here in Costa Rica...

DAKAR = CEND IT

Really CENDing IT!