Monkeys, Bats and Lots of Seaweed

A month has gone by since posting here. Waves have been lacking severely in G-town this year…at least when I can surf. I think there have been a couple of good "wave" days, but they have happened during the work week. I surfed in G-town about three weeks ago and had a blast, but it just hasn't been enough for me. So, I decided to go to Nicaragua a couple of weeks ago. I met up with my surfin' sistah Robin and her guy at a wonderful eco-lodge called Buena Vista Surf Club in Playa Maderas, Nicaragua. The food, views and people were wonderful.

Gertie and Alice

This trip marked my fifth trip to Nicaragua. I really like Nica except for one thing: THE BATS! No matter what I read or know about the bats, I just don't like them. I read about them carrying rabies, and I freak out about it every time. However, at the eco-lodge, I harmoniously shared my cabana with a couple of them. I named them Gertie and Alice. And, although we got along, I would rather not share my room with them. It definitely added to the experience though.

The lodge, located up a mountain road overlooking Playa Maderas, was in a wooded area that included howler monkeys. Although I'm familiar with the howlers, and have even been "up close and personal" with them, I've never had them so close that they were howling within three feet of my window. At first, the cries startled me, but I soon got used to it.

Walking to the beach was fun. The hotel was about a half a mile from the beach down a fairly steep

From the hotel deck,
we could see the tops of
the waves

and rocky mountain road. The only tricky part was hauling the 9' board with a shoulder strap when the wind was blowing. But, even that wasn't too bad. Fortunately, my upper body has gotten a little stronger so holding the board, walking down the rocky road and maneuvering with the wind wasn't too bad.

Although I've been to Playa Maderas several times before, I had never been there in May. I had always traveled to Nica in March. While the water temp could range from 3-2 wetsuit temps to just rash guard comfort, the waves were usually much smaller. This trip in May showed me a whole new side to Nica waves. They were huge. I enjoy watching other surfers take control of those waves, but I know better than to paddle to the outside and get in the line-up. The good thing to know, though, is that when a wave is that big, the whitewater is often very forceful and can be a lot of fun for "surfing." So, that's what I did most of the time I was there. I surfed the whitewater four out of five days. I stayed on the inside and caught re-forms also. I had a blast. And, I got to visit with my friend Robin, who opted not to surf during this trip. I traveled to some other beaches (Yankee and Remanso) and watched people surf big 8'-10' waves. One day at Remanso, I saw a longboarder catch a wave and his board got broken in two by the wave. It was a not-so-gentle reminder about the how powerful water can be. The surfer wasn't hurt, and he grabbed the part of the board attached to the leash and floated into shore.

Overall, I'm a little disappointed in myself for not at least getting in the line-up to see the wave from the outside. But, I just wasn't feeling comfortable. There's always next time. I had a long talk about surfing with surfer Don, and he explained that his skills came from years of day-after-day of surfing. I need more water time. I need some waves!!

Mardi Gras and Flat Seas

Bummer! This weekend was a complete wash when it came to surfing. Other than a few waves late in the day today when it was much too late for me to make it down, it was basically flat. When the waves started building yesterday, I had other commitments AND Mardi Gras was going on in G-town so it would have been madness if I had made it down there. This morning, a few rough waves emerged, but it wasn't until this afternoon that the waves started building and formed into pretty waves. Of course, I had to miss it all because of all the stuff going on in my life these days. My schedule is way too busy. I'm hoping for some possible evening waves one day this week or, at least, some waves by Friday.

I rely on Surfline.com for my surfing updates. According to the site, we should have waves Wednesday, but I also think that we will be having some rain. And, the weather forecast is predicting much cooler temps by then too. What a shame! Seems like we were going to be able to move into a 3-2 this week, but I think if it gets as cool as they are predicting, then surfers will definitely need their 5-4s. Can't wait to get out of the 5-4. It's just so stiff and thick that movement is constrained. But, at least it allows me to surf on cold days.

Surfing at Popoyo or anywhere
else in Nicaragua would be a
perfect way to travel this spring.

Surfing vacations have been on my mind lately. I think I mentioned that I might want to travel to Panama. But, in reality, I'm just looking for somewhere warm with waves. I'm tempted to return to Nicaragua. This is the first time in four years that I don't have a trip planned for the second or third week of March. I found out recently that the Chica Brava surf camps had started to offer mini-camps where a person arrives on a Wednesday and return on a Sunday. I'm seriously considering one of these trips. I desperately want to take a quick trip somewhere. I'm on a limited budget this year though and may be forced to wait until later in the summer. I can't help but dream though.

In other sports news, I'm continuing to struggle with my marathon workout. I just don't want to add a third day of running. And, today's run has me in pain! I have some shin pain and have self diagnosed it as posterior shin splints. Sounds like I will just have to ease up a little and give my shins a little "tlc." Fortunately, I don't think it will affect my surfing.