The Many Faces of Panaga Drops.....

In my last blog, I briefly mentioned Panga Drops the surf break that we've been surfing the most here on the Iguana property.  It is a break that definitely deserves its own blog if not for anything other than the varying levels of fun and frustration that it dishes out pretty regularly.  There are almost always waves breaking on the reef to surf, and we were lucky enough to have 7+ days of solid waves due to back-to-back-to-back south swells that pushed through Central America starting on Friday the 13th.  The downside was that several of these days were accompanied by 30MPH offshore winds.  I've never  in my life seen white caps on the ocean surface due to off shore winds until last week.  Santa Ana winds in Southern California at their peak seem like a mild breeze compared to what we've been experiencing.  This is due to the large lake (Lake Nicaragua) that lies due east.  Normally it'll produce mild to brisk off shores making this region a surfer's paradise during south swell season.  The winds that have been hitting us in December are typically more characteristic of January, but they decided to show up a little early this year.

Photo:  Blown conditions in the December swell:

The building days of the biggest of the three shots of swell we received produced occasionally fun conditions last Friday 13th, Saturday 14th and Sunday the 15th when the winds weren't crushing it.  Even when the waves are fun, you can catch one and then have to take a set of 10-12 overhead waves on the head  to get back out to the lineup.  To get into waves out here you also have to constantly paddle to put yourself in position to catch the wave since the peak shifts over the reef with regularity changing the takeoff spot.  This can be the most frustrating side of Pangas.

Photo:  Pangas when you don't want to get caught inside:

 

The fun side of Pangas can be a left, or more frequently, a better right, that can produce a speedy wall of water that will allow you a few solid turns as it peels over the reef propelling you towards the beach.  Good rides out here can be 100 yards or more on a solid day when it's lining up.   Another really fun side of the break is the local crew that we've gotten to know surfing out there.  Always great conversation, joking or discussion about what the days conditions are, even if a cleanup set just came in and sent everyone half way back to the beach.

Photo: Playful Pangas:

 

On Tuesday the 16th, one of the peak days of the swell, we suited up in the morning after seeing mild off shores and set waves in the 2 to 3 foot overhead range.  A great looking day out at Panga's based on our visual morning surf check.  Within 5 minutes of paddling out the winds were gusting well over 30MPH causing the wave to be very difficult to catch, even at size.  You could easily paddle your guts out on the breaking peak of a 7 foot wave only to be blown out over the top while receiving a blinding blast of water in the face which is probably the equivalent of being shot with a fire hose.

Photo: Beat down Pangas:

While difficult to catch these waves, they weren't impossible.  It definitely changed the take off making it more vertical on the peak by the time you could match the wave speed with paddle speed and quite often blinded you until you got to your feet to actually surf the wave.  If you didn't make the wave, the backside of the peak would pelt you with a stinging rain that shot back at you from the foamy lip that just passed.  Both Melissa and I had several fun sessions this last week with great waves, but this Tuesday session was by far the least fun of them all (for me at least).  I chose to ride my FireWire which is an epoxy board far too light to paddle in these conditions.  This resulted in no waves ridden  and many inglorious beatings as I tried futilely to stroke into some bombing inside waves.  Melissa ended up catching a couple really nice waves.  One that I watched from the beach as I licked my wounds was a long right that clocked in at a few feet overhead.  As she took off she looked like she was moving in slow motion while the ripping winds almost held her in place as she popped to her feet.  Once she broke free, the wave walled up giving her a beautiful ride all the way to the inside.

Photo:  Representative of the bomb Melissa caught:

The last few days of the swell saw the winds die down and fun head high to overhead conditions.  We all were scoring lots of  great rides as the morning winds and tides cooperated on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week.  There are noticeably more people in the water with the Christmas holiday afoot brining people in for an extended holiday.

Photo:  Party wave with the crew at a busy Pangas on the holiday:

As the Christmas Holiday filled in we had plenty of fun small waist to chest high swell on the reef and the beach break.  The low tide tended to favor the reef when it bottomed out and the high tide made a sand bar just a click south of Pangas super fun.

We're looking forward to another 5 weeks in Nica before heading to Bocas Del Toro, Panama on Feb 7th.  Special thanks to Tom for the photos and the local crew that make surfing Panaga Drops so much fun.   Cheers to you all!

Note:  Many of these photos were not taken during the week I've written about here, but they are entirely representative of what surfing at this break is like, no doubt.

Photo:  Sunset on Panga Drops:

 

After our first month in Nicaragua, we've moved into our longer term townhome rental which is far better equipped for our family.  The big bonuses are having wifi now, which gets us back on the mobile devices, and satellite TV, which we haven't had since we departed Los Angeles last June.  It allows us to watch NFL and NBA but the real downside is that all the cable channels we love are in Spanish.  So, we are forced to watch bad broadcast programs on NBC and Fox that are piped out of affiliates in south Florida.  I think we're almost better off not having TV after watching the horror that is the Biggest Loser and The Voice the last few nights.  There is also some thick irony in here somewhere knowing I spent the last 18 years of my life selling ads on cable networks and now my only option for viewing TV (beyond football) the next few months are my former competitors failing line ups.

Nicaragua is incredibly beautiful now that dry season is in full swing.  In the morning we'll typically do a visual surf check which requires a short walk down a dirt road lined with dense trees, colorful birds and the howls of monkeys that stay fairly well out of view.  Surfing here has been challenging to say the least.  The main break we've been going to, Panga Drops, is a horseshoe shaped reef that requires the stars to line-up for it to work properly.  Wind, tide and swell all need to really come together to make it work.  With up to 10 foot tidal swings it requires a few visual checks on the surf each day to determine when said stars will align.  We've seen it work well about 5 or 6 days TOTAL out of the month we've been here.  Even when it is working properly it's shifty, has sections that will bend back at you while you're riding the wave, and sets that break wide or deep often issue 10-15 wave beat downs.   We found our favorite wave, Playgrounds, a long left wave off a reef that resembles a reverse Lower Trestles. This is a really fun high performance wave that we want to get back to again a few times before we move on.  Unfortunately, it is a solid hour boat trip away from our current location. 

Boat Trip:

 



Surf Check at Panaga Drops:

 

We've been lucky to have met a few families that have the same age kids (or relatively close) as Jordan and Slater.  There hasn't been any shortage of playtime on the golf course, construction site (a dirt hole in the back yard where a number of our toy trucks now reside) or the beach club.  Usually, you'll find our kids along with a couple others at one of these three locations throughout the day having a blast.  Our full time nanny, Ruby, has also been really great allowing us much more time to hike, surf or just sip a beer at the pool while we watch surfers charge barrels at Colorado's.  The pace of life here is very manageable to say the least although the options to entertain yourself are limited.

 

Construction Site:



Fools in Paradise:

 

 

Jordan has been homeschooling with a neighbor since we decided against sending him to kindergarten on the Hacienda Iguana property.  The school year here is Feb-early Dec.  So Jordan would have only went for 6 weeks,  which didn't make much sense.  Fortunately, our neighbor, Jen, is a former school teacher from the states and has been working with Jordan a few days a week.  He's already reading at a second grade level and testing into first grade back in So. Cal next year will not be an issue for him.  Slater on the other hand is living in a confused world where his learning to speak is colliding head on with English and Spanish making it tricky to figure out what he is saying a lot of times.  It'll all sort itself out in the long run especially with Jordan's Spanish being extremely strong from our travels.

 

Home School Reading:

 

 

I always found it tough to get into a holiday frame of mind living in Southern California after growing up in Chicago.  It is even more pronounced down here.  It's tough to think about the holidays when you rarely wear a shirt and consider board shorts your main wardrobe staple.  We did manage to have a great Thanksgiving dinner with our neighbors who cooked a delicious Butterball turkey brought down from Managua.  Everyone brought over a dish while we watched the Raiders melt down against the Cowboys.  It was a bonfire Thanksgiving dinner with some good friends and great food.  Christmas is going to be interesting....  We had the foresight to order some toys when I was back in LA that we knew we wouldn't be able to get in Nicaragua to assure that Santa would find us on the 25th.  However, the traditional things we like to cook are not available not to mention the lack of our family and friends .  I guess that is how new traditions are started so we'll have to do what we've been doing the past 6 months and just improvise.

New Foods - Tropical Fruit Manmochinos:

Costa Rica was our next slated stop in February.  The original plan was a month at Playa Negra and onto Pavones far south near the border of Panama.  After doing some investigation, we're realizing that Costa Rica is extremely expensive and far more developed than when I visited there 13 years ago.  Our current landlord told us "It's the 51st state in the union now" and "going to Tamarindo is like going to California".  Needless to say these were major turn offs.  We're still kicking around a trip there, but we might opt to head to northern Nicaragua after a renewal of our tourist visa in January.

Parting Shot - Local Beach Combers:



 

Leg Two In Nicaragua

After a final dinner with our friends in Troncones, we woke up early last Wednesday and loaded our 11 bags into Russell's truck to head for the airport in Ixtapa.  It was the start of a very long 13 hour day which took us to Mexico city first where we had to drag our two kids, two 8 foot board bags and the other 9 miscellaneous bags from terminal 1 to terminal 2.  There is a train that easily connects the two but after lugging all of our gear to the entrance of the train we were turned around by security guards telling us the massive and heavy board bags we'd just drug all the way to the train were too big to go on it.  They redirected us down to the buses that were fortunately close to the train, but not any easier to move everything down to.  Once packed onto the bus, we drove through heavy Mexico City traffic for about 10 minutes before arriving at terminal 2.

It was right about then I started to notice a strong chemical odor emitting from our board bag which I quickly realized was leaking epoxy resin from the repair kit that I had purchased off a local shaper in Mexico before departing.  The airport was clearly no place to address this so I just let it ride.  After about an hour plus of negotiating a $4 bus ride, we arrived at the Taca desk in Mexico City to check in for the Mexico City>San Salvador>Managua portion of our journey.  The kids were holding up pretty well at this point considering Slater was well past his nap time, but dragging the bags and managing the kids was already starting to wear on us both by 3P.

We checked in without incident and were happy to be rid of more than half our bags for the duration of the trip checking in most of what we had.  Once on the flight to San Salvador, the kids started to get punchy which was appropriately managed with candy and iPad activities.  Slater was less manageable, but fortunately this part of the flight was only 2 hours.  The other upside is they actually serve you good food and drinks on the airline for FREE.  I'm not talking about them giving you a mini bottle of bourbon and a bag of pretzels either.  They rolled out a choice of a chicken salad sandwich or ham and cheese with a nice macaroni salad.  It was topped off with a nice pour from and actual bottle of Johnny Walker which I was in need of badly at this point in the trip.

We arrived in Sal Salvador for our 2+ hour layover before boarding to take the quick 55 minute flight into Managua.  At this point it was about 7P and Slater was on full on melt down.  Melissa spotted a Subway going to our gate and doubled back with Jordan for sandwiches after we dropped what were carrying.  I stayed with Slater to watch him roll on the floor while screaming randomly about nothing in particular for 25 minutes.  It's one of the parenting moments where you really question why the hell you choose to travel for 13 hours straight with a 2 year old and a 5 year old.

Finally we arrived in Managua beaten down and in desperate need of a shower.  We got through customs after being fleeced for $10 a piece which is apparently a tourism tax that we were fully unaware of even after doing extensive research on Nicaragua.  We didn't have cash so we had to hit an ATM and then they didn't have change once we had cash so this whole Three Stooges routine at 10P after the day we had almost caused me to completely lose it.

We got to the hotel which was actually a really nice place we'd stayed at 3 years ago.  After a fitful night of sleep due to the Subway Sandwiches we'd ingested (I'll spare you the details but both Melissa and I were hit with intestinal difficulty ) we woke to have a great breakfast and prepare for the 4 hour drive south to Hacienda Iguana where we'll spend the next 3 months.  The car ride was fairly uneventful, although we did get some great views of the countryside including several active volcano cones.  Our driver Roberto also gave us the lay of the land and suggested several activities to consider doing with the kids over the next 3 months.

We're settling  into Iguana meeting several families and enjoying living on a golf course that our town home butts up to.  It is a far different environment from what we've been experiencing the last 5 months.  There are only a couple small restaurants on the property and virtually no shopping.  The beach and surf breaks (Colorado's and Panga Drops) are about a 10 minute walk from where we're at.  The first 3 days have produced sloppy, windy, unsurfable conditions which is unusual for this time of year.  We're looking forward to making new friends and exploring this beautiful country for the next several months!

Note,  no pictures on this blog.  There weren't many taken traveling or when we got here mainly because of the chaos of the last 5 days.  Also, we are currently without wifi which has made getting photos off the mobile devices a little tougher.  Next blog should be loaded up.

Rio Nexpa

About two months ago we all started talking about taking a trip to Rio Nexpa, a fast barreling, river mouth wave about two and a half hours drive from Troncones.  We had almost written it off after tropical storm Manuel, but a couple weeks ago we saw a forecasted swell that we felt would be one of our last opportunities to make the journey before departing to Nicaragua.  We talked to our friends Russell, Pedro and Coco to get a plan together to make the journey.  Coco was already heading up with a couple friends a few days early and we decided to pack up the kids early Monday morning in Russell's truck with Pedro following later that afternoon.

This trip was about hanging out with friends, testing our surfing skills and checking out a new place without much of a plan.  Knowing that was the idea, it made the drive up from Troncones very enjoyable.  Once north of La Mira, the road opened up onto the coast for what was probably one of the most beautiful drives that we've ever experienced.  We passed sweeping vistas of the ocean, saw gaping river mouths and arroyos that emptied into the ocean along with an undeveloped coast line that could have easily passed for Malibu back in the early 60's.

We arrived mid-day to find the surf absolutely pumping.  The set waves were going 4 foot over head, producing an almond shaped barrel at the top of the point and then connecting into the bay.  A massive sand bar had built up from the river ejecting tons of sand and rock during the tropical storm in September.  This essentially allowed you to walk right out to the point and paddles 30 yards into the line-up.  The 30 yards that needed to be negotiated was one of the sketchiest that we've encountered.  It is a shallow waist high bar that drops off significantly and composed of rocks and gravel.   The lip of the larger set waves detonate just a couple clicks away from the shallow bar threatening to drill you into the gravel parking lot beneath should you time it wrong.  While it didn't happen on the paddle out for any of us, several beatings on this wave were served up during the few sessions we had.

The paddle out:

Melissa cover shots:

 

Scott looking for a barrel:

 

Coco cover-up and broken board:

 

 

 Pedro looking for a sponsor after a couple months riding a short board:

  Flaco showing how it's done:

Mary Jane's:

 We ate dinner here both nights and had a great time. It's where bad parenting decisions meet limited options in town for dinner. We had a blast with the crew watching the days surf videos here that were taped by the owner and played nightly drawing in most the surfers in the small town. We didn't get to try Mary Jane's "special pancakes", but the food that Martin and his wife cooked while we were there was delicious.

The crew left to right: Nicky, Slater, Coco, Scott, Melissa, Russell, Pedro

 Waterspout over the ocean seen from Mary Janes deck:

 

Helen & Jorge's our home for a couple days:

We're really going to miss this crew when we leave in a week. They've all become good friends and we've had a great time with them in Mexico. The photo credits on this mainly go to Russell on the surfing pictures. He really got some great shots of Nexpa. We'll have to add surf photographer to his resume which also include world's best Mexico guide, Property Manager and great friend. While we have to say adios in a week, you know we'll be back soon!

Russell and Melissa at dinner:

 

Hear My Train a Comin'......

Last week I returned to Los Angeles on a much anticipated week long trip back to the states.  The trip had been planned for some time with the main goal of going to see Furthur (basically the Grateful Dead for readers not on the bus) with longtime friends from high school and college that I'd been seeing shows with since the 80's.  Collectively the four of us have seen a few hundred shows so to say that we're obsessed with the band and the music would be an understatement.  Details aside we were treated to the three of the best shows we've seen this band perform.  It was the end of the fall tour and right before a pre-announced year hiatus for the band in 2014 meaning we won't see them for a year possibly two, if ever again.  The shows were spectacular with the band winding through many songs we'd never seen them perform in addition to the cultural phenomenon that the Dead always bring with them that you really can't get anywhere else, ever.    If it ends there,  what a great way to go out on top.

Tres amigos at intermission on Night 3:

 

Furthur at the Greek up close from the pit:



 

My time in LA was also used to reconnect with friends and co-workers who I hadn't seen in awhile.  I quickly realized how drastically my life has changed in the past 5 months hearing people talk about work.  Don't get me wrong, I miss contributing to a team and being in the game due to my highly competitive nature.  However, I don't miss all the baggage and drama that comes with being in that type of setting.  At times I felt stressed just hearing about people talking about work.  Needless to say, it really caught me off guard.  The other thing that struck me as being odd other than being stressed about hearing friends talk about work was that you can't go anywhere in the US without spending money.  At every turn, I found myself talking out my wallet to pay for something.  This is quite a change from not carrying a wallet, phone or ID  the last 5 months.   Granted, I had a laundry list of things I needed to get before the second leg of our trip but still it is unreal how quickly money is spent when simply spending a week back in LA.  Both of these realizations had me asking questions, like what's the next play?  Which actually has me pretty motivated to consider where we go after the trip is over.

Melissa with her birthday board brought back from LA at El Rancho!:



 

One of the considerations beyond the predictable return to the states, get a job and jump right back into trying to climb the corporate ladder is living here in Mexico permanently.  While here we've met a lot of new friends and had some interesting opportunities icross our path.  This includes pitching a land owner we've become friendly with on the idea of opening a surf camp on his large ocean front property.  While not an immediate possibility due to the capital needed for start up, it would be a fork in the road we would go down as a family if it came to fruition.  There are some downsides we've weighed where Jordan and Slater are concerned that are cultural which are tough to wrap our heads around.  Plus, with a heavy cartel presence the last four weeks in our area has us thinking about possible problems that could arise with that element in the mix.  We're leaning toward returning to So Cal heavily, but still tossing the idea around.  

We're quickly approaching the second leg of our trip with our flight to Nicaragua booked on 10/30.  We fly into Managua, spend the night and then take a 3 hour drive south towards the Costa Rican boarder to a remote area rich with surf breaks.  Rancho Iguana will be our home from Nov-Jan.  Then after that things are up in the air.  Costa Rica?  El Salvador?  Panama?  Back to So Cal?

We're taking on a quick trip north tomorrow for the next 3 days to Rio Nexpa which is a remote town that features a heavy barreling river mouth break.  It's a relatively unplanned trip.  We're throwing the kids and a few things into a friends truck and traveling north to meet new people, surf new waves and wander down the path of life without a map.  It's been something we're getting pretty good at as a family.  We're riding a train with many unannounced stops, but I can hear the next train coming and can't wait to find out where it's going to take us. 



 

Independence Day, Manuel, Boat Ride

Mexican Independence day on September 15th was pretty much celebrated the entire week leading up to the Sunday it fell on.  We had the opportunity to go to Jordan's school celebration on Friday the 13th where the parents all cooked food for a potluck style buffet while the kids did traditional Mexican dances and talked about the pride they have for their country.  It was one of the cooler cultural experiences we've had in Mexico and a side of this country few Americans have the pleasure to take part in.  Melissa learned to cook tacos dorado (fried tacos with chicken and potatoes inside) with help from Anjelica a local friend and our nanny which we brought to the event.  Later some locals from the school celebration told Anjelica that "the gringo can really cook" referring to her plate of tacos.  She kept Melissa's secret not letting them in on her helping out. 

Jordan with his classmates.

Tacos Dorado

Right after our Friday celebration two weeks ago tropical storm Manuel plowed up the Mexican coast line dumping between 20-25" of rain between Acapulco and Mazanillo.  It then took a break, went out to sea, decided to become a hurricane, then came back inland stronger than before to lay another ass whoopin' on Mexico from Mazatlan to areas north.  While not a serious category 2+ hurricane it dumped more than enough rain to wash out bridges, cause rock slides, flood the streets of Zihuatanejo  to the point of having cars float off into the bay and wash away just about everything in its path.  This impacted the majority of the Pacific side of Mainland Mexico.  Needless to say it probably has been one of the worst tropical storms we've experienced.

Being on the  top floor of the condo building and having an open air palapa as a living room really trashed everything.  We had a couple of inches of rain consistently over 3 days to wade through in the living area and we've been without internet for almost 2 weeks running.  Fortunately power was only out for a little over 12 hours and didn't ruin all of the food we had just purchased a couple days earlier.  Surfing was basically out of the picture for the first week after the storm with the rivers running wild and emptying anything that got in their path into the ocean. 

 

The road from Troncones to Ixtapa swallowed up by the river.

 

The view trapped inside for a five days.

Saladita where we surf most frequently is a long point break a click north of a river mouth.  When we went back a week later, whole trees that had been ripped from the river banks littered the shore line and floated just outside the lineup.  Sand had been scoured off the beaches which was replaced with a combination of ankle to knee deep wood, plastic bottles and debris of all shapes and sizes.  It's been a real wreck and we didn't even get the worst of it.  Acapulco probably got the brunt of the damage from what I saw on the news a week later when I could finally access the internet.   Supplies were cut off from there with the main highway to Mexico City closed.  Things seem like they are finally getting back to normal here 2 weeks later. 

 

The storm was a real kick in the teeth considering surf had been horrible or nonexistent for almost 6 weeks leading up to the devastation of Manuel.  Afterward we had a few decent days of surf and things really felt like they were getting back to normal.  That's when we decided that we'd hire a boat and hit a couple of remote spots that are difficult to access by car knowing that they would likely be devoid of surfers.

After 3 days of clean conditions and fun overhead waves, we hopped on a panga boat we hired in Mahajua just up the road from our place yesterday.  We had a few close friends we've been surfing with join us for what we thought would be a fun day of good swell and surfing breaks that we would virtually have to ourselves.  As we departed the bay, we noticed that a mild off shore wind blowing which was a good sign.  The dark clouds look like they were pushing north and the sun was rising behind us which was another good omen.   Within 30 minutes our ride to our first stop, a break known as Palo Alto, turned choppy but largely unaffected us since the pushing south swell was coming in directly behind us. 

When we saw the break from the boat it looked like it was surfable although not the perfect conditions we'd hoped for.  Since this was a paid expedition we waxed up our boards and jumped into the open ocean for the creepy deep water paddle over to the the breaking reef.  It's really difficult to tell what the wave are like when you watch them sweep in from behind the boat and disappear over the reef.   Once you're near the impact zone though you find out very quickly what the conditions are truly like.  Storm swell was mixing in with the solid ground swell making for a disorganized peaky mess yet still surfable.  We stayed in the water with our crew catching a few 6-7 foot waves.  Melissa rode a nice one in a bit too far and paid the price with a 10 wave beat down on the inside which took her about 10+ minutes to paddle back out through.  I took off on a wave in the same set and kicked out when the wave I was riding shut down only to see 4 hulking waves behind it.  All 4 crushed me as I duck dived them to get back out to the take off zone.  When I did, I noticed everyone on this suicide mission had been washed up into the rocky inside leaving me floating alone in the lineup.

When the team finally made it back out we decided it was too disorganized at Palo Alto and we should check the Ranch which we surf off and on when the muddy road is passable to the break.  We all piled back into the boat to see our 15 year old captain surveying what was becoming an increasingly choppy ocean as the wind picked up.  The ride over to the ranch was short and very bumpy.  When we got there, it looked much better than Palo Alto since it's a point break the waves appeared to  be sweeping down the point versus slamming head on into the reef we were just at.  Once again, we tossed our surfboards over the side and jumped in the water to paddle over to the few guys already surfing it.

While ridable it still wasn't what we were hoping for.  Since we were shelling out cash for the boat we all stayed in for about 90 minutes surfing.  We all caught mushy head high rides that hardly justified the cost of the boat.  When we'd had enough we started back to the boat.  I was first to start the paddle back since I have a rib injury and it was really beginning to hurt.  The instant I started to paddle for the boat our captain who was fishing moved it further south of us in what appeared to be an effort to find fish while he waited for us.  This also positioned the boat so that it had about 300 yards of open water with the south swell pushing directly at us.  This caused what we've been calling the treadmill effect.  You paddle your ass off, yet you go nowhere.  As I paddled for the first 10 minutes, it was like the boat was no closer than when I started.  It kept appearing a disappearing as it bobbed up and down on the building wind swell.  Somewhere around the 20 minute mark I finally made it back to the boat exhausted from the paddle back.  Slowly our crew started to appear on the horizon working hard to reach the boat as our captain dodged incoming rouge peaks to pluck everyone from the ocean. 

Once back on the boat we caught our breath and started back towards home.  The same swell that we had to paddle back into was now plowing head on into our boat spraying us with water constantly and threatening to toss us out.  Our top speed was probably between 2 and 4 knots which put us into a dicey situation having to spend 2 hours chugging back home through a white capping ocean.  I was pretty concerned at many points during the ride back that we'd run into serious problems as the conditions continued to deteriorate.  However, our captain navigated the terrain well and got us back in one piece.  A job well done by a kid that couldn't have been more than a freshman or a sophomore in high school. 

As I type this, it's pouring down rain again with blustery winds.  We're really, really looking forward to the dry season in Nicaragua in November.

Tree Frog staying dry in the breezeway.

Double rainbow post storm.



 

Mexico vs. College

Some old friends recently sent me an article detailing the top party schools in the nation.  Our alma matter Southern Illinois University didn't appear anywhere on it which stung a bit considering that we were ranked among the top party schools in a Playboy article during my second senior year.  SIU's faculty and the town of Carbondale set out to change this after our class left in '92 doing enough damage to the party image that we're now an afterthought in these unofficial rankings.  It got me thinking though, this trip were on is a lot like going back to school.  Only instead of learning in a class room we're learning in the ocean and on the street.  Plus, you can crack open a brew at anytime of the day be it 1045A after you've surfed for 3+ hours or 3P when you're heading down to the pool.  There is a lot of down time which was true of the college experience as well.  The snap back to reality in this comparison is obviously the kids.  This also makes the comparison seem to buckle a little under examination, but hey it's pretty close.

There's been a lot going on in the six weeks since this blog was last updated.  Surfing here has been off the chain.  We've seen consistent swell as expected and had stretches of 5, 6 and 7 consecutive days where we've surfed head high point break perfection.  Our surfing has gotten considerably better as a result.  Ability to paddle into, read and surf waves has greatly improved for both of us.  We've done some video with the GoPro which we haven't been able to share due to HD video being nearly impossible to upload on our wifi connection. Hopefully, we'll be able to get some up soon.  This week has been a bit of a downer since the swell has been small forcing us to find other activities like "thing finder" from Pipi Longstocking which Melissa is currently reading to Jordan.  It's given us plenty of time to rest and lick our wounds that inevitably pop up when you surf for too many consecutive days.

Thing Finder from the Tide Pools:

Jordan started kindergarten this week in the pueblo.  We headed over to the school last Sunday for an all school cleanup.  The class rooms are inside but still open to the elements which leaves it quite messy after a couple months of inactivity.  While the school is small with few resources, it really cleaned up nicely after a couple hours.  Monday was the first official day and Jordan predictably was upset to be left in a strange environment.  He'll adapt with time and by the end of October I'm sure it will be tough for him to leave all the new friends he'll make.  For all of you paying for private school in the states for your kids this is costing us roughly $15 for the two months he'll attend.

Jordan at the Gates:

Slater has become the unofficial mayor of Troncones.  When we walk through the streets he is recognized for his shock blonde hair and blue eyes which makes him stand out.  He clearly embraces this as he freely says "hola" and waves at people that smile at him walking down the road to the store.  Most of the people seem to connect with him leading me to believe he might have a future in Mexican politics.  For now he'll just have to retain the title of unofficial mayor.

The Mayor Having Ice Cream:

We're moving on to leg 2 of the "Not Currently Employed" tour on October 30th when we'll fly to Managua, Nicaragua.  Our original plan was to head to Costa Rica next but after examining the surf breaks, crowds and costs Nicaragua trumped that plan.  We'll stay at Hacienda Iguana which lies north of the Costa Rica boarder about an hour and a half.  It is probably more remote than where we are right now with the nearest town 30 minutes away.  There are two exceptional surf breaks on the property which is a gated community.   Colorado's which is one of the best barreling river mouth breaks in San Juan Del Sur and Panga Drops which is a consistent horse shoe reef that fires with amazing consistency.  There are a dozen or so more breaks in the area so we'll be at no loss for surf.  We'll be pulling in on Halloween to our new digs which will be a lot of fun.  We'll check back in way before then.....

Gator Don't Play....

We've had a pretty good run of surf the last week after Hurricane Erick moved out of the swell window.  La Saldita produced some really fun overhead waves last week and this week.  The larger swell this week saw some fun rides and also made for a lot of work paddling with the current ripping down the point.  The dying swell had more south in it than we've seen in previous swells which also made the point a little soft at times, but when the right set waves came it still produced a nice wall that worked all the way into the inside.

Due to some early morning chop the last couple of days we've opted for other activities with the boys choosing the usual play time on the beach coupled with trips to the skate park.  This morning after our surf check produced nothing but blown out conditions our friend Pedro suggested a different activity for the morning.  "Let's go feed Campeon" was the suggestion.  Campeon (champion in Spanish) is the name of the local crocodile in Tronconces who makes his home in the mangroves on the south end of town.

As we left Saladita, we stopped at a chicken butcher who obliged us with a bag full of frozen chicken scraps to entice Campeon.  We then drove the short distance back to Troncones to grab Jordan and Slater heading to the mangrove.  We walked back into the densely forested area where the exposed roots of the mangrove waterway produced a small opening.  Then like the urban legend of Bloody Mary, Pedro let out three loud shouts "CAMPEON! CAMPEON! CAMPEON!" trying to summon him.  Another round of loud shouts for Campeon still didn't produce him.  I asked if I could try and gave two of the loudest shouts for Campeon I could muster.  Wondering if the champion was more urban legend at this point also, Pedro let out three more summonsing shouts.  Right after this, the water started to stir and like a National Geographic video Campeon's beady eyes broke the surface of the water and started moving towards us.

He slowly pulled his 7+ foot body from the black water to survey what we wanted.  Pedro immediately threw him several chunks of chicken at him which he quickly snapped up a mere 10-12 feet away from us.  When we had given him the bulk of what we had another smaller crock swam up beside him to see what was going on and to cash in on the chicken lunch that was being thrown to the champion.  In hind sight, bringing the kids on this alternate surf activity is certainly not going to win either of us a Nobel Prize for parenting, but they got a pretty big kick out of standing 12 feet away from Campeon and his buddy as they dined on the chicken.  Going to the zoo after an experience like this would be less than satisfying to say the least.

The Champion:

 

With the Contender:

 

You Know You Live In Mexico When....

• You have to dance around a scorpion as you complete your shower to avoid being stung.
• The local ice cream shop has a tequlia flavor that is not named that just becasue they added some agave syrup into the mix.
• You see a 10 year old driving a 1999 VW Jetta GLS with a manual 5 speed transmission only to find out later while talking to his father that he is actually 13.

Castles Made of Sand

It's crazy to think that we're pretty deep into week 4 in Troncones.  We've fallen into a great routine which goes something like this:

7A - Wake up and have breakfast with the boys.

9A - Head out to surf

12N - Return for lunch

2P - Slater nap or afternoon adventure

4P - Pool or Skate Park

5P - Crack a beer

530P - Cook dinner

630P - Beach or skate park - depending on  what the afternoon adventure or 4P was

730P - Shut it down for the night and watch a DVD since we don't have a TV feed

This has been pretty standard issue until last week when tropical  storm Cosme decided to whip up some messy surf and weather for us.  it didn't really do anything more than throw us off our routine.  Down here though that can really put you in a different frame of mind.  After 5 consecutive days of no surf both Melissa and I were a little agitated.  It's pretty difficult to manage Jordan and Slater for an entire 12 hour day with limited resources even with both of us on deck.  There isn't a park or local friends we can just drop by to see or play with.  There aren't any mommy play groups or Scooter's Jungles to visit on a rainy day.  There just what we have here at the place for the boys and anything we might be able to come up with creatively.  Thankfully, things seem to be back to normal the last few days with some fun surf sessions in La Saladita.

Cosme Messing Up The Routine:

 

One of the cooler things we've been experiencing is the exposure to different wild life.  You kind of forget that this far south in Mexico is a rain forest and during rainy season there's a lot of wild life kicking around.  Large Iguanas are almost a daily sighting, bat watching in the evening as day turns to dusk, snakes, crabs, moths that are as large as your fist and bugs of all sorts buzz around.  There are also tarantulas and scorpions which I have yet to see, but pretty confident that will happen before the end of our stay here.  Jordan and I rescued a large moth and set him off flying from our deck only to witness him a second later being snatched out of the air by a large bird for breakfast.  Jordan was pretty blow away as was I.

Parrots at Dinner:

Wild life is not only in the brush down here.  I was driving back with Melissa from our morning surf session about a week and a half ago and we got stuck behind a van towing a cage that was moving rather slow.   As I got up closer, I said to her "Is that a Bengal Tiger in that cage?".  Sure enough, it was.  The van towing it had a loud speaker on it and was decorated in circus advertisement print.  They were driving the Bengal Tiger through the towns basically as an outdoor ad for the circus.  Many of you reading this might be from the ad industry and let me tell you no advertising I have ever seen on TV, Radio or online can top this.  Kids were running down the street to get a look, people were coming out of their houses and it was just generally causing quite a stir.  Safety issues aside, it was pretty crazy to stand a couple of feet from an animal that could eat me for lunch with my 5 year old and snap photos.  This is stuff you just can't make up and for sure will never see this in Santa Monica.

Circus Advertising at Your Doorstep:

 

We're looking forward to the 4th tomorrow although we'll miss our family and friends back at home.  We're grilling up with Russell and new friends in Troncones to celebrate our Independence Day after we get a surf in.  Cheers to you all and have a safe and sane 4th of July.