so cal aka the south of california

i have entered the land of the american surfer.

my exposure started in Huntington Beach, kind of like mecca for surfers and i think i can officially call myself a surfer as i was almost giddy as i walked along the pier and among the surf shops. sadly there was no surfing for me, waves were too big and the water did not look friendly. still i watched the wetsuit clad surfers, mainly with short boards and overwhelmingly male...i think i counted 2 women in the mix. there were definitely pangs of longing for a long board and jealousy that i was not out in the water.

i miss it; the water, the waves and the feeling of catching a wave. when i was surfing everyday i would have moments when i was laying down when i still felt i was in the water...if you have experienced this you know it is rather odd and somewhat satisfying. i miss that feeling too.

walking through surf shops and especially board shops was like entering a whole new world. it really is a whole culture here and thus there is etiquette, lingo and way of engaging that i have never seen or experienced. certainly i had my limited experiences and knowledge to fall back on but that was based in Central America and in interactions with surfers from around the world...they did not prepare me for southern california!

i had heard stories of the surf culture in southern california and i must say it is and it is not what i expected. indeed the beaches and the ocean are packed with people. certainly there are incredible surfers in the water, of all ages. i am not sure about the general acceptance of new surfers in the water as i didn't surf AND as a woman i expect the response would be slightly different than that towards a guy.

what i can say is that there is a strong enthusiasm for all things surf-related, including any kind of conversation regarding surfing or the water. not that i have much to say on the subject, i do suppose i know a bit more than the average non-surfer so i found myself in conversation with a number of locals and they all offered tips and a welcome to this newbie.

of course all this is based on only a few short days on the beaches and in the beach towns so my understanding and observations are quite limited. still, i find i am intrigued and looking forward to a day when i can return to surf and learn more about this special world in so cal!

driving?!

a few photos from the Pacific Coast trail in southern Oregon that i hiked with the parents on my dad's birthday. perfect weather for a hike as the sun was setting and the heat of the day was finally dissipating. i marveled at the number and size of the trees, haven't seen anything like them in months. also, while it is hot and rather dry in southern oregon for the moment, in comparison to the most recent places i have been (say Arizona, Nicaragua and Costa Rica) everything is so GREEN!

it has been many months since i last drove a car (not including the 1 day of remembering how to drive a stick in Costa Rica) and in the past few days i have covered many miles. funny to go from not driving at all to driving 6-8-10 hours in a day! covering all this ground could have been done by plane and possibly by train but the truth is that i was itching to have some time behind the wheel. i suppose it is a level of control that may be more symbolic than literal but it fulfilled some need inside me.

driving gives you lots of time to think. ok yes, any type of travel will do this but as i am currently living a life of travel i find that the moments of reflection and contemplation tend to come when i am actually in the process of moving from one place to the next. in some ways it is the perfect time for reflection however, i have found that MANY hours of this type of thinking can be less beneficial and at times detrimental. luckily music, random radio stations, phone conversations (hands free of course!) and rest stops all act as fantastic distractors and deterrents!

i suppose you could call it a detour

i am not sure how it happened, but there it was, a sign pointing me somewhere i had not anticipated, somewhere unknown. i gleaned little information as to why my plans were being derailed or why i was now being denied entrance to a world i had been welcomed into and living in just days (and months) before. no warning, just a sign pointing elsewhere, sort of a large orange 'Do Not Enter- Authorized Personnel Only' sign directed specifically for me.

a week has passed and the best i can do is characterize this event, which has left me incredibly sad and deeply wounded, as a 'detour.'

rather than take the unknown road i have decided to stop and regroup; in traveling terms, i am pulling over at the nearest rest stop, opting for an extended layover, or dropping anchor.

p.s.

not to worry, the blog will continue in all it's inconsistent glory!

a few thoughts from Montreal

- walking through old Montreal feels like one is walking through parts of Europe.

- the rolling postal strike is an interesting idea. basically the workers strike for a few days in one city (for example Ottawa) and then they go back to work and a week or so later they strike in another city. this means the mail is slowed but not stopped and it means that if you aren't paying attention to what is happening you may show up at the post office to find a sign saying they are closed until they open again. oh and the sign is in French, this is Montreal you know. as of a few days ago all postal operations were suspended until an agreement is reached or back-to-work legislation is approved.

- public transportation should be efficient, clean and clear. thankfully that is how i would describe the Montreal system, especially the subway.

- Bixi bikes are the best! it's the public bike rental system and it is fabulous!!

- after a few hours here in Montreal i decided

the few words i remembered from my college French class were not going to cut it, especially since we are here for about a month. i opted to attend French classes at a language school in downtown Montreal that caters to foreigners with a desire to learn either French or English. my class was 2 hours each morning and included 12 students from: China (2), Saudi Arabia (3), Canada (1), Pakistan (1), Korea (2), Ukraine (1), Brazil (1). the curriculum was helpful but the best part was what i learned from the other students.

- we were trying to figure out if there are other cities in the world where you can speak (and thus learn) 2 languages with such ease?

- Little Italy is a cool place to hang out, especially if you like gelato, espresso, pasta or grappa.

-Marche Jean Talon is a fabulous market where we have easily spent half the day purchasing fresh produce, eating fresh oysters, sipping cappuccinos, wandering through the rows of herbs and plants, and people watching. currently, every day is market day!

ah Canada

Toronto was stop number one and it was a whirlwind from the moment we arrived. while we stayed with friends and family we were on the go from morning to night and that may have helped with the quick transition to western culture it also resulted in more than one morning where i woke up quite disoriented. hey, it's a tough life i lead you know...hahaha.

if you are ever in Toronto during the warmer months i recommend you get a bike and ride around. there are great parks, bike paths and neighborhoods to enjoy. also it is a great way to see a city.

best of Costa Rica

it was decided that the final few weeks in central america would be best spent in Costa Rica as there one can find the best and most consistent beginner waves. while it was sad to say goodbye to friends in Nicaragua i was quite excited to see some new and different waves. also, the plan was to head to part of the coast of CR that i had missed the last time i was there.

the border crossing was better than expected since the Nicaragua border patrol rebuilt the points of entry and exit; instead of being in the same place, in the same building and in the same lines you now go to one side of the building for one and the other side of the building for the

other. amazing. now if they would just add a sign or two leading up to the building...i would ask for a sidewalk but that seems a little too extreme. at least there was no rain on this crossing, when there is rain there is also mud and at the border crossing that could be mistaken for a

grand truck stop...well you can guess what happens!

below are some photos from CR. this was one of my favorites!

we arrived in CR to a few days of storms and rough waters. luckily there were a few areas with some smaller waves. this photo is of one on of the beaches with bigger and messier waves. i did not surf but the guy in the photo is not alone, there were a few out there.

we stayed in Tamarindo and surfed daily. i am happy to say my surfing drastically improved. our meal selection also drastically improved as we were in a bigger city and in CR. this is the view from one of my favorite places to watch the sun set.

rainy days

lots of rain lately, both in Nicaragua and in Costa Rica. of course we are entering into the rainy season so it is to be expected. in Nicaragua it resulted in days without power while in Costa Rica only a few hours without power. days without power are one thing, nights without power in a tropical climate are another. especially when you are staying in a room with no airflow; no air conditioning and no fan and no airflow generally = no sleep.

we left Nicaragua for a surf town in Costa Rica that appears to be a mecca for beginners and ex-pats. there are great beginner waves here, as well as breaks that excite the advanced surfer. it is a good place to get in some final sets before taking 2+ months off to visit family and friends in the states in canada.

Cool people doing cool things

One of the best things about traveling is all the interesting people you meet. here are two people you should know...

Ben Wilkins just signed his first record contract and is EP is out and burning the charts in Canada. Check him out here: benwilkinsmusic.com

Espen, the Alaskan born son of Norwegian parents has started a non-profit (Proyecto Remedios Educativos) that has found quick success in 2 years time and is building schools and providing much needed educational resources to communities in southern Nicaragua. You can find out more here: www.prehelps.org

Surfing!

Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday, a cloudy, breezy and somewhat cooler day (probably mid-80s) with only moments of the sun breaking through. The guru, the trainer, and I set off for El Transito today to test my balance and skill on rushing white water that flowed from the pounding waves. Although I had no reason to believe so, I sensed this would be the day I would pop up and stand on the board for more than 3 or even 5 seconds. It was 10:30am and the beach was already full of people wading in the water, playing in the sand, sitting on the beach, and walking along the beach (many with a beer in hand). As a side note, this is only relevant to this recounting as learning anything in front of an audience is not known to have a high success rate.

The waves were not the kind an experienced surfer would enjoy, but both the guru and the trainer proclaimed the scene perfect for me. The outing proved successful. Not only did I stay up on the board, I stayed up long enough to enjoy it, and to notice the lifeguards cheering me on and the locals with mixed expressions of amusement and curiosity.

Since this day…the Saturday before Easter Sunday, I have been out to El Transito numerous times and while my audience has dwindled to a few fisherman and a local kid who is trying to teach himself to surf, I have found more success with each outing.

another photo

another beach view from the surf camp at Puerto Sandino.