Outdoor Adventures for Everyone!
Something strange has happened. I can’t get full. Tuna sandwich, chew bars, raisins, banana, and I’m still hungry. Solution? Mexican. 100% pure mexicana grinds. Nothing else will curb this insatiable scratch for calories. I have to plug this bottomless pit, so it’s fast times at burrito high. Un grande pollo burrito con frijoles y arroz for this gringo. Damn I’m thirsty. Ahhh yes, una negra modela to ease the pain. Now I can work en paz. Tranquilo.
I can see the sun setting in the reflections on the windows across the street from mine. The trees have stopped swaying after a blustery day. It’s finally calm, and that gives me about 30 minutes of surf time if I hustle. How bad do I want it? My wettie is damp and cold, the ocean is still chilly, and there is a small mountain range of old unsticky wax on my board. What’s the call? I’m out there.
If Jim Carey can do it, then our customers should be able to as well. I am mercilessly hounding a great Bungee outfitter in LA as I am determined to get them on board so that we can add Bungee Jumps to our site. I did one a few years ago and it was the single most terrifying and simultaneously exhilirating experience of my life. Check out this blog to see a great pic of Jim flying high, filming his own stunt for his upcoming flick called ‘Yes Man’.
Heather and I were talking about white water rafting (fingers crossed, I am about to sign up a very cool partner that offers white water kayaking just outside LA, which is how we got talking about it) and I was reminiscing about a brilliant 6-day canoeing trip I did a few years ago on the Orange River in South Africa. I have some pics which I will hunt for on my laptop at home but in the meantime I found these on a fellow paddler’s photolog: http://www.cherryflava.com/pics/2007/12/chillin-down-an.html?cid=98942848#comment-98942848. They took me on such a great trip down memory lane. In its final stretch before reaching the icy Atlantic, the Orange Rivers runs through the Richtersveld, a unique desert reserve that shows the signs of old volcanic mountains and the trails of Khoi -San people. The six days that you spend on the water is long enough to really chill out and get in tune with nature. Some days we were going down rapids (backwards on a few occasions until we got the hang of it) and other times just drifting along in the slower-running sections of the river. Most days we also managed to do some hiking - just pulled our hiking boots on and went off to exploreThe majestic Orange River is awesomely beautiful and the sunsets, stars and sunsets are some of the most beautiful I have ever experienced. At night we just pulled our canoes up onto the bank of the river and sat around a campfire until our sleeping bag called (always remembering to check it for snakes and scorpions first) - sleeping under the stars of the Southern Hemisphere was an absolute highlight. I was lucky enough to meet a very large Puff Adder on our last day (one of the most common and widespread of all poisonous snakes occurring throughout the savannah regions of Africa) - it was rather too close an encounter for me to really enjoy as I almost trod upon it whilst heading off to answer a call of Nature…The Puff seldom attempts to move away when disturbed (as is the normal habit of most other snakes) and thus presents a constant hazard to the unwary piddler. It did alert me to its presence however by giving a loud hiss and fortunately I heard it early enough to take evasive action, and then admired its beauty from a safe distance. Despite the Puff’s heavy build and deceptively sluggish appearance, it can strike with amazing rapidity from a coiled up position, so I wasn’t taking any chances, and still count my blessings that it was polite enough to ask me to give it some space.
If I do get the above-mentioned company signed up on our site, I am definitely up for trying out their white water kayaking tour, but somehow doubt that this time I will get to see one of our slithery friends up close and personal - probably better for all concerned.
Looking forward to the weekend, even though the weather calls for more rain. Perhaps I’ll pretend it may end up looking like this!
Today I was up at the crack, grinding some breakfast watching the rains pour in. Come ocho I headed over to the back bay for a mysto morning kayak. Tricked out in my grande blue backpacking pancho, I pushed off just as the bands of showers were pushing through. Only minutes into the paddle the wind switched and I was sailing towards jamboree with a stiff wind at my back. It was nice to be cruising at such a brisk pace, doing very little work and enjoying the scenery. However, what goes up must come down, and what leaves the beach must come back eventually, and I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty fighting the wind for a mile or two. My sit on top is great on calm days, but tracking upwind is a bitch. Letting the work ahead of me slide, I leaned back cozy in the seat and checked out the water fowl. Lots of Egrets and Tall Herons. After it rains, all the trash gets washed out of storm drains and ends up in the bay before making its way to the ocean. It’s a sickening feeling to be in a tranquil place observing majestic creatures stepping over styrofoam cups and plastic bags. Yeah, it’s only bad like this on the first big rain of the year, but that’s still unacceptable. Let’s keep the bay clean. dig.
So I flipped the yak around and decided to start heading back. Luckily, there was a waterway between the reeds and the cliffs that provided a slight wind break from the chop of the main channel. Not only was it mellow paddling against the cliffs, but I was able to spot a little cave in the rocks that I never noticed before. I definetly want to get in there, but I’m not sure I could scale down the cliff and get in. Definetly a challenge to come back to. I finally fought my way back to shore and was relieved to get on my feet again. Another day on the bay.
Well, we knew it was coming, and it’s finally here. Rain. Yes, rain, wind and more rain has descended upon us like mongols riding down the steppes. The storm is here, and I’m pumped. This weekend I was thinking about doing some back country snowboarding in the local mountains, and there just isn’t a base yet at 8,000ft. Hopefully we’ll get dumped on and come sunny saturday I’ll be building kickers and dodging trees.
This morning, however, was a completely different story. It was a sunny morning and I woke up early and did a hike from the base of the canyon to top of the world with a hot girlfriend on mine. Twenty minutes before our hike I was rushing out the door, and pounded a big bowl of cereal. Thinking nothing of it, we charged up the mountain and I was feelin strong. Just before the top, bam, my stomach just lost it. The dairy had to go, and that was it. After about three good hurls my enitre cereal breakfast was sufficiently puked out for some lucky deer to lick up later. I felt fine after that and we continued our hike. Note to self, don’t do intense physical exercise right after downing a large amount of milk. Next time, I’m nibbling on a chew bar and saving breakfast for afterwards.
I came across a blog that posted a photo of a frozen wave. After further research I discovered that these are actually called “Blue Ice” and are created by earthquakes in Antarctica. All of these sites have the same or similar photos, but definitely worth the look. We should come up with a sport to play on these natural wonders. Just gotta make sure you don’t go out without sunscreen.
A surf travel trip in this lifetime? Yes, I was fortunate enough to have recently experienced this in Costa Rica, and not bad for a first surfing trip either. My adventure landed me at Tamarindo Beach, Costa Rica for a week excursion of relaxation, howling monkeys and a chance to experience some of the greatest surf at a couple favorite spots that made the movie Endless Summer II famous. Yep…Ollie’s Point and Witches Rock!
After a night sampling the local popular drink Guaro (my head told me I did a little bit more than sampling) my 6am wake up call was the last thing I wanted to attend to. Boards loaded and suits on, three friends and I departed our Tamarindo Beach condo and arrived at Playas de Coco beach to greet two locals, a boat taxi and an unforgettable day of thrills! According to them, the 4-6ft surf wasn’t really on, but those numbers sounded perfect to me. I’m in the beginners category.
The first stop…Olllie’s Point, a rivermouth/pointbreak known for forming a perfect right during a solid south swell. Needless to say, I think we hit a perfect day! We arrived and stumbled upon a group from Northern California on a surf charter, but as we paddled off the boat they departed via tow in for breakfast. Apparently, they opted for dawn patrol! The initial attempts of me trying to stand up were priceless. A smack in the board here, a few scrapes there…yes, still priceless. I didn’t care. I was at Ollie’s point and determined to stand up….just for a second, and that’s just what I did. Addicted? Pretty much.
Next up…Witches Rock, a break that forms lefts and rights along a two-three mile stretch of white sand. The extra powerful waves made me question how truly addicted I was. Had my newly sought skills from the wave I caught moments ago qualify me to get up on this wave? To ease my doubts, I decided a paddle out to see the face of the wave would solve all worries. Unfortunatley, it did! I wasn’t quite ready for the unexpected. Yah, I know…its a beginner to advanced ability level, but this day was more advanced. I wasn’t about to throw myself into conditions I wasn’t prepared for so I opted for a nice paddle to and around that rock that sits so lonesome amongst the sea. Though I missed out on some great bragging rights, I knew another opportunity would present itself, hopefully sooner than later.
After a light lunch with our new Costa Rican friends, we departed back to Playas de Coco with some great entertainment of leather back sea turtle mating along the way. According to some research, we were fortunate to observe this rarely seen behavior.
As I stated earlier, I was fortunate to have experienced a surf trip thus far, and I can’t wait for the next one. Daily doses of other surf adventures I read and hear about are what keep me most inspired to get in the water and only get better. I’ll keep you posted! Pura vida!
