Emancipate yourself from mental slavery…

“Why am I doing this?”

That seems to be a popular question for me… why I would do something like the “Year of Living Frugally”.

I have a job. A job with a pension and health insurance. I can currently afford my bills – outstanding debt included. There are people in this rural community who would kill for the job security I currently have.

So… why?

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New year’s Day. New Year’s Resolutions. Too much darkness, not enough sunlight. Too much fatty, sugary food. All these things can bump one into a more introspective mood. Especially those of us with mild Seasonal Affect Disorder – whose holiday plans fell through (which was driving south for more than a week of sunny SoCal and Baja 70-degree-and-Santa-Ana weather). Instead, I spent the last week in the gloomy, chilly rain of far northern California.

During the summer and fall, I can’t think of a place I’d rather be. I love it here. However, sometimes I really hate the damp dark rainy Pacific Northwest winter climate. Once the darkness sets in, and the rain starts, and the average local buoy reading is 20-foot plus and sideways rain blowing onshore – there’s no clean surf for months. There are the rare days, when the winds die and the ocean calms – like this New Year’s Day (although the surf was too flat) – but that was the exception rather than the rule. The average surf go-out during these times means looking for waves wrapping around the protective headlands and hoping it filters the chop from 12 feet to a more manageable 5.

To survive, many of the long-time locals take this time to vacation in warmer climes. A co-worker told me I should plan next year’s winter vacation now to make sure it happens.

So on a warm sunny day, feeling the happiness, I let myself think of the ideal winter vacation (instead of the usual driving south to couch-surf with friends-and-family for a week over the last week of December).

Why not go around the world?

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Hey Everyone!

I realized that I have left you hanging on the end of this trip. I’m back in the states safely, although not necessarily safer. I’ve had two days of work to think about moving down to Central America. It’s a good time to share a couple pictures. Lots of new pictures are up on my myspace site also – including video of the mariachi band performing ‘Mariachi Loco’.

The end of the trip went well. The night before I left El Salvador, I had to eat at my favorite places and visit people. Elias (the bartender) asked if we were surfing at sunrise – he would be there. Of course! I had just enough time to surf a couple hours, pack, and catch a taxi to the airport.

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Hola Todos,

I think I’ve finally acclimated over the last few days. Too bad this is my last full day here. I woke up Tuesday extremely hungry… and able to sleep at will. All of a sudden the heat is no longer affecting my appetite. Good thing – my shorts are getting so big that I’m developing a serious SoCal sag.

It’s been quiet in the bungalow. Only Flaco, Canuck2 and myself have been here the last couple days – and Flaco left this morning. Actually, Canuck2 has a Salvadoreño nickname – it’s Risitas (which means ’smiley’). My Salvadoreño name has been ‘Callado‘ as of a few days ago. El Callado – the Quiet. Super. But true in a way. When I get loaded around new people, I usually am a bit quiet at first. And, the Salvadoreños appear to call it like they see it when nick-naming gringos. If you’re fat, you’re gordo. Skinny – flaco. If you look asian – chino. None of it is to be taken personally, it’s all in good fun (and they only name the people they talk to – usually because the pronunciation of our names is foreign). Anyways, I occasionally hear ‘Callado!’ when I get a wave now.

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Vomit Roulette

Hey Everyone,

During this air conditioning break, I would like to tell you about a game we play here – Vomit Roulette.

It’s called vomit roulette because the ‘winner’ has to vomit (well… they just vomit of their own bodily urges). The roulette part is that it can strike anyone, any day, anytime.

There are so many factors that decide this game – and all of these variables is what makes the game interesting. Saturday saw four winners – Canuck2, the new Kiwi surfer, Jesus the surfer/waiter, and one of the sorority-girl-volunteers. The clean-up woman was not happy with us that next morning.

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Desayuna Tipico

Hola Todos,

Saturday… El Sabado…

The weekend crowds are back. A new swell is starting to show on the outside of the point, and the weekend locals are dropping in mercilessly on the turistas. It’s a good morning to have a big breakfast (desayuna tipico salvadoreno), drink coffee, listen to the birds and watch los payasos en las olas. Today will be a midday surf session, when it clears out. Besides, after that breakfast, I couldn’t possibly lay on mi tabla and paddle without tasting it again.

A typical breakfast is scrambled eggs, refried black beans, a hunk of queso fresco, a fried plantain and some sort of bread. Muy delicioso. Don’t forget the cafe con leche!

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Hola Todos Personas!

I think today I will write a frequently asked questions email. It’s a scorching hot humid day – hotter and more humid and less wind than yesterday – so I’m going to burn some time on the terminal de internet.

Question 1. How is the localism/how does one navigate through the locals while surfing?

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La Libertad, El Salvador

Hey Everyone,

Ha! You’re going to have to hear from me again! I suppose you can delete these emails if they get too monotonous. The AC just feels too good – and the $1 an hour to use the internet is well worth it!

Yesterday I did not surf, or go out in the sun for that matter. My skin and shoulders thank me today. Aside from heading into town, spent most of the day reading in a hammock and ´talking shop´ with the other surf travelers here (1 Kiwi, 2 Canucks, 2 Ozzies, 2 Gringos).

So I did go into Puerto La Libertad, to look for an ATM and get groceries (this place has an open communal kitchen(!)). La Libertad is the town you are most likely to get mugged in. It was Sunday, so it was crowded! There was a fish market set up under tarps on the pier (with waves peeling off Punta Roca in the background), and a couple streets had vendors set up – a very busy open air market.

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El Roca Peña, Sunzalito

Thurday, May 3

4:30am comes early. Getting up early has always been the weak link of whatever I´m doing. I´ve missed classes, been late to work, missed surf trips…

Could I really be bargaining with myself for more sleep? All I had to do was get up, grab my backpack and boardbag, and make it to the shuttle stop by 4:55am. I would be leaving San Francisco International at 7am. Two weeks of warm-water surf, and all I had to do was jump through a few travel hoops…

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