Everybodys gone surfing....

(me and my 1st wet-suit experience)

Yesterday I got up probably the earliest I ever have in Chile (7:30 am) to meet Scarlett in Vina to go surfing. As we waiting on the corner of Valparaiso and Educador in Vina, Scarlett was explaining to me where we were going to go and some of the basics, since she knows how to surf and went when we had off on Wednesday. On the rather empty street, and colorful VW van came bumping along, and I knew it was our ride.

We jumped in the back with the surfboards and sand and headed off to Renaca to pick up two other surfers. Jean Paul and Antonio, friends of Pato, our teacher, threw their surfboards in the van, jumped in, and we were off to the beach.

As we rode north to the beach where we were going to surf, I basically thought that the trip was already worth it because of how fun the ride was. Jean Paul and Antonio were hilarious, making jokes, and generally being ridiculous for 9 o'clock in the morning.

When we finally got to the beach, we suited up. Although I had heard that getting wet-suits on was hard, I experienced a work out trying to get it on. But oh, it was so glorious to get into the normally freezing water and not feel cold. We trekked across the beach to the pier, where apparently the currents are not as strong, so it is much safer.


(the beach, called Ventana because a rock at the end of the beach looks like a window)


(the pier that we surfed by... rather far from where we parked)

Before getting in the water, Pato gave us an overview (although I think it was mainly for me) of how to lie on the board, paddle, and then get up. In the water, the first couple of times I needed a push to catch the waves, but I rode a couple in to get the feel of the board, etc. The next couple of times, I could catch the waves myself but I couldn't quite bring myself to stand up yet.

Finally, I felt comfortable enough to try to stand on the board. I caught a wave, lifted my chest off the board, and jumped up. I was pseudo-standing when the board hit the wave in a strange way and I heard a crack in my ankle. The next second, I had fallen off the board and I assumed the crack was just like cracking a knuckle - since it didn't hurt. Then, all of a sudden, there was pain - a lot of pain in my ankle. I pulled the leash off my leg as Pato helped me to the shore and all I could think was how sad it was that it happened on my first time trying to get up.

I took off my bootie, and saw that my ankle was starting to swell, so I waited on the beach and tried to explain in my best Spanish what I thought had happened... which was very hard.

Eventually, I walked back to the van with Antonio. On the walk back, he reminded me that he had asked what I would think of my first time surfing. I had told him that I would probably love it or hate it. But I told him that the feelings were actually more complicated than that, since I really did like it except for the fact that it put my ankle out of commission. Next time maybe I'll be able to get up on the board.


(our boards post surfing)


(Scarlett and me after the surfing)


(Pato, Jean Paul, Scarlett, Antonio and me)


(on the ride home, the Chileans thought it was crazy that we would eat palta (avocado) without anything on it and without it being on anything. Jean Paul thought it was sooo funny that he had to take a picture of the palta transaction)