May 2, 2011 Nicaragua
Popoyo Day 3
This is the day that it hurts to wake up. Our guide was banging on our door at (the real) 5 a.m., and we readied our crew for another day of surf as the roosters encouraged our hurried pace. After yesterday’s full day of surfing, my muscles were very slow to move, and feeling the stiffness both of 48 years; and 8 hours of yesterday’s surf. Fully subscribing to the “better surfing through chemistry” program, I immediately began the day with an 8-12 hour Aleve. A quick power breakfast followed, and we loaded the Landcruiser. It is the old style with bench seats for 4 (on each side) in the back, and “the stiffer the better” shock absorbers. Getting ready to surf is not as easy as it once was, as a result of the responsibilities of age and a yearning for comfort. After the Aleve, comes the Sport Face sunscreen, the Rash Guard gel for the raw spots from board abrasions, the Sport sunscreen for kids, and the Safe Sea jelly fish sting prevention lotion for sea lice eventualities.
We heard the news of the death of Osama bin Laden, and it brought to mind my memories of 9-11. It was another day of fine surf in front of Patrick Air Force Base with the Delta Surf dogs. We were enjoying some great Florida storm surf, as we received spotty news of the details of the fall of the World Trade Centers, bringing a solemn overtone to what should’ve been a day of the blissful feeling of great surf. So today’s news brought us a feeling of closure to the tragic events of that great day of surfing 10 ½ years ago, and made for some philosophical discussion of government, religion, patriotism, and all the while bouncing down the dusty dirt roads of Nicaragua on the way to the Popoyo surf break in the back of a Toyota Landcruiser.
We were in the water at first light. We gained access through the gated soon to be subdivision by bribes of cookies and candies. There were already a couple of surfers in the water ahead of us, most likely from the youth hostel down the beach. There was a great peak breaking at Popoyo, and the winds of the morning were light. The waves were consistently head high, and everyone had a great session. Dave continued to have a high wave count, and Freddie caught some memorable waves on his mini log, performance Neilson. This session was very fun, and served to get my lethargic muscles warmed up.
We got a couple hours of surfing in on set 1, and headed back to the Lodge for a great breakfast. It was like the Central American grand slam: bacon, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, black beans and rice, and pancakes. Denny’s has nothing on Popoyo Surf lodge. This was a short lived respite, since after this refueling moment, we were back in the Landcruiser back to the Popoyo surf break.
Once we got there, the surf size had grown, and so had the number of surfers in the water. It wasn’t quite So Cal agro, but definitely, Sebastian competitive. We still managed to score plenty of waves amongst the competition of the line up, and have a lot of fun in the process. That is def an fun wave, and if it were without the crowds, woo hoo!!
Another feature of today’s surf experience is having a photographer. We procured the services of John, the local photographer, who takes some great action photography with a giant telephoto lens. He has taken some impressive photos already, and he will be following our group for the entire week, with the hopes of scoring some hero shots for the ages, posterity, and bragging rights.
Having Internet has been a plus for the surf forecasts, although somewhat cryptic for Florida surfers travelling on the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua. For the last two days, the swell height has been 2 feet, and we have been riding head high plus waves. The period is long period, and we are encouraged to be having a slightly larger swell heading our way, with an even longer period swell. All good news for more days of great surf.
After session 2, we had a nice lunch of arroz con pollo, a yummy Centro Americano staple. Afterwards, we had our first down time of the trip, where it was not full speed ahead for surf. That only lasted a couple of hours, then, we all felt in the full speed ahead mode again. No matter what the tide, wind, and swell, we can count on our surf guide, Chris to get us to the right spot, and our 3rd session of the day was our 6th spot surfed in 3 days. He was right again, as we enjoyed surf at a beach break on a river mouth, called Santanna’s.
It was mostly a close out, but being a beach break, it felt right at home for our Florida crew. Dave is a huge fan of the beach break, as he can always line up on a shoulder, and avoid the rash guard rippin’ closeouts that are the alternative to a nice shoulder.
So, another day of surfing comes to an end, culminating with 8 hours in the water, 3 sessions, 2 surf breaks, fatigued arms, sea lice spots, rash guard abrasions, and smiles all around.
We are waiting to enjoy another fine dining experience at the Popoyo Lodge to rejuvenate after a super fun day of surf, camaraderie and Nicaraguan hospitality.
Popoyo Day 3
This is the day that it hurts to wake up. Our guide was banging on our door at (the real) 5 a.m., and we readied our crew for another day of surf as the roosters encouraged our hurried pace. After yesterday’s full day of surfing, my muscles were very slow to move, and feeling the stiffness both of 48 years; and 8 hours of yesterday’s surf. Fully subscribing to the “better surfing through chemistry” program, I immediately began the day with an 8-12 hour Aleve. A quick power breakfast followed, and we loaded the Landcruiser. It is the old style with bench seats for 4 (on each side) in the back, and “the stiffer the better” shock absorbers. Getting ready to surf is not as easy as it once was, as a result of the responsibilities of age and a yearning for comfort. After the Aleve, comes the Sport Face sunscreen, the Rash Guard gel for the raw spots from board abrasions, the Sport sunscreen for kids, and the Safe Sea jelly fish sting prevention lotion for sea lice eventualities.
We heard the news of the death of Osama bin Laden, and it brought to mind my memories of 9-11. It was another day of fine surf in front of Patrick Air Force Base with the Delta Surf dogs. We were enjoying some great Florida storm surf, as we received spotty news of the details of the fall of the World Trade Centers, bringing a solemn overtone to what should’ve been a day of the blissful feeling of great surf. So today’s news brought us a feeling of closure to the tragic events of that great day of surfing 10 ½ years ago, and made for some philosophical discussion of government, religion, patriotism, and all the while bouncing down the dusty dirt roads of Nicaragua on the way to the Popoyo surf break in the back of a Toyota Landcruiser.
We were in the water at first light. We gained access through the gated soon to be subdivision by bribes of cookies and candies. There were already a couple of surfers in the water ahead of us, most likely from the youth hostel down the beach. There was a great peak breaking at Popoyo, and the winds of the morning were light. The waves were consistently head high, and everyone had a great session. Dave continued to have a high wave count, and Freddie caught some memorable waves on his mini log, performance Neilson. This session was very fun, and served to get my lethargic muscles warmed up.
We got a couple hours of surfing in on set 1, and headed back to the Lodge for a great breakfast. It was like the Central American grand slam: bacon, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, black beans and rice, and pancakes. Denny’s has nothing on Popoyo Surf lodge. This was a short lived respite, since after this refueling moment, we were back in the Landcruiser back to the Popoyo surf break.
Once we got there, the surf size had grown, and so had the number of surfers in the water. It wasn’t quite So Cal agro, but definitely, Sebastian competitive. We still managed to score plenty of waves amongst the competition of the line up, and have a lot of fun in the process. That is def an fun wave, and if it were without the crowds, woo hoo!!
Another feature of today’s surf experience is having a photographer. We procured the services of John, the local photographer, who takes some great action photography with a giant telephoto lens. He has taken some impressive photos already, and he will be following our group for the entire week, with the hopes of scoring some hero shots for the ages, posterity, and bragging rights.
Having Internet has been a plus for the surf forecasts, although somewhat cryptic for Florida surfers travelling on the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua. For the last two days, the swell height has been 2 feet, and we have been riding head high plus waves. The period is long period, and we are encouraged to be having a slightly larger swell heading our way, with an even longer period swell. All good news for more days of great surf.
After session 2, we had a nice lunch of arroz con pollo, a yummy Centro Americano staple. Afterwards, we had our first down time of the trip, where it was not full speed ahead for surf. That only lasted a couple of hours, then, we all felt in the full speed ahead mode again. No matter what the tide, wind, and swell, we can count on our surf guide, Chris to get us to the right spot, and our 3rd session of the day was our 6th spot surfed in 3 days. He was right again, as we enjoyed surf at a beach break on a river mouth, called Santanna’s.
It was mostly a close out, but being a beach break, it felt right at home for our Florida crew. Dave is a huge fan of the beach break, as he can always line up on a shoulder, and avoid the rash guard rippin’ closeouts that are the alternative to a nice shoulder.
So, another day of surfing comes to an end, culminating with 8 hours in the water, 3 sessions, 2 surf breaks, fatigued arms, sea lice spots, rash guard abrasions, and smiles all around.
We are waiting to enjoy another fine dining experience at the Popoyo Lodge to rejuvenate after a super fun day of surf, camaraderie and Nicaraguan hospitality.
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