So we surfed. Yep, we get to say we surfed the waves off the coast of El Salvador! So totally pumped!
We woke up early, but not as early as planned. We each ordered a heaping plate of the best hot cakes I have had in Central America, so fluffy. Then we grabbed our rented 8 foot boards and walked the two feet to the ocean. So cool!
We began by taking lots of photos, it is for our scrapbooks and so that is always a priority. Once the photos were all shot Julie and KT hit the massive waves. Yeah, I am serious, they were massive. I have never seen waves this big or breaking so far and so fast. The ocean had taught me a lesson the day before, (I was still chewing sand) so I was content on the beach watching them try to paddle out and get swept back in.
After a few tries some Salvadorian surfers approached them and showed them the "path" to the big waves. So now they were out there, and I was cheering, and soon they had drifted some and sort of out of my view, so I was content to enjoy the surf and early morning sun, peaceful and so "riding giants" (surfer movie for those who don't know).
Eventually, Kt came back down the beach, carrying the immense board and looking exhausted. The colossal waves had beat her up and although Kt is tough and awesome, she was now exhausted and ready to sit on the beach while I went.
The thing was that Kt really looked beat and I had been tumbled pretty hard the day before by the colossal Salvadoran waves and I really did not want to drown just so I could say I did it.
But just like the volcano, I also didn't want to be the one who didn't do it and wimped out. So I decided that if my fate was to die paddling out to ride colossal waves on the Salvadoran coast than so be it. There are definitely worse ways to die. And so I began to paddle.
Hours later (or so it felt) I was still paddling! The waves break so far out so I had to paddle miles and miles just to get to a point of resting and waiting. But once there the breaks were coming so fast that if the waves weren't scary enough I had no time to even think. I quickly turned my board in the right direction, looked up at a beautiful black cross on the hilltop marking the way to safety or death, whichever, took a deep breath and charged.
Well, by this point the wave charged me. But it was still exhilarating and such a rush, I got up to my knees, but then the wave ran down. Immediately another picked me up, I was close to jumping up but I was off the wave again. And yet another caught me, at this point I realized my surfing skills were beyond rusty so I just "little mermaided" my way in (chest up, arms straight, looking pretty, like I meant to do it this way). It was great.
My one ride, my three waves, my surfing adventure. Not quite what I had imagined but I had lived to tell the story and I just don't like to tempt fate too often in such a small amount of time.
Later that night, after washing all the sand and salt off ourselves we prepared to eat a delicious dinner. But before we could leave it started to pour and continued to pour. Thirty minutes later the electricity was out and we were starving. We were living off of pancakes (early morning) and pina colidas (early afternoon), and we wanted, no needed, dinner. It was desperate.
We stared out each time the lightning lit the sky. We prayed we would see a lit restaurant and sure enough we did. It was less than half a kilometre away but in the pouring rain, lightning storm it could have been miles. We debated the risks, but hunger won out and using our flashlights we quickly rushed down the beach and made it safely to food. It was glorious and by the time we finished our fish the power had been restored (they were running off a generator) and we returned home to a well deserved sleep.
In the end, the black sand beaches were all we could have imagined and more, beauty, tranquility, good food, nice people, gorgeous sun and adventures to boot. We have loved this country but now it is time for more of the best - Honduras, ho!
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