Wednesday, May 29, 2013

No boards for 5 days in Sumbawa...

     We arrived to the airport at 1:00 am Wednesday morning, our flight didn't leave until 9:20am, the reason for us getting to the airport so early was to get our boards on the plane for sure. We couldn't get into the terminal until around 4am so we just hung out, I got some sleep and Jeremy listened to music and wrote a bit in the journal. Got into the terminal and had to wait again at the ticket window to grab our boarding passes and check in the board bag, we put all our boards in my big coffin bag to make it easier. We got into the line right as it opened and hassled a bit to check our bag, but payed for it and checked it in, in line made a few friend's with some aussies. As we watched them check in there bags one of them would crouch behind the counter and lift up slightly on the board bag so it would show it weighing less. It was so perfectly executed we were laughing so hard in line and none of the workers new what was going on! Got into the boarding area and waited yet again, finally boarded the flight and snapped some pics in the air before getting a small nap on the hour long flight. As we arrived in the airport and found our driver we waited for the board bags coming in, and of course ours wasn't F***ing there, after all we did to make sure, we were pissed. The transport driver said he would pick them up if they came in tomorrow, we split taxis with the aussies and had two cars packed since we were headed to the same place. We arrived to our place were staying at after a 2 hour car ride, all the aussies were frothing so we rented some scooters and headed down the coast to find this good right hander we had heard of. The road there was awesome, about 2 miles on a dirt road of mud, rocks, holes, and it was pouring rain haha, had a great time flying through mud getting wet and racing around. They got out to surf as we watched them for a few minutes then headed back since didn't have our boards, both of us were starving when we got back so munched down some great pasta here at the restaurant. Both of us passed out shortly after dinner since we had been up for over 48 hours.
     Thursday was boring mostly sitting around and eating at the restaurant, we took a lil adventure before the taxi drivers were supposed to arrive from the airport. We adventured down the road to another wave we had heard of, the beach was littered with cobblestones very similar to trestles. The wave as a cool setup breaking into a bay, with a mushy right but looked like a decent left, the swell was a lil big for the spot so might be better when it gets smaller in a few days. As we got back the boards did not arrive, I cruised around to all the other hotels and still no luck, everyone had told us that if they didn't make it on the flight they would come the next day. Disappointed once again being in such an awesome place staring at great waves all day and nothing to do about it, of course we had some friend's say we could borrow boards but there's always the possibility of breaking them. We sat down for an early dinner and started chatting with an older aussie guy named Larry that seemed pretty interesting, he started telling us about his life and traveling in Indo since the 70's. He had literally been everywhere in the world to surf for the passed 40 years in his life, of course I asked him about every place I could think of I wanted to go and search for waves. Larry knew everything about the country and spots, time of the year to go, and what he thought of the area, living in Bali now he chases swells around the area all year. Larry's new adventure is buying a sailing catamaran next year and sailing from Mentawis down Indo, over Aus through New Guinea and through Soloman, Marshall, and Tahitian islands, turn around and keep doing it until he gets bored, legend.
     Friday we got up and had some breakfast around 8, I was chatting with the owner of where were staying and he offered to let us borrow a few boards, after taking a look at them they were decent enough to surf. Jeremy laughed when he saw the boards and how my leash was basically duck taped on and his barely hanging from an eroded shoestring, literally... He paddled out to the left called Lakey pipe and i just headed to Lakey peak seeing a few fun ones roll through with no one going right. I had a fun session with how crappy the board was, nice to get in the water finally, Jeremy said he also got a few fun ones over at the pipe with 2 guys out haha. Of course after surfing for 2 hours and a pretty solid 15 minute paddle each way out to the wave we demolished our lunch and just relaxed for awhile. I got on the phone with my mom for awhile and also chatted with my dad, they were excited to hear from me and talked about what I had been doing last few days. I told them that they should move over to Bali and try out owning a hostel or small hotel for a year to try something totally different! They are both interested in the idea and have already started to minimize our possessions to try something different like that in a year or year and half. It's exciting to hear that and I hope it works out because I would love both of them to start enjoying life more and travel, since they have both worked hard for so long! I yet again went to all the hotels to see if our boards were here yet and they weren't, now 3 days without boards, we heard of a guy at another hotel getting a  full refund for his flight since his boards took three days also! We just cruised around where were staying listened to some music and played pool on the sketchy duck taped felt pool table, but hey it works and is just as competitive!
     Saturday we got up and scootered with some of the aussies and our local friend Jamaica down the road to check out a beach break. It was away's down the road through a few villages where you get the stares, like what the heck are you surfers doing down here there's no waves haha. And of course after the 30 minute scooter ride there wasn't, but cool seeing some more of the lifestyle around this area of the island! All if us headed back and surfed another spot we had been checking out, still had the old beat up boards the owner, Rachelle (Ra- shell, man's name in France) let us borrow. Both of us got a few waves, just frustrating because the boards aren't nearly close to what we ride on the daily basis. Arriving back to our place I got an email from some friend's that had left this morning and said they would check into our boards for us at the Bali airport. They said the check-in desk told them they have yet to and will not put the bag on the plane because the bag is to big, and that it is probably sitting in the lost and found office. We were both pissed of course but at least we knew where they were, I booked a flight right away back to Bali to figure the situation out, figured it would be easier and less money if just one of us goes! We tried to enjoy the rest of our day and I crashed early because had a long day ahead of me with the 2 hour taxi to the airport, wait for 2 hours, hour flight, then figure out the board bag situation.
     Sunday morning got up at 6:30am and had a bite to eat before hitting the road, the 2 hour drive from Lakey to the airport is filled with cows, monkeys, goats, dogs, and of course people all over the road! The driver gets you to the airport almost two hours before the flight, so just gotta sit and wait it out, luckily I chatted with an older guy that I met who was also staying at Lakey's but just now leaving. Like Larry that I had met a few days before he had to traveled Indonesia for a long time and has been quite a few places, he grew up in Morocco but is now living in France. As I have said before it's just really fun and interesting to me to meet new people from other parts of the world, and to also see what they have done with there life and if they are happy with there life! The hour flight wasn't bad, got into the airport in Bali and went straight to the Merpati airlines check in desk, I asked to talk to a manager and after some hassle saying "I don't want to explain everything twice". I basically explained to them what I had to go through to come back and get my boards and of course they speak english but act like they only understand a few things. If this were to happen in America it would have been a totally different situation, all that ended up happening was I got priority check in the next morning. I got the board bag from lost and found, and got our driver Putu to meet me at the aiport so I could get back to the hostel and separate the boards into 2 bags, so that they would for sure get on this time. I got back to Canggu and went straight to Bu Mi to get some food, it was pouring rain in Bali so I had to throw a poncho on and take it slow. When I arrived back at the hostel immediately dove into switching the board bags up, had to take everything out of Jeremy's which is the one we left there and move it into mine. Also grabbed one of Bryce's (hostel owner) extra board bag's n had to put 2 board's in each bag and take out as much weight as possible to make sure that they get on this time! It was pouring the rest of the day, so I just chilled out and watched a few movies, got to bed early since had to wake up and leave for the airport at 5:00am.
     Monday I was up early since our driver Putu came to pick me up at 5:00 am, I arrived at the check in desk at 5:45 and sat there waiting till they opened, which wasn't till 6:30. I was the first to get the two board bags checked in just taking all precautions, then when all was done with I still had 2 hours before my flight. Went over to a Starbucks and grabbed a smoothie and cinnamon roll, got onto there free wifi and started chatting with some family and friends on skype through my phone. It was nice chatting to a few buddies to see how they were doing and also give them a few funny stories from the trip, also got a hold of my grandma who was more than ecstatic to hear from me! After chilling out in the A/C and comfy chairs in Starbucks for hour n half, made my way back into the terminal to hop on the bus that takes you onto the runway where the semi small 60 person plane boards. Flight was quick and easy, landed and saw my board bags getting unloaded, thank god finally, yet again got on board for the 2 hour long, crazy, and uncomfortable car ride to the beach. Once I got back I was just done, it was such a mission and I had a headache and stomach ache since the night before I left 3 days ago, I got a bit of food then went straight to the bed to nap around 2:30pm. Jeremy was of course frothing and grabbed his board and was out there right away, super stoked. I woke up a few times but didn't get up until 5:00am the next day, felt so shitty, head ached and stomach ached so bad.
Sleeping the airport night before flight to Sumbawa.

The old school shred sticks we borrowed for a day when our boards didn't come.

The restaurant at where were staying, looking out over the left side is the beach.

Low tide on the inside reef, boats get dry docked for the afternoon.

The left they call Lakey Pipe isn't bad either.

You can walk all the way out to the contest tower on low tide.

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