words, words, words

Sun Valley, Idaho.

Susi and I have been here for a number of days visiting our friends Heinrich and Betsy, from Indonesia. Sun Valley is beautiful, and there is plenty of snow. However, I think I have Dengue Fever, which I may have gotten in Panama. Some of our friends from Panama are actually in Sun Valley as well; however, they have spent the past few days in the hospital. Apparently, the disease won’t kill you, though it may make you wish you were dead. The problem is that it decimates your white blood cell count. So tomorrow I think I might go have it checked.

I did snowboard for half a day yesterday, and then spent the day on the sofa today trying to get better.

It is just lousy timing. Hopefully, I will get well enough to join everyone on the slopes before I leave.

San Jose.

Back in San Jose, Costa Rica, getting ready to head back to the states for a little bit. Had some great waves in Bocas Del Toro, but the swell totally disappeared the past few days. We went surfing, just to be paddling around, doing something. But it was about 2 foot. San Jose still ranks as one of my least favourite cities in the world. It is full of thieves, but it only for about another 36 hours or so.

But Bocas was fun. It is interesting, though, because it has gotten so full of surfers that I’m not sure I will be heading back anytime soon. Certainly not during the Holidays, when swarms of surfers descend from Panama City.

Caranero was the best spot that we surfed, along with super-heavy La Curva - a sick right hander that dredges off a shallow reef.

Best barrels were at Dumpers one of the days of the big swell.

I’ll try to put some pictures up soon. Once I get back to the States and have my computer I’ll set it up.

Today we took a bus from Changuinola to San Jose, although we got off the bus in Limon because there was something wrong with the shocks on the bus. It was swaying dangerously and I was afraid that we would swerve into an oncoming truck. So we got stuck in Limon. Limon is a dodgy port city filled with drunken longshoremen, expats and other ne’er-do-wells.

Tomorrow I am talking to a couple people about work. We are staying in a backpackers hovel for the night, but I am sure I will sleep well since I spent about 12 hours on buses today.

Surfing in Bocas Del Toro Panama

Today at Caranero, I saw a HUGE shark today surfing.

I mean HUGE.

At least 8 feet long.

It was a tiger shark cruising in the lineup where we were surfing.

It was scary / beautifull but according to the locals, not uncommon.

The surf is still good, though. Proabaly overhead sets and clean, with not a lot of people out. The holiday madness has wound down and the Panamanians have driven their SUVs back to the capital.