Email from 1st Bali Trip, April 2008

Hey hey...the gangs all in the thread...

Just wanted to give you guys and update...yesterday I made my first foray into Dreamland...that is the actual name of the break, I think it is Binang in Balinese...it is a sick death defying left that barrels and heaves for a very quick 50 yards...it only breaks at high and low tide so Kate and I had to hang at the beach baking under the umbrella for 2 hours waiting 4 the tide to turn on...

All the while, very nice and aggressive Balinese ladies kept offering us up shirts, sarongs and massage...(you big guy...want massage after you ski...(there word for surf...)

Kate was having a miserable time...which was a bummer since the beach was amazingly beautiful and would have been ridiculously wonderful had it not been so combed over by too many tour working Bali folks in the low season (read 2 many prospectors...not enough customers...)

Anyway, let's just call it the downside of heaven...

so at 3 o'clock after being there for 2+ hours the low tide starts to hit and the spot "turns on" it goes from a very gnar gnar pounding beach break (think the wedge) to a farther back make-able....very very hairy overhead and a half foot waves...and I am talking thiiiiiiiiiiick....

so yours truly who has been jonsing like a zeevush waiting for the wind to turn on at Wadell and I grab the 7'5'' dick brewer...say a shma under my breath... and paddle out...

me and 1 other guy at first...as it started turning on, the rest of the crowd joined us...I was waiting at the far left at first but saw that this meant a hairy short ride so opted on being slightly slotted behind the peak as I thought It would give me a bit of a longer ride...(more down to the left...if you're facing the beach...)

I watch and see some other guys making it and having to jump off or peel out before getting slammed on the sand bar...and finally the wave does what I want it to do and breaks a little more out...and hits farther down the break...

Me and another guy paddle for it but he is on a shorter board so I hit it jump up...the wave is crashing down below me and I find my footing...I take it right as it starts to close out left and hop off diving under the wave...

Ok...I'm still alive...Kate is crashed out not watching so I paddle back out and figure one more...

I hit the same spot in the line up and in about 5 minutes after some aggressive jockeying I hit another wave...this one peaks early and I pump up quickly...I aggressively hit it to the right and then started pumping it all the way in...this thing is barreling behind me big...I mean HEAVY....when I get done I do a couple more pumps then jump under the wave....and then walk in...

It was probably one of the most insane waves I have ever ridden...It was soooooo fast, and sooooo thick and sooooo gnarly....

I walked out shaking from the adrenaline and it took me a good 5 minutes to calm down...craaaaaaazy stuff man, I can't believe I surfed Dreamland...

I am off to Mecca...Uluwatu today which should be much less harry, we are hitting it during high tide so it should be safe as well...I am just looking for 1-3 good rides and I will consider our first trip to Bali a surfing success...

Anyway, thought you would like the update...we have been getting daily 1 hour massages...for a whopping 10 dollars (for both of us...), It is amazing...here...50 dollars a day and you live like a king...4 real...

Our hotel is Jimbaran is super chill and out of the way...we are only paying $45 bucks an night for a very very nice room...in the morning I walked and Kate ran on the beach as we passed fishing villages that take there boats out communally to fish in Jimbaran Bay and the ocean...it is beautiful here at Puri Bambu...(it is the the northern tip of the surfing coast...)

We are taking a driver for a 4 hour trip today to Ulu and then to see some temples and stuff, will send pictures when I can...only 3 more days and 2 nights left....

Love ya all, (Omsewesutu...May you have a life of peace and prosperity in Balinese...)

Avush