Saturday 20 November 2010
Sunday 14 November 2010
Thursday 6 May 2010
Wednesday 5 May 2010
The view from Etienne's place near Popoyo
The blue 4x4 is ours. From the photo you can't tell:
1. The engine is caked in mud from the rivers we got stuck in.
2. It is very close to being out of diesel (and had been for miles).
3. One of the tyres is blown out completely.
4. There are no tools inside to fix the tyre.
5. It smells like death inside.
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Chancletas - way up in North Nica near Chinandega
More poor photos from my phone:
1. A new hammock view... this time of Boom Huevos (spelt Wavos in Lonely Planet!) and the left off the island.
2. The island with that perfect left barrelling off of it (we got there by asking a fisherman to take us in his boat).
3. Keeping with the frog theme... a Costa Rican looking frog outside our room.
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Giant's Foot Surf Camp
Some poor photos from my phone:
1. Giant's Foot beach with Giant's Foot in background (we climbed it and it was awesome)(like everything else was quite frankly).
2. Alex in a hammock between one of the surf sessions (tiring!! 3 x 2 hours a day is tough).
3. Diego reading about secret symbols and looking over blueprints of the Vatican very carefully.
4. The surf camp with boards storage unit on right and ping pong table slightly out of shot on left.
5. Our friend the frog (toad) that bathed in the foot bath every night.
The moment we realised we were off to Nica
Alex laughing in the face of the volcano that couldn't stop the Bajan Invasion of Nicaragua.
Sunday 25 April 2010
Estamos en Nica!
we've done 2 and a half days in nica which means we've been taken out on the boat (panga called vale la pena) 7 times for 7 x 2 to 3 hour surf sessions. amazing. we have this afternoon off because the offshore wind has just become onshore.
this is a test really. the internet is not doing to well at the moment.
so i'll write about the best and biggest barrel ride of my life another time!
alan
Wednesday 21 April 2010
Well guys... this is it. Nothing more we can do but hope Continental Airlines comes through for us tomorrow.
Tuesday 20 April 2010
Volcano update...
Winds from the south to the north today... so maybe that jack-ash is being pushed away. Note the smoke is now going left instead of right. This morning it was thick and black and moving right (South).
Are our hopes dead?
Airports re-opened and then closed. A new ash cloud is on its way to the UK...
The only good news: the volcano has been quieter today and is making less ash...
Fingers still crossed for a Thursday departure.
Come on NATS! (next update from them is at 3pm apparently)
Read more...
Monday 19 April 2010
My friend NATS
A gnat waves at us from a volcano because he is so excited about the news from NATS.
'Statement on Icelandic volcanic eruption: Monday April 19, 1530
The volcanic eruption has reduced and the volcano is not currently emitting ash to altitudes that will affect the UK. Assuming there are no further significant ash emissions we are now looking at a continuously improving situation.
Based on the latest information from the Met Office, NATS advises that the restrictions currently in place across UK controlled airspace will remain in place until 0700 (local time) tomorrow, Tuesday.'
OH MY GOD!!!! KNOCK ON WOOD AND CROSS EVERYTHING MOFOS!!!
Read more...
The volcanic eruption has reduced and the volcano is not currently emitting ash to altitudes that will affect the UK. Assuming there are no further significant ash emissions we are now looking at a continuously improving situation.
Based on the latest information from the Met Office, NATS advises that the restrictions currently in place across UK controlled airspace will remain in place until 0700 (local time) tomorrow, Tuesday.'
OH MY GOD!!!! KNOCK ON WOOD AND CROSS EVERYTHING MOFOS!!!
Statement on Icelandic volcanic eruption: Monday April 19, 1245
'The Met Office advises that the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano is now less active than previously. NATS advises that the current restrictions across UK controlled airspace due to the volcanic ash cloud will remain in place until at least 0100 (local) on Tuesday 20 April.'
Guys... what kind of a name is Eyjafjallajoekull?
It could as well be called Lhjfdkhfkjwhfkjwhfgfjhddszkj!!
Ash is getting low and volcano may be calming...
(Reuters) - The erupting volcano in Iceland sent new tremors on Monday, but the ash plume which has caused air traffic chaos across Europe has dropped to a height of about 2 km (1.2 miles), the Meteorological Office said.
WORLD
Ash production had fallen and Iceland's coast guard and scientists prepared to fly over the volcano in search of signs its crater was now producing lava, which could indicate the nature of the eruption was changing.
"The situation is definitely better than it was particularly on Saturday, which was a difficult day for us due to heavy ash fall just south of the volcano," said Urdur Gudmundsdottir, a spokeswoman at the foreign ministry.
The appearance of lava could suggest the eruption was moving into a less explosive phase, possibly a good sign for thousands of travelers who have been stranded at airport across Europe for the past five days because countries have closed their airspace over safety fears.
"Lava would be good because then we would not get all this ash, and we know what the ash is doing to the flights," Hjorleifur Sveinbjornsson, a geologist at the Meteorological Office, told Reuters.
Visibility near the Eyjafjallajokull glacier was almost nil as falling ash saturated the air and covered agricultural fields with a thin layer of dust which could be dangerous to animals if eaten, local media quoted the police as saying.
There was a risk, however, that molten rock could create new pathways for water to run into the crater, causing more explosions and a higher level of ash production.
The ash plume, which has cost airlines millions of dollars per day in lost revenue, had descended to a lower altitude as strong winds continued to push the cloud southward, he said.
"The ash plume is very low. It's not much higher than 2 kilometers," Sveinbjornsson said.
The column of ash rising from the volcano was as high as 11 km when it started erupting earlier last week.
Air traffic over Europe remained severely disrupted on Monday.
BREAKING NEWS11:42am UK, Monday April 19, 2010 BA Test Flight: 'No Sign Of Ash Damage'
Sky Sources are reporting that the British Airways Test flight, sent up yesterday, has found no evidence of damage from volcanic ash.
The Boeing 747 jumbo jet, which was also carrying the BA chief executive Willie Walsh, landed without incident at British Airways' maintenance headquarters in Cardiff.
The aircraft flew for more than two hours, up to an altitude of 40,000 feet.
A team of engineers have carried out a detailed visual inspection and found no sign of damage to the aircraft or its engines.
A more detailed technical analysis is now being undertaken to confirm those initial findings.
The apparent lack of damage will reinforce the calls by many airlines to allow flights to resume again as soon as possible.
The crisis is estimated to be costing the European Aviation industry more than a 130 million pounds a day.
More follows...
Flight is still on... for now
Well, after 1 hour on hold (it said 1 hour on my phone) to Continental Airlines a very unpleasant woman appeared on the line and nearly hung up on me because I couldn't tell her my Continental Confirmation Number. I just had the Opodo one.
Anyways...
1. Our Thu flight is still on at the moment
2. People cancelled today DO NOT GET TO TAKE OUR FLIGHT - as in our place is booked and no one is kicking us out
3. IF the flight is cancelled we COULD fly out of Madrid or out of Rome BUT BUT BUT those flights are full until 26th of April at moment and EVERYONE is doing this.
So, in a nutshell we have to hope that the airline industry proves it is safe to fly (they ran loads of tests last night) and that things open Wed or Thu.
Alan
I thought we would have to worry about volcanos in Nicaragua!
Is this what all the fuss is about? Isn't that normal volcanic activity?
Volcano, kickin' up, soon erup', an de lava gettin' hot!
http://eldgos.mila.is/eyjafjallajokull-fra-thorolfsfelli/
Sunday 18 April 2010
UK airspace shut by Iceland volcano ash cloud could reopen tomorrow
''Air traffic controllers say it is possible commercial flights could resume earlier than expected.''
(from the Guardian website a second ago)
COME ON ENGLAND!
Saturday 17 April 2010
Live coverage of the O'neil Cold Water Classic sucks
They can't film the surfing properly, most of the time it's on the commentators and then quickly pans to a surfer halfway through a wave. Also, one of the commentators mics was off and he was on the phone. It is windy and freezing to boot. At least there is a hot water butt to sit in.
Friday 16 April 2010
Thursday 15 April 2010
Wednesday 14 April 2010
Saturday 10 April 2010
Final Kelly Vs Mick - 2010 Rip Curl Bells Beach
Imagine having a broken ankle and doing an air like that to win. SICK!
Thursday 8 April 2010
Giant's Foot Trip Advisor Review I spotted
This small beachfront hotel, while decidedly not luxurious, and definitely off the beaten path, is perfect for those who are looking to have an authentic, laid back vacation at the beach without all the usual annoyances of a big resort. Since it is in such a remote village, the electricity, cell phone reception, and the internet access are often spotty, and there is no hot water, though when we were there, there was talk of putting in a solar water heater in the future. Rooms are pretty basic, but they are cleaned daily and there is AC if you need it (we only used it one night). But you don't miss these things when the weather is warm and sunny year-round and there is always something to do. What it lacks in amenities is more than made up for by the amazing location and the entertaining owners, Bryce & Elisa, the surf guide, Chapin, and the rest of their accommodating staff.
Days can be lazy or action-packed depending on what you want to do. You can have an enjoyable vacation, whether that means surfing several different spots each day, taking a sunset hike up to the top of Giant's Foot, going sightseeing, snorkeling, kayaking, or simply relaxing in a hammock and taking a swim at the gorgeous, empty beach. We were there during the low season when the surf is not as big, but there were still some spots that were big enough to surf.
The food is simple, plentiful and good, ranging from local favorites like home-made tortillas filled with fresh-caught fish to more American style cuisine. In addition to their kitchen, there are a few small restaurants down the beach. They all have small menus but the food is fresh and plentiful, and we never got sick.
In the evenings, people go to bed fairly early most nights, but there were a few parties with some of the other ex-pats from neighboring hotels on a few nights while we were there. They had a beer pong tournament one night, a pig roast another night and a fire on the beach another night. The fridge is always stocked with the local beers (Victoria and Tona), and someone will always fix you one of their specialty drinks. Overall, we had a great, relaxing time and felt very at home.
Wednesday 7 April 2010
Rip Curl Round 4
Check out Kelly V Dusty. Pay close attention to Dusty Payne's first trick. SICK!
Tuesday 6 April 2010
Sunday 4 April 2010
Wednesday 31 March 2010
RIP CURL PRO BELLS BEACH ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Crappy conditions have put a hold on the comp today... maybe we can still catch the men's!Heat 1: Dane Reynolds (USA), Andy Irons (HAW), Nate Yeomans (USA)
Heat 2: Damien Hobgood (USA), Luke Stedman (AUS), Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 3: Bobby Martinez (USA), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Tanner Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 4: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Tiago Pires (PRT), Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 5: Kelly Slater (USA), Mick Campbell (AUS), Marco Polo (BRA)
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Kekoa Bacalso (HAW), Blake Thornton (AUS)
Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS), Daniel Ross (AUS), Neco Padaratz (BRA)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS), Kai Otton (AUS), Stuart Kennedy (AUS)
Heat 9: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Chris Davidson (AUS), Gabriel Medina (BRA)
Heat 10: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Adam Robertson (AUS)
Heat 11: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Jay Thompson (AUS)
Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA), Michel Bourez (PYF), Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 13: Tom Whitaker (AUS), Jadson Andre (BRA), Brett Simpson (AUS)
Heat 14: Kieren Perrow (AUS), Ben Dunn (AUS), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 15: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW), Owen Wright (AUS), Drew Courtney (AUS)
Heat 16: Dean Morrison (AUS), Luke Munro (AUS), Roy Powers (HAW)
Tuesday 30 March 2010
Results women's Bells beach
http://www.aspworldtour.com/2010/news_show.asp?rEvent=aspwct&rcode=13921
P.S. Alex thinks this is a hottie.
Read more...
Saturday 27 March 2010
LITERALLY THE BEST PHOTO EVER TAKEN
Jesus Chroist! Would you look at this f&cking picture!!? Look how frigging excited I am giving a thumbs up to that gnary f&cking eagle! You have NO idea how excited I was when the shot was taken!
And... just when you thought the photo had nothing left to give you notice Snake Eyes chilling out under the rotor blades.
Looking at this photo makes me want to go outside right now and do some ninja kicks!!!
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Chamonix
Yes! Not only am I grabbing like a legend but I am also catching about 12 feet of air!
That's Mont Blanc in the background of picture 2 and a living legend in the foreground.
Monday 22 March 2010
ESTA fee to be introduced for international travellers to the US
I did mine dread. Not sure if it'll speed things up or not. Under the Travel Promotion Act signed by US president Barack Obama (Hey Barack!) last week, a fee will be introduced for the ESTA application to subsidise a new national marketing body designed to promote US holidays abroad. International passengers travelling to the US under the visa waiver programme are required to submit an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) application prior to travel, which is currently free. The new charge will be at least $10 or could be as much as $17 per person. No implementation date has been set as yet, but CWT will advise all customers of this information as soon as it is available. ESTA applications are normally valid for a period of two years and cover multiple trips to the US during that time period. Once the validity period has expired, travellers will be required to pay the fee again. Customers can apply for an ESTA directly online at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/ Countries in the Visa Waiver Programme include: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.
Monday 15 March 2010
Saturday 13 March 2010
3rd Board Meeting Scheduled for Monday 15th March
From left to right:
Diego (cross), Alan (in bow tie ready for bed) and Alex (receding hairline and long legs pointing at firework bin)
Note: Diego's 43 inch TV is just out of shot.
Thursday 11 March 2010
This month's Surfer has a feature on Nicaragua!
Just a coupla pages and nothing in there we don't already know from our extensive research. Ha. But just goes to show that our timing is damn good.
Guys, how are you planning on spending your $50K?
We missed the first event but can still set up our fantasy surf team... Let's discuss at next board meeting no?
Wednesday 10 March 2010
Chamonix
Went to Chamonix to 'train' for surf trip. Didn't break anything which is a result!
Best thing ever: Paret-ing...
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Thursday 4 March 2010
Alex, I coloured your garbage drawing in to make it awesome
I also added Diego into the picture getting his board down to the beach.
Monday 1 March 2010
Saturday 27 February 2010
E-mail from Giant's Foot - my comments in CAPS
Hey Alan!
How's it going?! IF!!!! Hope you're keeping warm!! There is no jeep rental right near us but you can rent vehicles in San Juan del Sur which is closer to us than Granada...about an hour away. DIEGO YOU WANNA CHECK INTO THIS?
What are you planning to do afterward, sightsee or surf? And how much time will you have? If you want to surf still, the best surf is around us and Las Salinas is actually part of our immediate area. You could take a bus there in about 15 minutes WHAT!!!? 15 MINS!!!! and our boats can actually access surf there GOD THIS IS SO GNARLY. So, if you want to spend the rest of your days in the Las Salinas area, I wouldn't even bother spending the money on a car, you could totally do it all by bus, taxi, and of course there's always the Nica national pastime of hitchhiking! WE ARE SOOOO GOING TO GET KIDNAPPED. JOKING ASIDE WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT HITCH HIKING TOO. If you wanted to try out completely different waves, there are areas in the north of Nicaragua that you could drive to. I STILL LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING OUR OWN 4X4 NO? AND SURFING JUST US 3 LIKE WE ARE USED TO . Of course if you wanted to sightsee, you could hit up Granada, Ometepe, Leon, etc., depending on what your interests are. I'd avoid Managua, it's pretty much a hole. ALEX YOU ARE AN A HOLE.
For sleeping, it will most likely be 2 of you sharing a room (don't worry, there are 2 beds!) and 1 of you in a second room. THAT'S ME IN THE 2ND ROOM THEN, SLEEPING FROM ABOUT 630pm.
Hope this helped!! Looking forward to meeting you guys! IF!!!!!!!!
Elisa
Thursday 25 February 2010
Board Meeting 3
Board Meeting number 3 was held at Diego's pad.
Photos 1 to 3:
Diego showing off his new boards (and old one) while also showing off the menu for the greatest take away curry place on earth.
We went to the 24/7 and picked up beers, plenty of ice and 3 lottery tickets we assume will end up paying for our Nicaraguan adventure.
Alex launches another firework to celebrate the arrival of the take away curry (or just another gnarly air from Modern Collective). He was as excited as Pat O' Connell nose riding a dolphin for the first time (see Drive Thru Caribbean).
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Wednesday 24 February 2010
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Monday 22 February 2010
Sunday 21 February 2010
Diego full of gracia
Diego!
I know that you are already going to be 'boards mule' for Alex and I (bringing our Al Merrick surfboards back from Bdos) but can you also take a few tings back for nuestra madre?
Saturday 20 February 2010
Yes! I've started setting up THE DOMINATOR!
The tail pad took me ages.
The board came with about 20 'don't put wax in the vent' stickers which refused to come off at first.
I got 4 skegs with the board... all glow in the dark white/light green.
The board looks awesome but is fatter than I thought it would be...
Yes!!!!
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