Enough really is enough

I recognize that the title of this blog reveals my biggest desire for this trip... I arrived to a remote little beach El Salvador 5 days ago with precisely that goal in mind. But it turns out that Surfing lesson #1 is patience. As in, you can´t rush the ocean. There was a big swell and the waves were too big, especially for beginners. So instead of surfing I sat with my toes in the water. Read a book in a hammock. Did yoga like it was gonna save my life. Thought. Struggled through some frustrating bored moments (one of which I think might have actually just been a chocolate craving). Watched a sunset from first blush to total grey. And could I really ask for anything more? The time alone allowed my thoughts to take on a rounder, more complete shape than my typical scattered fragments.
But still, by the third day I felt pretty isolated. Partly because everyone else at the hotel-surf lodge spoke french, not my language barrier of choice for this trip (mind you it was 4 hot surfer guys speaking french, which similarly resembles my image of heaven). I felt restless and so decided to move 2 beaches down where there is more of a tourist scene. I´ve been rewarded with lots of interesting interactions. I sat down for about 30 minutes with Vladimir, the El Salvadorian baker who sells his locally famous banana breads, brownies, and baguettes one street off the beach (his job rivals the lady selling pies on the beach in Yelapa, Mexico as my most covetted). We chatted in Spanish about all sorts of things. And the banana bread was awesome. Then at dinner I met two guys from Texas. And no one from Texas is a stranger.

And finally after 4 days of waiting, the ocean finally allowed me to surf. Well, 'surf' is maybe an overstatement...I stood up for about 3 seconds under the tutelage of Manuel, my 19 year old cutey patooty instructor. I guess that´s better than bad.

Playa Zonte

Playa Tunco