Hang Ten

Since it took me 14 hours door-to-door to get to Nosara yesterday, I opted for beer over my first surfing lesson. Yesterday I also met Irena, the only other surf school student in camp right now. This is Irena's third time to Safari Surf School, and this time her stay will be for two weeks. This time she has vowed to make it to the "outside" or quit surfing altogher. I'm not yet sure what she means, but I don't ask.

Yesterday, Tyler also introduced me to Lise, another surf school instructor working with him, as well as Marvin and Mario, two Nicaraguan brothers who manage much of Casa Tucan.

We headed out to dinner at Blew Dogs, a place with better food than the name suggests. I had fajitas, and Tyler made sure we had plenty of maragarits. And I had some wine as a nightcap when we got back to the Tucan. Afterall, the sounds of Nevil Jose Garcia were in the air. He encourgaed us all to "Enjoy your appitizers," even after everyone had eaten their dinner...



Then he "rocked" the place as only he could...



Today, I woke with a dull hangover, but Tyler brought some croussants down for a quick snack before our first lesson. A short time later I'm carrying a surfboard under my arm as I walk down to the beach with Tyler, Lise and Irena. Can I really do this?

The first lessons starts with Typer telling me to just float on the board while he pulls me around giving me instructions. I find it ironic that one of his first instructions is for me to lay on the board head upright, with my forearms on the board and with my bicepts perpendicular, "like I'm driving my truck." Wait, I thought I was just excused from that business!

Before long, Tyler is pushing me into a wave and finally gives me instructions on how to stand up on the board, and I do. Can surfing really be this easy?