While in Tamarindo, Niko and I were desperate for any kind of surf that didn't involve overtly risking one's life at the hands of another person's rogue board, so we got creative. There are two very famous waves near this part of the country that are incredibly hard to get to by car, so you can pay for a boat charter to get to them: Witches Rock, made famous by the movie Endless Summer, and Ollie’s Point, made famous by an American colonel who discovered the wave in the 80s. Given the dark history of American involvement in foreign countries, it's safe to assume he was probably doing some sketchy stuff down here in Central America, and surfing on the side as a way to forget about the war crimes being committed by his country. If I've learned anything when traveling, it's that the American government and Americans by proxy, need to be held accountable for the bullshit we've done over the years. So, to be on the safe side, I will assume that this is probably another piece of American history in which I should be apologetic for while traveling, but the list is too long and I’m still apologizing sheepishly for Trump, so Ollie gets a pass until I can at least work my way through the Bushes. I digress. We checked out a couple of the main boat charter companies but weren't interested in paying an arm and a leg for the excursion, so we asked around and came upon our man via word of mouth: Stuart. Niko was in contact with him for several days, scoping the forecast, getting information, and planning the excursion, before we committed to going out on Tuesday. Admittedly, I was a little nervous. Taking a boat to surf a wave feels a little like going cat or heli skiing, not only in that you will likely score better but gnarlier waves, but also that the stakes are even higher, given the remoteness of the wave. There's kind of no room for messing up, being at least an hour or two by boat from any sort of help. So, yeah, I was a little nervous. We woke up at 4:30am, but being on Costa Rican time (Tico time, as Stuart put it), we didn't get onto the boat until 7 or so. Pura Vida, man. Despite what the forecast predicted, the wind was absolutely howling, creating a pretty rough ride out to Witches Rock. Stuart quickly showed us how nuts he was as we were all getting soaked by the waves. "It's rough and tumble out here, like meeeee!" he yelled out, water dripping down his face from the spray, his wife and co-captain, Catalina, shaking her head, likely hearing all of this before. It truly was a really rough ride out there, but both Niko and I love being on boats and were incredibly confident in Stuart's abilities so we weren't all too nervous about the conditions. After a longer than normal ride out, we finally got to Witches Rock where Stuart anchored up and pointed out where to get in and paddle to. I was still nervous as I jumped in the water and paddled out to the line-up, but was more focused than anything. After a relatively easy paddle to the peak, Niko and I found ourselves amongst only three other people, a father and his two sons. Shortly after paddling out, a perfect wave came to me. I paddled super hard, trying to counter the resistance of the heavy offshore wind, caught the wave and had a hell of a first ride, coming off the shoulder cleanly out the back. The dad of the two boys was whooping and hollering for me, and at that moment, I solidified myself in the lineup. Surfing is funny, it's basically one big show. When a wave goes by and someone tries to catch it, everyone else in the lineup turns around and watches the show unfold. If you're surfing and not catching much or blowing it when you do, other surfers take note. The next time you paddle for a wave, they might also paddle for the same wave even if you have priority, knowing you likely won't make it. So, it felt amazing catching a really good wave early on, in front of everyone, at a heavier than normal break. That first wave not only gave me confidence, but also allowed me to take waves without others paddling for them at the same time. It was amazing. Niko and I both surfed really well and enjoyed the challenge of surfing with HEAVY offshore winds. A little into the session, a boat pulled up with a bunch of lil rippers (10, 12-13 year olds maybe) which crowded the lineup a bit. By that time, however, the wave wasn't working nearly as well, and as it was getting closer and closer to low-tide, it was breaking in really shallow water. We decided to call it quits at Witches a little while later, preferring to save our strength for Ollie's, another short boat ride away. We paddled back to the boat, had a home-cooked meal by Catalina, of Arroz de Siempre, a common (as the name implies-rice of always) dish consisting of vegetables, rice and chicken, and set course for Ollie's. We were super excited to surf Ollie's as it's supposed to be a fun, mellow point break, perfect for long rides. But, when we pulled up, we realized it wasn't working. The waves weren't breaking at all, suggesting that there wasn't enough swell for it to break the way it normally does. It was a little bit of a bummer, but we already had an amazing morning so we couldn't be too upset. We slowly ambled our way back the way we came, briefly stopping to snorkel, before we called it a day. Despite not getting to surf Ollie's, the day was nothing short of perfect. Between Stuart's antics, the waves at Witches, getting to spend time on a boat, and our brief snorkeling excursion, it was easily one of the best, and most memorable days of the trip. By the time we got home, 10 hours later, we were both absolutely fried, looking a little worse for the wear, so we had an early dinner, threw on a movie, and passed out by 9:30. A day very well spent, and we certainly slept like it.

Today we are resting up, Niko is making music in the room and I am lounging, writing, reading and napping. Content is an understatement.