Observations from a hammock

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I´ve been here in this little surftown now for a week but I just can´t seem to rip myself away. I just don´t seem to get bored. Is it the waves? The white sand? The blazing sun? The mesmerizing sunsets? All the people at the hostel? I like the tranquil chill of this place. You can´t help but feel like the world is only here and now. Far away from time, worries and cold. here the waves never stop thundering in - they carry surfers, throw me around like a ragdoll in a frenzy of white foam. They go in and out with the tide, flush over crabs and stones and seashells, sparkle in the sun, not holding a breath for even the most spectacular sunset and shine beautifully but somewhat malevolently in the the glazing silver moonlight.

Like they never tire, I never tire watching them.

One fenomenon that without doubt can be tiresome, which is verly likely to evolve where there are tireless waves, are tireless surfer dudes. Guys who never tire of talking - of what I´m not quite sure, I never listen. I´ve just gotten accustomed to the murmur in the background while I´m sitting in my hammock. (I´ve become quite an expert in the art of hammock-sitting - more on that later) Nor do they tire of smoking weed before they charmingly twinkle their eye at me or any other creature in a bikini, before grabbing the spotless, expensive surfboard. Curiously, no on has ever seen them catch a wave.

What I much prefer are the gunuine surfers who are timid and friendly and who don´t spend the greater part of their time informing everyone who is (not) interested, without inquiry mind you, in what cool parts of the world they have (not) gone surfing. Instead they actually go surfing.

Me, I haven´t yet gone surfing. Apart from a couple of hours fighting the rest of the crowd in the little break in Tamarindo. Here I blame teh big waves, the rip tides, the currents, that my rashguard was stolen (along with some money, my visa card and an insulin pen - ouch!), but the truth is I´m just lazy. Or maybe not lazy so much as content with watching those genuine surfers from the safety of the breezy beach. Or spend another hour reading, listening to music or sleeping in one of the many hammocks the owners of the hostel so ingeniously have put everywhere. The hammocks are probably one of the better reasons I just keep lingering.

Yes, I´ve become quite good at entering the hammock in the right way, I know the best position for reading, the best position for listening to music and watching people and the best position for sleeping. I know where to best put my Imperial/Coca Light/Water so that I can reach it without risk spilling it out. I know how to speak to someone in the hammock behind without straining my neck too much. I know how to get out (more or less) gracefully without hurting myself. I reckon I have a few more days before completely mastering the arts - and then I guess it could be time to start thinking of leaving...

I will actually leave on Wednesday morning, spend a few days in San Jose enjoying some cool air. After that I´m off to see Wes in Panama and then, I guess, it´s time to go home. Time just flies doesn´t it?

Till next time!

Pura vida

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