ENGLAND: learning to surf in Newquay

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To see some photos, visit my REAL blog:
elmundofarzina.blogspot.com

I just got back from Newquay this morning, and im so so so missing it.. It was SUCH a fantastic trip. I can surf!!!!! On the second lesson I was ready to give up cuz the conditions that day were terible, the waves kept banging into me and for 20mins, I couldnt ride a single wave, and dont even talk abt standing up on the board, but finally on the 5th lesson I managed to stand up and wobble around a bit for, like 4 seconds, then fall back down but I was so proud of myself!!!!! Im totally hooked!!!!

The hostel we stayed in was COOL. Very backpacker. Exactly what I envisioned. Met pple from so many places...whole of england, south africa, france, australia, canada,etc, very friendly folk….. all the doors were painted accoridng to different cities, I was in Sydney...

Our hostel also had a sauna which was a GODSEND. Because the water would be very very cold (had to wear wetsuits), we would be so grateful to come back to the hostel and be able to collapse inside a wonderful hot sauna.

FIstral beach was immediately behind our hostel, so it was very conveniant. Interesting fact for movie buffs: Headland Hotel, the hotel used in the filming of the Witches is directly overlooking Fistral Beach!! How kewl is dat! We went in and had a look, nothing special. hmm.

Fistral Beach itself was just lovely. I've been to Bournemouth and Brighton, and believe me, those places are commercialised, dirty little beaches filled with junk and annoying sunbathers. Fistral was quieter (couldve been time of the year) but the beach itself wasnt as accessible or predominated by dumb food stands or carousel rides....there was nothing on the beach but sand and sea....

the day me and teri got there we sorta hitchhiked to the hostel and when I told mum she had such a heart attack lol but it was ok, just two sweet ladies who offered to drive us cuz our bags were so heavy. (people are just so KIND! ....never wouldve happened in london, neither would i have gotten into anyones car in london!).

we had such a good time, living on frozen meals, and had fish and chips 3 times and the guys thought I had the munchies cuz I kept eating so much lol.

After surfing we'd all sit on the couch in the living room for ages and just laze around and rest and talk with whoever happened to chilling out as well (cuz we'd be shattered frm the surfing), then we'd go out the beach and the ocean is just sooooooo gorgeous, we would just sit on the edge of the cliffs and watch the ocean, I miss it sooo much I was so not lookin forward to comin back to crummy london, I hate cities even more now, although I dunno how id feel abt newquaY IF I actually lived there always, I suppose u appreciate it less… but im so knackered now we were on the bus alll night… my fingers are feeling so sore now after comin back, and I have such a weird tan, my face and hands are super dark, and the rest is fair (cuz of the wetsuit).

Wicked experience.

Details: Lessons were taken at the National Surfing Centre, which is accredited by the British Surfing Association. We paid 120 quid for 7 lessons (i.e. 7 full days) but we only ended up going for 5 of the days. It gets tiring, especially after the 3rd lesson, the weather was super rough and it kinda dis-heartened us...I started convincing myself I wasn't the sporty sort.....but I went back after a day's break and felt muuuch better! So don't give up!

Where we stayed: Newquay Backpackers International - about 11 quid a night for bunk in a tiny 4 bed room.

To see some photos, visit my REAL blog:
elmundofarzina.blogspot.com

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