La Koona es Muerte

South America » Peru » Piura » Máncora
November 14th 2009

Published: November 15th 2009

Another early morning...time to see if I can get in some kitesurfing today. Rein promised to find stellar wind, so let´s see what happens.

While waiting for him to show up, I grabbed breakfast at the bird house...eggs, bacon, homefries, and tea. After breakfast I met up with him and he said the wind here was slow today but we could go to Los Orgenos or Cabo Blanquil to kite. The waves were pretty big this morning (yesterday he said waves like to eat kites up...which is why I wasn´t able to ride...if you break it, you buy it) but they quieted down and looked pretty small. We decided to head out around 1. Before we left I grabbed a turkey, bacon, guac sandwich from the birdhouse and got half of it to go. We packed up our stuff (Alex-one of the instructors to supervise, Ruth-another beginner who has all her own gear, and myself) and headed south for 15 minutes.

As soon as we hopped in the car, I threw my contacts in. My left one wasn´t feeling to great so I pulled it out...much to my chagrin I was looking at half a contact on my finger...no bueno. I thought I felt the other half still stuck in the top part of my eye so I asked Ruth to look at it for me to see if she could see something. I pried my eyelid up and looked down and she said she could see it and what I wanted her to do...pull it out of course! She´s never touched a contact before so I showed her how to pull it out with her thumb and index finger. She managed to do it. We headed back to the Sambras so I could get another contact before heading out. After I grabbed my spares, we were back on the road heading to Los Organos.

We got there and the water and weather were BEAUTIFUL!...small waves, great wind...who could ask for better kite surfing weather. I unpacked my lines and bar and set everything up while Alex pumped my kite up. We attached the lines and lauched my kite. I threw all my equipment on and grabbed the kite from Alex and waded into the surf.

I made it out past the break doing a body drag through the water, about 100 yards off shore and placed my board on my feet and started pumping the kite to get to riding...I managed to get up a few times and ride for about 10-15 seconds...great fun. The beach curved and I found myself getting closer to the breaking waves...def not someplace I want to have my kite. I went to get on my board and start riding when the nose of my board went under and a rogue wave crashed over me...I saw my kite diving towards the breaking waves and I knew the inevitable was about to happen...it was going to be devoured by the ocean.

Sure enough, the waves hit the kite and I was pulled closer and closer with each crash. When the waves settled, I saw the kite was ripped. Alex came running down to retrieve the kite from the waves as well as me. When he pulled it out I saw the complete center cell missing, I knew it was a total loss and I would be helping to pay for a replacement when I got back to town...F*CK! I was just hoping it wouldn´t be more than 600-700 bucks out of my pocket due to this...bc kites can run 1500-2000 bucks.

I got out of the water pretty pissed because I had only been in for about 10 minutes. I saw Ruth having trouble getting out past the break because it seemed the waves doubled in size within the last 5 minutes! Alex kept telling me "No Problemo" which I know was BS because I would be shelling out cash for a busted kite!

Ruth came out of trying to battle the water and was amazed at my kite...apparently she´s never seen a blowout like this before. She wasn´t having fun either so we just called the cab to come back and pick us up. We made it back to the shop and I told Rein what happened and he started talking to Alex with Alex saying "Muy Mal...Very bad." We pulled the kite out of the bag and Rein´s jaw dropped...even he hadn´t seen anything this bad EVER. He couldn´t believe the whole center part of the kite was missing.

He told me it was a rental kite and wasn´t as expensive as some of the others so it wouldn´t be too bad. He said it was a total loss because it couldn´t be patched or seemed. If the center cell was still attached at some point, it could be possible to save...but since it was missing, there was no hope. He called his boss in the Cayman Islands to see what he would take for the total loss. When he started the conversation, the pretty much said, "La Kahoona (the kite name/brand) es Muerte...the Kahoona is Dead"...his boss wants $529 to replace it!! WTF!?!? A new kite only runs 700 bucks at the beginning of the season...I´d be willing to give 200-300 but to pay $529 for a heavily used kite at the end of the season (when they´re prob going to get new kites anways) seems redicules.

I asked Rein if I could get free rentals for the rest of my time here since I´m paying the cash for the busted kite, he said I could use his stuff but the same rules apply...you break it you buy it. I asked him what would happen if I just refused and paid 200-300, he said it would be his ass served on a platter. This guy has hooked me up since I´ve been here and has been super cool, so I def don´t want to get this guy in trouble. I think I´ll just pay the $529 and head back to my original plan down here...surfing...at least I finally learned to kite!

I headed back to the hostel to think things over...I´m going to be here for a week so there´s no rush to pay the cost tonight. I checked in on Braeden and Raya...he´s still sick and now taking antibiotics...if things don´t improve my tomorrow, he´ll be headed to the emergency room. I went to my room for an hour nap. I got up around 630pm and headed to the internet cafe to upload photos to facebook. I spent 2 hours there and then Raya met me for dinner and drinks. We headed to the beef house for her mashed potatoes...I ended up getting steak skewers with vegetables and shrimp and a sex on the beach...very tasty. While eating we talked to Ruth (the kitesurfer from today who works at the beef house and is also a RN from Ireland who is taking a break from Doctor´s without borders) about Braeden´s illness. She asked if there was vomiting and diarhea...yup...and said she had the same thing along with a lot of other people earlier this week and it is just a virus working its way around Máncora...yay...she also said it only lasts 24-48 hours...AND she said Raya would prob be getting it soon.

Towards the end of dinner Raya started not feeling too well...don´t know whether it was actually her getting sick, or just her head playing games. I started feeling a little something in my stomach too and decided I should prepare for a few days stuck in my hostel. I popped into the pharmacy and got an anti-nausea injection much like I did in Mexico...just in case. Also I am going to stock up on food and beverages for a sick stomach. I´m calling it a night now...I´m tired and it´s been a stressful day...let´s see what the next 12-24 hours brings.

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