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Published: January 1st 2007
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Huanchaco
The view from our room. Not bad for a surf check? When i arrived in Huanchaco, the first thing i managed to do was snap the key to my room in the lock. I hadn´t even had chance to take my rucksack off. Not the best of starts. While i was waiting for the lock to be fixed, i did what i always do when i arrive at a new place. I went surfing!
Huanchaco is a strange wave. It is predominantly another left hand point break, but is extremely shifty. The peak constantly moves making it quite frustrating. There are also noticeable currents of warm and cold water, but to surf for any length of time, wetsuits are still necessary. To add further to the surrealism of the place, you share the lineup with reed riders. Local fishermen that ride vessels made out of reeds and look like a hybrid of a canoe and a surfboard. When the fishermen return to shore, they use their boats to ride the swell back to the beach. Apparently they have been doing this long before the Polynesians started riding waves, and claim to be the worlds first surfers. They are great fun to watch in the water in between sets, and are much
Reed Riders
The world´s first surfers more fun to share the lineup with than longboarders.
The afternoon before christmas eve, myself and Pete decided to have an excursion to a nearby Incan ruin. We knew there was an old ´Mud City´close by, but we didn´t know the name or where it was. I suggested we ask the owner of the hostal for directions, but Pete didn´t know the spanish word for mud. When we looked it up in our spanish phrase book, the nearest we could get was ´Muddy´. Pete refused to ask the hostal owner where the ´Muddy City´was, because he said he wouldn't´t understand. I am used to alot of confusion when i try to talk to the locals, so i volunteered to give it a go. I was happy to make a fool out of myself for the good of the team. To make it even better, we decided to record the whole scenario on Pete´s camera, with a christmas message to send to the boys back home. I did manage to find out that the ´Muddy City´was called Chan Chan and was 5 minutes away by bus. However, for those of you that haven´t seen the video, it did take alot
Chan Chan
The ´Muddy City´ of confusion, laughter and pointing before i got there.
Christmas eve got off to a great start. At 4pm we called the boys back home. They were well on their way down the Greyhound run and it was brilliant to talk to everyone. Hearing all the celebrations from back home made me feel like i was missing out, but i did start to get excited about my first christmas on the beach. After the call we headed straight out for a surf, and then we would start our own christmas celebrations. The perfect start to the festivities.
We were due to meet Simon at 7pm at a restaurant that was serving christmas dinner. Myself and Pete were ready early, so filled time watching the sun set on the beach with a couple of beers. When we met up at the restaurant, we discovered that christmas dinner wasn´t being served until midnight. We had a few beers, but decided we couldn't´t wait that long for food. Instead we went to another restaurant and had our own christmas dinner. Greasy burgers and chips.
After dinner we couldn't´t find a single bar that was open. Apparently in Peru, everyone spends
Xmas Eve
The first beer of christmas Christmas eve with family. The celebrations don´t begin until christmas day when everyone hits the beach to party. We didn´t want ot wait around for midnight to get another meal, so unlike the boys back home, we were in bed by 11pm, waiting to hear the sound of Santa´s sled. Definitely the quietest Christmas eve i have had for a few years.
Christmas day started well. After i consoled Pete, who was devastated to find out that his idol, the godfather of sole, James Brown had died. I called my mum and brother back home. Unfortunately my nephew Joseph was too busy playing on his new digger to talk to his Uncle John, but it was great to hear him laughing and giggling in the background. I also called my girlfriend Emma, who had obviously been a very good girl this year. Santa had brought her a plane ticket to come and visit me in Peru in January. Winner!!!!!
After the phone calls we grabbed our surfboards and headed down the beach to a hostal/restaurant called Otra Cosa, where we planned to spend the day. When we got there the waves were looking good and i had my
Christmas Day
Huanchaco beach xmas day best surf in Huanchaco. My christmas prayers to Huey had been answered and i was stoked to have fulfilled a long standing ambition to be able to surf on christmas day. When we got out of the water, we grabbed some dinner and settled down for the day with a beer.
If our morning spent surfing wasn´t quite a traditional English christmas, our afternoon certainly was. Myself, Pete and Simon spent the afternoon drinking and playing a board game. The game was called ´Risk´which if you are not familiar with, involves building an empire, commanding your armies to attack your opponents and conquer the world. Jeff, Pete and myself had many heated games of Risk when we lived at 19 Colwick Avenue and this game proved to be the same. The only difference was that Simon actually volunteered to be the pink army, rather than have it forced upon him by his mates.
As the game unfolded and more alcohol was drunk, our trash talking and banter got louder and louder. After 4 hrs we eventually reached a climax. Just like all the games we ever played at 19 Colwick ave, Pete ended up the champion. All the
Christmas Day
First beer christmas day years spent locked in his room playing command and conquer on his pc, meant a couple of jocks like me and Simon didn´t stand a chance. Christmas day evening came to a perfect end with a fire on the beach. There was a large crowd of travelers and locals to talk to, and plenty of rum for the taking. After a couple of embarrassing attempts to play the guitar and didgeridoo, i retired to bed, stoked after the perfect day on the beach.
After christmas was out of the way, nothing much happened in Huanchaco. The surf went crap and we had explored all there was to see. I was still struggling with my foot, so we decided to head to the mountains for new year. Since leaving England, i have only spent 7 days away from the surf (All 7 days from necessity, not choice). Hopefully a weeks exile away from the beach would give my foot time to heal. The chosen destination was Huaraz. We booked a hostel and myself, Pete and Simon jumped on the night bus to take us 10hrs, deep into the Andes.
ps. I have now added some photos to previous
journals. You should be able to navigate back from this link and have a look.
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Jeff
non-member comment
My Left Foot
Johnboy that foot is minging mate have you got Aids? Saw the video of you asking for the Muddy City, funny as..! "I can't believe he didn't understand Mud?...", at least you got there in the end lad. Glad to hear Christmas day was a blinder, and thanks for the calls on Christmas eve. At some point we will record the Christmas Carol we wrote while on the Greyhound Run and send it over (Deck The Halls - Remix). Stay safe both of ya and get that foot sorted.