Surf and Karaoke

We woke again early for a dawn patrol session at this remote and unique world class surf break. It was going off and I had some of the best lefts that I have had since I was a kid surfing the river mouth 2 miles out at sea. It was drop in and race the sections the whole way down the point. Basically a left handed Rincon, except longer. It was cool because Denay had a great vantage point where she could see me enjoying these amazing waves, plus she got to see me after every wave because the wave were so long that I had to get out and walk back to the point after surfing a wave all the way in. I came in after a while to be with Denay and we went to get lunch.



After a Corbina Sandwich lunch and a nap went hiked the point that I earlier surfed only to see that the wave was even longer than I previously thought and as the swell got bigger in the afternoon, it got even longer! The hike was great and lead beautiful views of even more surf.



I am so happy that I got to experience all this with my wife who was so cool to be open minded about me surfing on our honeymoon. I made sure that this leg of the trip was not just about that, keeping the sessions to 1-2 hours at most and spending the rest of the day doing fun activities with her. Thank you Denay, that was the nicest thing you could have done for me on this trip. Your are an amazing wife, partner and friend. I love you!











We left the surf village for Santiago in the afternoon to arrive at our hotel by 8 so that we could meet up with J2’s cousins who live in Chile. They were a blast! They ended up taking us out to Karaoke! They did great, singing Shakira and other Latin hits, and even busting out an acoustic guitar and playing their own music. I have never done it and for good reason. I cannot sing with a lick. This unexpected concert that Denay and I performed was pretty funny as we sang a little hit by Madonna, “Like a Virgin”. It was pretty funny and I that God that there was no video. I would be paying ransoms till I die. We got in late around 1:30 and called it a night. Thanks Guidi and gang! That was a night we will remember.

Horseback & Drive to Remote Left Point

Today we dawn patrolled the town break I surfed the first day because the surf dropped a little. It was still great waves to our selves. After, we came back to the Gregg Henderson Lodge and ate breakfast and went hot tubing. It is so nice to have a hot tub after cold surf. After the hot tub, we had a nap, woke up and went on our next mission: Horseback Riding on the Beach.



Horseback Riding on the Beach, what a treat. I had not gone Horseback Riding since I was a child and actually had a fear of it because when I was a child my horse took off full gallop for about 1 mile. Being a 9 year old it freaked me out! So it was cool to conquer that fear for me as we had no worries and our guide did a great job choosing and controlling the horses. I actually had to change horses because my first horse was so tired.

It was a great time. We followed an estuary near the town, then into the woods and then on to the beach. It was great fun that we are not allowed to do in San Diego as they do not even allow dogs on most beaches!



After the horseback ride we ate a Mexican Food lunch in town and got started on our drive to a remote surf town with restricted access to only those who are lucky enough to know the right people. We had to drive through a private ranch that was gorgeous, filled with forest, eucalyptus groves, and great mountains and valleys. We got to the beach and saw even more great point breaks.





We stopped to get out and hike one of the points only to see more empty beautiful surf spot. At the top of the point the wind was howling offshore, so hard that the ocean was white capping, but the view was absolutely gorgeous: the ocean, more empty beach and point breaks and forest. The surf was not that big this day, but tomorrow the new swell was hitting. We were expecting a solid 8 foot swell instead of the 1-3 foot we had.



We drove up to the beach, back into the forest, over a hill and arrived to our destination. We drove down to the little village and watched the sunset on the beach. It was a great way to end the activity packed day with my beautiful wife and the setting sun on the great Pacific Ocean. We checked into our beach cabin overlooking the water, had fresh caught Corbina for dinner, did some star gazing of the dark sky and went to sleep. We saw the southern cross, which can only be seen in the southern hemisphere, so brightly.

Another Surf Break in Chile & Santa Cruz

We got in the water early at another great break in Central Chile. Gregg Henderson and I took Denay in the water first. The water was too cold for her and she decided to cut the session short after a wave. She was a trooper for trying though… it was really cold.



I ended up enjoying this second perfect left point break for about two hours, totally un-crowded. After the session Denay and I went straight for the hot tub at the lodge. It was wonderful after the Chilean water. For lunch we made Tuna Sandwiches.

In the afternoon, we went to a Chilean History museum which was stocked with tons of stuff from the Mayans and Incas to the Local Farmers and Winery Pioneers. There was so much to see at the museum that we could not finish seeing everything.

We shopped for a little bit in Santa Cruz and found some cool Lapizlazerrine cufflinks. Gregg Henderson gave us the tip that we should try to talk the merchants down from their posted price of $36. It works and we saved a few bucks, getting them for $30!









Next we went to an all natural Liquor Distillery called "Espiritus de Colchagua". They use only organic products and look at their liquors as medicinal rather than something that many people misuse. It was an amazing tour and very new age operation. It is definitely something not to be missed. Christianos, the owner, is a true man of the earth, very natural and totally mellow with amazing energy. We really enjoyed this as we are always trying to find foods that are natural and organic to eat rather than the junk that most of America eats.

That night we got dinner at another great little restaurant called El Secreto. We had the fresh fish that was in, Reineta , very delicious. My was cooked in Herb Sauce, I would recommend that. Denay had the Mushroom Sauce, which was good, however get it on the side… they kind of drowned the fish in the sauce. Regardless, the meal was great!

Back in BA for 8 Hours, Off to Chile

We arrived back in Buenos Aires to prepare for Chile. After a baggage switch at Miles and Natilies’ flat that included wine and 1.5 hours of chit chat, we arrived at our hotel 2 AM for 1.5 hours of sleep. 3:30 AM we were up or our taxi to the airport and people were still partying in the streets. We arrived in Santiago where our guide, Gregg Henderson of Seawold Lodge Chile (http://www.seawolf.cl), picked us up from the airport. We had a slight problem going from the airport to our next destination when Gregg’s van broke down. He called some of his connections and within 1 hour we were back on the road.











Our first stop was the Undurraga Winery (http://www.undurraga.cl) established in 1885, one of the oldest wineries in Chile. The wine that we enjoyed the most was their Chardonnay Reserve 2006. The winery had a winery museum displaying methods for making wine in the past and extensive wine cellars.





After the wine tour, we drove to Pichilemue, a small fishing village that would be our base of operations for Chile and rented surfboards right away. The waves were looking good and I got in the water right away. It was a 2-4 foot left point break in town and going off. While I was surfing Denay went and bought provisions for the next four days.

That night we had dinner at Luna del Mar a little restaurant where Denay had Salmon and Greg had Chicken. We shared some spicy and tasty salsa with bread which was also delicious. After dinner we went back to Gregg Henderson’s Lodge and went to sleep.

BIG ICE = Sore Legs

Today, we need every bit of wine and rest we could get from the night before. Today was the BIG ICE Tour which was an easy 8 hour hike to the middle of a glacier and back. I had no idea what I was in for.





We started by taking a tour bus to the overlook of the beast we were to conquer, the Perito Moreno Glacier. It was cracking and growling like a charged bear waiting for us venture its way. All you would hear was complete silence and then… cracking ice and a giant boom as a giant slab of ice fell to the waters below.

We then took a boat across the lake to meet our guides who were to take us on our journey at a small refuge where we would begin our trek. The boat docked at a naturally made dock of rock.



There we were sized for the Clamp-ons (spike shoes) that we would need for hiking on the glaciers.



The Clamp-ons were pretty heavy. I knew this because I had to add them to the backpack which I had to carry for 1 hour through the forest to the launch point on to the glacier. My pack that was already weighted with all of my equipment and Denay’s too, since she did not have a small pack to use. I ended up sweating through my clothes by the time we got to the glacier. The weather is much warmer in the forest than on the glacier.





On the way to the Glacier we walked by the first of hundreds of waterfalls that feed into the glacier from the surrounding mountains. Some waterfalls are fed by sometimes up to 5 to 10 other waterfalls above it.



By the time we made it to the starting point, 2 people dropped off from the team because it was too difficult of a hike. Starting at the edge of the glacier we put our Clamp-ons on our feet.



It was very interesting to walk in them. You have to be careful not to snag them on your leg or other foot – it could lead to a fall on the ice easily causing a broken bone or worse.



Our guides gave us a quick demonstration of how to walk up hill, down hill and on uneven ice. Basically, you need a wide stance the entire time and must really use your legs to ensure the spikes are in the ice so you do not slip.



Once we were on the glacier it was like being in another world to itself, like the planet Hoth from Empire Strikes Back, with streams, caves, deep pools, and waterfalls. We even went exploring in one of the caves!



















The cave that we explored was a glowing blue from light shining through the denser ice. The bluer the ice is the more dense the ice is. That was a really, really cool experience.













After exploring for a bit we found a good flat spot on the ice alongside a the most vibrant blue and extremely deep pools of water to sit and eat lunch. We just brought fruit and nuts. Variety in a lunch is hard to come by as it seemed Argentinos are obsessed with jamon (ham) and cheese sandwiches on white bread. Not Cleanse-friendly AT ALL. The lunch along with the whole day turned out great.





The guides told us that this weather was exceptionally good. The weather on the glaciers can vary tremendously, raining, windy, snowing then sunny a little while later. In this case it sprinkled a few times but barely. It was not as cold as it could have been and some parts of the hike had sun.











After lunch it was time to hike back. After 1 hour up, 3 hours on the glacier, we were all feeling it. Once we made it back we enjoyed a view of the glacier from the front porch of the refuge with shots and coffee. The boat came back and we crossed the lake back to the bus for a 45 minute ride back to the hotel.







That night we were done. I sweated through all layered of my clothing 4 different times. Everytime you stopped to explore something you would cool off. It was pretty disgusting, but the adventure was well worth the hard work. The shower that night was one of the best that I have had in a long time. We went to the hot tub upstairs in the hotel spa/gym for a little relaxation. The spa was set in front of a huge window with trees as the view and Denay saw an eagle peeping in at her. After the hot tub, we had some room service and headed for the bed. Over all the best day of the trip so far!