Well its been awhile since i blogged. We have a new volunteer Katie who is gonna keep the blog section updated. This last week has been very quiet so sitting around in the rancho web browsing, facebooking and blogging has become a staple time filler.
Actually the rainy season is my favorite time of the year. No dust, downtime, more swell and uncrowded waves are just a few of the benefits. If you only experience the dry season you really miss out on the greenest time of the year. More animals show up near and around Shaka, and ocasionally the internet and power go out during the rain forcing you to unplug kickback in a hamock and read a book or just sit with your thoughts. Something many of us dont do, or forget how to do in this pace increaing society.
This past week i rebuilt the website for my brothers group SPITBREED. Both of my computers broke in the last 6 months, so Ive been relatively unplugged for a while. Its nice to have the luxury of internet but when i don’t have it i am 3 times more active outside, which makes me wonder if i like it at all. I really cant complain since my office is basically a hammock outside on my terrace looking out to the rain forest with the sounds of wild animals, ocean and waves in the background.
My brothers group SPLITBREED is really gaining momentum in Vegas and their music really suits their location. They just released their first album and you can listen to the entire album online here www.splitbreed.com. Although my web skills makes them look like Starts that have arrived they are still grinding and struggling, so if you have a moment visit their page and become a face book fan they need all the support they can get.
Until next time
Mo’e
Another day is coming to an end here at Shaka. I’ve got the Ipod set to ‘Shuffle” and streaming through the speakers and in the background I can hear the howler monkeys and the waves crashing.
Mo’e got down to camp nice ‘n’ early so we got in a good morning session in our front yard, Playa Hermosa. The wind was blowing onshore and made the inside pretty choppy and unlike Mo’e, I unfortunately, did not make it out the back. I got tossed around a lot and I mean A LOT but I loved every minute of it!! Like I said, I’m pretty new to the surfing scene so I’m just happy to get out in the beautiful green/blue Pacific Ocean here in Costa Rica and tomorrow is a new day and I WILL get out the back!!
(Here’s a little picture of me surfing from last summer on my first trip to Shaka)
There are a lot of cool things about being a volunteer here at Shaka. You get to meet tons of crazy cool people from all over the world, you get immersed in the culture of Costa Rica, you make some awesome friends, and you can work on your surfing skills (or just kick it with the big boys if your that good). Not to mention you get to work on your tan 
Well, I’m off!! Have a great day and check back soon for new updates!!
Pura Vida,
Katie
Those affiliated with Shaka will surely already know about the legendary Pizza Nights we have here. For those who have yet to attend: what are you waiting for?!
Last night was my initiation to this Shaka ritual; cue Mo’e twirling up a storm with the bases and me grating cheese like a maniac. A few friends arrived, beer in hand, and the pizzas started to roll out. This time we kept it simple with Margarita and Vegetariano but everyone agreed that they were “que rico” – so delicious in fact that we’re thinking of extending our operations to a delivery service! Keep your eyes peeled for more news on that one.
What I didn’t realise was that the pizza was only the beginning - once it was all eaten and the lightweights had gone home, the rum came out and the party really began! With YouTube videos on replay and a shot of tequila to get us well and truly in the mood, we didn’t stop until 4am.
Unfortunately my body-clock didn’t recognise the shift from surf-time to party-time, so I woke up as usual this morning at the delightful hour of 6am. Surprisingly, I didn’t actually feel too bad but headed back to bed for another couple of hours anyway.
And speaking of surfing, there’s supposedly a big swell on the way. Great for Mo’e and the boys but not so good for me! But on the plus-side, I am now getting out the back without getting munched quite so much. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how big things really get… Emma
I’ll confess: I’ve not surfed consistently for almost five years. So when I first got back in the water here at Shaka I was almost relieved that I could even remember which way round the board goes!
A few days on and things are slowly coming back to me. To make things easier, I’m currently riding a 7’6″ NSP, so in theory, I should be able to catch even the smallest ripple. But catching waves isn’t the problem – it’s riding them that is! On my first venture out back I caught a wave slightly larger than the maximum of 4-5ft I was used to in England. I made the mistake of looking down just as I was popping up and promptly bottled it! I bailed off the back of the board and was quickly spun into the washing machine of white water. With no clue as to which way was up, I kicked to where I thought I might find some air, and surfaced just in time for another wave to land on my head!
But I’m slowly getting my confidence back. Tonight Chris taught me his method of popping up which seems infinitely easier than what I had previously been doing. So early tomorrow I’ll be out there again, and hopefully this time I’ll see some green faces, rather than just sticking to the white water.
Be sure to check back for updates on just how much the Pacific is beating me up. My weekly donations to the Pacific currently stand at 6 hairbands, 2 bikini tops and 1 dress size! Hasta Luego – Emma
I haven’t blogged in about 3 weeks. Just didn’t have the motivation, but now i feel it again. It is the middle of the rainy season over here, which is also my favorite time of the year. Hardly any tourist, no crowds surfing, no dusty roads, nice perfect temperatures, and you sleep like a baby to the drum of rain drops falling on the metal roof. When it rains hard at night you can light a few candles in case of the frequent power outs and hang in a hammock sipping on a cold beer or glass of wine.
We are putting in the final touches to the surf camp so it will be ready for the up and coming high season. We have been getting quite a few inquiries from on-line for this coming season, looks like we could be quite full. We have recently installed hot water and and by Feb when it starts to get hotter we should have AC(although usually not necessary)in all the cabinas.
On another note we will be working closely with one of the main real estate companies in the area to provide a real estate educational adventure tour held at our surf camp. I will right another in dept blog later about later or check out the page http://www.shakacostarica.com/realestate-tour.htm
Until later, Pura Vida,
Mo’e
Well we had a very educational week. We learned a lot and now we will definately have to hit the drawing board, but that is exactly what we hoped for. Our guest of honor Vijay will be exiting tomorrow so we had a party tonight. In fact i am still buzzing from the rounds of Pilsen and Imperial from earlier. We will post some video and audio content as soon as we get a little editing help done.
But i will end with this. Since i have been hanging out with adaptive surfers and the like, It has realy helped progress my thinking as well as my apreciation for many other things. I will always hold these experiences deer to my heart
The waves were super clean but small so I decided it was a good opportunity for a one day break. Yesterday there was a 1 day swell (chest to slightly over head) so I put in another 4 hour session. Normally 3-4 hour isn’t too much but I caught so many waves yesterday that I probably paddled 6miles. This morning the waves were super clean but tiny, I figured a good opportunity for a rest day.
My right shoulder started Read the rest of this entry »
Today the waves were small but fun, extremely glassy with fewer than 10 people out. I’ve been trying to get as much surf in before the brut of the rainy season sets in. you can still surf a lot in the rainy season but the conditions are rougher and the rain is unpredictable.
From my house or the surf camp it’s about a 3 minute walk through lush jungle like vegetation with lots of cool animals. It’s not uncommon to see cows, horses, iguanas, squirrels, crabs, and monkeys. Today on my way to the beach a pack of white faced monkeys were all around me. They were yelling at me Read the rest of this entry »
Today the waves were small, clean and fun. There were about 9 people out. But spread out. It was one of those days that it was so nice Read the rest of this entry »
Went out today around 9:45 because it rained in the morning. Once again I was the only one out. Most of the tourists come in the dry season so surfing alone is kind of Read the rest of this entry »
