Around The World In 80 Waves

Since arriving in El Salvador I have based myself at the Surfers Inn in El Sunzal for a few days, coming here on the recommendation of the Dutch surfers, Tommi and Martine, who I met in Mexico.

It is a basic but lovely place run by Antonio and Sassie who you can see in the picture here. They do everything they can to make their guests welcome.

It is so hot and humid here that you are inclined to hide in the shade for much of the day. Something I had to do a lot of after getting really scorched during my first surf session here.

However I have been hanging out and having a lot of laughs with a German couple called Reiner & Uta, who are also staying here.

Reiner has been teaching me how to get a better sound out of my ukulele and we have been singing Creedance Clearwater Revival songs into the night, whilst enjoying the local beer which is really cheap and served in huge bottles. It also seemd like the appropriate time to crack open the two bottles of Longboard Merlot, which I have been carrying with me since San Francisco. Wine is in short supply in this neck of the woods so we all savoured it and because of the quality were all blessed with clear heads in the morning.

I have a little room to myself which feels like a furnace during the day, and even with my fan on it is still roasting hot at night under my mosquito net.

I have been eating the El Salvado speciality of popuzas which are small parcels of dough filled with chicken, cheese, etc that are cooked on a griddle.

Everybody is really welcoming and the locals are really friendly, however Fallon the chief of sceurity you see here has everything under control in case anybody gets out of hand!

As an aside here I have to say that watching a lady in a bikini hacking away at a coconut with a machete is a joyful sight to behold.

In fairness to her however, I should say that Fallon, who is visiting here from Canada, is lovely and not at all like a nightclub doorman.

I have felt really welcome here and in contrast to the guns which were on display everywhere in Guatemala it is good to feel that you can walk around freely, leave my car unlocked in the car park, etc.

However it was also reasuring to note that Teri, the dog who lives here, was keeping a close eye on my board for me whenever my back was turned.