Arrianne and me having fun

spock

spock

Windsurfing, windsurfing, windsurfing and…? Windsurfing. Almost every day wind !! It’s bazar, never experienced before. In one month already more windy days than the four months when I was in Australia. The only thing (but actually one of the most cool element) that is missing from this paradise are REAL waves. Soooo FREESTYLEEEE. Here I do my first spocks, grubby’s and shove-it’s.

shove-it

shove-it

shove-it

Trying to make my forwards better with portack, but still hard to have the full control. They feel so damn ugly.

forward

When there is no wind... early morning at 6 o clock

At Malahda I try some backloops por tack too, and surprisingly it isn’t going that bad. But for sure I need some more practise.

Malahda, backloop, thanks Philip Soltysiak for the nice serie!

The Dutch colony it’s getting bigger: Arrianne, Marijn, Bouwien, Daan, Rose, Davy, Maarten arrive too. Every night I eat with a  nice fun group constisting out of Dutch, Canadian, Austria, Norwegian, French surfers (probably forget some, sorry).

Acai lunch: Hakon, me, Rose, Uda, Tom, Maarten

 On the water it’s sometimes getting way too crowed what isn’t fun anymore. Time to go somewhere else! I decide with six other surfers (Maarten, Oda, Hakon, Tom, Danny, Harold) to go to Camocim for four days. I wanna learn the flaka. The spot is at a river mouth and the village looks gaunt. Although the breakfast including the pousada (hostel) is horrible, it’s a perfect freestyle spot (with right foot in front).The wind is super strong! Overpowerd with my 3.7m ICE sail I try some flaka’s. I miss my 3.4m sail here, never thought I needed that small…

Camocim: trying to learn flaka

Camocim: trying to learn flaka

the local kid is already really good just by using others gear

After two afternoons of trying flaka’s, crashing hard, I’m done with it.Especially when a local tells us there is another secret wave spot! Very enthusiastic Tom and I arrange a buggy for more persons going there tomorrow and expect everybody to be exited as we…. But… I forget I’m at Brazil where most people go for freestyle. Nobody want to go with us, even our 10 other windsurf neighbours?! They only want to do freestyle?! I can’t understand and believe it! Well Tom and I go anyway. Just after a drive of 30 minutes over the beach we arrive at spot-X (Maceillo). First impression: Jeri-look-a- like with no windsurfers on the water, bigger beach with palm trees along the beach and WAY less touristic. The waves are not that big, but every wave I wanna take is mine ! On the inside it’s flat between the waves like in Jeri. Tom and I sail till sunset and are totally satisfied. Definitely a place to go back some day!

hey buggy driver

Back in Jeri, time is flying again. A month in this lovely paradise goes fast! It’s study time again back home in Holland. Some friends help me packing after a too strong caipirinha for me and I realise what a good time I had in Brazil. Thanks everybody for making it’s such a nice time!

drying my gear at Fortaleza airport

My bus ride of 7 hours (but very comfortable) en flight went perfect. Now I’m back home, checking the weather forecast for the weekend what looks good, but cold though. I’m printing my anatomy lesson for Monday when ‘real’ live starts again. Can’t wait .

Ciao!

sunset Jeri with Lotte and me

Scheveningen, 5.5 am, bliep bliep, my alarm goes off. My boyfriend Eric is so sweet to drive me to the airport in Amsterdam. Again on windsurftrip, it feels unreal, but getting normal at the same time. With thanks to Fly Brasil I fly business- class for free to Fortaleza. After a stop in Cabo Verde (Sal) en Natal (Brasil) I arrive. Edvan … arrives almost at the same time and is so nice to take me with a 4×4 pick up truck to Jeriqoaqoare, what is still a pretty long drive of 4- 5 hours. I am so tired that even with all the bumps on the sandy I somehow fall asleep and sometimes wake up by smacking my head against the window or my chest. At 1.30 in the morning (that’s 6.30 am in Holland) I find a bed in Jeri and crash.

beach Jerivulcan sunset session

I wake up at 7.00 am and Edvan shows me around in Jeri. I see a small village with only sandy roads, beautiful green/blue water, palm trees, fisher boats. To be honest, exactly what I expected. Can’t wait to windsurf! But first find Lotte. She is a friend for Holland and I stay with her in an apartment. She is already here for 2 weeks or so.

Then it’s time to storage my gear at Vela (windsurfresort) right at the beach. It’s looking windy and I go on the water. The water is so nice and warm, even a person like me who has it always cold wanna sail in just a bikini. What a paradise!

Jeri beach @ sunset again

Next days we have nasty rain what turn the street in rivers but solves pretty quickly after it stops. Not normal they say, but I hear that everywhere I come so I don’t bother (used to it). The more important thing is…. NO wind. Me and Lotte go surfing (-peddle) and still have a lot of fun. Luckily after two days the wind is back.

My opinion about the windsurfspot changes the whole time. Sometimes I love the windsurfconditions: flat spots between the tiny waves. Other times I find it horrible: a lot of chop , very gusty wind with way too many windsurfers. I helps that I’m learning to know the spot now and have more lovely moments.

carefully jumping with my freestyle boardwith 14 people in 1 truck to lagoon lagoa azul...

Regret that I didn’t took my waveboard though. Pretty close there is a kind of wave spot what reminds me a bit like Pozo but portack instead of starboardtack. I try to sail there with my freestyle board, but it’s not really handeble. Well, even more motivation for really learning some freestyle. A lot of times I have the feeling that the spock is close. Then suddenly after one week in Jeri I land it. So happy! Hope to land some more pretty soon if the wind is back.

vulcan sunset session

I will keep you updated (put some more action pictures on it). Now it’s time to have some lovely dinner with rice beans and chicken again!

jeri