In Berkeley...

Got down to Berkeley last night after 12 hours in an '86 VW bus (oh my god...) and staying with David. He's got a real nice apartment near Cal, and within walking distance to some good bars. Needless to say, we drank too many beers while catching up last night.

Off to the higher elevations on Monday at some point.

Happy holidays....

Goodbye OSU!

Well, it's been a fun-filled 2 years here in Corvallis, OR.
It finally hit me that I was leaving OSU when I turned in my building keys today.

I gained a lot of work experience here, especially in risk communication, toxicology, information acquisition, communication, and education.

I also learned how to make biodiesel, convert vehicles to run on vegetable oil, how to surf, how to climb mountains without dying, how to recover from injury, and how to dance Cuban salsa.

From now on, I'll be engaged in my first mini-retirement, save for working as the lead writer for http://gas2.org.

Here's to new beginnings like solar power facts.

Surfing Guide to Costa Rica

So, you want to hit up Costa Rica for some good surf?
Here´s what I learned in 3 weeks in November-December of 2007:

1. You have to buy a board.
While renting seems like an option to those not packing a board, you will pay more in the long run.
Best option is to buy a board ($100-$300) as soon as you get to Costa Rica and then sell it before you leave.
Taking your board home is an option too, but if you have more than one flight (like I did), you will pay $80-100 each time you have to check the board. Bastards.

2. Buy a board bag.
You have to have one for the buses and you really have to mandate how they pack things. Also, don´t be surprised when you get charged an extra 1000 colones ($2) for the board. They say it´s because the boards are fragile and take up to much space, so they can´t pack more bags in those compartments. Bullshit, but they´re in charge.
But really, traveling with a board is not that bad. And the perks are enormous: surf whenever you want, anytime, as soon as you get there.

3. Buy SunCure.
I didn´t know what this was until this trip, but SunCure is an epoxy resin that dries in the sun in 5 minutes. This is essential for patching those dings that would otherwise end your day´s surf sessions. It´s really easy to do this work. Buy the big tube with the sandpaper and popcicle sticks ($15), it´s worth it and you´ll use it.

4. Buy a rash guard.
Trust me. I surfed the first day without one, and had an open sore on my chest for the next 13 days. It wouldn´t heal, even under my rash guard.

5. Buy the ¨Surfer´s Guide to Costa Rica¨ on Amazon or wherever. It´s worth it for surf break information, but not for lodging. Use the Lonely Planet guide for lodging.

6. Take band-aids, antibiotic ointment, oil or Vaseline, and liquid bandaid.
I´m sure you can figure out what all of these are for. You will end up with lots of cuts, scratches, and rashes from surfing so much.

7. Avoid Jaco and Tamarindo if at all possible.
These places are to Costa Rica what Tijuana is to Mexico. That being said, I found a good surfboard in Jaco for $85 from a guy staying in my hostel. Shops charge a lot more. Anyway, you´ve been warned.

8. Bring a bedsheet and save money by ´camping´.
A lot of the hostels have tents already set up with pads for around $4 per night. ´Camping´ will save you money over the long run, but it just depends on how long your staying whether it pays off or not. Nice rooms are only $10, and most hostels have dorms for $7. These rooms have fans, which is a big bonus for temp, insects, and drying out your stuff. Follow the Lonely Planet´s guide for the ´editor´s´choice for accommodation. They are always kick ass hostels.

9. Do your homework.
Make sure to read the surf reports before you go. Check out www.crsurf.com for weekly national forecasts. Of course, you can also use Surfline and MagicSeaweed. You also might want to base when you leave on the time of year. You can always find waves, but the difference between ´fair´ surf and ´epic´surf is vast.

10. Best places to surf.
Here´s what I learned from experience and the grapevine:
Playa Hermosa is awesome. If your primary goal is to surf and you want big, juicy waves, go here. No question. Stay at Cabinas Rancho Grande.
Dominical is also great, especially at dusk. Lots more to do there. Stay at Antorches Camping (they have sweet rooms for $10 per night).
The Caribbean is inconsistent at best, but a nice change of pace. Even when the surf reports say it´s good or big, it might not be. But it´s still a good party and different vibe.
Oh yeah, and when you arrive in San Jose, stay at Tranquilo Backpackers. It´s nice, cheap, secure, and has free internet and pancake breakfast.

Other places I would have checked out with more time:
Pavones. I´d love to ride America´s longest left. Difficult to access but worth it with a good S Swell.
Avellanas. Near Tamarindo but I heard it has great waves.
Mal Pais and Santa Teresa. I´m bummed I didn´t make it here as I heard it´s great. Montezuma is next door too.

Non-surf destinations I would have liked to see:
Montezuma, Arenal the volcano at night, Monte Verde, and would like to have climbed Mt. Chirripo (2nd highest peak in Central America at over 13,000 or 3800 meters). I also heard Bocas del Torro in Panama is incredible.

11. Oh, yeah, and don't trust the locals. They are full of shit when it comes to surfing information. Two obvious explanations: 1) They don't want you to know where the good spots are or 2) they're just full of shit.

Well, that´s about it. With more time I still would have missed something. Be happy for what you get, safe travels, and Pura Vida.

San Jose, Costa Rica

Solo trips begin lonely, and so end... Usually sitting in some noisy, dirty city, waiting to get on the plane.

A big group of us left Puerto Viejo yesterday morning, and many goodbyes were made at the bus station. Certainly one of the worst parts about traveling. Achilles went on to the Pacific coast with his friends, where they will head south to Pavones (longest left hand break in America) and then Panama. We also spent several days hanging out with 2 germans who were off to Dominical.

But, to put some sweet in the bitter, I now have friends and a place to stay in Rome and in Berlin. I promised them I´d visit some time in the next 2 years, so a Euro trek needs to happen by then.


Some interesting background I forgot to mention. When I arrived in Costa Rica I was reading the Iliad, which seems coincidental after meeting a man named Achilles on the 3rd day. He´s a damn good guy and it´s too bad he lives on the side of the known world. His story is he grew up in Rome and was a professional soccer player in Italy´s notorious 2nd division. While the pay was great, he said wanted more out of life than just soccer, so he quit, moved to Australia, surfed every day for 1.5 years, and now he travels seasonally for surf. He manages food and beverage at a 4 star hotel during the summer.

Since my digital camara failed on this trip, I´m going to rely on my contacts to send me pictures. Eventually I´ll post some here.

Here´s to Costa Rica. I´ll be on a plane in 8 hours.

Best trip quotes:

"I think I've improved--I've gone from injured seal to shark bait."
-Guy who sold me the surfboard on his progress.

"Jaws is not a wave, jaws is a disaster."
-Achille, in the bar, watching a surf video about Jaws.

Mar Caribe > Cahuita, Puerto Viejo

One last post is I'll I may have time for. Internet is really expensive in Puerto Viejo.
The surf isn't great, but the Caribbean has a totally different feel to it. Sort of a little Jamiaca.

Sadly, I decided to sell my surfboard yesterday for $100. The decision was based on exorbinent airline fees to the tune of $200 to get the board home. So I let it go to a very eager ozzie, and so ends my Costa Rican surfing career. I had a pretty good run though, 14 days of surfing...

Today I'm hiking 8km though Caihuita's National park on the coast. I'll be in San Jose tomorrow and hopefully will have a little more time to write.


Update on 12-06:
The national park was incredible. In about 2 hours of hiking I saw 2 sloths, a yellow tree snake, lizards, and howler monkeys all over the place! All kinds of wildlife and well worth the walk.