back from the dead

I still have this nasty hacking cough that I've had for two weeks now. It got worse when we went to Peru. The cold water, the intense paddling, the abundance of waves. The fact that the coastal zone of Peru is a giant desert and it gets really windy and cold didn't help. The biggest reason why I (and a few others of us) got sick was because when we were trying to leave Lima we were told that Costa Rica had quarantined us in Peru because we didn't have yellow fever vaccinations. hmmm. That would have been something worth knowing when we bought our tickets to Peru in the first place. They told us that we had to get vaccinations and then wait in Peru for ten days before returning home. All of this when we were racing like hell across a very crowded Lima, arriving for our flight less than an hour before departure.

Fortunately in practically every Latin American country I've traveled to, there is someone willing to bend the rules with the help of a "donation" for some charitable cause. We bribed the incredibly old lady nurses that worked in the airport health clinic, they shot us up with yellow fever inoculations (probably sharing the same needle, who knows), then ran back to the ticket counter to check our bags and sprint to the gate minutes before the plane left. On the plane, my body collapsed. My hacking cough returned after doing the 1000 meter dash. Maybe I was just worn down from surfing incredibly insane waves for the past week in cold water. Who knows. All I do know is that I'm feeling like I've returned from the dead. I'm told this happens to me every time I travel to the edge of the earth. I can't remember as everything seems to be a blur. You gotta love this job.


Back row (left to right)- Flash Miranda, Chris Meredith, Ed O'Neill, Amber Shaffer, Jill Marshall, JD Marshall, Patrick Smyth, me, Mike Tornichia. Front row (left to right)- Antonio Tello, Janet (Antonio's friend), Carlos Arias, John Otto


San Bartolo, Peru


the Lima barrio


One of the many times we got pulled over by the police.


Joe's secret spot, somewhere between Lima and Chicama


I had some really fun waves that day.


From San Bartolo to Chicama was something like ten hours driving, maybe more. The entire drive looks like Mars. There must be hundreds (or thousands) of surf breaks along the coast that are never surfed.


We made sure to tag everything we could with WRSC gear




driving through the city was a crazy experience, kindof like a video game.


A local market (one of many)


Having faith and eating where the locals eat.


Everyone grew mustaches for the trip. I returned from the trip with mine (Holly hates me). Soulstache!


Flash's mustache was pretty dope. So were his spliffs. Jesus...


Antonio has been surfing Peru for over 30 years and has it pretty dialed, everyone who surfs in Peru knows him.


Hanging out at Antonio's surf camp, heres a pic of a photo on his wall of his wife Fiorella with the late Mark Foo.


Even when Chicama got small it was still a really fun wave.




Carlos ripping it up on the fish


Mike pulling into a little sunset pocket


Celebrating with beer.

Whew! What a sweet trip. Everyone on the tour was cool, we all got along great. I just received a bunch of video from Ed from when we were surfing the secret spot. I have Rafa cutting it up and I plan to get some video online next week. I made some good friends, chilled with some existing friends, didn't lose any friends, so all is great. Now that I'm finally feeling better I might actually go surfing again. Whats that you say? Another late season southwest swell is on it's way? Really?

Ah yes, it does appear that we have yet another big south swell sending us waves. The wind is offshore here in Tamarindo, the sun is shining. Its HOT. Its summer. Instead of Mars we've got some palm trees and warm water. NO WETSUITS!

I'm stoked to be home and feeling better, hanging with my wife and boys, catching up on work, getting back in the groove. See you around- joe