You need to be into your surfing, and nothing but £10 to our name!

If you come to Chile, you have to be pretty willing to surf instead of windsurf on the non windy days, as there have been a fair few. The last three days we have surfed, and it looks like today we probably will too as it is foggy again in the morning. (Matanzas gets this fog which can last all day when just inland is burning hot sunshine!) Saying that, the waves are world class, some of the fastest waves I have ever surfed, and fairly powerful. At Matanzas the other day you had to paddle hard and fast really left and takeoff super quick or the wave would have you. I tried to pull off a few as I was too late but just got sucked over with the falls.

So we surfed Matanzas yesterday which was overhead, and a couple of days before that, about head high. There is a dodgy looking rock launch which you have to time the sets and paddle out. This was pretty difficult last night as when we went the fog was so thick you couldn't see the sets! Once out it is fine, but it took me a while to get used to surfing infront of the rocks, and there are a couple of dry ones to avoid. I got pretty near last night when a set came but you can paddle past them with the current then come back up again.

We also surfed Puertecillo, which is the longest peeling left I have ever seen! I saw a guy get a wave which must have gone on for half a kilometre?! The only problem was being such a nice break it was busy, so the waves I had were the ones no-one wanted/or had fallen off. Not ideal... The spot would be amaing when no-one is there but people camp. I didn't mention the road down either, a really sketchy steep dirt track with cliff drops either side, fine if you are in a 4x4 with good brakes but I am not sure what happens if you meet someone the other way?! It reminded me of the world's most dangerous roads program on TV...

The other thing we discovered on my birthday, is that we have no money and no way of getting any out! Stef lost his debit card in the airport so that is getting cancelled, mine runs out the end of March, and despite driving to our nearest cashpoint and then one an hour away (yes an HOUR to get cash out!) neither would let us. The fuel stations don't take card either. I have never been to such a remote place, no one has cards here. So tomorrow we drive an hour to get fuel out somewhere else where we hope they take card! We are living on our 7000 chilean pesos for now, (about £10) there isn't much to spend your money on here!

The sketchy rock launch at Matanzas, (me looking a little worried!)


Pulling off before the rocks:

Perfect peeling head high lefts at Puertecillo:

Pulling off a little late and going over the falls: