Hidden talents

Day 17:  Itecare

The weather finally cleared up yesterday morning and so I decided to take advantage of this and booked my first ever surfing lesson.  This coastal town is largely popular because of its ideal location with numerous palm tree lined beaches, with waves of varying strengths.

My instructor is called Wolf.  He was born here in Itecare, moved to Rio de Janeiro for four years and returned back, with a new appreciation for his home town and all that it offers.

'Rio drove me crazy.  Expensive expensive, and it took me two hours on the bus just to get to the beach.  F*ck that!' Wolf enthusiastically exclaimed.

I took to the waves in the late afternoon my first two hour session.  I mastered the technique of climbing onto the surf board, paddling, sitting up and turning around in the water.  Wolf was amazed at the speed with which I picked up all these methods.  Apparently I am a natural at surfing.  I'm sure his hefty hourly rates for lessons went some way in him dishing out these compliments so freely.

However, last night I was literally persecuted by mosquitos as a tossed and turned, trying to use my paper thin blanket to shield myself away from their bites.  No doubt they were in a jealous rage at my new found surfing ability.

This morning I wake up, eagerly looking forward to my second lesson at surf school, but also feeling extremely sore.  It is a good feeling though, like the first few days of exercise after a long period of absence, and I am sure with more regular surfing, the body soreness will slowly ebb away.