My God!!!

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

All the kids on Simeulue keep calling me "My God." No matter how many times I try to correct them by saying, "No it's Mi-chael", they just can't get it right. That's just how they pronounce it. So, I gave up and am going to assume the role they have given me.

Nias footage from last year

I´ve finally been able to upload a couple of videos. Go easy on me. I´m still too lame to figure out how to show video directly on the blog so you´ll have to click on the link provided to see me nearly get my head taken off last year. Hedda, help.....

http://youtube.com/user/twinfintravels

Lagundri Bay - Nias

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

After four days of rain, onshores and not much surf the swell came up this morning. I went out and caught a few early but it was still pretty bumpy from the outer water winds. It was looking better later in the afternoon when the wind switched to a stronger offshore and started to smooth the swell out into some straighter lines. My first wave in the afternoon was about 8' on the face. Started with a nice clean drop to a mid-face cutback before pulling into a nice long tube. Actually came out clean with a little puff of spit. Stoked! What a way to start a session! I actually considered going in after that one wave it was sooooo good. I then caught a couple of pretty average waves and then the crowd started to fill in. After watching a couple of sets roll through and not being in position for any of the waves I made a classic mistake.... Paddled for the first wave of the set. I was a little too deep so I held up and didn't drop in. Before turning around I could sense something monstrous approaching from the outside. The swell was building and a solid 12'+ wave was heaving onto the reef just in front of me. I didn't even consider duckdiving. I pushed my board away from me thankful for the long leash I'd decided to use, and dove for the bottom. The lip of the wave broke about 10 feet in front of me so I took the full impact right on the head. The initial impact drove me straight to the reef in the prayer position, (ironic huh) scratching the tops of my feet. Down for awhile I started scratching for the surface only to be hit from a second explosion and sent back to the bottom for some more prayer time. Eventually I found my leash, orientated myself and made it to the surface, only to take a quick 1/2 breath before the next wave mowed me down. Fortunately, by this time I had been washed through pretty far to the inside, so the impact wasn't too bad. Nearly a two wave hold down though. That's never fun! Once safely in the channel I checked out my wounds and found them to be pretty minor, then I thought,'No way I'm going in like that. Gotta catch one in.' By now the crowd was pretty well filled in. I kept looking for my wave but just couldn't find the right one at the right time. People paddling too deep, pulling back and trying to jockey for position. The swell was on the rise still and I was determined to redeem myself for the earlier destruction. A good sized set was approaching and Aussie Glen whose been visiting since the mid-eighties was stroking for it from waaay outside. I turned for it thinking I was in a better position for it and started paddling hard. Just before getting to my feet I looked back to see Glen still there. I slowed up so I wouldn't crumble the lip on him and at just that moment he pulled back and yelled for me to go. Well as you all know, if someone calls you into a wave you can't hold back. I put my head down and took a couple of hard stokes but it was too little too late. Didn't even try to get to my feet. Pushed the board aside and got launched standing straight up with the lip on a solid 10' low tide dredger. After the wash cycle I paddled to the beach with my tail between my legs. Mother nature showed me who was boss today.

Poor Man's Boat Trip

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

I met up with Aaron, Dennis and their friends Evan and Tony on Nias. I've been wanting to check out the Banyaks and Simeulue for ages and was hoping to pull together a crew in Nias to share the costs of a boat with. After some initial hesitation the boys were convinced and I started to organize it. I spoke with Uni, the guy I stayed with here in 1999, and he called up his friend Harefa who owns a fishing boat. I took a bemo in to Teluk Dalam and checked out the boat. One of the guys was not impressed and wanted out. Back at Sorake his friends said they were going with or without him. So, he was in, reluctantly. After three more days of bargaining we settled on a price and itinerary with Harefa. Seven days at 1.2 million Rupiah per day. That works out to about $25 per person per day. The next day I was back on the bemo to Teluk Dalam to do the shopping. Teluk Dalam gets a pretty bad rap from most surfers that pass through there but to be fair it's not that bad. The smell of durian permeates the markets and the open sewage on the streets is pretty nasty but, the locals are friendly. I loved cruising through the market, bargaining with the ladies and loading everything onto the bike to take back to Harefa's place. We were up early the next morning and once again on a bemo to Teluk Dalam. The boys and I ran around doing some last minute shopping and loaded up the boat. We had to carry everything along a sketchy, broken, rotted wood plank dock, then cross a boat loaded with squealing pigs to get to Harefa's boat. Evan helped carry some live bacon on a stick off the pig boat that was docked next to ours. The locals loved it. The pigs kept screaming. The pigs just wouldn't quiet down. I swear you could see in their eye's that they knew where they were headed. I called into Mom and Dad to let them know where I was headed then finished loading the boat. The 35 foot Indonesian fishing boat with 20 surfboards, gear and food for five hungry boys and three crew seemed to look fine. Everbody was stoked to be starting out on this adventure. Once we got underway heading out to sea the boys started settling in and finding their own comfortable piece of the boat. Tony was on the bow of the boat downing beers and planning how to best use his daily ration of Vodka. Evan and Aaron laying down in the center of the boat next to the banana's cuddling. Aaron actually was hugging his surfboard ready to abandon ship at the first sign of trouble. Dennis and I were sitting central in the middle of it all keeping in the shade. We'd been motoring a couple of hours and everybody seemed pretty happy, even with a bit of rain and wind hitting us. We stayed pretty dry under the tarps and stretched out. Then Harefa called me over. One of the pistons had cracked and our seven day trip was over after only two hours. We limped slowly back to Lagundri which luckily was nearby. After talking to the boys we decided not to wait for another part or to get another boat. The good news is that I'm writing this four days later and it's been raining non stop since I got off the boat. I was pretty happy with Captain Harefa and would definitely head out with him another time. He knew the storm was coming and didn't want to take any chances. Good man. Next time I'll try to get a better weather forecast before getting on the boat....

Bawomataluo

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

The surf at Lagundri the past week has been flawless. Overhead everyday and up to 2X overhead during the peak of the swell with excellent wind conditions. It's raining and onshore today and for once, I actually don't mind. A day of rest.

Garido from Guam, Anna, Maya and Sonia from the Czech Republic and I took a day trip up to Bawomataluo, a traditional Niassan village perched atop a mountain overlooking the bay at Lagundri. A steep stone staircase leads you from the road to the village. From the base of the stairs you see only blue sky and puffy white clouds above. This is meant to give the impression of a stairway to the Gods. There are more than 300 traditional houses arranged along a cross section of wide cobblestone avenues. No motorbikes. The design is distinctly nautical. Some scholars say the concept arose from villagers watching the Dutch ships pass by on their way to the Spice Islands in the east. The homes are supported by massive teak wood beams and throughout the house, no nails or bindings are used. All the pieces are either slotted together or are joined by hand hewn wooden plugs. Many homes have carved wooden crests to express the families status within the village. The tall roofs in imitation of sails are traditionally thatched or as is more common today, made of corrugated steel. It's amazing to have the sensation of standing in a harbour surrounded by ships when you're actually at an elavation of 1,200 feet in the hills, miles from the ocean. We were lucky enough to be invited into a home by a guy named Wilson. He was incredibly hospitable and really excited to share his home with us. Tea was brought out while we asked each other the usual questions in halting Bahasa. (I gotta learn more of this language.) Everyone was gathered in the main room when Anna and one of WIlson's sister's found out that they had both recently completed their thesis' on very similiar subjects about Nias island ancient artforms. They were both so excited they chatted for ages and swapped emails to keep in touch. What a coincidence??? The one house we were invited into....The 60' King's residence with the stone sacrifice tables was impressive as well. With the massive teak wood supports, the building looked solid. Wilson told me none of the traditional wooded structures were affected by any of the recent devastating earthquakes.
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Heading to Sumatra

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

I'm off to Medan (Sumatra) today, and then onto Nias and the surrounding islands. I'm not sure how long I'll spend there, but I am sure that I'll not have any internet access!

Check back in a couple of weeks, or maybe a month, or maybe 2 months..

Bali for a Day

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

Hedda and I were really sad to be leaving Sumba. The unique culture, people and raw nature were incredible. We both want to go back. Of course we were also excited to be heading back to Bali, even if it was only for one day. We arrived around noonish and had loads to get done in preparation for Rinjani. E-mails, shopping and other errands kept us running around for a few hours. I of course, had it in the back of my mind that a sunset surf on the Bukit would be just the thing to do before going for the summit of Rinjani. So after seeing to my most important responsibilities and then making sure my Honey was comfortably set in front of a Hi-speed connection, (by indo standards), I ran back to the Palm Gardens, quickly negotiated a motorbike for 25,000rp and was soon speeding out to the surf. Not wanting to miss a single set, I was riding a little faster than normal, passing bemo's and pulling those outrageous U-turns in front of tour buses, chicken salesmen and everybody else. Passing the Nirmala market, I knew I was getting close to the Police checkpoint. I didn't want to waste time there digging out my International Driver's License, so I pulled right up on the tail of a speeding Kijang and hung there drafting it, trying to breathe through the dust and not get hit by any of the stones it was kicking up in it's wake. Luckily made it past the cops and then zipped out to Padang to get the first look at the size of the swell. Padang was just starting to break but with the full moon low tide I didn't want anything to do with it. In fact the only people out were two bodyboarders pulling into some green backlit pits before getting nailed on the dry reef end section. I kept riding down to Ulu's where the racetrack was delivering beautiful 6 foot green tubes running way past the cave. Only about 20 guys outwith a handful surfing the peak. I surfed into dark and had a handful of truly memorable classic Ulu rides. It felt great riding back to Kuta, salt drying on my eyebrows and wet boardshorts. Surfed out and ready for Rinjani.

Sumba

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

This was a good week at a really amazing bay. Really fun rights breaking over a few sections of reef and peeling into this bay. One of the days when the swell was up, the reef outside began to show some true potential and opened up with some almond shaped tubes reminicent of pre-earthquake Nias. Typically it was a bowly takeoff into long carving walls through to an unpredictable inside suckout over sometimes dry reef. You´d either get a nice round barrel or slammed and hit the reef guaranteed.

This is one of the most pristine beach enviornments I´ve ever seen with incredible wildlife. Crystal clear waters allow you to see fish while riding waves. One afternoon Hedda and I saw three giant sea eagles fighting over the territory of the bay. Screaming and slashing one another 30 feet above our heads. Walking out to the surf I´d see young boys riding bareback on horses along the sand. Heading over to help their fathers bring in the days catch. Sumba is really wild.

Sumba Ikat

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

Not too many internet connections here in the East of Indonesia. We'll most likely be out of communication for another couple of weeks. Hedda and I just arrived in Waingapu and are busy organizing ourselves for the next couple of weeks here. We've heard travel can be quite challenging in Sumba so we're stocking up on Nescafe, peanuts and toilet paper. Tomorrow we're chartering a bemo to get to Tarimbang. The only other option is hitching a ride on a lorry that drops you off about 3-4 km's from the beach. I'm not really interested in throwing my board bag on my head Sherpa style and trekking for an hour to get to the beach. No question whether the charter's worth the extra expense. Low tide mornings and a 2 meter swell is in the forecast so I'm pretty stoked being so close to Miller's Rights. Waingapu is pretty nice for a medium sized Indonesian town. Some really beautiful Sumba Ikat is available in the shops here. They use natural dyes to color the yarn which make the colors are so rich. The people are very friendly with a natural curiosity. Of course the rickshaw drivers still ride you around the block saying they know where the Internet cafe when they don't. It's kinda cool that they have sound systems set up on their bikes. You can get down to some Indo techno while cruising the boulevard.

Nemberala Surf

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

Hedda and I spent two weeks at Nemberala and both loved it. Although some people are quick to write off the left at Nemberala for not having quite the power and heaving barrels like other classic Indonesian lefts, it's unfair and doesn't give due consideration to the entire experience. The palm fringed white sand beach is stunning and very relaxing. We loved sipping a Bintang and watching the sun slowly melt into the sea while the last of the seaweed farmers carried their harvest back in across the reef. The village was full of smiles and friendly "Hello Mister's." We celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary with dinner at the resort next door to Anugerah where we were staying. The manager was great. He chilled a bottle of Portugal's finest champagne that I'd brought back from East Timor and hidden from Hedda. We were seated at a table under the stars looking out at the moonlit sea. What romance!!! Hedda and I exchanged our homemade cards and renewed for another year.

I loved taking the 1$ sail out to the reef at high tide with Moosa. His daily catch was always really interesting. Octopus, lobsters, and all different kinds of tasty looking fish he'd bring in with his homemade speargun. At low tide the wave became really rippable and was so much fun. A user friendly open faced wave that peeled down the reef for hundreds of yards. The twinny flew here. When it hit double overhead and you connected to the inside section it was unreal for hard carving turns as the swell bent in around the curve of the reef. I'll go back, but earlier in the season before the trades come up so strong so I can get a taste of Boa.

Nemberala Football Final

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

Roti soccer finals today between Nemberala and Ba'a. Hedda and I wandered over from Anugerah to check out the action. There were well over 1,000 people surrounding the dirt field which is normally the town's main road. A rock band was blasting, girls were cheering and the kids were loving the action. It literally looked like the entire island had come out to root for their favorite team. The game was really competitive with both sides looking like they could score at any moment. Headers on goal, tackles on the dry dirt surface and yet at half time it was scoreless. Luckily at the start of the second half, Nemberala scored. The home crowd went nuts. Girls dancing, kids storming the field, even the policemen smiled!

The people in Nemberala are so laid back and friendly, it was great to see them excited for a hometown win in the game of the year for the island. Hedda and I were enjoying checking out the crowd even more than the game. Kids carrying tiny tropical birds tucked in close to their chests, ladies selling donuts and drinks. The guitar rock blasting from the stage. No vocals, just pure uninhibited 80's style guitar rock solo's. Great day!

East Timor Visa Run

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

Arrived in Dili 4 days ago after a typically hellish long Indonesian bus journey. It was rare to drive more than 200 yds in a straight line. After 12 hours of curve and swerve you really need at least a couple of days for your guts to get back to normal. The only good thing I can say about the bus ride was that only one woman spewed. Unfortunately she was sitting directly behind me.

The scars of war are still quite fresh in the border town of Atambora. Shells of burnt out buildings pockmarked with bullet holes. 3 UN aid workers were shot and killed here just a couple of years ago.

Crossing the border into E Timor was relatively easy. I changed to another bus for the final 4 hour ride into Dili.

The people here are incredibly poor. Dirty villages with thatch homes built next to recently burnt cement buildings with only foundations left behind. When Indonesia finally pulled out of East Timor they burnt buildings, blew up bridges and murdered the E Timorese. The infrastructure is slowly being rebuilt.

We pulled into Dili just after sunset and into the darkest capital city I have ever visited. The driver couldn't locate the backpackers hotel and so he dropped me off near the oceanfront at one of the better foreign aid worker hotels. I was disorientated and willing to pay anything for a bed for the night. Unfortunately the hotel was full. The bus had left and not a taxi was in sight. No streetlights, no map and no idea about the neighborhood. It looked pretty borderline, even though it was only a few blocks from Parliament. After wandering for a few minutes I found an Aid worker flop house and for $20 had one of the best nights sleep in ages.

The next morning I headed straight for the Indonesian embassy and filed my application for another 60 day visa. The immigration department was pretty organized an lacked much of the chaos I had expected.
Come back in 3 days for your passport the woman said. Great news, we had been expecting it to take at least a week.
I left the embassy and started wandering the streets. Just two blocks away I came upon the first of many refugee camps. Tent cities, homes to thousands of people either driven from their communities by violence or destruction of homes and property.
I have the return journey to Kupang to look forward to!

Small Airplane - Big Boardbag

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

Traveling with surfboards is always such a joy. The strange looks from local people, the other travelers who can't understand how you can get anywhere with such an outrageous bag, and the laughs from taxi drivers as you heave the boards onto the roof and start strapping them down.
From people in the Philippines asking if I was transporting weapons, (I suppose I did have a min-gun in the bag) to an airline receptionist who wanted to charge me more than $400 for a single board bag flying from Rome to Delhi, I've had plenty of good times with that 40lb. friend I never leave home without.
Recently I was in Flores flying to Kupang on Timor, and the guy at the airline just about choked on his nasi goreng when Hedda and I walked in rolling my boardbag behind us. First, he called Hedda in to his office where she thought she was going to have to drop a $20 bill into an envelope for the guy to check the bag through. Then he had me in there all flustered saying it would be up to the crew, not him as to whether the boards would make it or not. I don't think they'd seen such luggage before, and he was concerned that it wouldn't fit onto the plane.
I held my ground and said we'd cancel the flight and take the ferry if the boards didn't go with us. He was stressing. Trying to be nice to us about it, but stressing.
I had visions of a 12 seater or a single prop plane landing to take us to Timor. I assured him I had done this many times before and even offered to help load the baggage myself. (I did this in Costa Rica a couple years back flying to Mal Pais on a very small plane. Actually took the 3 boards out of the boardbag and found a way to slide each individual board into a little nook somewhere in the storage area.)
Well, our plane landed and it was huge. I could not believe for a second how he thought there wouldn't be room. They loaded the boards vertically into the storage compartment there was so much room. I guess the good news is that the next time he sees a surfer come through, he'll feel a lot more confident about checking their bags through.

Lakey Photos

Shopping trip to Dompu

Went into Dompu to refresh the underwear I've been traveling with this past year. I'd already bought 2 pairs of size L, that fit like a Brazilian bikini.

I asked around the vendors along the main street and was directed upstairs to Sumbawa's version of WalMart. The store was empty of customers yet teeming with young Muslim shop girls dressed in headscarves and traditional clothing.

I was attempting to casually browse the merchandise selections, and locate the underwear with out causing too much of a disturbance. But it wasn't going to happen. Two girls approached to offer assistance. After hearing what I was looking for they burst into giggles.

Hoping to grab the underwear, pay and gracefully exit the store. I was surrounded by 6-7 shop girls who wanted to chat.
"What size shoe do you wear?" one asked. The rest giggled.

Why do they need to know my shoe size, when I want to buy underpants? To sell me some socks?

The excitement in the store was growing. I thanked them for their kind assistance and bolted to the relative safety of Dompu's dirty streets.

Sumbawa Roadkill

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

The roadkill in Sumbawa is pretty interesting... None of the normal furry stuff you see around southern California. While riding the motorbike to Dompu today I saw 2 monitor lizards - Flat! One of em was really big. About 4 feet long. I'm sure the bus or truck loaded with rice bounced a little when it nailed it.
Riding with Rich last week, we saw a flat boa constricter that was about 6 feet long and then almost ran over a really long, bright lime green snake that was slithering across the road in front of us.
At least it gives us a chance to get up close and personal with animals we'd normally would run from. Surf has been great here at Lakey. Overhead to 3X overhead everyday for the past two weeks. The twinnie has been dry most of the time...

Bingin

One month on the beach at Bingin. So many different moods. Kids splashing in the shore break at high tide right on the reef. The locals surfing the spot incredibly well. Some sets saw them all getting perfectly barrelled on each wave. No waste.
Dad really went for it but paid a small price on the reef at 'greedies'. Reef cuts on both arms and both legs. Even had a fat lip from the board coming back at him. All that said, I think he had an amazing time and I saw him making some great waves. Locked in and hauling ass down the line.
It was interesting to see the start of the surf season. April 15th and onwards you could see a change in the winds, swell and crowds. Before the 15th we had lighter winds and lighter crowds. Some really great surf nearly every single day. The 'froggy bitches' were crazy and developed a bad reputation with travellers and locals alike. So sad... Zero respect for any other surfers.

When the swell hit 8+ the far end section of greedies started working and a body boarder from Reunion was getting some really psycho tubes.

For me, it was really nice to get back in the water after a 4 month break. Warm, consistent perfect waves helped get me back in rhythm.

More Bingin

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

This guy was so stoked. Always smiling. I spoke with him earlier in the water and he'd been on a trip in Mainland South East Asia similar to Hedda and I. Here he is getting piped and making up for the 4 months out of the water while traveling through Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Bingin at Low Tide

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

Over four months out of the water and this is what I wake up too... The wave here is a machine. I've always been such a shitty backside tuberider I thought a month here would be the perfect clinic. So far so good.

Surf leave at China Beach

, originally uploaded by ladyhedda.

Hedda and I headed south by train from Hanoi with a couple of stops along the way to visit caves built during the war, temples and some ridiculous marble caves dedicated to Buddha near Danang. I thought I´d check out the surf scene here since it had been about 4 months since I´d surfed in Europe. Hoa had two boards for me. the first one I took out was a 7´ funshape twin fin that was wrapped up with carbon fiber. Bullet proof!!! Probably left over from some crazy GI. Maybe not.... The other had a decent pedigree. Byrning spears it was. The gobs of unsanded Bondo haphazardly slapped on to cover massive dings didn´t help. Nor the fact that the first 8 inches had been sawn off and repaired with about 5 pounds of resin and heavy marine fiberglass. I was out there anyways. Warm water. No one out and 3 foot onshore slop. I was stoked. Hoa was a fantastic host. I traded a small fold up bag to him for board rental for the 4 days I spent sliding along China Beach´s peaky little waves in the South China Sea.