Day 159: Kite Surfing in Tarifa!

The Beach Boys never saw anything like this. As the sun was setting in Barcelona I was sitting on the beach, watching this dude cruise around the water being pulled by a huge kite. Maybe it was my background in sailing, but that looked like a ridiculous amount of fun. When I arrived in Tarifa and learned that it was the wind capital of the world and it was right before tourist season, I had little choice. It was time to get a grip on kite surfing.

The dude that I saw kite surfing in Barcelona.

My classes began while I was still in Torreguardiaro. I tried to convince Nick to join me but he was tied up with work. I called the first company I found in a magazine I had. I had no idea what to ask a kite surfing instructor to see if they're legit or not so my requirements revolved around English and money. The first dude I talked to seemed satisfactory. His name was Daniel from 11380 Kite School. We would soon become good friends.

Daniel's van and kite surfing gear.

Our first day on the beach.

On my first day of class I took three busses to get from Torreguardiaro to Tarifa. When I arrived I wasn't sure where to meet Daniel. He said to meet at the bus station but I couldn't find it. Eventually I realized that there was no big bus station, just a small group of outdoor shelters. I saw the grey and orange VW van that he described over the phone. He didn't look like he was going to kill me so I hopped in. Daniel introduced himself and we headed to the beach.

Algezaras' beach, full of industrial icky.

Josh is a young punk kite surfer from London.

The first day of class focused on kite control. He started me off with an airfoil kite about 1 meter across. The wind was ridiculously strong and it took all of my concentration to control (and hold onto) this kite. When we moved to something three times the size I was a little nervous. Thankfully I learned that kite surfing kites have four lines, two for control and two for break. Therefor the surfer can control the direction and the power. The wind was so strong if I didn't use the break well the kite would pull me off the ground. When kite surfing you're supposed to keep the kite on one side and make figure eights with it so the pull is constant. When the kites go up to 15 meters that's no easy task. Thanks to my stunt kite experience we cut the lesson short and saved the third hour for the next lesson. Tomorrow I was going in the water.

Kites, kites, kites!

Back at Tarifa's beach. Not good wind for kiting...

Windsurfers can surf in high or low wind.

My third day of lessons. Let's go!

Packing up after I ripped the kite. Oops :)

For my second day of kite surfing lessons I had to wait two days until the wind was perfect. I've already bitched about the lack of cooperation from mother nature, but it's life – one more example of my lack of control on my surroundings. When Daniel and I were on the beach he explained the next exercise, something called 'the body drag'. Essentially I was going to walk out into the water with the kite until the water was waist deep. Then I laid down on my stomach holding the control bar in front of my chest and made the same figure eights that I did on land. The feeling of the kite in the water is completely different than on land. When I was on the beach I felt like I was fighting with the kite, but in the water the stronger the kite pulled, the more fun I had. Once Daniel saw I had good control with the body drag he showed me how to start with the board.

Getting ready to go home.

Daniel wrapping up the kite.

Tarifa is surrounded by wind farms.

At the end of my second lesson and throughout my third I was determined to stand up on that sucker and kite surf for real. Everyone else is cruising all across the water and having a blast. I'm swallowing gallons of water as waves crash on top of me or I wipe out trying to stand up. I've gotten so close a few times. Once I was even standing for maybe 3 seconds or so. This is the most difficult and exhausting part of kite surfing. Yesterday I practiced for nearly five hours. After wiping out to my heart's content, I came ashore and Daniel and I would walk up wind so I could try again. Try holding onto a surfboard in 30km winds. Bwah!

Daniel, myself, and my ridiculous wet suit tan.

Even though I slept in the forest last night I slept like a rock. I feel beat up, perpetually sunburnt and my hair is replete with sand, but boy am I happy. Today the wind switched directions. The wind in Gibraltar normally blows from the East or West and depending on its direction is referred to as Poniente or Levante. I wish I could tell you what kite surfing is like and hopefully when I return from practicing today I will be able to. Wouldn't it Be Nice.

Adios!

Day 151: Tarifa: Wandering and Waiting

Don't take a three day kite surfing class unless you're staying in Tarifa for at least two weeks. Every morning I wake up eager to continue my kite surfing training just to be continually thwarted by the weather. Tarifa is the windiest place on Earth but it's title of capital of wind sports hasn't been upheld. My instructor, Daniel picks me up every morning around 11 with his van and we go to the beach hoping for perfect conditions but we've had little luck. Even though the weather hasn't been suitable for kite surfing I've enjoyed every day I've spent in Tarifa.

Climbing on King Sancho, me amigo!

I've had plenty of stuff to do while waiting for a proper surf day. I've spent a lot of time walking around the town and eating with new friends. One of the characteristics of Tarifa that I enjoy the most is how warm the people are. Something as simple as greeting strangers and receiving a smile makes this place special. Because Tarifa is so small, I constantly run into people who I've met while I'm wandering around town. Thankfully, most of the people that I've met have been spectacular.

Most of the friends that I've made are from a hostel that I stayed at called The Melting Pot. It's a cozy place with a big kitchen and communal area that creates a homey atmosphere. My first day there I met an American chick named Tila and an English bloke, Kingsley. We've palled around a fair bit, playing cards, talking, and going out. When they went out for dinner a few nights ago I stayed in to finish some work and ended up having a bout with the Guardia Civil.

Tarifa's Paloma dune.

Good weather for kite surfing.

Super windy!

Gettin' artsy on the beach.

Sweet rock texture.

This dude rides around on his bike with his dog.

The cat makes a poor receptionist.

But she looks super cute on the bed.

Getting busted for narcotics isn't the highest moment of my life but in hindsight it makes a good story. I had been talking with this guy at the hostel who was everyone's go-to. He said he could help me out, no problem. I wanted €5 worth of green him but I only had a €20 bill. While I was looking for change this moron left the goods out on the table in plain sight of everyone. One of the hostel workers came in and saw and got understandably flustered. She said that she was calling the cops and that we had 5 minutes to pack up and go. I thought they were only kicking this dude out but she pointed to me too. Crap! I didn't believe that she called the cops but I packed up and headed out. Just as I was walking out the door a flood of Guardia Civil came in, decked out in their green shirts and stomp 'em boots. There were about ten of them buzzing around. Before I knew it I was emptying my pockets and being searched. Despite not understanding anything they were saying I did my best to cooperate. They were rather aggressive with me but apparently they hit this other dude in the face. When they finished with me I'm standing in the lobby of the hostel waiting to hear what's going on. After about 30 minutes they told me to leave and never come back. I couldn't believe they let both of us go after all that. We booked it out of there and everything was okay. Dad, if you get a letter from the Guardia Civil just slip it into the trash. Mom, don't worry. Thankfully the rest of my stay in Tarifa has been without incidents.

The laminating station in Daniel's SkyCat board workshop.

Where the magic happens.

Makin' boards takes many tools.

Daniel says he's made over 2,000 boards.

One of the highlights of the past few days was going on a nature walk around the city. Before I got ousted from the hostel, Tila and I went on an awesome walk. We passed the area where I camped the first night I was here and would camp again post-hostel. The scenery was amazing. Wildflowers were growing everywhere and their perfumes were divine.

Love this MacGuyver gate

Tila and her G11.

Horse hanging out.

The flora was lovely. 

Here's a good place to cross the river.

View of Tarifa from the trail.

My favorite of the wildflowers.

Whoa! A frickin' dung bettle!

Everything considered, I've had an awesome and interesting stay in Tarifa. I love the small town friendly vibe and the beaches are amazing – would you believe I'm even getting tan? I would like to return to Tarifa for a longer period of time to learn Spanish and perfect my kite surfing. But right now I want to finish up my kite surfing lessons and head across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco! Maybe I'll kite surf there...

Adios!

Check out the rest of the photos!

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Day 147: Rock Climbing & Torreguardiaro

Sebastian said it best, "Ross has much too healthy of an ego to stop blogging." Thanks again to all of you who showed support for my blog, but no tears need be shed. Of course I am going to keep blogging. April fools, you fools.

I've spent the past week or so in Tarifa learning the art of kite surfing. Being pulled by a three meter kite through the water is great fun. My instructor from 11380 Kite School, is not only an excellent teacher but he has helped me find places to stay and integrate into Tarifa's community. I wish the weather would have been as helpful as Daniel. The course is only three days but even though I've spent almost a week in Tarifa I've only had two lessons due to the weather's lack of cooperation. I digress, I'm getting ahead of myself, this is another post! Let me tell you about the week that I spent in Torreguardiaro before coming to Tarifa.

The view from Nick's balcony. Gibraltar on the left.

I sent out about a million couch requests to find a host for Carnival in Cádiz. One of the folks I was hoping to stay with was interested in rock climbing and meditation. Unfortunately he lived too far from Cádiz for me to stay there during Carnival, but I suggested that we meet up afterwards. So when I left the Alegraluz Tantra Center, I headed a few kilometers South to where Nick lived.

Heading South to meet up with Nick.

After the usual traveling struggle, I arrived somewhere near Nick's apartment. He came to pick me up and we walked back to his flat while chatting. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon with a vibrant blue sky and heaps of sun. Nick lives in sort of a condo paradise surrounded by water where residents can moor their boats. The view from his balcony is magnificent – with the harbor in the foreground and Gibraltar: Rock of the Apes visible in the distance. Nick can literally roll out of bed and begin work. Every smooth surface is covered in brainstorming hieroglyphics, to-do lists, and organizational charts, all rendered in dry-erase marker. Even the fridge wasn't safe – I wonder what this says about Nick's personality.

Getting all artsy with the reflection in the water.

Close up of Gibraltar.

Goodnight!

Nick is a bonzer bloke; a curious Australian with a passion for living. I thoroughly enjoyed living with him because he is active. As you will soon hear, we went climbing the first day, and spent the rest of our afternoons riding bikes, playing paddle, and walking slackline. He's found an equilibrium between work and play, as pointed out by a tarot reading, so I had a lot to learn from him. In terms of learning, we started with desert first, time for climbing.

My first view of Tarifa's beach.

Tarifa from up where we were climbing.

One of the many windfarms around Tarifa.

My first outdoor climbing experience was with a huge rock near Tarifa's Polermo dune. Edwardo, A new friend of Nick's, gave us a ride since Nick's car exploded last weekend. We walked up a small dirt trail surrounded by lush vegatation and breathtaking views. Soon we came upon the rock wall that we sought to conquer. Nick mainly does sport climbing, where the first person to climb clips the rope into anchors in the rock. Once the top is reached the rope is clipped into a special anchor, then the next person can climb with minimal risk. Needless to say, I climbed second.

Mr Muscles getting ready.

Nick taught me all of the basics of rock climbing from how to tie a double figure eight knot, to properly check your partner's set up, and how to belay. Of course he taught me various techniques but for climbing, I was on my own.

The first wall that we climbed had a bit of a slope to it but it still looked intimidating. Luckily Nick had a spare pair of climbing shoes that sort of fit my feet. They mashed my toes together and hurt like hell. However the pain was worth it, and sure enough, I huffed and puffed my way up. Getting to the top was satisfying but the real reward was taking off those shoes. During a second climb I struggled and fell a few times during one point. I didn't think I was going to make it but after a few tries I reached the top. Now it was time for the real challenge.

One of the Spaniards shouting like a lunatic.

Almost there, mate!

We walked along the rock a ways to where the climbs were more difficult. There were people precariously dangling on the rock stretching for the next hold, screaming their brains out as they pushed themselves. The next wall had a big fissure in it and Nick scrambled up it to set the rope up. When it was my turn I was optimistic but I couldn't make it past one part where the rock bulged out. Wrists burning, I tried a few more times but I admitted I had enough when my muscles were too tired to grip anything else. For his next climb Nick wanted to test himself so we went to a wall that he thought was the top of his ability. Watching him climb was inspiring. It took him multiple tries to get from anchor to anchor and as he got more tired I would pull the belay line tight so he could rest for a minute. to the top he was stoked, I felt like I accomplished something just belaying him. Nick, as he put it, "Earned his dinner."

The third wall we climbed, near the fissure on the right.

When we left the mountain for the day I was happy to discover a new sport. Climbing is a puzzle. Using my mind and body to figure out how to climb is great fun. I like the simplicity of climbing, in that it's just me and the rock. Maybe I have special shoes on but that's it; there's nothing else to help me. I will eagerly seize more opportunities to climb that come my way in the future.

Paddy, one of Nick's co-workers, with his daughter.

Team Unbeatable consisted of Nick and me.

Although we only got to go climbing one day, I totally enjoyed the few days that I spent with Nick. It was interesting to see how he lives and works in the same place and meeting his coworkers was fun. I kind of felt like I was 8 and visiting my dad at work. One evening we went to play paddle with one of his co-workers. Paddle is a mix between squash and tennis. We batted the ball around the court and we won most of the games. Cha-ching.

Staying with Nick was 'heaps good!'

Climbing rocked but when I found out Tarifa is the kite surfing capital of the world I knew that I had no choice. I called a place Edwardo recommended and set up a three day course of lessons. Staying with Nick was a pleasure. I hope to see him again and wish him the best of luck moving forward. Keep climbing, mate! I left with a big heart and eager eyes, dead set on kite surfing.

Adios!