Bocas del Toro, Panama

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!






















I bought a board and I surfed it for 7 hours today, the waves were huge! I took some pictures with a waterproof surf camera this morning. When we paddled out to the amazing left hand reef break we also saw a dolphin. It can´t get much better then this...well, the say the swell is at its peak tomorow morning but I might still be drunk then, the Cortes rum is cheap as water, happy new year!

Bocas del Toro, Panama

Click here! Surfing with a Stingray

Feliz navidad!

Man was I sweating last night at Christmas dinner and with my sunburned nose I looked just like the rednosed reindeer. But the last days surfing at Wizzard beach were really worth it. On one wave there was a huge stingray swimming beneath me, really amazing!
I met here with Tomas, my colleage and surfing buddy from Amsterdam to spend Christmas and maybe New years too...

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Puerto Viejo is on the Caribbean coast, I only spend one night there in the legendary Rocking J's Hammock hotel to break up the journey to Panama.

It was flat at the time but I have to come back here when there are waves!

Mal Pais, Costa Rica

Mal Pais is situated on the Atlantic and has big waves almost all year round. I've spend 2 weeks there of which on week in a hammock (being sick) and the other in the ocean getting stoked.

San Jose, Costa Rica

Sinterklaas and zwarte Piet found my wish list and with a little help from the Ambassador they got me a new passport!
I also meet with the research director of Central America from The Nature Conservancy and another well respected Marine Biologist at the University of San Jose. Trough them I got to know almost every biologist in Costa Rica. However, due to the crisis, they all have been firing instead of hiring new staff. My timing could have been better but I keep good faith...

Nicaragua, playa Madera

Offshore wind everyday of the year and a cold beer with fresh fish on the bbq at the end of the day.

After a little hassle at the boarder I entered Nicaragua, where the surfs up, life is still cheap and the people are really friendly.

I will be here for 2 weeks to learn Spanish before I return to San Jose to celebrate Sinterklaas at the Dutch Embassy, which is good because I need a new passport and since I've been a good boy all year I hope to get a job trough a fellow Dutchman as a present.

Tortuguero (6000mm of cats and dogs annually!)

Normally known for the (Green and Leatherback) turtles I unfortunately came out of season. Of course I knew this so I didn’t come for the turtles. Tortuguero is also known for its little funny looking dart frogs which I luckily did found. And I’m not sure, but I make myself believe that the snake I found is the very poisonous (juvenile) Bushmaster. The lizard that I saw running over water was maybe even the best of all, well, after the Toucan of course or maybe the sound of the Howler monkeys...
Locals here are so keen on getting your money they will offer you nearly everything they can, whether they actually can or whether you really need it or not. Some of them are quite direct and desperate, this because they have to feed their lush for crack and alcohol. I guess living in a small deserted place only to reach by a one hour boat ride where it really nearly always rains can make you go a bit crazy after some years. Still, it’s an amazingly magnetic place, with the travel and all it was a big adventure to start with.
Next -after I’m going to meet some more biologists back in San Jose- I’m up for more. I will head to the west coast, where the sun (hopefully) shines and the surf sure is up!