Surf's up!

Thursday 6th October

After a lovely big breakfast (even pancakes!) we booked a surf lesson with Emilio, a self proclaimed "frustrated professional surfer", who also happened to have all the looks and mannerisms of my cousin Drew. In preparation we managed to find a glorious little vegetarian cafe to eat all manner of pulses and veggies and let our bodies sing from the goodness, then got ready and psyched up for the task ahead.

Now Pichilemu is by no means a beginner surf resort and I've by no means overcome my fear of the sea, so I spent a great deal of time pretending I wasn't about to go surfing, in order to be able to actually go surfing.
Emilio took us on a little 'Eco tour' of the peninsula, before heading down to the sea, which only served to fuel my fear... "wow look those big waves, good for surf today... Don't worry though, how big they look here, they actually bigger in real life and we high up"... Oh great! Because THAT'S what I was worried about... That those giant waves would be too small!

Ant meanwhile was putting his excited puppy act on and bounding about, all but saying "can we go surf now, can we go surf now?".
Soon enough we were wet suited up and perched on the boards on the beach learning to perfect our paddling technique and what safety signs we should use we get into trouble or if there are sharks in the water...  WHAT?!! SHARKS??!! "Are there sharks here" said a quaking Emma... "well yes of course.. It is the sea" said Emilio... "no jelly fish though, too cold"... Oh that's ok then!

If I wasn't scared enough I definitely was now. So running board first into the sea the three of us braved the waves and started to exercise our paddling muscles. Before too long Ant was standing up riding the odd wave or two and even I was managing to catch and ride on my knees with a LOT of help from Emilio.
Some tea and cookies on the beach proved the perfect break after an hour or two in the water, and allowed the tide to go out a little and the waves to really start revealing their might.

Another half hour in the water and it was time for my little arms to call it a day, but Ant stayed out for a good hour or so and was even allowed to brave the sea beyond the breaks to play with the big boys (and get battered by the big waves). Eventually he decided it was time to stop and joined me on the beach looking much worse than after a day climbing in Peru: "let's get you home and find you some beer"... He smiled a big smile, couldn't find words, smiled again and soon we were back beer in sand, sea in hair, tired, aching, but feeling alive.
We got a collectivo into town and ate pizza for supper, then it was time for Poldark!
What a brilliant day!!