THE END OF THE ROAD
Time goes by quickly on the islands. Too quickly. Our visit is coming towards its epilogue and we’re already feeling waves of nostalgia. Alexis had got into the habit of going to surf the same spot, a 40 minute hike down a track every afternoon. The wave is actually a bit flighty, but includes a big hollow right section that you need to really drive through. After much practice Alexis had learned his way round the spot, in the middle of nowhere, and to fully appreciate every square meter. We have time for one last ride before leaving and we’re desperate to finish off with a fittingly sublime session. The swell had subsided somewhat since the previous day but the shallow reef still helped concentrate the wave lines into a bowl shape. As we walk across the beach, the sight of a nice filled in swell was enough for Alexis. He was on the water in a flash and moments later was onto a big right, dropping into the bowl and popping out of the tube 50 meter further on like a pea from a pea shooter. Our final session couldn’t have started any better and continued with an intensity made even more so by our impending departure, alternating huge drop-ins with powerful rail moves. Alone, save for the sealions and turtles watching him, Alexis has big trouble tearing himself away and it’s as the sun is falling that he finally comes back to land. We walk back through the bushes with the bright light of the moon to help us see, going back over all the memorable, unforgettable moments during this trip. Like the legend that is Charles Darwin, the Galapagos have made a deep impression on us, and their name is engraved for all time in our souls. SUP
