We weave our way through some back streets then onto a main road rammed full of stands, stalls and all sorts of little shops. The whole place seems calm and friendly so we explore a bit. A little further on we go into a restaurant that Danny’s dad had highly recommended. The kitsch décor is in total contrast to the quality of the cooking and their claim to make the best “ceviche” on the island. We’re huge fans of this south American soup made of raw fish marinated in lemon juice, enjoying it to the very last drop
and we can confirm that the boast is totally merited. Washed down with a local beer, “Club” or “Endemica” and a handful of banana chips, we’re refreshed and restored with the fuel we need to tackle the rest of the day.
In fact we’d planned to head over to the other side of the bay to carry on enjoying the great swell and the wind, still blowing off-shore. After 20 minutes’ walk to help lunch digest, and despite the tide being still quite high as we arrived, some big left sets were rolling in in threes and fours, connecting up with a nice, hollower inside all the way to the end of the rocky point. As he watches a handful of sealions gracefully riding the waves in their inimitable style, Alexis is clearly motivated to join them, waiting for the right moment to launch from a rock ledge jutting out. He quickly works out the wave from the peak, then rides some long lefts as a few locals join him on the water. The vibe is cool, and with a little patience Alexis finds some more lefts perfect for some long sequences of backside reos all the way to the end, 300 meters further on. Paddling back out he shouts encouragement to the others, everyone getting the max from these optimum conditions for surfing.
