In a week-long trip to the Canary Islands in order to learn how to surf, I went by a lucky acquaintance with CanarySurf. Once, as I do, the guys were in this part of the world for the first time, and now safely say that surfing has changed their life. That took away with them from there I (except for souvenirs and bruises), describe a series of articles under the code name "Surf".
It all started with Gran Canaria.
The first meeting
From the plane island looked like a patchwork blanket-gray-greenish-yellow shades. Friendly driver of surf schools in the car which turned out to Wi-Fi, candy and treated briefly in an unknown Spanish I described the neighborhood on the way. Right flashed ocean, forest yacht spiers, mountains, beach with volcanic boulders.
School OceanSide, in which I was to learn, is located near the beach. Its founder and owner Sergio Alvarez warmly greeted us at the door, spoke about the schedule of classes and surf House. Near a beautiful and sturdy Jack Russell Terrier with a calm and confident look, obviously peeped from the owners demeanor - walked the paving slabs. However, my opinion was drawn to the ocean and the black beach sand with volcanic grit. Time to get acquainted with the ocean has not yet come, first surf lesson was appointed only for the evening. But the sound of the ocean, and, judging by the waves, a difficult character, manifested clearly and immediately.
House for surfers
Friendly Surf House La Ventura Azul is a ten minute walk from the school along the waterfront, right in front of the ocean. Entrance from the street in a high narrow white door. Surf House is organized by type Hostel: rooms with two double beds, shared a spacious kitchen, lounge. Multi-level layout, white walls. Drawings, tables, maps, pamphlets help navigate the island and in the rules of living together, which I must say, invented quite logical. Each bed is assigned a number, which corresponds to its own shelf in the bathroom and closet in the kitchen - not to be confused and not to transfer products vain. Rubbish, of course, divided by type, numerous reports tell of the cheapest and best supermarkets, fun clubs are asked to economize on water and promise a pizza at the end of the week for the best photo of the surf-house, laid out on facebook.
The main advantage of home - a terrace overlooking the ocean. On it the comfy sofas under a canopy, tables, everything you need for a barbecue, crazy pictures on the walls and even a shower. From the terrace with ocean views, mountainous outlines of the island, endless sky. Guest House is a special place in the evening after a hard emotions and physical activities of the day you realize how you were here by chance, as cleverly and accurately converge and intersect human history and how incomparable ocean.
Islanders
Such thoughts ideal medium + 22 ° C all year round and the air with the smell of salt water will inevitably affect the residents of Gran Canaria. One gets the impression that somehow miraculously gathered here the most beautiful, smart people in the world. Although special signage or face-control at the customs of the island I have not noticed. Tanned and happy are the elderly in the morning doing exercises, wheelchair users comfortably move around the city. And one look at them gives life here special significance, and even significantly. Strikes and the number of runners - in sportswear with special lotions, simple T-shirt and shorts, singly and in groups, on the beach and along the seafront, in the morning and in the evening - running in Gran Canaria is the same familiar phenomenon of graffiti on buildings, street sculpture, the sound of waves and surfing. And along with these sports on the island of common cycling, rock climbing and golf.
Ocean: love at first touch
A feature of the Canary Islands is that the tides are occurring at shorter cycle times, every six hours. Wave is almost always. Over time, it becomes clear how much detail and subtleties necessary to consider going into the water with the board, how long and patiently need to sharpen attention, watching the wind and the movement of waves, set your body on a daily accomplishments. While I knew just what to come to a lesson I need 5.
Deciding to go surfing, I honestly urged himself that:
- ocean for me is not just strange, and not my element (horoscope Taurus I, and the sea for the first time, having already been in a very conscious age);
- I do not know how to dive, do not like and I am afraid that the water gets into the nose;
- can not imagine what kind of sport.
But it did not have absolutely no value, and changed quickly and dramatically.
On the first surfing lessons all for me was the first time - the ocean, wetsuit, board, word paddle («pull»), which will become an indispensable party to all the conversations during your stay in the Canary Islands. Black volcanic crumbs from the beach turned out to be hot, and wetsuit comfortable, but on the banks of the hot. Warm-up was fairly simple, and the sequence of movements - understandable. And under the cheerful voices of teachers (almost all the students were in class for the first time) I went into the ocean. How it seemed to me that day? Warm, restless, strong, charged, salt, sand (because I tumbled like laundry in the washing machine) and completely incomprehensible.
In general, everything was going well (or must be). See wave gently lie down on the board, rowing, rowing, rowing, look at wave one-two-three - get up and going. It is clear - nothing. On the second day I had to work on his two errors - try to keep the board clear perpendicular to the shoreline and do not forget to look back on a wave. Instead learned sticks to wave - what are they beautiful and different! For carelessness ocean water washed my nose, eyes, ears. Oddly cheers me Instructor: Let's go, Anastasia! - Hit him with their achievements did not happen. Board tolerated me as she could, but still at the end of classes cracked chin. Tomorrow should be better!
Other surf lessons in Gran Canaria conducted teacher Manolo talking about himself in the third person. Initially seemed strict, but in the process was very helpful. Taught: "There is no rowing - no waves." Began to turn up on the foam, but not every time. Seeing my dissatisfaction, Manolo said: "The problem is not in the body, and in your head." By the end of the exercise a bit tired, the board cracked me again, this time on the head - do not be lazy! Hola!
Bruises were everywhere: on the hips - because wearing the board, on the legs - the tricks of the water after failing to stand up to his chin. But over time, it becomes clear ocean. During surfing endless thoughts in my head will inevitably disappear. Listen to the ocean, find common language with him, struggling, sometimes - obey. It is important to respect the element, but perhaps more importantly - themselves. Surfing helps to become stronger, freer, integrity, without excess, a. Ocean does not make a call anyway - it does not accept the falsehood, pounded into flour petty little thoughts to him indifferent. You and he - is the interaction force is not so much physical as a vital, living energies of the two. To speak with the ocean in the beautiful and equal match, you need to be easy, calm and attentive.
Indeed, the only only when the usual swirl of thoughts and questions in my head subsided and was replaced by the silence that accompanies contemplation, I have started to turn up on the board, control it, direct, stronger bending the knees, roll on foam residues waves to the shore. And to believe that anything is possible.
Simple food
All classes, except the first, begins at ten in the morning, and charge obtained from the ocean, enough for a whole day. By the evening of the same will certainly come pleasant fatigue, justifying mantra surfers: eat, sleep, surf.
What about food, generous island on fresh seafood, meat, vegetables and fruit. On the streets of Gran Canaria mass establishments for all tastes and supermarkets. Best surf was healthy and simple food, the one that gives strength: grilled fresh fish, seafood soup, tuna sandwich, fruit. Many of them are locally produced, such as papaya (my first and unforgettable). Generally selckoe farm in Gran Canaria is the second most important after the tourism sphere of the economy, in which I found on a tour of the island.
Gran Canaria - second Pandora
Smooth plateau with banana trees (some of mysterious boxes that are visible from the aircraft) at different altitude levels scattered across Gran Canaria - this told Thomas, owner of surf house La Ventura Azul, showing courtesy to our request, the island as it he sees it.
Canary Islands - an ideal place for surfing, for the simple reason that there are a lot of spots and they swing all year round. Along part of the northern coast, which we drove by car for ten minutes, settled for more than ten places for skiing, for which the boys drool. Most of them are suitable for advanced surfers, but there are simpler. On one of the beaches you study groups of students who came from the south of the island, where at this time of the year the ocean is too calm to exercise.
An important point in our tour was the national reserve Azuaje, who presented the Gran Canaria as a unique place on the planet. We drove up to the entrance of a serpentine, and was the first discovery of a stream of fresh water. He called the wild delight of the children, but, honestly, it was no different ordinary streams near Moscow. On the other hand, just imagine, not all of the Canary Islands boast sources of fresh water, and here - the stream! The reserve also make unique flora from different climatic zones, rare species of mosses and lichens, plants, endangered and endemic species. Azuaje welcomes guests ruined hotel with rooms right in the mountains, it was the first hotel on the island, and huge eucalyptus trees. Landscapes that are disclosed to the travelers on, can only be compared with footage from the film "Avatar" - so they are not real.
Pulsation of life
The next stop was one of the spots we saw on the way. As a newcomer, I took a seat among the observers to warm volcanic stones, while serious surfers wave took away. Watch was interesting and useful: it was seen as a form, how high will the wave length of which will hit a set (three waves or more). Meanwhile, seething life on earth: water was rolled on the sand, turning it into a mirror in which to admire the sky. For this pristine smooth surface squatting next to a young mother trotted child, they were waiting for the father-surfer, face off against the elements. A number of other women, leaving older children in a natural way with the borders of the formed pool of stones, to give the waves. Proudly enters the water, dive under the meter waves and, apparently, were absolutely happy. In all of this could be heard breathing life itself, the primordial power.
Having seen striking paintings was delicious island drink wine with traditional tapas (snacks) in a restaurant where fine roared Spanish family, celebrating an anniversary, and take the ferry to meet with the next part of the planned Surfing & Night parties in the Canary Islands. Canary Surf Adventures - Lanzarote.
In parting, Gran Canaria gave vigorous performances of street musicians and incredible moon and the night 7-hour drive - it just so happened - and symbolic eternal song of Louis Armstrong.