Well not much has changed since I was here last year except that they now have an Internet cafe and also 3G wireless for mobile technology. Prepaid chips for a Blackberry are about $3.00 in Santiago or Panama City, and you get free data for a month included. Buy a couple of $10.00 prepaid cards and you should be set as international calls are about $0.15 a minute...and why would you be calling home anyways?
I stayed at the Buena Vida Hotel again, and owners Mike and Michelle (and their son Zack) were awesome hosts. Elaina from Oregon was also working the hotel, and always had a smile, even at 7am in the morning when they open for breakfast. Really, they have the best breakfast in town, an a three egg omelet with two pieces of toast will cost $5.00
I ate at Jammin’ Pizza, Los Pibes and Donde Viancka over the course of the nights I spent here this time. Dinner without alcohol should not cost you more than $12 including an appetizer. My favorite was Donde Vianckaa which is owned by a beautiful surfer names Bianca, who makes a wicked hot sauce that is a natural accompaniment for the ceviche.
They now have a surf shop (Surf and Shake) too owned by a couple of really friendly German girls, and it has some cool stuff in it. And they sell shakes / smoothies. Get your dings fixed by Carlos...he is great. You can find him on the first right up the hill.
The surf this time around was big. The Point was overhead, and there were some big close out sets...not fun when you are being rolled over a reef. There were never more than a dozen people out, and ten of them were posing. I never understand why people even paddle out into hairy shit if they aren’t going to go for it.
Over the course of the week, I took a couple of double overhead waves at the point, but had more fun on the inside hitting the corners and rolling our left into the open water. Probably got 5 waves to everyone else’s 1 that way...hehehe.
Estero (the rivermouth) was also big this week, but was closing out. It was a bitch to paddle out through the white water, and then get caught in the south ripping current which took you towards Punta Brava. However, there were great waves...I took some from right outside on lefts into the dry sand...talk about a ride that lasts 30 seconds. Your legs feel like jelly afterwards.
Get here soon before this place gets busy...Santa Catalina, Panama, will be hosting the 2010 ISA World Masters Surfing Championship. For more information about the 2010 ISA World Masters Surfing Championship, go to the official website: http://www.isasurf.org/events_WMSC10.php
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