Recco Surf Festival 2015

I had a great weekend with Marco and Luca. We travelled from Rome to Recco last Friday night for six hours by car just to be ready for one of the best surf event in the Peninsula. The recco Surf Festival 2015 sponsored from Reef.
Thanks to my shaper Redz, to my great friends and to my family who support me in this competition.
I got the 8th palce. I know that is no the best placement ever but anyway I am proud of me.
Stay tuned and enjoy the moment!

Gopro Srilanka

Gopro Surf Sperlonga - Italy

SRILANKA BY TUK TUK - 2nd PART

DAY 10

Some loud black birds woke me up at 6 am. I had a quick breakfast with black tea, some fruits and banana cookies. I knocked at the Janaka's room where he was taking a shower and we decided to go straight to the Main Point. From Mid Bay resort I could see some great waves breaking on the reef. I was very excited!

DAY 11  (; (; (;

6 am Main Point, 6ft glassy, some sections of the waves were barreling...I got the best surf session of the holyday. 

Later I planned to go to Monaragala, because on Sunday there is the biggest market of the week.

With Janaka, Patrizia and Sahar, two girls that I met on the beach we left from Arugam Bay at 11 am by tuk tuk.

The atmosphere in the tuk tuk was crazy, just have a look of some pictures to realize what we did in the tuk tuk!!

- Sahar , bs, Patrizia -

- No woman no cry -

- rastaman -

- more fun -

The temperature was extremely hot, around 34°C, we walked in the local market of Monaragala. I noticed that we were the only tourist around there. anyway we bought some fruits, candy, sarong and 30 beers (in Monaragala beers are cheper than in arugam Bay). Patrizia is a professional photographer (http://www.patriziagapp.com/) and the market captured her soul for several hours. She is lovely when she is at work!

- Patrizia http://www.patriziagapp.com/ -

 

Janaka called his brother that he lives in Monaragala. He arrived in the market by a nice black motorbike. It was the second time in my trip that I met this guy.

His name is Damayanthi, he is very kindly and quiet guy, he is working in a pumpkin plantation located in the forest of Monaragala. He is married with a beautiful girl and they have two daughters.

We were looking for some relax and cooler place. Janaka organized to swim in the jungle river. He told us that it's a place only for local people...but we were with Janaka and his brother, so we didn't have to care about that. From the market we drove fro 15 minutes in the jungle side. We parked the tuk tuk and the motorbike in front of a house where two old guys with sarong was sitting outside. We walked down the hill that was completly in the jungle with very high trees and without any kind of path. 

We finally arrived at the river, it was small with little waterfalls, the water was cold and the rocks very slippery. Everybody helped eachothers to walk up in the river. we found two nice, confortable and natural pools where we spent several hours. After the high temperature in the market, it was almost unbeliveble touch that fresh water, it was the paradise!

This river is one of my favourite place that I discovered in Srilanka!

- meditation -

- natural pool -

We recived and invite for dinner from Damayanthi. It was so nice experienced one more time the local food at his house. We bought some rise, tuna and beers. When we arrived was around 7 pm, his daughters were at school. after a couple of hours they arrived at home and they were so happy to see me again. I presented them some candy and sute hair clips. they also teached me a local dance that they lernd at school, it was very funny dancing with them.

Patrizia and Sahar were very excited for the experience of the market, the river and the dinner.

I was very exticed too because it was a wonderful day.

- Janaka and Patrizia -

DAY 12

Sonia is a new guest of the Mid BAy resort. She is arrived today and she got the cabana in front of me. she comes from germany and she travel alone in Srilanka. I talked with her just to be nice, and we palnned to go out for dinner with some my other friends.

I went to surf at Main Point.

Unfortunatly today I cutted my feet with reef when I was surfing at Main Point. Sam, a local surfer, put some lemon on the cut and it was so burning. he told me that is a natural medicine that kill all the bacteria of the reef. 

Days going by fast in Arugam Bay and the 14 days I was ready to say goodbye to the magic bay. There I met some great people, I share some great moments with them, I had fun, I was very happy. 

Driving back to the south make me sad, because I knew that the flight was a few days later.

I spend 3 nights in Ahangama, at the White House Villa. The village of Ahangama is where Janaka comes from. I spend a couple of days with his three children and his wife. We went to visit the tea plantation, the gems factory and we did some othere experience toghether. One of the best was the Full Moon Festival!

- Buddhist temple -

- Janaka's children -

- Full Moon Festival -

Thnaks to Janaka and all his family around Srilanka. I love you so much!

Here you can find some info if you would like to travel with the best tuk tuk driver od Srilanka

Mr. JANAKA

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Srilanka-Tuk-Tuk-Surf-Safari/473378092793399

SRILANKA BY TUK TUK

17 days in Srilanka - 1700 km by tuk tuk!!

surf, safari, friends, beers....

this is one of the most crazy road trip I ever experienced!

tuk tuk trip map: https://goo.gl/maps/1WIuO

- 1700 km by tuk tuk -

Two my great friends from Rome, Marco and Enrico travelled to Srilanka on February 2014. They told me that it was  a magic place to discover, with great waves, sweet local people and parties.

I decided to book just the flight ticket, without any other plans on where to sleep or where to go..I just had the expectation that it would be a great holiday.

Enrico suggested me to call Janaka. 

Janaka is a tuk tuk driver from Ahangama, one of the village that tsunami hitted in 2004. He is a great guy, with a big heart, always ready to help me in every situations as my brother.

He lives in a jungle side of Ahangam, 10 minutes driving to the beach, he is married with a beautiful girl from Monaragala and he has 3 children.

- Janaka and boys -

Flight: Rome Rome to Colombo, 9 hours direct flight by Srilanka Airlines (480,00 euro).

From Colombo airport to Ahangama by private bus with A/C  (68,00 euro)

DAY 1

The 2nd of May I landed in Colombo at 5:00 am, Janaka waited me at the airport where he picked me up with one friends.

After the first step outside from the airport I realized that I was in paradise, the temperature was around 27°C.

2 hours driving on the highway with one stop for a cup of tea and my first egg roty (a kind of local bread with eggs, very tasty). We arrived in Weligama where Janaka knew the owner of the White House Villa. It's a quiet place with wifi, there is a big square garden with pom trees in front of the ocean. There weren't any other guests, becasue the rainy season was starting. They served the best breakfast I ever tried in Srilanka and the people who worked there were amazing and avaible for any of my requests.

- White house villa - 

- Welingama view -

At 10 am I was surfing in Merissa bay, this is a point break with an heavy right hand, the water was very warm and the sun so strong. I had a beer on the beach and I talked with some local beach boys. Everybody were of the same opinion, the waves season was almost ended. With Janaka, we went to Marish restaurant, a local palce where only men was drinking and eating.

The wave conditions was not the most perfect and in the afternoon the wind becomes very noisy. I decided to spent only one night in the south coast and moving to Ella the day after.

I planned with Janaka the road where was possible looking for some interesting temples, waterfalls and he told me..no problem my friend, tomorrow we are leaving at 5 am by tuk tuk.

I asked, Tuk tuk? Janaka are you kidding me, it's too far!!...this is the begin of our crazy and unforgettable experience!

DAY 2

direction to the hill country, 5 hours driving by tuk tuk. Along the road after a couple of hours, we were in Wellawaya where we met a friend of Janaka. This guy lives in a small house, in the middle of a jungle. The people of the small village were surprised to see a white man in that area. We smooked all three togheter, I tried also a locald leave mix with tobacco. Usually local use to chew it to don't feel hungry and tiredness when their working for long time. 

We were back on the road to Ella, where there are the highest waterfall of Srilanka. 

The first sight it's very impressive, all around me was sourrounded by the forest, the air was fresh and the silent was immense.

I exchanged one euro with a local guy who collect coins from different country with some precious stone. It was an interesting exchange of our different cultures.

- Ella waterfall -

Two more hours driving where I fall to sleep in the back side of tuk tuk. Janaka provided me a pillow to be more confortable, we carried juice, mango, water and cigarette. 

Finally we arrived in Monaragala where we visited the beautiful statue of Buddah. This area is very famous for gems where turists can buy them in specialized shop located in the center.

We met two of his brother in love, one is the owner of a little guest house in Monaragala with 4 rooms, where I spent one night and the other guy is working in a pumpkin plantation.

We had dinner at his family house, where the wife prepared a local meals with rise, chicken curry, boiled potatoes, green beens with a special souce and fish curry. It was very interesting looking how they made the dinner, in the kitchen there were a fire place with a candle to made light in the small room.

This family has two daughters 4 and 9 years old. I present them some chocolate and their were very excited. I feel myself as never before, just with their smiles and happyness I understand what means the value of the family.

- family in Monragala -

DAY 3

I set the alarm at 6:30 am, final destination Pottuvil where is famous for surfing. It takes not more than 2 hours. We were looking for rooms where we could stay for a week. In Arugam Bay there are different kind of resorts, guest houses, apartments, some of them were not very clean, some without wifi, or hot water or A/C.

I decided to settle in Mid Bay guset house, a clean room with separate bathroom, cold water and a nice garden. The owner is very friendly and honest.

- Mid Bay guest house -

Ther is one surf spot in front of the guest house, it's a beach break with a powerfull and fast right hand.

I was surfing this spot all afternoon, where I met some other guys from Germany and one girl from Australia. Everybody wa surfing and they were very friendly.I had a lot of fun!

I spent 9 nights in Arugam Bay, where usually I surfed at the Main Point. It is a right hand reef break, long riding, some times barreling, in the afternon from 1pm till 5pm usually windy but with a great glassy sunset session!

Not far from the Main Point there are some easy beach breaks good also for beginners like Baby Point, Whisky Point, Peanut Farm and Okanda beach.

  

In Arugam Bay the high season that is one good for surfing starts on May until October, where usually the swells are more consistent.

After dinner around 10 pm I went to a party organized at Whisky Point, where a cuople from Santa Monica, California, that I met on the beach in the morning invited me. I had some good fun with friends but around 2am a group of local guy a little bit drunk cames from the beach and fighted on the dancehall with some other local guys. Any tourist was involved in the fight but it was very scary,

The day after party I had one late surf session in Peanut Farm where I met one girl. She is Jenny, a acrobatic yoga teacher that convinced me to join a class of yoga the morning after. It was an incredible expericence, at 9:30am the lesson started with a class of 5 people, 90 minutes very intense for the body and a good exercise for realaxing.

- Arugam Bay -

- Okanda -

DAY .... coming soon!

GAETA - ITALY

- Luca and bs -

Last Friday night for the second time in two weeks the forecast said that a strong wind from SE was coming and was ready to generate a good swell.

I studied the maps with Luca a few days before. The swell was consistent but the wind blowed strong especially along the north coast of  Rome. We decided toghether that was better follow the direction to the south of Italy, where two weeks ago we found great conditions for surfing.  

Not far from Sperlonga we drove 5 km more to the south and after passed two tunnels we was finally on the long beach enclosed between two big mountains that it calls Gaeta.

- Gaeta - 

There are three different place where you can surfing on this beach, two of them are close to the rocks located at the ends of the bay where the bottom is very shallow. There are also some peaks in the center of the bay where the bottom is sandy, anyway the quality of the water is great.

- bs -

- Luca -

- bs -

 Keep in touch guys, I cross my finger for the next weekend, and I am praying for another great surfsession!

SPERLONGA - ITALY

Hey guys I had a great days with some friends not far from Gaeta.

I want to talk about this part of the coast located in the south of Rome, because it offers great beaches and point breaks for surfing. It recives swell from S and SW and with the wind from N and NE you can ride some very good waves.

From the center of Rome we drove by car for 200 km to the south and we followed the Pontina street until Sperlonga.

- checking the spot - 

The 5th January Luca called me and he said, 'Diego let's go to Gaeta, down there tomorrow there will be 2 meters!'

I just called some other friends and the morning of the 6th January 2014 the crew was ready for the first surf trip of 2014.

Luca and Sara (photographer), Alberto, Natalia, Anna and Bs, two cars, 4 surfboards, one camera.

We were ready for a great day!!!

- bs -

We arrived in Sperlonga around 11 am, the day was sunny and the temperature outside was 16°, After the small village of Sperlonga we had the first sight of the ocean. Luca was the first to say 'Diego there are good waves, I told you yestarday yeahhhhhhhhhhh!, he was very excited and make me very happy. Also other girls from Russia enjoyed the aloha spirit that he spread out. 

- Luca -

We checked the first beach were waves were quite big and clean, the water was green and it wasn't too crowded. After a fast briefing we decided to go more to the south for 20 km along the coast until the first beach of Gaeta. This spot calls Serapo, but unfortunatly the bay didn't work very good with the wind from N, so we drove back to the first beach break in Sperlonga. In the car I felt good vibes from the guys, everybody was ready for a great surf session!

  

- bs -

- Sara -

All guys was surfing and chilling all day long in front of the camera of Miss Sara, who took great pictures to the crew. I appreciated the spirit of this young girl to share her passion of love and ocean, I want say thanks to Luca and Alberto for this unforgettable days because you guys are a part of my life and I want just say to Natalia and Anna that you are great surfers!!!

- 

- Natalia & Ann -

- Alberto & surfer girls -

See you guys for the next sweel!