Back in BA

Reading over raps...

Marcitos playing Buenos Aires Blues...

My time in South America has definitely re-ignited my creative side, and almost everyday I find myself sketching, writing or jammin´ with various characters of the city. Hanging out with Cata´s younger brother Marcos (Marcitos) has been awesome as he is a talented, energetic young guitarist who plays in a real tidy sounding local band. After many jam sessions with maraccas, guitars, a djembe and Auzzie raps - we headed to a friend of his and recorded a song. It was a great experience recording in the middle of Buenos Aires, negociating the bars in Spanish and then relaxing with beers playing the track back with smiles and nods of approval all round.

Meandering away from Iquique, 24 hours of nothingness back to Santiago - I reflected warmly on my time in Chile. Many of the places I travelled to were refreshingly traditional with a strong native Indian look and influence still quiet prominent. The people were always welcoming and like Argentinians, really enjoyed the important little things in life. Also travelling the country - I was reminded of Che Guevara´s monumental journey and imagined how amazing it must of been winding through the rugged north on a motorbike and meeting the mistreated minors living and working in such harsh conditions. The areas of the north that we visited were actually owned by Peru and Bolivia in recent history however were won back in ongoing poolitical battles and wars. Eventually we zomby walked our way of the bus in the big smoke again - found a place to crash and wound down the day with a relaxing arvo skate.

Classic annoying urchin...
I always loved lounging in this little rock pool after a surf...
Me and my local mate...
Jimmy can´t hack it - or can he?


Crammed into a taxi on the search for waves...
ASADO!
The great lads from Uma Jaqi Hostel...

After our epic little camping adventure, we returned to the surf hostel to find smashed windows and holes and blood on the wall! Apparently the night we left a big group of football hooligans from santiago stayed over for a match. All was going sweet until younger members from the same side showed up and attacked the hostel because of a power struggle between old and young - IN THE SAME TEAM! Rocks were hurled through the front windows and one of the guys was slashed across the wrist - hence the blood. Everyone was a little shaken up - though all was forgotton when they put on a bitchen Chilean Asado that night. Wine and meat were consumed well into the night and later the beatbox and imaginary mic appeared and a dope Spanish and English freestyle session was underway.

Desert camping

Penguins in the impact zone...
Trying to fly...
Me floating...
Jimmy´s sneaky pit...

Surfing all day and jammin´all night...
A baby whale in the line up...




Jimmy eyeing off the asado...

Looking at the swell report, I noticed a couple of smaller days approaching - and I found out from some local boys in Iquique that there was a spot in the desert a couple of hours south that was great on smaller days. The very next morning we packed out tent, boards and many tins of tuna and headed into the dusty abyss. Jumping off the bus at the spot we were described, we lugged our boards, guitar and tent a couple of sweaty kms to the coast and set up camp on the beach. The scenery was out of this world, just our tent, towering volcanic mountains and nothing else.

I´v never felt so alone with the ocean that evening as we surfed surrounded by the vast frigid open ocean and desert - with no civilization in sight. We paddled over to a floating object in the water to find a dead penguin bobbing about - it was pretty creepy and I definitely had sharks on my mind...

That night just as our little fire produced its last snap, crackle and pop - a car came plowing out of nowhere and pulled up rite next to us. At first we were kind of paranoid of randoms showing up in the middle of the night and didn´t know what to make of our unexpected neighbors. After debating whether to say g´day, and then after an awkward "Hola, que onda..." we were soon best friends and they ended up feeding us delicious meats from a Chilean Asado they cooked up and plenty of beers and Pisco Sour (famous Chilean concoction). They turned out to be minors on their week off from Iquique, and the next couple of days it was nice to have some company in the water and at night around the fire...

We were spoilt for waves...
Out the front...

Northern Chile - Iquique

5.O...
My favorite...

Local blunt...
Jimmy reppin´the smith...
Local tre-flip...
Ham on the coping...

Jimmy and I really made the most of our time in Iquique and it wasn´t hard with a super fun ledgy A frame sitting rite under our noses and a yoga studio next door. The dusty coastal town is set at the base of towering red volcanic mountains that resemble landscapes from Mars. The mountains rise sharply almost 1km straight out of the deep Pacific Ocean. Despite the barren lifeless land, the ocean is teaming with life. Surfing in crystal clear water over a rocky reef we would commonly encounter curios playful seals, penguins and even a whale! The local crew were chilled out and seemed to be happy to share their waves with travelling surfers. When we weren´t riding waves, we were skating one of the biggest skate parks in South America or jovially cooking up feasts with the all Latin crew at the Uma Jaqi Hostel on the beach.

Chile

A desert town on the way up north...

Fat Boy Slim...

Resting in the afternoon with Los Andes in the background...
Ben Harper rockin´out...
Stoked!
Pre-festival...