Surfing Ayampe Day 2

I'm burnt, battered and bruised. The waves were big again today. Probably 5-7 feet. I got crushed in the morning around 10:30. I went back to the hotel after two hours of being mangled and had a sandwich. One of the most delicious sandwiches I've ever had actually. In fact, it was the same double stacker from yesterday. (see Day 1) Everyone was gone from the hotel. It was just me, my Dad and Ivan, the friendliest maintenance guy and cook you could ask for. I got a bit depressed thinking that Keith had taken the rest of the gang to a spot that was more suited for beginners (which I am) and after a couple hours, I decided to just take the board back out and try to find a better suited spot. Well, the tide started coming in and the wind started picking up, which made for poor surfing conditions no matter how good you are. I sat there on the beach, examining the rocks that were strewn across. I was paying close attention to their colors and textures and feeling the surfaces and wondering where they came from. Volcanoes I presumed. I found chunks of grayish-black clay twice the size of my head. Where did that come from? As the tide was coming in, I noticed swift movement from a bright red object out of the corner of my eye. Scanning the beach, I saw a crab leer out of it's hole, it's body half way in and half way out. I took a step towards it and it retreated immediately. It's lanky claws moving in fluid motion.  It was aware of me, and it was being very cautious. I sat down for a few minutes and the whole gang surfaced from their hideaways. They began scouring the beach, eating miniscule things from the sand. I felt happier seeing these crabs coming out together, right on schedule. It made me appreciate the instinctual nature of these timid creatures. I noticed that there were small holes surrounding the area where I was sitting, more crab chambers. They weren't going to come out as long as I was sitting there, so I got up and left to give them their peace. Walking down the beach, I saw Adam with his surfboard. I followed him to a spot where he was about to get in. I met up with him and another guy, Chris, who was also staying at the hostel. Adam went out and I talked to Chris for a few minutes before going out myself. The wind had calmed down and the sets were rolling in nice and smooth. I got into position with very little trouble and waded until I saw a wave that I wanted. "Here it comes, HERE IT COMES!" I paddled intensely as if trying to escape from some shadowy figure in a nightmare. Just when I thought to stand up, the wave rolled right under me. Timing is everything. I turned around, and there was a monster coming right at me. I had a second to inspect it and then I discovered that it was thinning out on top and I was in the perfect position, not to ride it, but rather, for it to break right on top of me. And that's what it did. It smashed me down, swallowed me up and spun me around. Then it seemed like wave after wave, relentlessly crushing me. Finally I got a break, but realized I was headed straight for a group of trees which were now beginning to have their trunks submerged in the incoming tide. "I have to get out of here now!", I thought. The waves pushed me closer and closer to the the gnarled branches and the current trapped me into that same position. I thought, "One more set of waves, and I'm crab food." The first wave of a new set came and it knocked me off the board. I extended my legs in search of the sandy ground, but instead I was met with a sharp, intense pain that started in the backside of my thigh and shot up into my back. A cramp. A massive, horrible, nearly crippling cramp. A moment of sheer panic at the thought of not being able to use my leg took over my mind. I found the sanity to take a deep breath before the next wave however. It barreled into me, hurdling me forward at a great speed. As I fought to divert my crash course with destruction, I felt the soft, sandy bottom below me. Hope was restored! Now it was time for my escape. I treaded as hard and as fast as I could, trying not to focus on the pain in my leg. The second and third waves came in, however, decreasing in power as I got closer and closer to the shore and away from those razor blade branches. I stepped on shore, a few feet from the trees, and thanked the world for having an ounce of pity on me. I stretched my legs, took three deep breaths and headed back to the hostel. Tomorrow's another day.