Scary moments on the Mentawai

Scary moments on the Mentawai

The Mentawai. The tropical islands in the Indian Ocean where every surfer dreams of going. With the most beautiful waves in the world! And I got the possibility to go there. Wowwww!! Isn’t that amazing.

But before I went there, I was going back and forward between my feelings of excitement and feelings of fair. ,,Don’t die out there, ok’’ a friend of mine said. ,,Please, be safe.’’ Two Australian guys, that I met on the island of Simeulue, made it worse. ,,Are you sure that you want to surf there? In the Mentawai you will only find heavy and nasty barrels. Are you up for that?’’

Because of all these comments I almost decided not to go, but Ian, one of the owners of a surfcamp on the Mentawai, convinced me to go after all. He said that besides the heavy reef breaks there, there are also more protected spots and that it would be fun to surf those waves.

Well, the travelling from the island of Simeulue to the most southern island of the Mentawai (Sibaru) was a nightmare. If you go travelling in Indonesia, don’t expect to travel easy and quick. It took me 2,5 days to get from Simeulue to the Mentawai. In short: one flight with a small propeller plane from Simeulue to Medan, a flight from Medan to Padang with a lot of waiting on the airport and 6 hours by boat to get from Padang (Sumatra) to Sikakap. Well, I sail catamarans in Holland, but I am not used to these kind of waves. Because of the bouncing and the turbulence of the boat I threw up 5 times and the most of the time between Padang and Sikakap I was lying flat on the floor of the boat. It was probably not in the best shape to arrive on the Mentawai but hey, I was there.

Eric, the other owner of the surfcamp, picked me up from the boat and he immediately showed me a good surf spot, called Roxies. Roxies is a fun and easy wave, but if it gets bigger than 6-8 foot its transforms in a heavy barrel. I decided to go for a surf anyway to experience my first surf session in the Mentawai. Well, it was good to be out there, but it wasn’t easy. The waves were pretty fast (closing out or just barrelling, just how you see it) and my weak condition after throwing up 5 times, didn’t make it any better. After another bumpy ride on Eric’s boat, I was glad to arrive on the small island, where his surfcamp was located.

Eric’s wife gave me a wonderful meal and I was happy with that. But then adventure for me begin. At least in my perception. The surfcamp is located on a small island, with nothing there but the surfcamp itself, which is made of 3 wooden huts and a kitchen. It is a beautiful place with palm trees, white beaches, a heavy surfbreak called thunders and a lot of jungle. It is beautiful, but personally I also found it a bit scary to be so far away from civilization. It takes 60 minutes to get from this island to Sikakap (the first real village), so if you need any medical help, you need to be sure that you don’t need it immediately. Eric is a smart guy and he is pretty handy guy, but I thought it was not a smart idea to be totally dependent of him.

They have built two beautiful huts on the island, where you can sleep in. The huts don’t have a real door though (only a net) and that made me think as well. There I was, lying on my bed, in a small hut with the jungle next to me. I am born and raised in Amsterdam (in Holland) and I am not used to the Indonesian jungle. How could I be sure that there weren’t any snakes that wanted to come in? Besides all the mosquitos which were present, I spent some time thinking about all the other animals that could come in. It was a beautiful hut, but I saw a rat passing by in my hut and my bag with valuable stuff was run over by ants. For a long time I couldn’t fall asleep. To be honest, I was too afraid to fall asleep.

I read for a couple of hours and in the end I called my best friend. I was crying! She told me that it would all be okay and said to me that I should do what was best for me. I gave it some thought and the next morning I decided that it would be better to find another place in Sikakap. Eric and his wife were very nice people, but I didn’t feel safe out there. Besides all their good efforts to make me feel at home there, I didn’t want to stay there. I did not want to be dependent on one person to get me in to safety when there was trouble. And I did not want to have to travel 60 minutes with a small boat to see a doctor. Besides all the animals, that was the main reason to leave. I felt bad for Eric and his wife, but I also felt that it was my own responsibility to feel safe.

After some searching I found a nice homestay called Oinan’s, which is located next to the river in Sikakap. They are still redecorating Oinan and it is not the most fancy place where you can stay in, but at least it was safe! Reno, the owner, and his dad are two lovely guys from the Mentawai, who immediately gave me a very warm feeling. They made me feel at home. Besides that it was also nice to have my own room (with a lock on the door) and to stay in the small local town called Sikakap.

On my next blog I will write about the surf in the Mentawai.

 

Surfing and exploring Simeulue

Balisurfergirls.com gave me the opportunity to spend a week at the Mahi Mahi resort at Simeulue. To spend a week in tropical paradise and to surf some of the best waves around! One word: wow! Imagine to wake up in an air-conditioned room to open the doors at your balcony and to look at one of the best surf breaks in the area.

In Holland we surf on cold, sloppy beach breaks and here I have the opportunity to surf in warm water of 28 degrees Celcius and to surf on some glassy, sometimes heavy reef breaks. And don’t forget the palm trees on the background or the white sand. It is pretty fun to be in the water and to have a view at the tropical forest when you are waiting for the waves.

This morning I got up early (around 07.00) and I was able to surf the break for myself for about 40 minutes. I was the only one to sit one the right handers and I was able to catch a few nice waves. Isn’t it amazing to surf in tropical water and to relax after that, while you are looking at the surf. After my surf I got a nice and healthy breakfast, which is served every morning by the crew of Mahi Mahi. Oatmeal- banana pancakes with fresh fruit (pineapple, papaya and water melon!) on top of it. With a fresh dragon fruit juice and a cup of tea aside. That is very fulfilling when you have just surfed for 2 hours.

The food at Mahi Mahi is amazing. Every morning, afternoon and evening they serve a great meal. With some nice nasi, chicken, fresh fish and fresh vegetables. You won’t be starving if you stay at the Mahi Mahi resort. Far from that! It’s so nice to get a good meal after a long surf. There is almost nothing better than that.

Besides from the surf we have also made a trip to the jungle. Together with two local guys and Alia, a girl from Hawaii, we went bird watching. We saw a few birds (a wood pecker), but for me, the most special were the trees. I have never been in a tropical jungle like that and it is definitely worth checking out. It’s so green! And you see so many different trees, flowers, butterfly’s and other animals! Did you know there’s more than one type of bamboo? I didn’t.

Besides the beautiful nature and the great surf you need to meet some of the local people of Simeulue. I can be hard to communicate with them if you don’t speak Indonesian. But with a few words, a nice smile and some gestures you come far! Especially the kids love to play with foreigners and if you walk around or make a roadtrip on your scooter along the coast you get a nice hello from everyone. At Simeulue there are no people who are trying to sell you something or at least they don’t hassle you. That makes it really easy to walk around here and to just enjoy your holiday.

 

The photo’s are made by : Matthews Alexander Williams & Natasha Smit

 

 

 

A challenge: surfing in Simeulue

Surfing on the island of Simeulue. It is fun, but it also a challenge. The first time surfing at the spot called ‘The Peak’, which is just in front of the Mahi Mahi resort, I just paddled around. The waves were pretty big and I didn’t wanted to get my ass kicked immediately. I first wanted to explore and see how the spot was working. To see where to be and where not to be and to see what to do if you get a big set on the head. What is the escape route and how do you get in and out of the spot? Without getting your feet scratched over the reef.

The next day was already much better. I surfed at the same spot again, but now I was doing much better. The waves were a little bit smaller, but still a solid two meter high. I was able to find my position and able to take two waves. One wave to the left and one wave to the right! That were only two waves, but I was happy! If you are surfing in waves that challenging, two waves can already be enough.

Being a girl and travelling out to an isolated destination like Simeulue can be interesting as well. Not only because it is a traditional muslim country and as a woman you are supposed to dress up decently. You have to cover your shoulders and you can’t wear short shorts. But it is also interesting because you need to handle yourself as a girl within a surf community that is full of guys. Most of those guys are really nice, but some of them can be a bit macho as well.

It is different to be a surfer girl than to be a guy. We don’t always like big waves and we don’t always like to get washed. But if you go to a place like Simeuleu, which is full of big waves, you need to handle yourself. Take care of yourself in and out of the surf. You need to be able to pick your waves and swim up when you get hold down. And take care of your feet when your scratched them across the reef. That’s where surfing in Simeulue is about! It is lots of fun and it is beautiful to surf on a tropical island, but it is also a challenge. So if you come here, you need to be ready for that!

Dreaming of Indonesia

For a long time I already thought about going to Indonesia. And not to Bali where everyone goes to, but to the other islands in the region. The Mentawai, Sumatra and Java.

I booked my flight to Jakarta already a while ago, but my whole trip was still a bit of blur. There are so many islands in Indonesia. How do you decide where you want to go? How do you know where it’s good to go to and which places you should avoid?The travelling itself is of course a nice journey, but the planning of this surf trip is an adventure itself.  A journey with ups and downs. With excitement about all the beautiful places where I want to go, but a few times I also got scared. I am going by myself and will it be safe to go there?How can a blond girl from Holland find her way around Indonesia? Without being hassled or getting into trouble?First, I bought the stormrider guide of Indonesia. Well, there are some beautiful pictures in there, but there are also so many spots to go to! Which spot is good and which is not? I don’t want to surf 8 meter high waves, because then I’ll just die. And a little bit of water instead of surfing at dry coral reef would be good as well. The storm rider guide is an amazing book, but there are too many options.

Second, I asked my Dutch and other international friends about the places that I should go to. Patrick Schmitz, a Dutch singer (you should check out his music: Pat Smith) and a former pro surfer, spent many winters in Indonesia and over a coffee he gave me a few tips about Indonesia. The few places on Java he mentioned were Batu Karas and Pacitan. Hmm, exciting! The photos look amazing. But he also warned me to be careful. Are you sure that you, a blond girl from Holland, want to travel there by yourself? Oh, he scared and inspired me on the same time.  Planning a surf trip to Indonesia can be difficult.Yannick de Jager, another Dutch surfer who was surfing the WQS, said that I should go to Sumatra and then more specific to Krui. Krui, is a small town in the south of Sumatra, where not many people go to. That sounds great. That’s the kind of place where I want to go. Not too crowded, not too many tourists, but still fun. I am going to put that place on my list!Then I started to talking to Alycia, an Australian friend of mine and she gave me another good idea. I should go to the Mentawai! Wow, can I afford that then? Aren’t those places crazy expensive? Well, she found a place called Southern Mentawai Outpost that I couldn’t resist. On the most southern island of the Mentawai there is a place called Sikakap and that’s where I will go though. No crowds, a wooden cottage on the beach and only a few people around. Wow, that’s looks amazing and I can’t wait to go there!

 Second, Emerald of Balisurfergirls got in contact with the Mahi Mahi surfresort on the Simeulue islands. Wow, this trip suddenly got better and better. A bounty island with palm trees, dolphins and the most amazing waves that you can ever imagine. I am already surfing for 16 years but I haven’t been to a place like that. Okay, I learned to surf on Kauai (Hawaii), but still. This looks amazing! I am going to be the luckiest girl in the world and have the best trip of my life.I got really excited from seeing all those photos and videos and I can’t wait to pack my bag and fly to Indonesia. After that I got my vaccinations and my medicines of course. It’s nice to travel to remote places like that, but you also need to take care of yourself.See you in the ocean!Natasha

Met een peuter surfen in Marokko