I think we all know at least one person who, despite income, opportunity and age, hasn’t yet left the shores of their homeland. Admittedly Australia is a pretty freakin big homeland with plenty to see and do. That said, we do live in the era of mass transit and international tourism: Hell, you can get to Bali for $300 return! My brother: my older brother is one of those. He’s 48 and never left Australia. A Voyage Virgin?
Well, meet another former stay at home Aussie. Jay was 45 before his first international trip and it wasn’t Fiji or Bali that popped his cherry, it was South America.
I learned about Jay when the cheeky bugger contacted me to “sponsor” him with a free bag for a Windsurfing Competition, the Pacasmayo Classic in Peru. I obliged and sent him a Nomad Waxed Canvas shoulder bag in exchange for a story and a bag review. Behold, I got a story! And some pretty cool pics. But not much of a review. Read on to understand.
Jay is a keen windsurfer and connected to the local culture in NSW but as I quizzed him I discovered he was more committed to taking pictures than actually smashing waves. Say’s Jay: “I did go to [Pacasmayo to] compete but I’m not really into competition that much… I’m renowned for missing my heats due to being behind the camera taking photos or flying the drone.”
Well there goes our blow-by-blow account of the longest left-handed point brake in the world.
Pacasmayo is a city to the north of Lima which is the capital of Peru. According to many sources it has the longest wave in the world. Planet Windsurf described the wave as peeling for over 1 km, suggesting that surfer’s legs usually give out before the wave does.
But the attraction of South America extended beyond the ocean for Jay: “Amazing is all I can say. The country side the people the hospitality...It was all fucking mind blowing. I travelled from Australia to Chile on to Peru. I spent a brief moment taking in the busy city of Lima before heading to the far north and Pacasmayo. We covered many small villages in between. It was good for me, The simple life and pleasures of a country where you can still escape the hustle and bustle of the western world for days or weeks on end.”
“From massive mountain peaks and the scary skinny roads that snake them to the endless long waves of the ocean that meet the dry desert sands this trip was a pure cleansing of my soul.” Said Jay. Well said Jay.
Remember the first time you experienced another country? Admittedly South America has always been on my bucker list. A motorcycle tour perhaps?
And so I hear you asking, how did the Nomad Waxed Canvas fair in those loco South American conditions? Well..
“Sadly, it wasn’t all smooth sailing “ Jay sheepishly explained as I nagged him for his account of my bag (pun probably not intended). “I was robbed in the first week of my trip while on a stopover in Chile.”
The fuuu!?!
“Obviously someone else thought it was a nice bag as well. While in my possession it was a very functional bag for the purpose of traveling light. It was a great trip and the bag would have been perfect but unfortunately it did not work out that way.”
Well. It seems thanks to Jay my international distribution plans are underway.
Lucky for us Jay is a pretty dab hand at photography and he agreed to share some of his work with us. Enjoy.
The pool...This is was usually the first port of call after a sailing session. Recovery consisted of a swim to relax the mussels after a long day on the water, We’d normally grab a beer from the bar on the way past and watch the sunset as we relaxed.
"Tuk-Tuk...The Uber of Peru, They took us every where...Sometimes so over loaded with windsurfers, Surfboards and SUPs that we were left hanging from the sides like monkeys."
"Julieta was the much loved companion of Jamie, the owner of El Faro. She was such a friendly little pup and enjoyed affection from anyone that was offering."
"Just me having a cerveza after a big day of competition...And another sunset."
"The view back up the coast from the compound where we stayed. The lighthouse was our daily destination, The best waves and some treacherous rocks (hence the lighthouse) were found directly off the point from the lighthouse."
"The barbed wire while it may look garish and medieval exist from a time when Peru may not have been the safest place for people to visit. Not the case anymore, We felt totally at home and safe during our stay at El Faro Pacasmayo."
"Every day the sun just bursts through for some of the most epic sunsets I’ve ever seen. Most days finished with us enjoying the local cerveza and watching the sun go down from the resort compound."
"The colours of Pacasmayo Peru are just amazing in contrast to surrounding bleak desert. This door was a regular visit for us, Not an official restaurant but a friendly old lady that use to open up her kitchen on occasion and feed visitors like us amazing foods like fresh Ceviche."
"Pacasmayo is a traditional fishing village. This was a bit of a boat grave yard for the vessels that were no longer fit for sea...That said the ones that were fit for the sea weren’t all that much better though. Jokes aside they are out there everyday catching fish for their families and to sell in the local markets."
"Another sunset over the pool...I guess mother nature just makes up for it when the desert landscape is a little devoid of natural colour."
Hi, I’m 45, My camera is a Canon 7Dii with a 100-400 L series and I use a 1.4X with it also. The majority of my photography is windsurfing based...A few landscapes. I supply the majority of the photos for the NSW Wave sailing website/Facebook/Instagram and also for another Facebook page Gerroa Wave Sailors. I’m also a certified drone pilot, I’ve the Phantom 4 pro, Mavic pro and spark I also use the DJI Osmo for lifestyle type shoots.
Jason Hale
Got a unique travel story? Heading somewhere gnarly? Let me know. I'm keen to share your story.