We traveled to Jakarta and later to Padang (Sumatra) where we were greeted by the Australian from Tasmania Kent, one of the partners at the Macaronis Resort, and one of his staff from the resort.
They transferred us to the Bumiminang hotel where we waited a few hours before boarding the Ambu ambu ferry to Sikakap where we would take a “long boat”, boat similar to a long canoe with outboard engine and shaded area that would take us for another hour to the boat Laut India, propriety of Macaronis Resort.
After a little more than 24 hours between trips and connections we were finally accommodated on board the Laut India going to our first spot to be surfed on the Mentawais, Thunders.

Due to the fact that the swell was still very small on the area, my Australian friends Mark and Kent, owners of the Macaronis Resort, decided to put us first on the Laut India so we could surf at Thunders where the swell is always a bit bigger and check in at the Resort and surf Maccas and the spots on that area when the swell arrive two days later.
Definitely having the option of staying onboard of a boat even staying at the Resort is a card up in the sleeve that made the difference…not to mention that the Laut India is a boat really big, bigger than most of boats that operate on the Mentawais, has a navigating speed relatively fast and is very spacious and comfortable.

Onboard the Laut India there were already two guests of the Resort and all of us had private cabins with AC.
We stayed at Thunders only one day and surfed waves of 2 to 3 feet a bit inconsistent. At some point there was 7 boats anchored in front of the wave. On the following day we surfed on the morning and as many other boats pulled anchor just after lunch...

After almost 3 hours traveling we were arriving at Macaronis where we stayed until the end of the trip.
We surfed almost daily perfect waves between 2 to 3 feet with some bigger sets sometimes...the condition was perfect on most times with most of the days glassy with no winds at all or a light offshore breeze until mid day...

On the 26/5 we surfed the best day of the trip…3 to 4 feet waves gave us tubes and many sections for top turns from early morning until late afternoon without a break...it was kind of weird observe such perfect conditions during all day and sometimes it was funny to ponder about some comments made during the day…
“The surf is too crowded” (there was about 15 guys in the water, usually was never more than 10 but a third boat arrived...)
“Now the wind is on...” (After all morning with a light offshore breeze stopped by many moments of a perfect glassy condition with no wind at all, at around 1 pm a light breeze side shore started to blow making the tubes more difficult; now the waves only provided little tight barrels and top turns on the lip, about ten per wave…)
“Later will get better again” (like it will get on a scale from 1 to 10 about 9 or 10 and not only a 7)

This was the reality we lived during our stay, it was like in a dream to surf such perfect waves all day long and end the day surfing in front of a paradise island with another red and orange sunset in the sky behind the palm trees to then go and eat like kings and finally go back to the comfort of our villas with AC, hot water Jacuzzi and cable TV to check the internet with the commodity of the Wifi signal inside our bungalow to do all over again tomorrow...

On one of the days when the swell had dropped off considerably, Me, Rosaldo and Rob went to check the local village, located at about 20 minutes by boat going trough a labyrinth of trees and swamps where salt water crocodiles live amongst other local creatures from the area...

On this visit we had the chance to witness how the local people live and we’ve met the owner of the land where Macaronis Resort sits today. It was impressive the contrast of seeing, on the place where live such a primitive people, lost in time and space, last generation equipment for earthquakes and tsunamis watch, fixed on the top of the mountain by the American government, connected by satellite to transmit signals in case of any kind of phenomenon of this kind happen.

Unfortunately for me, now the adventure is over.
The Internet shows again a swell of medium intensity on the horizon for Tuesday and Wednesday next week and Rosaldo and Robbie have already extended their trip. I unfortunately have responsibilities on Bali that I cannot delay and the work calls me back.
A lot of clients of Bali Surf Connection are scheduled to arrive on the island this week, besides my girlfriend and her family.
I hope that Rosaldo and Robbie close their trip with a big score and get even more waves to we already had together. Now in the company of Rosaldo’s really good friend, the Brazilian surfer Pedro Muller that is one of the best surfers ever from Brazil and just showed up on the Mentawais on a boat and should also score this next medium swell that is looking perfect.

I wish you all good luck and that Huey deliver good barrels on this week that follows. I will follow everything from Bali, and who knows, I might take a little escape to Desert Point for one or two days.
I’m not made of steel…

I leave here registered my special thanks to Mark and Kent from Macaronis Resort, also to Sony and all the staff of Macaronis Resort that have helped one way or another to make this dream come true.