Indonesia May of 2008. Text and photos - Alê Villas Boas and Marina Bucoff

To celebrate the vacation nothing like leaving Brazil on the 1st of May, holiday of the WORK DAY. After the exhausting trip of some days via Frankfurt, Qatar, Singapore and finally Denpasar on the island of Bali, Indonesia. We were nicely welcome on the Puri Uluwatu with barbecue, caipirinha and other drinks and a truly Brazilian vibe, by no more no less than Steve (in charge of the barbecue), Nyoman (doing the PR) and Ketut Ronald doing the caipirinhas. More than a welcome drink, a welcome party!

The surf at Uluwatu on the first two days was small, but consistent and regular on the right tides. On the third day the swell arrived with full power exactly as predicted on the forecast but with a not so regular formation but still providing excellent moments with pictures of some pros riding some stand up barrels at TEMPLES (hand on the roof), Brazilian colleagues swept to Padang, others loosing the cave’s entrance and having to go all around again going back to to the main peak to try again. Lifeguards on full alert indicated the best option, to go back and try again or Padang (1,5 Km from there).

Before leaving to the Mentawais we enjoyed various tourist routes such as visit to Temples, shopping and gastronomic tour including lobsters at an excellent restaurant at Jimbaran, following the tips of our veteran friend and neighbor Josil Mandacaru.

One week in Bali completed it was time to take of to the Mentawais, our real goal. The schedule is to live Denpasar by plane to the city of Padang with a connection in Jakarta. Here we blew it and forgot our tripod in the plane but thanks to the airline crew effort we got it back later.

Arriving in Padang we were greeted by the Macaronis Resort’s team to take us by car to the city harbor where the Ambu-ambu ferry takes off.

It was predicted to spend the night with the duration of 12 hours but a wind on the nose delayed our arrival in two hours. The vibe inside is horrible for people who made this trip as a couple which was our case. But Marina held together and understood that this was part of the passport to paradise. The end of the day that we watched was already giving signs that what we would see would be worth this extra effort.

Joined us Sérgio (Brazilian from Floripa), Mark (California), Alex (England), The Resort’s manager Kent (Tasmania) and the owner Mark (Tasmania). A crew that had already showed a lot of harmony since the very beginning. The ferry’s last stop is at the Sikakap village, very affected by the last earthquake on November of last year. It was possible to see the damage on the buildings resulting from the shakes. A crystal clear water, children looking at us with curiosity, local sympathy.

We embarked on a long canoe made from a really big and long tree with our entire luggage, petrol, food, surfboards, crew and a lot of bananas. Detail, the single engine (40hp), to cruise for 2 and half hours on open ocean, a class of unsafety. But the VIBE was superior to everything…

Exhausted of two days of traveling, the sun was cooking our melons and the canoe fought against the waves at one of the most remote regions of the planet, the north of Sumatra. At some point we saw the situation get out of the control of the captain and we started to pray because the canoe was surfing the waves without any side control, on two occasions we dug a rail, an almost panic. I look at Má and saw that she was crying. There I felt that we could be going beyond our limits. We all prayed in silence, with our bodies we helped to balance the canoe, we exchanged looks and cold and laughs of nervousness hoping for safer waters for our canoe. At the same time we admired the swell and imagined how the waves would be at Maca’s.

Two hours later, a glass reflection on the distance, it was the boats parked in front of the wave at Maca’s, great signal, because the resort is right there...

The scenery during the whole trip is paradisiacal, we were in shock between fear and astonishment, but there it was the marvelous entrance to the resort’s channel and the splendorous palm trees portal, that vision rewarded everything, a sensation of relief, realization and the feeling of making a big dream come true, and the best of it, a dream shared by two has a much bigger greatness.

There we were, at the resort of Macaronis, a nice welcome drink with coconut decorated and very cold, the staff ready and distributing smiles all around. The structure is impressive, the decoration with local roots and the local nature reinforced the theory that the paradise is there.

Suspended bungalows on the lagoon of crystal waters, with fishes of all types swimming underneath, AC (two), Fan, Jacuzzi, Internet wireless signal…surreal! On the balcony I’d already put my fins on and wanted to go to what matter the most, the waves.

Very good swell, calm and good wind and a spectacle of wave that is an icon on the scenery of the world surfing community. The swell size was around 4 to 6 feet on the three first days and dropped to 3 to 5 feet on the rest of days. We need to have a bit of patience because frequently some boats arrived and departed with their clients from all over the planet.

So that way 5, 6 days went by until Mark gave us the news that he would give us the option of embarking on the Laut India to go back to Padang, via a 5 star boat trip searching for better waves. We made our bags and departed.

There were more crew than guests, everyone stoked during the boat’s departure early in the morning before sunrise, everything dark to the sound of the hard work of the crew because the boat is big! Just the maneuver of collecting the anchor is a spectacle itself. First stop: Bat’s Cave.

What a place! You know that island that you draw on the school book paradisiacal with some few palm trees, surrounded by pearly white sand, crystal water around and a right hander that looks endless? True, this place exists and it’s called Bat’s Cave. The right hander delivered the goods on the tide change as soon as we arrived, around 4 to 6 feet solid, the wave seemed to never end going around the little magical island. Soon after the swell dropped of and the waves were over.

Together with us was a group of good surfers from South Africa that compared the wave to J-Bay with warm water. We collected anchor and went to Lances. We had a last surfing session on the two days we were on the region. Lances left was with good size on the first day and after went down during the day. From there we took of to the best of experiences I had on the whole trip, Holowtrees or Ht´s as referred by the surfing world.

Sincerely upon arrival we checked the waves while the boat was getting anchored and I ended up underestimating the size of the waves, I ended up picking a small board for that condition. Marina was on the dingy on the time we went to check the spot in front and up close, and right then she wanted me to go change my board because it was heavy…the sprays were making a very strong noise on that insanely perfect right hander. What a wave, what a view, what a paint, what a purpose I felt on my life for being there and alive with my board under my arm ready to hit a scene that I had always dreamed all my life. Easily on the sets the waves had 7 to 8 feet, barreling of its nuts, breaking boards, insane barrels being ridden by a local kid and specially a very long barrel ridden by an Australian that was staying there for over 30 days already.

Marina got the best shots of the trip, and washed by Bintangs killed the thirst of the unmerciful sun and the hard work in the dingy. I looked her face at every wave I exited on the channel and I could see my happiness stamped on her face, because she was watching me with such an expression of happiness that I could see my self in her face and comprehended that her love for me made her understand that I was living the happiest day of my life. A big mix of feelings, fear, happiness, learning experience, tension, love, realization…everything together at the flavor of that magical place. We didn’t want to live anymore and we stayed there for another two days, surfing perfect waves and enjoying the remote land of Peace and Nature.

The life onboard was the best possible the crew was formed by incredible people, one more captivating than the other in their own simplicity.

In this vibe I ended up forgetting that that was our last day in the Mentawais when our dingy waving from the channel that was time to leave surprised me. It was like an uncovered cable of 220V touching my ribs…the pain of having to leave.

We arrived in Padang on our way back and went back to Bali.
We made it back to the Puri Uluwatu and enjoyed one more week on Bali, surfing, cruising with our friend brother Ronald Ketut and why not make the so dreamed Bali shopping.

All of that was possible to be experienced thanks to the experience of logistics administrations of Rodrigo “Digone” that accelerated, organized, bargained and clarified every possible way for every possible necessity that us, sailors of first trip, could ever need.
In fact we looked for an experienced travel agent by recommendations of friends and of internet but we ended up finding a friend!
A monster of camaraderie and knowledge of the region. Digone, may the Universe be able to pay you back for all your attention on form of Light and blessings on your life.

Thanks man, from Marina and Alê.


DIGONE: Alê and Marina, thanks to people like you the effort to organize a perfect trip to the smallest details many times become a pleasure and the Bali Surf Connection still around. One of the most satisfying things about organizing surf trips is to meet interesting people who have something good to add on us. It was a real pleasure to meet you both, whenever you need i will be here, take care, big hug and lots of light on your path. Aloha!!