From Indo to Wahiawa

I had a good thing going, posting pictures and words about my recent return to Indonesia. Things were really coming along and I know my parents and girlfriend (if no one else) were appreciating the ability to stay updated on where I was and how I was doing on the other side of the world. Then a generator powering a Sumatran bungalow blew out my ac adaptor. Now the majority of my photos are locked inside a dead laptop with no hope of being released until I get a new one. Until then, I leave you with a picture of my girlfriend Lisa looking sexy on a secluded beach on Maui. Aloha!

Babi Guling

Now down at Uluwatu I can breathe a little easier. The surf has been fun shoulder to head high with no wind and a new swell is expected any day now. Since I got here I have been trying to live like a local to the best of my ability. It's not easy. Most Balinese speak basic English, to try their language proves to be more of a headache for both me and them. But everyday I try to memorize one or two new phrases to practice and repeat it to everyone I come in contact with. More interestingly I have been eating only the local food. Because Bali is so westernized you can go an entire lifetime without eating where the locals eat, but where is the fun in that? I have a rule that states if there is a white person in the warung, I can't eat there. Sure the occasional bout of stomach pangs and dysentery might occur but if you view it was an extreme evacuation or complete bodily cleanse it isn't so bad. All of the food is extremely spicy and filled with garlic to kill the bacteria growing inside your stomach. This in turn means that it’s going to burn on the way out anyway. So take your pick, hot lava or cold sweats?

White Walls, Concrete Floor

Upon landing in Bali at 1 in the morning it dawned on me that it was going to be next to impossible to find proper accommodations for the night. No drama I thought, I know this island pretty well and should be able to make due. Fast forward 3 hours and I'm wandering the streets of Kuta lugging about 50 lbs of camera equipment on my back and
a surfboard over my shoulder desperately in search of any place with vacancy. Sleeping on the beach wasn't an option because the rainy season was taking its sweet fucking time transitioning into summer.

Just as the first trickle of rain came down a Balinese man zoomed up on a motorbike offering me drugs and/or prostitution. "How bout a cheap place to stay," I said. His response? ...No problem boss. Normally I wouldn't hitch a ride with a drug dealing pimp but there I was zig-zagging through the back alleys of this third world hedonistic hell-hole barely holding on to my bags. Once we got to the losmen I breathed, slapped his hand, and said goodbye. I don't know how good he is at slanging and pimping but he sure makes on hell of a tour guide. The room was pretty nice too.

Konban Wa

8 hours on a JAL 744 jet and I feel surprisingly fresh. I'm sure the free booze and entire row of seats for me to sprawl out on helped. Three seats for the kid means two extra pillows and two extra blankets, in which case I had no choice but to drink for three as well. Now I’m in Tokyo awaiting my flight to Denpasar. As the gate is starting to fill up with passengers I'm getting the feeling that my spacious seating arrangements are over and it will be back to the usual arm rest elbow dance.

Glass Peaks

Being unemployed in surf paradise one would think that I have a lot of down time in which to post some pictures. However, I am a little behind on my blog postings. To bring those interested up-to-date I have been shooting Rocky Point from the water and getting incredibly dusty doing ding repair. Nothing new I suppose.

Bodwhomping

Thanksgiving gave me the opportunity to reflect on how good it all is. My girlfriend cooked a gourmet feast for all the hungry vagrants that is the Cleghorn boys. While the fellas and I rejoiced with Natty Ices before a good beating in Waimea shorey.

This is a photo of my buddy Mark who found time to go balls out in between stuffing his face with fixings and spending time with his closest friends.

Rocky Pt.

For the first time in a long while I dusted off the water housing and swam out at Rockies. They waves weren't that good and the water had a greyish tinge but I was desperate to go get some shots. Here is what I came up with.

Happy Halloween

After cutting out Jacks eyes with a serated carving knife, Lisa decided to get spooky.

Gene Kreyd surfing his front yard

I wanted to edit this photo because it was under exposed. I thought I would throw it up on the internet for you to check out. I shot this photo during my summer trip in Bali. When Gene isn't surfing he is creating some amazing art. Check out some of his original work at http://www.genekreyd.com/

Sick one Gene!

Consistently Impossible.

I was sitting around the bungalow one August afternoon in Indonesia. My body was riddled with staf infection that I got from scratching my mosquito bites with dirty fingernails (dumbass), I had recently acquired a bad case of road rash after laying down the motorbike on newly paved gravel and successfully sliding roughly 20ft to a stop...took it on the foot though, could of been much worse, needless to say I was missing a few inches deep worth of skin which was quickly replaced with antiseptic wrap, bandages, and duct tape (got the scars to prove it), and was facing my second bout with the local stomach bug known as Bali belly and was suffering for 72 hours with extreme evacuation (colorful). So after chilling in my hammock for a while I said to myself, "Shane, stop feeling sorry for yourself you sissy!" So I went out and took pictures. This photo is of a stretch of reef known as Impossibles. Needless to say, there are a few sections that are challenging.

Locally owned

Padang Padang, like most world class waves, has a world class crew of guys who grew up surfing there. On this particular day in Bali the swell direction hitting Padang Padang was less then ideal and inconsistent, so when the sets came through the locals made sure to be in position.

Black hole sun

I was riding my bike down to Foodland the other afternoon hungry for some dinner. I had wanted some sushi but was treated to this delicious sunset instead.

Hawaii Loa Ridge Hike

I had heard about this hike for a long time from my room mates. Finally my friend Mark and I ventured out to see what all the hype was about. 6 hours of vertical hiking later Mark and I were met with the most amazing view of Oahu we had ever seen. You could see all of Waimanalo, Hawaii Kai, and Waikiki from a single lookout. This is my favorite photo from our hike. If you are my friend on facebook you can follow Mark's journey Up the Mountain via a photo album I created and narrated.

Rubbing shoulders with the US Navy

Last week my girlfriend and I were invited to a private showing of the U.S.S. Bowfin submarine that is docked at Pearl Harbor. We got all snazzed up, checked out the boat, took a few pictures, and best of all got fed like royalty while Merrill Lynch picked up the bill. Thanks for the free food, the steak was delicious. Keep on investing!

TheSurfersView.com

Check out TheSurfersView.com for daily updates on the New Jersey surf scene. I've been writing a few feature stories for the site on my recent trip to Indonesia if your keen on surf travel journalism.

Here's a photo of my girl's stylish Uluwatu bottom turn for all the world to see!