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The rainy Season should be over, for the Insurance Companies the Hurricane Season ended with the first of Novembre for the Caribbean Sea and its Islands, time for the Sailing Boats to come back north, hopefully the Weather God would not be in latin mood and care about the time and Calenders, and anyway for us it was all done in Europe for the summer and about time to go back to theCaribbean Island of Margarita in Venezuela. 29 degrees Airtemperature and the humidity somewhere around 90 %, while the Red Bull Stormchasers were fighting not just against Mountains of water all over northern Europe and too much wind, also against the cold, which has reached all countries from Italy up to the Nordkap and from Holland to the Black Sea. Another huge cause to become a Fugitive. Luckily we chose our winter home in warmer Atmosphere. But would it be a normal winter, after two winters with too many Hurricanes in the Caribbean Sea and the southern Coastlines of the United States, which left more than just one disaster behind and confused our local windsystems too often. Seems like the big Insurance Companies knew exactly what they do this year. The summer has been almost free of the big Storms and so the windsystem has worked throughout the summer and since we stepped foot again on Caribbean ground, we sailed every single day, which made me remind on the good years we have had and why El Yaque became so famous. Knowing about the climatic changes all over the world, we pray every single day for a perfect Season, maybe crowned with the first PWA Worldcup ever in El Yaque. Still everybody tries to make it all happen and bring the world to Worldchampions Playground, since the Freestyle Worldchampion of the last four years, three times Ricardo Campello and now Gollito Estredo, came from El Yaque. Not to forget Cheo Diaz, number two of 2005, Diony Guadagnino, Colette Guadagnino, Alexis Zabala, Douglas Eduardo and Yoli de Brendt, number six of current PWA women ranking. |
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Once arrived at Margarita, it seemed that anybody would play game and take part to build a more beautiful platform for the tourism and so also for a great Worldcup. New Infrastructure, many new Shops, Posadas with nice rooms, a new Boulevard in El Yaque, Childrens Playground, Basketball field, parking Areas and much more, nicely arranged and built. The Margariteneos, how the people from the Island of Margarita call themselves, have understand their Slogan from all the years "A happy Tourist is also a happy Margariteneo" and that the Island after all has to live from the tourism. The climatic changes helped also in Venzezuela, that the Fishermen need to work more as Rescue Boats or for one of the Kite Centres than trying to catch the few fishes left in the water and the Industry is just building up. Big Shopping Malls, Theatres, Cinemas, the Hard Rock Cafe and many new Shops have been built in the biggest City of the Island, Porlamar. Quiet a lot for the only six months we´ve been away, so all looks like Venezuela takes it serious to get one more really attractive Holiday Place. Even the nature helped by bringing the sand back to the El Yaque Beach. Where two years ago the Beach almost has disappeared completely, know is enough space for sunbeds, Beachvolley fields, Equipment and some Sunset walks at a Caribbean Beach. O.k., the water colour hasn´t changed too much and so on the very windy days we will need to move our Boards over green to brown water again, but latest after the Session, sitting at one of the Happy Hour Bars, under huge Palmtrees, not even 15 metres away from the water, sipping on one of worlds cheapest but best Cocktails, the caribbean feeling will be back. |
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Before we could enjoy the Caribbean feeling, which, about work, we almost forget or just don´t see anymore, some typical venezuelan problems had to be solved, straight back to southamerican reality, as a welcome home. After some months in Europe sometimes it takes some time to get used to the slower lifestyle. Good to see that most of our friends had arrived already and work was waiting for us, since the Brandnew Fanatic and North Sails Equipment for the Planet Windsurf Centre was already waiting to get unpacked, rigged up and put nicely in their racks, their home for the next six – seven months just to be taken out for hopefully immense fun on the Water. Some more paint here and there and ready, time for some more sessions on the water. |
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Knowing well that I will never catch up with Gollito Estredo, Ricardo Campello and all the guys, I still got some Motivation to learn some of the new Moves, just the ones I like, but still enough to do, while Ricardo is rippin´ it up at the Aloha Classic in Maui and Gollito is just working on even sicker Moves than we´ve ever thought of. Every year it seems that the Moves can´t be better and the Level will be more or less the same in the future,maybe just more consistant, until you see the guys, and now also the girls, just pushing the Freesyle Moves in more twisted, more radical, higher and faster Moves and new Combinations. This year it seemed that the double jumped Moves are the new Level, looks like it´s going to be basic in the next Season. That´s the great thing in El Yaque, where you forget all problems, watching the kids pushing the Sport of Windsurfing over and over again and to always see new faces ripping on the water, like Brian, Bruno and Gabriel, who stepped foot on a windsurfer first time in January of 2006 and now performs all kind of Spocks, Grubbies, Ponches and Switch Moves. Another possibility for a better life for most of the Fishermen Kids, like Gollito Estredo just has shown and so became kind of a new Idol for the Kids on the Island. | ||
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When those Kids go to bed, maybe dreaming of another windy day, it´s time for Nightlife, which hasn´t changed too much. After some Drinks at one of the Beach Bars and Dinner, Gaby´s Voodoo Lounge, the partly open Air Bar, with Pool Billard, Kicker, Darts and many Life Acts on Stage is the number one Place to go. Next Choices are the Habana Club and Los Piratas, located right at the Entrance of El Yaque. Pretty good Party Locations with many special Events like the latin Samba Show, Merengue Nights and House Parties, just follow the flyers handed out almost daily at the Beach. If this is still not enough, many Taxis are waiting in front of the Hotels and after 30 minutes drive the Party can go on in Porlamar in the famous Sr. Frogs or the number one in Porlamar, the “KAMY BEACH” where the biggest Parties of the Island take place. Pretty important not to walk from one place to the other at night, always a Taxi should be taken to get to the next Location, it could become a really dangerous Trip walking. Same as so many Cities all over the World, also in Porlamar you have to follow some simple rules to not get into the “Barrios”, the venezuelan Ghettos, which could become a dangerous act. |
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But back to El Yaque, where eight Windsurf Centers, seven Kitesurf Centers, various Beachbars and all the Hotels are waiting to serve and be responsable for a nice caribbean time, no matter if it is just by giving Tipps and Lessons, prepare perfect Equipment or organize some excursions in case of a no wind day or just to escape for some hours and explore the beautiness of the Island. A Trekking Tour, where a guide will find some nice Snakes, Spiders to see, and explain all about the forest and all Fruits, growing on the Island, is offered at all Centers same as the Tour to the Laguna la Restinga, a Mangrove forest which can be explored by Boats, Surftripps to the north of the Island with Waves for all Levels, Shopping Tour to the Local Market or the big Shopping Malls and the cultural Centres of the Island with Museums, Theatres and the historical City of “La Asuncion”. | ||
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The last two winters haven´t started with lots of wind until Christmas, which has changed this year already and it really looks pretty promising for the whole season, but also without wind the Island of Margarita is always worth a visit, if it is just to Relax, forget about a stressful Job at home, chilling at the Bars under Palmtrees, watch out for the Coconuts, go surfing in the morning at beautiful Beaches and Wind – or Kitesurfing in the afternoon. Life is much slower and for a common, totally organised, European sometimes way too slow, but pretty much enjoyable. It´s just one of the Places where people come once and than over and over again or simply just stay..... |
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