My Dream Surf Trip

My dream surf trip would be a repeat visit to the second longest left in the world, at Pavones, Costa Rica, near the border with Panama. I attended a surf camp there almost 3 years ago, and found it to be the finest wave I've ever ridden.Three-minute long rides are possible on the right swell, and it's just a fine-shaped, consistent wave, with difficulty level increasing closer to the point. Goofy-foot heaven. This time I'd return with my quiver, my husband and a few of my best surfing buddies on a private jet (hey, this is a dream trip, right?). We'd rent a luxury house overlooking the bathtub-warm blue Pacific, with a pool and a full staff, including a vegan chef to make good use of local produce such as tasty tamarinds. The kitchen would be stocked with my favorite chips, not available in the States: platano verde con limon y sal (green plantains with lemon and salt). Mornings and evenings would be spent in extended surf sessions, with a friendly instructor to help me and my buddies advance our shortboarding skills and teach my husband to surf. Between sessions, we'd go hiking in the jungle and be screamed at by monkeys while looking for exotic and colorful birds and butterflies, then relax in the pool and take a siesta until the second daily sesh. Since Pavones is a place at the end of the road, with no internet, a single pay phone, and nothing much in the way of nightlife, we'd have to make our own entertainment. Fortunately the late show is dazzling; at night we'd look up at the dark velvet sky filled with more stars than I could have imagined. Rinse, sleep, and repeat.