Day 25 - Windsurfing in Óbidos & Foz do Arelho Coast

Hey guys!

Today was a really cool day!

We woke up, unpacked our diving equipment, got everything ready, and jumped into the water. Once we got there, we realized what kind of mess we were swimming in! We briefly put our heads underwater: after about 30 centimeters, we couldn't see our own hand anymore!

We laughed and went back to the camper because it didn't make any sense. We could actually see the water quality from the boat, but somehow we thought it would get better if we were in it ourselves - it didn't :)

So we treated ourselves to a delicious breakfast, chatted for a bit, packed up our gear again, and hit the road.

At 2 PM, we had a two-hour windsurfing lesson. When we arrived, the instructor immediately asked us if we had any valuables in the car because theft is common here. "We're here with the camper, yeah, EVERYTHING is in there!" we replied. So we went back to the camper and packed the essential valuables into a backpack, which we were allowed to leave in the surf base office. Then we got our wetsuits... estimated to be between 3 and 5 millimeters thick. Kevin and I looked at each other and grinned - we were already cold with clothes on, and we know this thin fabric from diving in "Caribbean climate". At first, we joked that we could escape through the changing room window, but we really wanted to try it - no matter how cold it gets.

We had a great instructor, she was very nice and explained everything very well! At first, we got the boards, the sails, and assembled them. Then we went into the water. She showed us from the beginning how to turn, which we practiced 2-3 times. Then she already got a board for herself, and we surfed to the center of this bay. Once we mastered that, we surfed to the other side. It was great! She kept joining us and giving tips on how to handle the sail better. "Feet closer together" and "Hands closer together" are the instructions we both heard most frequently - somehow it just didn't stick in our heads :).

By the end, it was really awesome! Both of us had the feeling of "feeling" the sail and being able to steer more or less :). Of course, this was with a huge board, with a smaller one it's a whole different story. But it was a really great experience!

Now we want to try kite surfing and "regular" surfing, then we'll decide which water sport we liked the most and probably develop it further :).

Since the time in the water for kitesurfing and surfing is much longer than for windsurfing, we'll save it for when it's really warm, hehe.

After a short shopping stop where we mainly... Hmmm.... How should we put it?.... No, there really isn't a more accurate word: bought rubbish, we found another beautiful spot by the cliffs at the sea. Now we're getting comfortable and eating some of the bought rubbish - it's gonna have to be thrown away anyway at some point :D.

But next week, we're done with unhealthy food - we'll see how far we get with this resolution :D Heeey, it's still vacation somewhere ;)

Tomorrow we want to give diving another try - this time in the open sea, the bay is history ;)

Take care and see you soon!