we’re almost half way through our trip and things couldn’t be going any better. surf, photos, video, sashimi, and a lot of bintangs. we pulled up to 6′ thunders yesterday and guess what? nobody was out. numajiri and zuccho paddled out as hayato and i geared up to catch fish for dinner. just another day in paradise….
**check out some photos from yesterday….

tokura-san’s been on the SanSoucci2 more than anybody else. over the years, he’s told me that this is the best boat. i didn’t know what he meant back then, but now i do. this is the best boat. luxury, service, and style. what more can you ask for when your living on this palace for 12 days in the middle of the ocean….

this is our surf shuttle. VIP service all day long. surf/dive/photos? timmy will take you there….

imagine spending thousands of dollars and flying for 2 days to get to your dream spot in the mentawai’s. then your boat pulls up to a spot with one boat anchored with 13 japanese pro surfers in the water, one stand-up paddle surfer, and 3 photographers. your dream trip could turn into your worst nightmare. i’m glad i’m with this nightmare crew…..

and last, let me leave you off with this photo. imagine going diving with your good friend in some remote area where nobody has ever dove before. both spearing travelly’s as the sun sets. the sky is bright red as we get back to our palace. the crew take our fish and clean it. then our private chef makes some poke and sashimi. we sit back drinking bintang’s as we eat fish as fresh as it gets. then i grab my blanket and lay down on the deck gazing at the millions of stars. i put in my ipod blasting kalapana’s greatest hits and watch falling stars one after the other. each time making my wishes. i fall asleep to one of the greatest days of my life. i don’t think anybody in this world is happier than i am right now….

it was in 1994 when tokura-san invited me for my first boat trip. i remember sitting down one evening on that trip looking out at the sunset thinking to myself…
“wow, tokura-san lives the life… traveling, surfing, meeting people, exploring, and having fun at the same time. gosh, when i get older, i want to be just like him. i want to be able to live the exact life tokura-san’s living. sharing, giving, and just being happy day by day.”

now 15 years later, tokura-san is still living the dream life. he turns 60 years old today and i wanted to wish him a happy birthday. we’re on a boat in the middle of the ocean celebrating 60 years of his life. and i’m probably thinking to myself….
“wow, tokura-san turned 60 today. 60 years old and still traveling around the world. when i get 60, i want to live the life he’s living and i will do my best to achieve that dream. sharing, giving, and just being happy day by day. i have a long way to go but i’m taking the path that my mentor, sponsor, and friend has taught me. congratulations tokura-san on your 60th birthday. i know most of your dreams have come true and i’m sure every single one will. good things happen to good people and your not just good, your great!!! thanks for everything.. cheers…[:?????????:][:?????????:]”

could you ever imagine a group of japanese friends enjoying one of the best left hand point breaks in the world? all to themselves? somebody slap my head and wake me up. wait, don’t slap my head. i ain’t dreaming. it was for real. we surfed there all day yesterday taking turns on every wave. then we went to another spot this morning and it was totally empty. well, there was another boat approaching us so the captain said that we should all go surf so it looks crowded. then they might turn around and go surf somewhere else. so we all jumped in and it worked. the boat turned around and went somewhere else. we had that secret spot to ourselves all morning and the waves were going off. we got 3 photographers on this boat shooting every moment and the story that will come off this trip will be freaking amazing….
it’s 1pm and we’re off to yet another secret right that’s 2 hours away. as soon as i get a chance to go online again, i will send this blog. i sent the other 2 blogs yesterday from a surf camp at macaroni’s. a surf camp that is infested with malaria carrying mosquitos. you get bit by the wrong mosquito, good bye. i wore my long sleeve shirt with hood, and long pants. it was freakin hot but i didn’t want to take any chances… gosh, the things i do to post a blog…. haha…

i took this photo from the first morning. waking up early and watching the sun rise over the horizon is amazing. and to do this everyday is a dream….

this is zuccho. zuccho is one of the coolest guys around. and one of the most loyalist guys around. he’s been with the same sponsors ever since i met him 17 years ago. 23 years with OP, 20 years with CHP, and 20 years with BEWET wetsuits. talk about loyalty, that’s 3x JPSA champ zuccho….

this is travelly #5, and fish #15 or so for me. we’re having a floating sashimi party every night. these are the kind of moments i want to share with all my close friends in hawaii and japan. you guys don’t know what your missing out. next year i’m doing this again and your all invited…. but it’s first come first serve so get your deposits in…
**by the way, don’t be fooled by the low quality of all the photos i’m posting from here. the internet service is so dam slow that i have to post photos in the lowest quality for it to upload. every single photo taken on this trip is full magazine quality and when it comes out, you will be blown away…. well, i got to get going because we need sashimi. hayato and i are going diving for tonight’s fresh catch… aloha from indonesia…