{"id":142800,"date":"2026-06-02T05:40:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T20:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/?p=142800"},"modified":"2026-06-01T13:30:06","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T04:30:06","slug":"wheres-el-charlie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/?p=142800","title":{"rendered":"Where&#8217;s El Charlie?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-142804\" src=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-2.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Back in 2015: \u00a0I visited El Salvador before it changed. \u00a0Back then it was dangerous, now it isn&#8217;t. \u00a0Back then most surf spots were secret, now there&#8217;s no secrets. \u00a0Back then, you had to explore, now you can explore on YouTube. \u00a0Anyway, I met this kid named Charlie. \u00a0He drove me around, showed me the locals spots, and ended up being my bodyguard. \u00a0I think he was only 15 years old.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-142807\" src=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-5.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-5.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-5-315x420.jpeg 315w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>How dangerous was it back in 2015? \u00a0Well, the MS-13 gang controlled the country. In 2015, El Salvador had the world&#8217;s highest homicide rate, recording over 100 murders per 100,000 people. \u00a0So basically, I went there by myself at the most dangerous time for that country. \u00a0Every shop or hostel needed an armed security guard at the entrance. \u00a0And I still slept with one eye opened.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-142803\" src=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-1.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-1-630x420.jpeg 630w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>But once you&#8217;re in the ocean, you forget everything. \u00a0I surfed some of the best waves ever on that surf trip. \u00a0Imagine surfing the now world famous Punta Roca with nobody out. \u00a0Yes, it happened then but unfortunately will never happen again.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-142806\" src=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-4.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-4.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-4-560x420.jpeg 560w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-4-80x60.jpeg 80w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-4-265x198.jpeg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Then once you&#8217;re on land again, it&#8217;s back to reality. \u00a0It was very scary driving around, even with my 15 year old bodyguard.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-142805\" src=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-3.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-3.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-3-560x420.jpeg 560w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-3-80x60.jpeg 80w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image-3-265x198.jpeg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I always think about Charlie and his hospitality. \u00a0He guided me and protected me for free. \u00a0I felt the aloha spirit in him.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-142797\" src=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2015.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2015.jpg 480w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2015-315x420.jpg 315w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I told him I&#8217;m coming back. \u00a011 years has since passed, but El Salvador has always been on my mind.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-142799\" src=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_5044.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1523\" height=\"1206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_5044.jpg 1523w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_5044-800x633.jpg 800w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_5044-1024x811.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_5044-768x608.jpg 768w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_5044-696x551.jpg 696w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_5044-1068x846.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_5044-530x420.jpg 530w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1523px) 100vw, 1523px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Then I saw a surfing video of last years 2025 WSL contest. \u00a0OMG, could this be Charlie?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Back in 2015: \u00a0I visited El Salvador before it changed. \u00a0Back then it was dangerous, now it isn&#8217;t. \u00a0Back then most surf spots were secret, now there&#8217;s no secrets. \u00a0Back then, you had to explore, now you can explore on YouTube. \u00a0Anyway, I met this kid named Charlie. \u00a0He drove me around, showed me the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-142800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-kirbyblog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=142800"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":142808,"href":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142800\/revisions\/142808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=142800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=142800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/go-naminori.com\/kirbyfukunaga\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=142800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}