These photos were taken out in the Mentawai Islands, off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. I had troubles finding a boat to go out to surf but eventually managed to link up with some fishermen, who I paid very handsomely. It was Ramadan so they did not eat or drink all day.. We potted along at 2 knots with a 5 HP eninge for an hour to get to the surf spot. Along the way we came across some beautiful ‘mindsurfing’ waves. It truly was an amazing experience going out with them! While I surfed they would go fish.
Once it was time to go home at sunset, they would get their water, snacks and cigarettes ready. The captain was more religious of the two, watching the rays disappear behind the clouds. His friend on the other hand turned his back to the last rays as he started pouring coffee for me and himself. We drank together while the captain waited. It was a funny and unique experience, seeing that they didn’t speak any English and I communicated in some very basic broken Indonesian along with plenty of sign language.
