Presents Quiksilver Argentina. All photos: Personal archive of the surfer

Two-time Argentine national champion Lucía Indurain took advantage of her trip to the World Surfing Games in Japan to take a short flight and fulfill her dream of surfing in Indonesia.

Once there, he realized that paradise is there, but there are hundreds of thousands of people who share that knowledge and, therefore, the crowd became a problem. To combat it, he used two strategies: surfing on a more isolated beach and putting on a sour face to gain respect in the lineup.

Beyond that, in Bali he found his paradise. In this interview he says that here and on another trip to El Salvador earlier in the year he rediscovered his love for surfing and also took advantage of the opportunity to improve his backside since he doesn't usually run many lefts.

And even though she says she is lucky to be in an “incredible, very beautiful and heavenly” place, where they make the best Nasi Goreng in the world, she still misses her mother's cooking, her dog and her family.

In the following paragraphs a brief conversation with the woman from Miramar who took a tremendous trip to Indonesia.

Have you been to Indonesia before?
No, this was my first time. It came out of the blue, I was in Japan and it was super cheap to go from there.

What was it that caught your attention most about the place?
I never imagined the crowd (laughs) would be so big. As for the place, it's incredible, very beautiful and heavenly.

Where did you find the best waves?
There are incredible waves everywhere, the truth is that what I was looking for the most was that there were few people and the least populated was Pandawa.

"I never imagined the crowd (laughs) would be so big. As for the place, it's incredible, very beautiful and heavenly."

What was your best wave like?
I caught some good waves at Pandawa, practicing backside, as I'm not much of a left-hander, so I had to heal myself (laughs) and I caught some good ones. Happy.

The line up in Bali can be quite competitive at times, how did you get along with the crowd?
Bad (laughs). Then I learned to put myself in “weird mode”, I called it, to go into dog face mode so I could surf and catch quality waves.

Are you going to stay there or do you plan to go to another island?
For now Bali, I wanted to visit Desert but I still don't know where I'll go.

"I learned to put myself in 'weird mode', I call it, to go into dog face mode so I could surf and catch quality waves"

What was the best thing you learned there?
When traveling, you always have incredible experiences, experiences that make us grow as surfers and as people. I always believe that is the best thing we get from traveling.

What was the best food you ever tried?
The best was the Nasi goreng which is a typical dish of rice with vegetables and an egg on top.

What is the best advice you can give about Indonesia to people who want to travel there?
If you're going to surf, take it easy with the crowds, and if you're going on vacation, explore as much as you can because it's beautiful.

What was the best thing that happened to you there?
The waves, the incredible sunsets and the good vibes of the place.

And the worst?
Honestly, nothing bad has happened to me. One bad thing, so to speak, was that they tried to scam me when exchanging currency (laughs), but after that, nothing else.

"This year was definitely one of the best. I didn't have many events or good results, but it was a year in which I traveled a lot and enjoyed what surfing really is."

What do you miss most about home? Why?
Obviously my family, my dog, my mother's cooking. I don't like eating out and when I travel that is difficult for me. I like home-cooked food, not going to restaurants.

As November is almost here, how would you rate this year?
This year was undoubtedly one of the best, I didn't have many events or good results but it was a year in which I traveled a lot and enjoyed what surfing really is, sharing sessions and enjoying sunsets, being very much in the present.

What was the best part of 2019 so far, and what was the worst?
My whole year was incredible, and the worst part was the Pan American Games, perhaps I didn't achieve what I went looking for and that was something that hurt me a lot.

"I rediscovered my love for surfing"

What moment will you remember for the rest of your life from this year?
Clearly Indonesia and El Salvador were trips in which I rediscovered my love for surfing and I enjoyed them very much.

And for what's next, what plans do you have?
I don't have much planned yet, the Argentine circuit is coming up and I'm returning home and starting to train hard for the 2020 goals that are already knocking on the door.