Adventures in Kiteboarding and Island Entrepreneurship : Silke Ortmann : 110

Here is a tale of adventure, culture, and entrepreneurial spirit from Silke Ortmann. Silke is a professional kiteboarder who traded the hustle and structure of life in major cities for the laid-back lifestyle of Isla de Margarita, Venezuela. From her discovery of kiteboarding to her love for the local culture and the vibrant community, Silke's story is one of personal growth and resilience.

Our conversation takes a thrilling turn as Silke shares her experiences kiteboarding in El Yaque, a hub for enthusiasts of the sport. We delve into the technicalities of the sport, the importance of safety, and how the sport has evolved over the years. Prepare to be transported to a world where the wind is your guide and the ocean your playground. But it's not just about kiteboarding. The heart and soul of Venezuela, its food, people, and spontaneity, add a beautiful layer to Silke's story. We contrast this vibrant lifestyle with the more structured life in major cities and explore the underrated value of a close-knit community.

Silke takes us behind the scenes of her beachfront restaurant - Guacuco Surf. We discuss the seasonal ebbs and flows of the business and the realities of becoming an entrepreneur. So, if you're ready to be inspired by a story of determination, resilience, and passion for kiteboarding and island life, tune in to this episode.
Let's enjoy her story.

To connect with Silke & Guacuco restaurant: @guacucosurf

Transcript

Daniela SM: 0:08

Hi, I'm Daniela. Welcome to my podcast, because everyone has a story, the place to give ordinary people, stories the chance to be shared and preserved, or stories become the language of connections. Let's enjoy it, connect and relate, because everyone has a story. Welcome my guest, silke Ordman. I am very excited to bring you this story.

Daniela SM: 0:36

I saw one of her Instagram reels and I was really curious. She was saying wonderful things about Margarita Island and how much she loved to live in Venezuela. And because I grew up in Caracas, knowing that around 7 million people have left the country and keep leaving the country, I wanted to reach out and learn more about what made her move from Germany to Venezuela, specifically to the Isla de Margarita. What is her story, since we all talk about what is the perfect place to live? Well, she shows with her story that there is not a perfect place, it's just a perfect place for you. She accepted the invitation despite the fact that she wasn't feeling great and her voice is not the original one, as you may perceive. This is her tale of adventure, culture and entrepreneurial spirit.

Daniela SM: 1:28

Silke is a professional kay boarder who trades the hustle and structure of life in major cities for the layback lifestyle of Isla de Margarita in Venezuela. Silke is originally from Berlin, Germany. She always dreamed of owning a beachside with her husband, Rafael. Let's enjoy her story. I certainly did and confirmed that there is no a perfect place. It is just the ideal place for you, and La Isla de Margarita is the place for Silke. Welcome, Silke, to the podcast. I am very happy that you're here and you're in the Isla de Margarita. In Margarita Island, you have a story that you want to share, so I'm happy that you're here.

Silke Ortmann: 2:39

Yes, thank you very much. I'm happy to tell my story because it's really a dream that came true for me, and my dream came true in Venezuela, as you said, on Margarita Island.

Daniela SM: 2:49

Yes, that sounds wonderful, Silke. So when does your story start?

Silke Ortmann: 2:53

Yes, actually I came to Venezuela in 2010. I came because I was a professional kite surfer at that time. That's a spot on Margarita Island which is called El Yaque, which is one of the best spots in the world for kite boarding. So I decided I'd just go over there and train there the entire year for my kite surfing competitions and I've never been on the island before and I came here and I stayed. I'm here since 2010.

Daniela SM: 3:20

Where in Germany were you? Because if you were a kite surfer, you should be close to the sea.

Silke Ortmann: 3:26

Yes, that's right, but I was also traveling a lot. I'm actually from Berlin, the capital, and there are some beaches in Germany in the north where you can be a confective kite surfing. But actually I was traveling a lot and I was a flight attendant before as well, so I always brought my kite surf equipment with me when I had some trips around the world.

Daniela SM: 3:45

Wow, and what got you the curiosity to start this sport?

Silke Ortmann: 3:50

Before I was a flight attendant. I was working with different events and I saw that the kite surfing really brought my attention, because I love sports and I love the water. And then I saw there was one event. The first stop of the world tour of kite boarding was actually in the north of Germany. So I started to contact the agency that worked with the competition, just to be there and see the sport. And then I actually was able to work at the event. That's how I fell in love with kite boarding and decided that I'm going to become a kite boarder.

Daniela SM: 4:23

But were you doing something similar, some sport similar to that, before?

Silke Ortmann: 4:28

No, not at all no no. Wakeboarding, a little bit of wakeboarding. That's the cable park in Thailand where I always stopped by, and as a flight attendant it was afterwards actually, no, no, and before. I didn't do any water sports, not at all.

Daniela SM: 4:43

Wow, incredible. And how long did it take you to be good? From what age you started?

Silke Ortmann: 4:49

You said the kiteboarding is actually a pretty new sport when I was already old. When I started I was 27. It's actually a pretty old number. Nowadays people, like everybody, starts when they are 14, 16. But at that time the sport was pretty new. There were not so many kiteboarders and there were not so many kiteboarders competing as well, because they didn't even have discipline. So they started with different disciplines freestyle, big jump, long distance and now there are even more disciplines. I've already retired from competing, but now the sport always develops and becomes more technical and different equipment. But when I started I was 27.

Daniela SM: 5:35

How many years it took you to be good. I mean, how was that process?

Silke Ortmann: 5:39

Yeah, the first years, as I was not living on a net yake, I was not living close to the water and I'm also only practicing when I was traveling, so it was a bit more difficult. There's always a learning curve. In the beginning you get better pretty fast and then you stay at the level for a long time and then comes a click and then you advance. But I would say really, really hard training, like four years, five years, yes.

Daniela SM: 6:06

What is really hard training like every day.

Silke Ortmann: 6:09

Every day. Yes, once I moved to Margarida, I was on the water every day, every day, like two hours for sure.

Daniela SM: 6:17

But when you went to Margarida for the competition, you were competing there.

Silke Ortmann: 6:21

No, I was actually training there. Like the competitions were in different places, I competed in Germany and Colombia and there was one stop in Venezuela as well and at Icota in 2012. I competed in different locations and nationally as well.

Daniela SM: 6:36

But when you went to Venezuela in 2010, you were not necessarily good.

Silke Ortmann: 6:40

That was average.

Daniela SM: 6:43

Average.

Silke Ortmann: 6:45

Yes, I became really good once I was living there.

Daniela SM: 6:47

Yeah, because then you were practicing every day. That's correct, and what makes El Yaque the best place for learning how to kite surfing?

Silke Ortmann: 6:55

It's one of the best wind conditions. We have wind almost all year round Most kite sports. You have really short wind window. Practically you have maybe three months or maybe half a year of wind, or maybe just a month or two months a year, and here you practically have almost all year round. You have wind here in El Yaque.

Daniela SM: 7:17

Yes, it is a very dangerous sport in the sense with the ropes and they get tangled. Just tell me a little bit about that, were you no worry?

Silke Ortmann: 7:26

Yes, back then there were happening some accidents but, as I said, the sportsman I started was pretty new still, so the equipment was not that safe at that moment. But nowadays they have so many security systems in the equipment that it's really safe. Once you get tangled with the other kite, you pull a leash and then the kite loses the power and then you have another leash so it should disconnect from the kite. So nowadays it's really a safe sport, I would say.

Daniela SM: 7:55

It's like surfing, and then you have a parachute as well. That's correct. So there's a lot of components that you actually have to focus on.

Silke Ortmann: 8:02

Yes, that's right, but you almost forget that you have the kite, because once you have a good kite you really don't think about the kite anymore. You just know where the bar is and where the kite is and where the board is. In the beginning you really focus. You look up at the kite and then you have to focus on the board. In the beginning it's a bit tricky, but then, once you get it, it's a really fun sport.

Daniela SM: 8:22

You focus first on learning how to use the board and then you train with it.

Silke Ortmann: 8:27

No, first you learn how to maneuver the kite. So you start at the beach without the board, try to get used to the kite, understand the wind, get really familiar with using the kite and then, after that, once you're familiar with using the kite and knowing where to position your kite, you get on the water and then you start to combine the two things. So use the power of the kite to get you out of the water with the board.

Daniela SM: 8:52

Wow, that sounds so interesting and this sport is for specific personalities. If you are a surfer, it means that you can be a good kite surfer, or are these completely different sports?

Silke Ortmann: 9:02

It's different, for example, afterwards it's another part of my history where I come to it in a bit I first started kite surfing. As I said, it was my first water sport. Afterwards I learned surfing, but surfing is very different. For example, in kite surfing you have the weight more on the back of the board and in surfing you have to put the weight more on the front of the board or more even. It was like snowboarding in the beginning. Sometimes it's good to have some experience with water sports, but sometimes they're also different. Sometimes you can make errors. For example, if you go from kite surfing to surfing, I always put my weight too much on the back. For surfing it's a little bit more in the front. But in the end, yes, it helps. If you do one water sport, then you're already used to the water and waves and conditions of the ocean. So yes, it does help, but it's still different.

Daniela SM: 9:54

Interesting. Okay, so you arrived in Venezuela in 2010. Yes, you were training really hard for competitions, that's right. And what happened?

Silke Ortmann: 10:03

Yes, and then I did all my competitions and everything that I wanted to do with the kite surfing. I already got older as well and I still had another dream of mine. Since I was small, I always wanted to have a beach restaurant. So I got to know my husband he lived on the other side of the island and he is actually a surfer and he taught me surfing. And we saw this nice Ms Kodkwaku-Kusurf. The restaurant was already there. It's like a wooden restaurant, really surfers style. And yeah, and we fell in love with the idea of buying that restaurant.

Daniela SM: 10:35

And he's from Venezuela. He is Venezuelan yes, correct. Okay, okay. So what happened? I mean, it's a big cultural change right. What is it that you like? Why did you decide? I want to be in Venezuela, for sure.

Silke Ortmann: 10:47

Yes, really, I have to say, once I met him I really got into all the Venezuelan culture because I learned how to make arepas in the morning, which is Venezuelan food. He brought me to all places on Magarita. I really got to know Venezuelan culture. I fell in love with the island more and more, like all the years living in the jacket, which is really nice place as well but I didn't really get to know the rest of the island. He showed me Magaritan and I recognized how beautiful first the island is. The nature is so amazing here because you have really big mountains and you can like go and hike on the mountains and have amazing views and you can then go down and practically like get on the board and go kite surfing or grab a bicycle. And also the Venezuelan food is really special. I really like the Venezuelan food now more than my food for my own country.

Daniela SM: 11:39

That's funny. What's the name of your husband?

Silke Ortmann: 11:41

Rafael.

Daniela SM: 11:42

Do you have the opportunity to bring Rafael to Germany?

Silke Ortmann: 11:45

Yes, after two years together, I got pregnant. We have a cute little daughter, lucia. She's four now. We decided that I would give birth in Germany, and so we went to Germany just to give birth there, and then we came back. So he got to know Germany and Berlin as well, I guess.

Daniela SM: 12:00

But in no moment you thought no, we are staying in Germany.

Silke Ortmann: 12:03

No, no, I'm actually really happy here because it's a really different lifestyle here, like first, obviously, in the end we bought the restaurant, we fulfilled our dream. And also when we were in Germany, like we recognize, for example, you have to if you want to meet a friend, like everybody's so busy working. So if you want to meet a friend you have to make an appointment like two weeks before, because if not then nobody has time. Here it's like the country and I love the spontaneity, and so here it's if you make an appointment two weeks before, then nobody will be there because everybody's spontaneous here. So that can happen so many things in two weeks. I really like it more, like this way around, because if you feel like, hey, let's go and have a coffee or let's go have a drink, almost everybody says yeah, let's do it. So it's a kind of different culture.

Daniela SM: 12:53

But do you think that is the culture? Or perhaps it's because you are comparing Berlin, which is a major city, with an island mentality, which people usually in islands are way more relaxed?

Silke Ortmann: 13:04

Yeah, that can be it.

Daniela SM: 13:05

Okay, if you were in Caracas, maybe in the capital of Venezuela, maybe people would be busier too. I grew up in Venezuela, and that spontaneity is something that I miss too, but I don't know if things have changed since I've been away for so long.

Silke Ortmann: 13:19

Yes, no. Yeah, I think you're right. Definitely on the island it's always more relaxed than in a city. You are right. That is a point. But I still think it's also a mentality thing, because in Germany like, for example, if you go to them, if you would be in the north of Germany, where it's like a village at the beach, then there would still not be such spontaneity like here.

Daniela SM: 13:39

Yes, and I know what you mean. I mean I live now in Vancouver, canada. You know you always look at your calendar oh, let's see what they have available, and I'm thinking, my goodness right. And but if you knock at the door, it just happens like some, some friends now, are doing that and I really enjoy it that people do that. Yes and yeah, it does seem so much fun, right.

Silke Ortmann: 14:01

Yes, yes, yes, and I also. For example, we live in a condominium here in Pampa Tarja. It's so nice, Like it's really different, because you walk around and you really talk to every neighbor here. For example, the other day my husband had to work long and I was sitting on the terrace my neighbor. She came by and she was like hey, do you want to have a drink? And I was like yeah, okay. So we were sitting on the terrace and spontaneously having a drink together. I thought that was really cool because, like I can't imagine, like 28 years in Germany, I don't think I've ever had a drink with my neighbor spontaneously.

Daniela SM: 14:32

Yes, that's true, and there is something to say about community and that kind of relationships that you have with people around you. I think that that's something missing around the world that is actually needed, but people don't know that. That's the answer.

Silke Ortmann: 14:47

Yes, it's also another thing that I learned here that people really are so human here, because if somebody needs help, we have a flat tire, like everybody's going to stop and start trying to help you. And not only that, like always, for example, when in the pandemic you know I have some arena pun, you know like we do some exchanges and everybody tries to help some of the other ones always. And I really think that's really beautiful here, because I think like I would wait forever in Germany If I had a flat tire to someone to help me so I had to call a help number or some professional number. But here everybody tries to help if they see that you are in need.

Daniela SM: 15:26

Yes, that's true, silke. I was 20 when I decided that I wanted to leave Venezuela because my dad passed away. I was studying second year of law in the Universidad Católica. I failed one class, and if you fail one class, you have to repeat the whole year, and so I couldn't do it. My dad passed away, my mom left, and so I just decided that I wanted to leave as well, and it was 1990. But I also wanted to travel, like I'm always being somebody who loves traveling, yes, and so here you are, coming to a country where seven million people have left. So your video on Instagram there is no perfect place, it's just perfect for you.

Silke Ortmann: 16:05

I really believe that they're the same thing. Sometimes in some parts I can't change how I grew up as well, but, for example, for me, I was looking for the exact opposite, for a way more relaxed. There's no wrong place or no good place, it just has to be good for you. And I stick of Germany because obviously that's my country where I was born, and because people are too stressed and too focused on perfection that they don't see the beauty and imperfection. In Germany, for example, when we went there, it's exactly the out of us. The bus comes exactly at 7.53. So they are so stressed, because you know that the bus comes exactly at 7.53, that you're in a rush and ona run all the time, and so here it's like, okay, you don't really know when the bus comes exactly. You're waiting there, you're talking to other people and listening to different stories. It depends on the way how you see it. You see the beauty in it and the nice way of living as well.

Daniela SM: 17:04

Yes, as I'm growing older, I appreciate it very much. I remember when I was finishing school and I had to take the bus home. If the bus was full, people will pull you up and push you in and you would not miss the bus. So you know that's like the whole community caring for you. Like you said, if it's at 7.53 and you come at 7.53 in a second, the bus driver will close the door in your nose and not open the door when you're like begging him to open it for you. The humanity part, how you say it, the community is at the end. You know, when you talk about longevity and what is the cities, that people are the oldest is always not because they're super healthy and eat super good food is because they have their community.

Silke Ortmann: 17:50

Yes, yes, that's right. I was just remembering in Berlin, like so many times when I was trying to get into an elevator and, like here, they would put their your arm out so that that you can get in, but in Berlin, so many times they were pushing the button, like, like, faster, so that the door wouldn't open again for me. You know.

Daniela SM: 18:11

Yes, yes, and I wonder how how people are like that, you know how people are different in in case the sense of individualism. That happens especially for North America, right?

Silke Ortmann: 18:22

Yes versus in South America is more communities, more helping the others and also another part is, for example, children like I think it's really beautiful how children are accepted everywhere, like for example in in Germany. I couldn't bring my kid to work.

Daniela SM: 18:36

Yes, yes. So you see yourself for many, many years with Raphael living in Margarita.

Silke Ortmann: 18:42

You never know what happens when you're like very old and we don't serve anymore and maybe we want to be in the cold. So right now we are on the same page and maybe we would like to travel a little bit more. We are actually happy here because we have everything we need, we have our work, we have our all, this small place where we live and we have warm weather and we have nice people, we have lots of friends here and and we can do what we love every day and we are in the restaurant for days a week. Friends and family come to visit us in the restaurant, so we really like our life here.

Daniela SM: 19:14

That's nice. That's nice. And let's talk about the restaurant, our restaurant is called Quakukusurf.

Silke Ortmann: 19:19

It was a little kiosk, a little, really little small place. A surfer built in 2013 and then he sold it to the previous owner and she made it a bigger, but it still maintained the wood structure and it's like a very relaxed place and it's like magical, because you have a wooden deck on on the top and then you have the stair down to the beach and it's all in wood and palm tree roof. Once you sit there on the stairs and you look down at you will you will see the magic of this restaurant. We have like 10 beach umbrellas and we have different kind of food. We invented some special hamburgers from like fish hamburger and chicken hamburger with a Caesar salad and and the meat hamburger. And then we have the traditional plates fish steak, fish filet, red snapper, tuna, tartar, ceviche. Of course, we also have tikinos in israel and mozzarella sticks. I don't know how we would, how we would translate them yeah.

Daniela SM: 20:16

Yeah. That gives them the most mistakes, but they're much better yes, yes, and. And so who cooks is not you or Raphael.

Silke Ortmann: 20:26

No, we have Chef, which was Rafa's best friends. She made the menu four years ago, but she's not working anymore with us. We have a new chef and an assistant.

Daniela SM: 20:36

And is it difficult to find stuff? Yes, always, everywhere, I think.

Silke Ortmann: 20:41

Yeah, it's also difficult because obviously here the public transport is not so good all the time on time exactly. So you want to have stuff that lives close by or that has a car or a model, and that's even harder.

Daniela SM: 20:55

OK.

Silke Ortmann: 20:56

We also pay for a transport for our employees, but it's a bit complicated.

Daniela SM: 21:00

yes, and Silke are you always busy, or some days during the week that you're busier than others?

Silke Ortmann: 21:06

And when it's high season we open every day. But in low season we open from Wednesday to Sunday. I don't know why, but Thursdays are never so good when it's low season. For some reason, thursday during the day, venezuelans don't like to go to the beach. I don't know. Wednesdays can be good and Fridays can be good, but obviously it's always less movement during the week, but the weekends we are always full.

Daniela SM: 21:28

yes, and what is low season, what is high season? When is that?

Silke Ortmann: 21:31

For example, the Manasanta Easter is high season, then you have the summer vacation. It starts when school ends on the 15th of July till the beginning of September. We have a holiday in September I think it's the 11th, so it's always from 15th of July to 11th of September. We open every day, and then the next season would be Christmas and then carnival.

Daniela SM: 21:53

It's funny that you said Christmas and I was thinking, no, christmas is cold, not there.

Silke Ortmann: 22:01

No, not here.

Daniela SM: 22:02

If I go there, is there a way that I can find accommodation so that I can be close to the restaurant as well?

Silke Ortmann: 22:09

There's a hotel which is called the Tamarindo or Diago Pucco, and it's a really nice hotel. And then we also have a condominium which has vacation apartments and it's really a nice condo with a huge swimming pool. They have a mini market and I've also did a restaurant inside of the condominium and have two huge swimming pools and it's very safe and very cool and you can walk through the beach. So this is like where we always recommend to stay there. It's called Terasa Steuwa Pucco, that's good, Silke.

Daniela SM: 22:38

going back to you, you were a flight attendant and now you have to learn all about being an entrepreneur and owning your own business. How is that going?

Silke Ortmann: 22:49

I studied management, obviously, and it's totally different here, and there's so many things I had to learn here and I'm still learning, because obviously they make some errors when we are, like, all of a sudden, at a restaurant and there's a lot of bureaucracy here as well. We also have a lot of permits which have to be renewed every year, so it's really not so easy, but I talk about Pucco.

Daniela SM: 23:13

Uh-huh, pucco, pucco does. But you have definitely learned a lot and grown a lot career-wise, every aspect of your life.

Silke Ortmann: 23:21

Yes, totally. I'm very proud of it. I'm very proud of myself for managing that.

Daniela SM: 23:26

Yes, there is one guy I remember from our high school. His name is Ernesto von der Esch. Certainly I heard that he is working at Tverx and Kaiko. He has his own boat and he takes people on tours and then he puts on Instagram and says, hey, this is going to my office, you know. And then his office is a boat and I feel like he has the best life. His values are nature and life enjoyment. I feel like this is the same with you. You're young. People at your age perhaps are still searching for happiness while you have it all around you.

Silke Ortmann: 23:59

Yeah, yeah, I feel the same way. I'm actually doing the same thing. I'm also posting pictures from my office and sitting on our restaurant terrace and watching the ocean. So yeah, and this is actually what I always wanted, was actually my dream to exactly have that.

Daniela SM: 24:14

Yes, when you say it was your dream, tell me about that.

Silke Ortmann: 24:17

This was already when I was in high school. I always thought I would live in another country, I would live at the beach and I would buy a restaurant, because I felt this was me. Obviously, it took me a long time 20 years, yes, but I'm already in high school because I travel. I always like to travel and every time I was on an island I thought this is so cool to have a restaurant at the beach and this is what you do for a living. My stepfather he always told me you have to find something that you really love and get someone to pay for it.

Daniela SM: 24:45

For that, Wow, that's amazing that you already knew what you wanted, since you were in high school, I mean.

Silke Ortmann: 24:51

Yeah, I just remember the yearbook Germany. Like when you finish high school, you always there's a yearbook. At the end Everybody has a picture. Your name and our yearbook have to say something about you. And everybody wrote about me she's gonna leave, she's gonna live on an island. I would love to find this book. It must be somewhere in some box at my parents' house. Yeah, everybody said exactly that. That. What happened to?

Daniela SM: 25:12

me. Oh wow, that's incredible. She was getting all that good energy from everyone too, no just from you.

Silke Ortmann: 25:18

Yes.

Daniela SM: 25:19

That's incredible, that's good. And your daughter, obviously? You speak to her in German.

Silke Ortmann: 25:24

Yes, yes, she speaks Spanish, obviously. Now she's speaking a little bit more German. The only one talking German here. I'm always in the restaurant, so it's not so much German that she gets. She understands German, and now she speaks a little more. And in school she also have English and French. So sometimes she tells me no, mommy, I don't want to speak German now, and she comes from school. But I'm trying to, I'm trying to, and now it's getting better.

Daniela SM: 25:48

I understand with our kids. They went to a French school and we speak English at home. I did my best to speak Spanish to them. You know, I grew up as a mom in English. I left when I was young so I started to read books and all these things, so it was all in English. When I have to give an advice or something really strict, it comes out in English. They speak Spanish as well, with an accent, but they speak it. Do you have any other wishes about your restaurant, the location, the island?

Silke Ortmann: 26:15

I would wish that there would be more tourists from different parts of the world here to Margarita Island, because it's really such a great island and people are so impressed, like the tourists that come and actually see how beautiful and how developed it is, like you can for example, you can go out here in Pampatar and it seems almost like Europe, like a little European town, and you can go out at night, you can have little bars and restaurants and people imagine something totally different. They are always so impressed when they come here and I hope that maybe some more people can listen to it. People can watch my video and I have the tourism that more people come here and see how beautiful it is.

Daniela SM: 26:55

Are there cruise ships coming?

Silke Ortmann: 26:56

from Europe. They called me from one agency because they wanted someone speaking German. There was one cruise ship after 15 years, coming from Spain. In January I received the Germans because I'm a mainly Germans. I had two buses. I showed them a little bit around. They only had four hours, but they were also very impressed. We exchanged phone numbers. They were like wow, there have been so many Caribbean islands already and they said the best was Makarita Island.

Daniela SM: 27:23

Oh wow, that was good.

Silke Ortmann: 27:25

They made a little dancing show when they came off the cruise ship and they said like wow, they were received so warmly. They said like they are on that island. For example, in Barbados they didn't even have enough buses for them and there was a lot of some people couldn't even do a tour.

Daniela SM: 27:39

That's a wonderful first impression that they got. It's okay, in your restaurants you can also take lessons.

Silke Ortmann: 27:45

I'm also a certified KiteSurf instructor. We do surf lessons. We also have an integrated surf school in our restaurant. I have the equipment and I can also give kite lessons.

Daniela SM: 27:55

yes, you are not competing anymore, but you can be an instructor for kite surfing and you're also busy managing your restaurant.

Silke Ortmann: 28:03

Yes, yeah, I'm usually very busy with my restaurant, but once in a while I do kite lessons, you know, in low season, for example.

Daniela SM: 28:10

Silke. But if you are always busy, you never get time to go on vacation.

Silke Ortmann: 28:16

Yes, yes, well, we did a little one day vacation, like we went to Isla Gautsch. We went to Isla Gautsch for one day, which was really cool. Maybe we did this past Saturday. It's difficult to take vacation, but we are planning on going on a trip next year, like we want to do Spain and Germany.

Daniela SM: 28:37

And then who's gonna run your restaurant?

Silke Ortmann: 28:39

Probably our main employee. We also deserve some vacation.

Daniela SM: 28:43

Yes, exactly, exactly. Well, so, silke, thank you so much for sharing your story. This was awesome. Thank you very much. Yes, thank you, daniela, and we are going to visit you for sure. Yes, please, to the restaurant Wakuko Surf.

Silke Ortmann: 28:59

The restaurant Wakuko Surf. Yes, we will be there. Perfect. Thank you, Daniela.

Daniela SM: 29:05

Thank you. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. I am Daniela and you were listening to, because Everyone has a Story. Please take five seconds right now and think of somebody in your life that may enjoy what you just heard, or someone that has a story to be shared and preserved. When you think of that person, shoot them a text with the link of this podcast. This would allow the ordinary magic to go further. Join me next time for another story conversation. Thank you for listening. Hasta pronto, robino TV.