They would like to thank all friends and supporters who have prayed and encouraged them. Stay tuned for more reports…

Manila Bay is unfortunately very polluted. Island Cove Resort sponsored our stay at Kawit. We arrived in Mall of Asia and was welcomed by Primer Group, ROX and Columbia.

Our 2 nights’ stay in Manila is sponsored by Traders Hotel.

We have done 2,200km. 800km to go. But it won’t be a walk in the park. Northeast monsoon has started. That means more headwind and waves. We hope there won’t be anymore typhoon ahead.

Stay tuned for the final 3 weeks…

The crossing to Caluya Island was a bit surrealistic. In that morning just before sunrise, the wind was blowing hard. I thought to myself, if it’s windy here at shore, I can’t imagine what it’s like out there in the open sea. I braced myself for a long hard day.

I said goodbye to Wee Leng and kids. It’s hard to leave them after having them with us for 2 weeks. Sheng Feng and Sheng En have experienced so much. I hope this will open their eyes to the wonders of the world. They would be flying home that morning.

Miraculously, after breakfast, just as we started to prepare, the wind stopped. So the longest crossing in this expedition of 38km was completed in calm sea without any incident. We were really blessed. When we reached the shore of Caluya, I said “Thank you God”.

But that’s only halfway to Mindoro. From Caluya, we have 2 more crossings of 15km each. And again, we had problem looking for a boat. The weather looked fine. Instead of waiting, we decided to cross without a support boat. The support team would catch a passenger boat and meet us in Mindoro. We prepared to be on our own for a day and brought sleeping bags and extra food.

The crossing to Semirara was again in fine weather. In fact, it was mirror sea condition. A huge coal mine greeted us at Semirara. Now, only 15km separated us from Mindoro. We started the last crossing. With 10km to go, the weather changed. We could see storm clouds sweeping in from the front and the back, Wind picked up and soon, white caps appeared. I paddled as hard as I could. It started to rain heavily and Mindoro was disappearing in poor visibility. Just as things seemed to be getting worse, the wind died down. We reached the shore of Mindoro safely without a support boat. We were a bit cold from the rain but happy to touch land again.

From here onwards, only a short crossing to Luzon is on the route. As we entered Soguicay Bay, a boat came from behind and surprisingly, it was our support team. It was a perfect ending for the day. The Governor of Antique has got the Mayor of Caluya to lend us a boat at the last minute.

We enjoyed perfect weather for the next 3 days as we worked our way up the east coast of Mindoro. This coast has some rugged terrain – mountainous and cliffs.

At Pola, the LGU hosted us and took us on a little tour, including the beautiful house of the Mayor overlooking the bay.

Our good-weather luck ended on the day to Calapan. It was headwind most of the day. The last 4km turned out to be very rough sea and to make it worse, it was beam wind and waves. I asked Buzzy to paddle close together in case I capsize. Luckily, we reached the resort safely. 54km. Long and hard day.

The sunny and calm weather returned the next day as we headed to Puerto Galera, our last stop in Mindoro. Sabang Beach is nice with lots of dive operators. It was a short day and we spent the rest of the day relaxing and recuperating from yesterday’s hard work.

We are close to 2,000km mark. The last big island is awaiting us, Luzon.

The next morning’s 14-km crossing was nasty – hugh waves breaking from the beam. It was pure adrenalin trying to avoid capsizing. Landing in Bantayan was sheer joy. Wee Leng & kids took the ferry with Libert. JR & Markie were on the pumpboat.

The next challenge was a 44-km paddle to Sagay, Negros with some island-hopping and crossings. As we approached Sagay, we could see not one but three storm systems closing in on us. It didn’t look good at all. It reminded me of Placer. I said a prayer and paddled on. Luckily, somehow, we escaped all the storms with just some minor wind. Again, landing in Sagay was like a sailor coming home after braving storms. Tourism officials in Sagay treated us to one of the best lunches we had for a long time – huge prawns, shells, fish & other good stuff. We drove along the sugar-cane fields to a nice hotel with a pool.

LGUs at Cadiz also provided us wonderful hospitality. The next day, the weather turned great – blue sky and mirror sea. Heaven for a paddler ! For the first time, Wee Leng & kids hopped on the pumpboat to San Dionisio, our first landing in Panay. By now, Sheng Feng and Sheng En have got used to the rough travel. They have been on a ferry, bus, van, car and now, the pumpboat.

We arrived in Carles in windy and cloudy condition. The next morning, it was a cold, wet and miserable start. The sky looked ominous. Without a pumpboat support, we had to hug the coast. It was a long 55-km day to Roxas, the capitol of Province Cadiz.

At New Washington, we stayed at Mdm Tita Cruz’s Green Hut Resort. It’s a warm home-resort known to few people as it’s not advertised.

The next day, instead of staying at Ibahay, we decided to push on past Nabas so that we could get to Boracay early.

Finally, a 22-km paddle brought us to Boracay. Unfortunately, I found the White Beach too crowded. The sand is truly fine and blindingly white but, commercialism has taken away the tranquility. We were warmly welcomed at Shangri-La Boracay and the feeling here is such a sharp contrast from the White Beach. It’s beautifully landscaped with flowing-water coursing through the terraces and walls. It has only opened for 7 months. After we check-in, all of us are hoping for a typhoon now so that we can all stay longer ! It’s a paradize here. Of course, our stay is kindly sponsored by Shangri-La Boracay. We simply can’t afford it on our own.

Boracay marks the halfway point of the expedition. 1,662km in 48 days. So far so good. Thanks to the tremendous support of LGUs along the way, we should be able to make it to Pagudpud with the continued support of LGUs ahead of our route.

The 2nd half of the voyage will start with the most difficult section – three long crossings consecutively, 37km, 16km & 17km. It will take 2-3 days. We will need all your prayers to get across to Mindoro.

Stay tuned…..

The next 2 days saw us crossed 2 more open water of 25km and 18km. It’s 3 crossings in 3 days. The crossing to Lapinin Island was rough. We felt the effect of Typhoon Pepeng.

We finally reached Bohol. At Talibon, Buzzy’s friends from Tagbilaran joined us with 4 kayaks. The paddle to Pandanon Island was tough. I capsized less than 100m from the shore in big swell. At Pandanon, we decided to proceed to Sulpa Island, which is the island we went training in June where I first met Buzzy. Some paddlers were waiting for us there already.

Next morning, we reached Mactan in good weather. Shangri-La Mactan gave us a warm welcome. It was superb to see my family again after more than a month.

We were pampered by Shangri-La’s hospitality including a spa treatment at its Chi Spa,

Mindanao is feeling the effect too. The past 4 days have been very hard going. Struggling against the headwind is exhausting and being tossed about in the huge waves was no fun at all. I estimate the wind consistently at least 50km/h gusting up to 80km/h.

PAGASA, the Philippines national weather bureau yesterday issued the following warning “Gale warning for seaboards of Mindanao 30-40 knots wind. Rough to very rough sea 3.7-4.5m wave. Small vessels are advised not to go out to sea”. I think a kayak is smaller than any small vessels. So, we have to stay put till the typhoon is over. It will be foolish to go out now. Going with the flow is the key to survival. Besides, we need a good rest too.

The plan now is to rest 2 days and on Tuesday 29th, weather permitting, we will attempt to cross the difficult Surigao Strait. Luckily, we have the support of the Philippine Navy. One of their ships will escort us for the crossing. It’s a 78-feet ship. That’s the best news for now. Hopefully, it can shield us from the howling wind and raging waves.

Surigao is the most northern tip of Mindanao. Yesterday, the GPS registered the first 1,000km. It’s a significant milestone for the expedition. We are about to leave Mindanao and enter Visaya, the next leg of the journey. But this is turning out to be an escape from Mindanao.

On 24th, we were in Sohoton and finally, I got to see what I have been waiting for – the jellyfish. It’s an amazing experience swimming with them in a small lagoon. I was told they are stingless but I found out that they still sting, just sting less. Sohoton is like a paradize with caves, limestone cliffs, lakes and lagoons.

I was so focus on getting out of the port that I wasn’t even aware of Buzzy’s capsize until I got out into the open sea and waited for him. He told me his saga when he finally came out to join me.

Ironically, once out of the port, the open sea was calm. In fact, today, the sea was like a mirror and it was sizzling hot with no wind. We made quick progress with favorable current. We were moving at 7-8km/h with ease. Going with the flow. That’s the secret of kayaking.

At the entrance to Lanuza Bay, it was big surf and chaotic sea again for about 3km. But once we entered the bay, it was back to calm water.

Landing at Lanuza is tricky with surf breaks. Before going in, I packed everything down in anticipation of a capsize. Going in slowly, I surfed the first wave and the GPS registered a cool 14km/h surge. That was like a teaser. On the next one, it just completely swallowed my bow and I became a tiny helpless vessel being thrown forward forcefully. I went under and my head hit a rock. Luckily, it was nothing serious. I got up and the water was just waist deep. I quickly checked the kayak. Nothing was lost except for the life jacket which drifted to the shore. A fisherman picked it up and handed it back to me with a strange look in his eye.

Capsize No.3 for me and welcome to Lanuza, the surfing town ! There is no better way to make an entrance

More kayak surfing to come…

On the approach to Taragona, we had to pass Lucatan Point where the MILF is located. Luckily, one of their leaders was on our boat. When we were near their shore, he gave an ok hand signal. That was our passport for safe passage. I wanted to pay a visit to their Commander but was told that they need a few days’ notice. Anyway, Taragona’s development officer Nenita told us that they are actually civilians and there has been no trouble.

It was a short day to Taragona and we stayed at the Mayor’s rest house. We were treated to a highland excursion with Nenita and Ariel. We drove up to a cool 800m above sea level. We visited the pastor’s home and tasted locally brewed coffee. It’s sweet with a bitter after-taste. Seeing the highland was refreshing after days on the sea.

We passed Pusan Point, the most eastern point of Philippines. The sea was chaotic and confused with swift currents snaking in and out. It was challenging negotiating our way thru. This is where many people came to see the Millenium Sunrise but was disappointed by a cloudy morning. The coastline in this area is sharp limestone cliffs up to 50m high.

Mayor Alicia Mori waited for us 2 hours at San Luis. It’s embarrasing to have the mayor waiting for us. She opened her home to us. It’s a nice 2-storey of mixed Spanish and Philippino architecture. That night, we had our 4th lechon (roast pig). That is 3 consecetive days of lechon ! We need a break.

Big waves going to Cateel. This is our last stop in Davao Oriental Province. We said goodbye to Juancho here. He has been such a great help since we entered this province, following us everyday and making sure we are ok. I also had a phone conversation with Governor Cora to thank her for her great assistance and her hospitality in allowing us to stay at her home in Cateel. It’s a beautiful mansion.

Barcelona (no, we are not in Spain) was the first stop in Surigao del Sur Province. It’s a quiant little fishing village and again, we were welcomed into the Barangay Kapitan’s home.

Bakulin sits in a deep V-shape cove. It’s a long 3km from the tip of the cove to the village. At the entrance of the cove, there are beautiful islets and rock outcrops. I must come back to explore this tranquil place. Mayor was there to welcome us and again, we stayed at the kapitan’s house. In the morning, the entire village gathered to send us off. Very heart-warming.

From Bakulin, we executed the longest open water crossing so far. It’s 34km across the huge Lianga Bay. Strong wind and big waves from the side kept pushing the kayak sideway. I almost capsized on a few occasions. The most exhausting day so far. And long distance too, 49.6km. We didn’t see land the whole morning until we arrived at the cove leading us to Cagwait. The beautiful Cagwait White Beach more than made up for the tough day. Lala, the provincial tourism officer welcomed us and for dinner, of course, our 5th lechon !

We met the Mayor and he took my recommendations to start the sport of kayaking seriously. He said he would purchase a few sit-on-top and invite me back next year for a kayak competition. It would be exciting to see this idea come to fruition.

It’s a short 26km to Tandag, the capitol of Surigao del Sur. We deserve a half-day rest. This part of Mindanao is the premier surfing site of Philippines. That means one thing, BIGGER waves await us ahead. That should be fun and scarry !

We are making good progress. ETA in Cebu is now 1 Oct. I can’t wait to see my family.They will join us from Cebu to Boracay.

Stay tuned for more stories from the beautiful Philippine coastline….

From Samal Island, we crossed 27km of open water to and landed at Lupon, our first municipal in Davao Oriental. We were given a warm welcome and taken on a motorcade parade to town to meet Mayor Domingo Lim. He presented me and Buzzy each a nicely framed certificate. The accommodation was sponsored by Gina of Aroma Beach Resort. Joel Tenchavez is the main coordinator for this part of the leg.

The next stop was Jamboree, 52km away. A long day. It was hard fighting the Habagat wind.

From Jamboree, we rounded the Cape of St Augustin, a major milestone. This is where we finally meet the Pacific Ocean. Luckily, it was kind to us on that day. From here, after 11 days of paddling, we are finally northbound. The Davao Gulf was a BIG circle. That night, we met Juancho Serrano, the tourism official of Davao Oriantal. The support and coorination of this Province towards this expedition is nothing less than impressive. We are told there some tricky and sensitive sections ahead. We are so thankful for them.

I got separated from the support team and Buzzy at Luban, supposedly our night stop. Due to a miscommunication, they carried on to the next village which is 9km away. I spent an hour walking the beach and trying to communicate with the locals to determine if they had seen the support team. Luban is a tiny remote fishing village. I decided to continue. It was 5pm by the time I arrived at Cabuaya. 58km, the longest day so far. Luckily, the Habagat was pushing me from behind, giving me a much needed lift. Cabuaya means crocodile (same as Buaya in Malay). This is the place of the Philippine Eagle Sanctuary. We met the ranger.

We continued northward to Mati, the Capitol of Davao Oriental. Mati means death in Malay but in Greek, it means the 3rd Eye. Our accommodation is sponsored by Gregorio Beach Resort. A nice resort on stilts.

Today is our 1st rest day after 2 weeks on the move. My body will definitely appreciate the rest.

Sonni Mendoza arrived this morning with our supply of 100 Plus powder and a laptop for me to use for today. At last, I could download data. He drove 3 hours all the way from Davao just to meet us. We owe him a lot. I will send some pics later.

This expedition has been aptly called Friendship Kayak. It’s the friendship of the people of this land that has made it possible for us to come this far.

Last night, we plotted the itinerary to Cebu. ETA at Cebu is 5 Oct.

The voyage continues…

At Santa Ana Wharf, we landed for a short break. When I tried to leave shore after the break, a group of playful kids jumped onto the back of my kayak. They wouldn’t get off even when I shouted to them. A wave came over and knocked me off easily. I was angry but there was nothing I could do. If I were them, I would probably do the same.

A large media crowd awaited us at Pearl Farm Marina Club. Governor Dominguez and Sonja Garcia (Director of DOT for Region 11) were there to welcome us. After a quick shower, we had a sumptuous lunch. Finally, we had vegetables after 8 days on rice, fish and chicken.

The press conference went smoothly. The media was attentive and showed a lot of support.

After that, it was back to expedition tasks. I washed my kayak for the first time. The team went shopping for food and equipment.

We had dinner at Marina Tuna. I had eaten at that place in February. The tuna is so smooth and tender that it melts in your mouth.

After dinner, Arnel fixed the crack with the fiberglass coat and resin. Hopefully, that will last to Cebu. We said goodbye to Arnel as he had to go back to work tomorrow. He’s a great guy to paddle with.