It was a short paddle of 15km to Davao. It’s nice to have the supporting friends on the water.

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.