PHILLIPINES PART 3 Back in coron city, what a blast 5 days was just unreal...Where to now ??? ... Getting ready to do the rest of the northwest/northeast coast of coron island, starting about 2 kms from Coron going for about 10 kms...sounds like a great overnighter... Just as we are to leave, we make phone calls, I am told of major ice storms in NE USA and Quebec area, total disaster...on has to rush to manila, on the morning flight...so 1 more day to say goodbye to my paddle buddy and get ready for solo paddling... This last trip was too great, I must get back to this magical island for a few more days, so I head out to where we left off, on day trips...For the next 2 days I am paddling the northwest shores, from the twin spires to Lima point [the most northerly point of the island...and then around the Maquinit island group, and back to Coron city via the shores of Busuanga island. The corals around the spires are so unreal, so colourful, one could spend an eternity right there... Along the shores from the spires to Lima point, I find a few desolate beaches at which I hang for a while, then onto exploring the many inlets and rock outcrops along the way, it takes forever to travel as there is such an incredible visual display that it is very hard to go any further...At one of these small bays with sand the texture of white flour, I find myself spying on a dragon or is it the last of the dinosaurs, not quite sure...Oh I get it, it is one of them huge lizards, maybe 1 1/2 meter long, the head is huge. I get to check him out quite good, no problems until I try to get closer than a hundred meters from shore, then it is a race for the cover of the underbrush, which is better than a charge in this funny looking boat...So I carry on and away letting this critter return to his peaceful beach... At the next bay, I find a cave, huge entrance about 5 meters high but only a couple meters wide, I study this place for a bit and decide to back into the thing and check it out, it is my first caving experience...It is quite spooky to back into the darkness like that...I get to go about 3 yak length into the place, what a blast, what a trip, a huge cavern inside this small entrance, the ceiling is about 10 metres high, so incredible... I must do more of this , for sure... Next I decide to peak around the corner to see the north east shore line, more of the same, but wide open coast line, with quite a current coming at me, and much bigger waves, and a big huge ferry boat coming at me...So I decide to keep within the sheltered areas and turn towards the Maquinit islands. There are 2 of these islands but right next to these two are 5 more very small unnamed islands [they are reffered to as outcropping, but are just as magnificiant as their bigger relatives...Again the corals are so incredible and colourful... From there I return to Coron city along the shores of Busuanga island, going by shipyards with very nice and very ugly outrigger boats, a couple small villages and the government docks where the ferry is tied waiting for the morrow to leave with it's new cargo of goods and people... I return to this section of islands for another great day, running into Sea Canoe international, Brian and Jeremy are out with 1 client, what a blast he is having he tells me, no wonder, being in paradise is usually quite a blast allright... I even get to try out the sails, but am a bit nervous of it so I resume to paddling, snorkelling and beaching... On the way back to Coron city, I head over to this great looking sailboat which just anchored off the bay...A couple Danish ladies out on tour, with a Danish skipper, are going down to Palawan island then onto Sarawak, Brunei, Sumatra, Singapore and Phuket...Maybe I should get on....No thanks, too much boozing...I resume my paddle... Another couple days of rest, trying to decide which way to go...Let's get this show on the road...I head west towards Sangit island, 5 lazy but steady hours away. I get to paddle some mangroves, a shallow channel between 2 islands unleashes the beauty of hundreds of starfish, again totally different from any I ever seen, all bumpy all over, the bumps/pimples are 5 mm across and bluish on a tan coloured body, awesome...This , it seems, is where I get adopted by a kingfisher bird, for the next 4 days, it seems this bird is always with me, singing at me, showing off it's colours and leading the way it seems it knows where I am going...or are there hundreds of these... Along the way I am shooting "Merry X mass and Happy New Year to the people on the shores, get very nice replies andstrange looks...After a couple rest on different islands and beaches, I reach Sangit island, privately owned by Andy [ a brit living there for 13 years now] I check out this empty beach I was told I could use, looks great so I paddle to the other end of the south shore to the resort to ask permission to use that other beach... These folks are great, there are 14 bungalows for rent [he's full up] and a small beach just on the other side of this bay where folks can stay at for free...So I stay the afternoon having a few cold ones, and decide to have a real meal with folks and stay the day. I sleep at this other beach... The next morning after a great breakfast, I head back to my beach, or to the beach that is loaned out to me and hang for a couple days, after Xmass is in 2 days and for sure this place is the one, no one around, great sunrise views...And snorkelling a Japanese gun boat at 5 meters under the water... MERRY XMASS ALL On Xmass morning I head out, circumventing the island, going north, and out around a couple smaller island, one is a mangrove island with just enough dryland for a house, these folks sure have it made... On the northern tip is again most incredible, colourful is almost an understatement...And down the west side to discover a couple pearl farms. This area is not as friendly as the rest of the place, I can feel the eyes on me, where are they...just around the next corner, a great location, He can see all over the place and cannot be seen until one is right up to him...At which time, again the sounds of "merry Xmass' brings out a smile and it feels better for the rest of the journey down this side It must of been ESP with one another cause when I get to the southern outpost I guess they are called, the other fellow was smiling and his rifle was down on the rack where it is usually I suppose...The first one had his riffle at the ready next to him... I even circle the work platform, These guys even have a basketball court to play on out there on a float... By 5 pm, just before dark I arrive back at Sangat resort, just in time for xmass dinner and to hear the stories of last night and the morning...Sounds great, glad I missed it....Humbug... I spent the night on the next door beach, and in the morning I was ready for the sea canoe team to pick me up as I am crashing in on a tour to Black island which I am told is one great paddle spot..... But that is another story... Yours naturally sylvio lamarche Wycliffe organic gardens & Exotic locales all over the globe *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Jul 21 1998 - 06:01:41 PDT
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