Phillipines part 5 So it is Dec 29 and we are back at coron city, still looking to charter a outrigger boat for the crossing of the Cullion straight...very hard indeed, so many tourists tell me about 10 to 15 meter waves...And no one with boats seem to want to sign up...Been spreading the word out for 3 weeks now...What the heck... Finally on the morning of January 2 it pays off, I find a 20 meter outrigger boat with crew of 6 to take me on for 2 weeks. This is deluxe, 20 meters long, 4 meters wide and outriggers at about 5 meters on either sides, being a fishing boat it's only got top deck, but without nets in the hold, we have one great cooler room...We sleep on top deck or on the wheelhouse roof...The crew loves it right off the bat, it's the first time these folks take on tourists, and they get me !!! The klepper fits perfect out front and it's a breeze getting it on and off with all the help on board... January 3 we head out, having taken on the first 2 of the tag along hammock tourists, Dom and Dave from Ireland and Scotland [ They made me promise to tell of them in this story so there, i did.] 1st destination is the south end of Culion island [11* 40' 10" N/ 119* 56' 46" E] to tackle Culion Straight at 1st light, it is about 15 kms across dotted with a bunch of island, but the currents are quite strong and I heard of 10 to 15 meter waves..so I'll hang on the big boat for this journey to Linapacan Island. 4;30 am and we are heading off as breaky is cooking, crystal clear, glass flat it's is magnificiant, the Sulu sea on the left, the south china sea on the right. With a first stop at San Miguel for more provisions as this island is way off the path, eve the crew and captain while having looked at it hundreds of times have never gone into the 2 inciting bays, which I plan to paddle for the next 2 days while the boat and crew hang out and meet me for dinner and sleep... This paddle starts off at Bulawan point [11* 30' 50" N / 119* 49' 06" E ] The scenery is so varied, going from 50 meter cliffs with baby caves starting out, a few of which are actually a fair size. I managed to go into a few of them, was so careful to not get trapped by incoming waves...mostly backed into these, it's a gas...The furthest I coaxed myself into going was about 3 boat length before I just had to get out, but I really enjoyed working the waves to minimise my ups and downs in there and feel ready to blast out when the claustrophobia attack comes in...These mini cliffs and caves give way to incredible beaches , some barely large enough for a campsite, but all loaded with monkey tracks and lizard trailings, or are they more of them Dinosaurs like on Coron...Then and again the place would transform into mangroves, an incredible paddle experience, must of seen hundreds of small blue spotted rays about 30 cm long, some at about 50 cm...loads of noises so unreal...Motion all over but so hard to actually see anything. I think the reason I saw the spotted rays is that they split we I arrived...Not many snakes, no crocs, thankfully... The boys from the boat often took turns sitting in the front cockpit and touring around, they were amazed at their good fortune at work for this week...For the next 2 days I paddle these 2 bays, meeting up with the boat for great food, fresh mackerel, tuna. Must of seen hundreds more kingfisher birds, many others even more exotic. Only 1 incident on this adventure while out there with Dave [from Scotland, remember] we paddle into the mangrove and get going into these labyrinths of water and vegetation and come out way up the shore at the other end of the smaller bay, behind Pangititan island and this dude is out there with a small outrigger maybe the length of my klepper at 17' he's with his son, very quiet doing something in the water, but s the son sees us, dad seems to freak and runs for the motor and goes about 100 meters away...but he's still in our line of travel as we are longing the shore...couple minutes later, he moves again and is quite agitated by now, and finally the shore veers away and changes our trajectory away from him, seems to relive him, and he prepares to return to where we figure he was fishing with cyanide for them there American aquarium, did not see any guns, but later the captain told me to get away next time even back away if needed... That night we pulled in at Royog for the night and more stuff, in the morning we got a live chicken to tie off at the stern [the banca, not the yak] for dinner later, my best dish, chicken and cashew nuts, spicy...The stay there was special, I don't think many whities go there, we had a audience of about 3 dozen children from the moment we arrived till we left...the crowd got up to almost 100 when we put in that klepper and I got ready to paddle. [Now you have to visualise me, egg white skin, wearing long silk tyedye drawstrings and white "sumbrella"sunshirt, hat and bandana over my face with glacier glasses...PFD as a back rest...] The third morning I left at 1st light and paddle out towards the open channel till lunch time As I was approaching the open channel, I sure could feel the currents, slowing down and down woops I'm going west a tad...It's the way to Malubutglubut Island for snorkelling, my 2 brits? companions are a bit tired of hanging around waiting to go meet me...But they are out snorkelling and got great shaded hammocks and great food...Last night I changed batteries in the GPS, DID NOT close it's bag proper...at night it fell into the bilge water...guess what colour the water looked in the morning after the new batteries wer into it for a while ...[let's see a bit of oil, diesel, let's not forget copious amount of fresh batteriy acid some sand...not too good.] Dom who is into audio labs , carries a great cleaning kit, washed it down and it still works sort of...one treminal is ate away but holding it with 3 hands and wiggling it it does work, that's no problems in 6 foot seas after all I am in a klepper...Oh well less luggage for now, fix it back in Canada...[Not fixed yet] This afternoon we hit Malubutglubut island, Manga island, Barsalisa island, all 3 with long sandspit coming out with majestic corals on all sides, so it's 1/2 hour and hour there. At the 1st island with that long funny name we met up with a stranded /way smaller/ banca [ the phillipino name for the outrigger] with 8 tourists on board, the motor conked out last night and they drifted out into the South China sea to be towed in by a floating fish factory. These Europeans left El Nido [ my destination from Coron for Coron In a boat that thrice too small , no food, very little water, but there are folks around and a short paddle into the visage had taken of all their needs except the motor. We rescued a French lady from Paris, the others hoped to get to destination...good luck.... Soazig could not believe her bad / good luck, and was totally impressed with the size of boat / crew for 3 of us, now 4... By 6 pm, after going we are crossing the northern point of Palawan island at Calibu pass for yet another magical sunset. By 7 pm we are anchored in Calitan bay, the first refuge on Palawan...There are a bunch of fishing boat around us, I figure I want crabs or prawns which have been few and far between so far on this boat...Trying to get their attention I kick the large cook pot overboard, throw down the sarong and dive in to retrieve it and come up on the outrigger...Now I am real close to the big fish boat, so start screaming at it...GOT ANY CRABS, LOBSTERS, PRAWNS ???? the spotlights come on, the siren goes on,what the hell is that naked skinny whity up to out there ... The next day we cruise down to El Nido, the first city since Coron, where I am to meet a couple friends from Edmonton Canada and take them on for the rest of this adventure... enjoy 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/ ***************************************************************************
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