Philippines, Siargao Island - 'Good friends can never be separated'

After the thoroughly 'touristy' days on Boracay, we longed for a bit more peace and less fancy stuff...

We 'enjoyed' this less comfort to the fullest on our ferry ride from Cebu to Siargao. Screaming children, mildly chilled beer, several hundred people around us in bunk beds, and occasionally a not-so-fresh breeze from the nearby toilets... that's how we crossed the sea during the night ferry ride from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am to the next island, which is known for its relaxed island lifestyle and as a surfer's paradise in the Philippines!

The latter and the fact that we would meet one of my best friends, who has been traveling for a year, would make this travel destination something very special for us again... and that's why I (Johnny) am writing this post!

Who needs a travel guide when you have a good friend on site?! That's right - we don't need one! Even when we were busy with the last travel preparations at the end of December, Alex and I kept messaging each other on WhatsApp, and even back then, he was trying to convince me - when he was still in Australia traveling in his mini-camper - to put Down Under on our itinerary so that we could meet again.

But now, after being stranded/landed in Australia and Indonesia, he was on the Philippines, which was already part of our plans. We definitely wanted to make a meeting with him possible, and luckily we succeeded.

Alex helped us find an affordable accommodation (the Happy Hut), right next to the homestay where he was taking care of for a few months. Perfect for hanging out together, chatting, going surfing together, and starting some scooter day trips!

On our first evening, Liesl and I went alone to a 'secret spot', a small beach area in a nature reserve in the south of the island, not far from where we were staying. Some palm trees where we hung up our hammock, mangroves, 'piss-warm', clear seawater, and a beautiful sunset; a group of Filipino tourists sang songs and played the guitar... we felt totally comfortable!

Just before we wanted to head back, I turned on my phone and received x messages... including one incredibly important message, namely that my sister-in-law was in labor and about to give birth to my new nephew, David! Immediately, I tried to contact my family at home to find out how far along it was, and/or if he had already arrived. Anxiously, we rushed back to the Happy Hut to have better internet and waited for the good news to add another reason to celebrate to our reunion with Alex!

Long story short: after the news that David was born and that mother and child were doing well, we celebrated with an intoxicating party!

Due to an ear infection caused by air conditioning, snorkeling, and scooter riding in the weeks before, I postponed the eagerly anticipated surfing for a few more days; however, we were never bored...

We explored the island together with Alex and his best buddy Marc, who lived in the same house and became the fourth part of our fun party quartet. We searched for the place where illegal cockfights are held in General Luna, just like Alex and I knew from Indonesia. Even though the few locals we met on the way didn't want to help us in that regard, we found, starting from the road, a narrow path that led to an earthy and chaotic backyard filled with chickens, trash, children, smoke, etc., and from afar, we could hear a wild mix of shouting, clucking, and discussions!

A Friday afternoon in which apparently no adult had to go to work in the small village in the middle of the Philippines (or didn't want to).

Most of the men gathered around a tent and waved money in the air; every now and then, a small cloud of chicken feathers rose from somewhere... one of the cockfights was in full swing and unfortunately ended just before we could get close to the 'arena'!

No big deal... the time between the fights was too interesting to observe people and life or enjoy some coconut ice cream made by the women themselves.

The men huddled together and bartered to decide which two roosters should fight next, enthusiastically promoting their chosen ones! It was quite a theatrical performance, which we had the opportunity to capture in some photos!

For animal lovers, the actual fight between the two chosen roosters was rather brutal and less 'pretty' to watch, and we cannot condone the deliberate instigation and fighting of the animals, equipped with sharp blades attached to their feet, attacking each other. Bets were placed, the jury gave the signal, and as the two roosters fought, feathers flew and chaos ensued... the fight was short and painful for the loser, who ended up on the grill afterwards.

That was enough for us, and we left the scene; a bit hungry, but our appetite for chicken was completely gone!

First, we went to an expensive resort for one or two cocktails, which we normally could only afford from the outside. However, since its beach bar was open to all tourists on Friday evenings, we didn't miss the chance and enjoyed our drinks while watching a breathtaking sunset!

The next day, we had a bigger motorcycle tour planned, which we could start a bit delayed due to a heavy rain shower! 'Tour guide' Alex wanted to show us Magpupungko Beach, which is located on the east side of the island. The special thing about this beach is that during low tide, some deep water holes remain between the sea and the beach, where you can jump off the rocks, swim, and snorkel. We ended the excursion with fresh coconut on the beach before heading back home on the scooter.

Island hopping was another highlight of our stay on Siargao: we booked a tour and started with small boats to three mini-islands located in the south of Siargao, clearly visible from our homestay. On the first one, Guyam Island, which became our favorite, we had everything you would expect from a tropical island! Incredibly clear water, a beautiful beach, palm trees, and for me, the best part: a basketball court! Well, the term 'court' might be a bit exaggerated... it was actually just a hoop on a wooden board and compacted sand. More than enough to play a round of 3 on 3 with some basketball-crazy locals and boatmen! After seven months... finally holding a basketball in my hand again, so cool!

We then went to 'Naked Island', which got its name not because you could only enter it naked... no: it's simply a tiny island made exclusively of white sand and corals, surrounded by crystal clear water! Great for some photo poses and a jump into the warm tropical water!

The last island of this tour was also the largest: Daku. Shortly after our arrival, we were served a lavish buffet of various vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish, including beer and rum, of course!

Completely stuffed, we had the opportunity to rest, snorkel, swim, or follow our guide and learn how to climb palm trees!

A successful, sunny day came to an end, and with the roaring sound of the boat engines, we returned to Siargao.

The rest of our stay was all about sports: surfing and Kali!

Surfing: On our first day of surfing, Elisabeth and I went alone to a spot recommended by Alex and just tried out what skills we still had since Montañita in Ecuador... it was okay considering the conditions we had.

A few days later, we went together with Alex, and it went a bit better - thanks to his help - although the waves were still very small and weak, so you needed a lot of paddling power to catch a wave!

The next day, it was already much better: good and especially many waves, and we caught some great ones, making surfing a lot of fun!

On our last day, after a long and eventful farewell party night, Alex and I went out together for one last surf session. Fortunately, the waves were good again, and we did quite well, which made our visit to the surfer's island end on a high note!

Kali: Kali is the traditional Filipino martial art using two wooden sticks.

Shaw, a friend of Alex who performed with various musicians in the evenings playing his drum and occasionally offered classes or training sessions in 'Kali', was our teacher. We arranged for him to have a session with Alex, Liesl, and me, and what can I say... it was a great experience, and we almost regretted that we could only do it on the day before our departure! Nevertheless, thank you very much for that!

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our time on Siargao! Meeting Alex again, the laid-back island life, and surfing made our entire three weeks in the Philippines perfect and will remain positively in our memories for a long time!