Hey! I’m alive and well. I’ve been in the same place for three weeks doing pretty much the same thing everyday and its been amazing. Due to my hostel’s internet blocking my blog (i have no idea why) i never really got around to writing anything, but thats okay.

Here’s a picture of Tuason, the break I have been surfing at almost daily (but this is at low tide)

It goes a little something like this. Sitting out on the surfboard watching the sun rise, or the sun set, with 360 degrees of panoramic sky getting lit up with at least a few of the colors of the rainbow. I hear a noise that sounds almost like wind chimes, I look over and its a school of flying fish, leaping up out of the water, and then someone says “oh my wow” and I turn around to look and a wave with my name on it appears. Well, its time to carpe the fuck out of this diem, so I “paddle paddle paddle” and when I feel the wave grab a hold of me I press down, lift up and boom I’m standing up, riding a wave, getting propelled I dont know how fast and going I dont know how far but it feels like flying.

Its a great feeling, and you can see it in people’s faces when they are out on the water. When someone catches a wave, immediately, a huge smile from ear to ear appears on their face. Its also addicting. I think to myself, lets do one more wave and then go in, and then I catch one and… well ok… maybe one more… and then another… and then another.

And life outside of surfing, well it involves a lot of… nothing? Relaxing, listening to music, singing, eating the freshest fruit, joking, laughing, cooking meals with food straight from the market, going for scooter rides along the coconut and mango tree lined roads of the island, and then night comes and a three dollar bottle of rum is the way to go, best shared between strangers that become family in a matter of days.

Making poutine for 18 people with some french Canadians

Some people could call this paradise, but even paradise has a dark side. I’ve gotten so many injuries from the reef here, and then what would normally be just a little cut gets sand and god knows what else in it and suddenly its infected and you cant walk without a limp. And there might be a drug problem on this island that fuels a robbery ring, causing people to get ipads and cameras stolen. Luckily i dont have many valuables and have always had them locked up when a foul wind blows through.

Observing the sunday ritual of cock fighting

Well I’m refreshed to say the least. It will be hard to leave this place but it must happen, the adventure continues, but I think when it comes to the Phillippines, i will have to come back, its just that awesome.