Due to the lack of a bus, we end up in the same minivan to Bulalacao as on our last visit, but this time with “only” a discreet 14 passengers. The trikeros at the harbour unsuccessfully try their hand at price gouging. It’s raining again, and the driver refuses to drive us down the steep, slippery road to kitesurf-mindoro.com, probably with good reason. Only the gatekeeper with his motorbike can manage that, on two trips.
Bislig Beach was my favourite kitesurfing spot in the Philippines last time. In just three years, Kathrin has set up a chilled-out camp with safari tents, bungalows and great fusion cuisine. As the tents are not yet up, we get an upgrade to the panorama bungalow in the first row of the beach. Thank you very much!
From your bed, you look out over the mangroves, the sea and the cloudy porn TV every evening as the sun sets. The silence of Mindoro sings to the sound of waves, crickets, goats and Cabrinha the pet pig. I play the organ. We shower outdoors under the banana trees. In the evening there’s a campfire on the beach.
Apart from the last typhoon foothills, which are far too strong for kiting, the wind has been offline for three weeks. Anywhere else in the world I’d be annoyed. Not here. The place and the people are right – and true.
We drive through rice fields full of grazing water buffalo to the nearby Bulalacao waterfall. Thanks to a lot of rain in the last few days, it’s full of juice. We climb over the first one up to the second and half-cross it. Then, unfortunately, it’s over due to high water in the gully and we can’t reach the caves further up. Back at the bottom, small children jump out of a seven metre high tree into the pool. On the way back, we are caught in a tropical thunderstorm. The rain hails down on our faces. We sing in the rain.
Two excursions to the nearby islands of Tamboron and Suguicay bring crystal-clear water and lively reefs. Wake-sucking behind a small fishing bank is definitely becoming a new trend sport.
After three days, we set off long before dawn for the FastCat and our last destination of the trip. Bob Ross is already wagging his tail again at sunrise in Bulalacao harbour…
Frank Woelky, born in 1973. Kitesurfer since 1998. Since 2006, I have been combining kitesurfing and web design on trips lasting several months off the beaten track.