I can get a lot of fun out of Extrema. Even when most others have long since found it unfunny. Today was enough. To make progress, we take the bangka from Coron to El Nido. A completely overloaded five-metre GRP dinghy takes 15 people out to the big bangka. The angle of inclination when boarding is up to 30°. The engine cuts out after 30 seconds.
Once at the bangka, it finally dies. The dinghy is towed back. We set off an hour late. The weather forecast is good, only ten knots of wind. We have eight hours of sailing ahead of us through dangerous waters and 160 kilometres of open sea from Coron to El Nido.
Despite the good weather, the wind brings a full two metres of swell. The Bangka is rolling properly. Whenever the boom hits the crest of a wave, the rolling stops abruptly. Diving into the water slows the Bangka down on one side, i.e. the boat turns. The complete movement around three axes completes the up and down of the waves.
After two hours, an anonymous passenger suffers from severe seasickness with all its consequences. The next six hours are really fun. At least for me. No, honestly: this was a good crossing. I don’t want to know what a bad crossing with the Bangka from Coron to El Nido looks like. Just google it on the internet! The price is also very high at 35 euros – the double-length tour with Superferry to Puerto Princessa costs just half that, including cabin and meals.
Arrival in El Nido at sunset. We didn’t book anything, but within 20 minutes we found a small cabin right on the beach for 15 euros. Grab a bite to eat, a good gin and tonic against Montezuma. Not even Bob Marley annoys me here. And then fall asleep to the sound of the sea.
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.