Too Much Chopping Wind On Tablas

Before five in the morning, Chris and I set off on our bikes to the harbour on the other side of Carabao. Breakfast and a shower are cancelled and I don’t sleep for more than four hours. One clear advantage: Sir Tanduhay’s hangover doesn’t catch up with me at this travelling speed. I cycle over wet mountains in the dark. It has been raining heavily for most of the night.

The big bangka leaves over an hour late because the tide is very low today. The first of the three departing bangkas promptly hits the reef – fortunately without any consequences. The swell is very rough at over two metres. Plastic tarpaulins are lowered. They do a makeshift job of keeping the water out, but the swell also increases the chances of seasickness.

I fall asleep and only wake up again in the harbour of Santa Fe in the south of the island of Tablas. Five iced teas later, two more motorbikes take us 25 kilometres through mountainous terrain to the completely deserted south-east coast of Tabla near Alcantara. A naked old woman is walking around somewhere on the dirt track. But otherwise Tablas is very beautiful. Numerous grassy hills can easily compete with the Chocolate Hills of Bohol.

There seem to be only two types of places in the Philippines: completely overcrowded or completely deserted. The Aglicay Beach Resort belongs to the latter. Once again, we are the only guests. The receptionist proudly tells us that they had guests over New Year’s Eve. A sign prohibits hunting on hotel property. The room is right on the beach and costs a fifth of a comparable room in Boracay, 30 kilometres away. Colourful flags rattle in the wind on the beautiful large sandy bay surrounded by hilly peninsulas. A beautiful place. But I’m off to rehab first and get a good night’s sleep.

I am woken by a gust of wind sweeping through the open window. I immediately stand upright and open the door. It barely works. The wind is now blowing side onshore at a good 25 knots. I immediately set up the 13 Crossbow. Then the wind gets even stronger. I set up the 9. Then the wind gets even stronger. I don’t have a smaller kite. I try to launch, but can barely hold the 9 in the soft zone fully depowered. No chance.

My big Philippines kite odyssey shows a different face today. The stubborn wind is hitting the beach in gusts of well over 35 knots. The sea is boiling. It’s just far too much chop. I climb the hill of a peninsula. Up there, the storm almost blows me off the rocks. The wind continues to chop until the evening. In a brief phase below 30 knots, I want to get out quickly. But as soon as I’m done, the wind picks up again. In the evening we are sitting in a room that is whistling through every crack. The wind continues to pick up. Typhoon Washi brought significantly less wind to Siquijor a good three weeks ago – and that was just 100 kilometres north of its eye.