Good always grows out of bad. Firstly, biting texts about stupid people, followed immediately by something good. At first I doubt this rule. I had to have Soder-Schedl’s bike repaired yesterday. But: an Australian Filippina overheard me complaining to the landlord. She offers me the tree house of her summer residence, right on the beach in Magdiwan.

Her staff are nice to a fault. The tree house is a dream and costs next to nothing. The shower is outdoors on the north-facing beach. As I had to cross or cycle along a few rivers in heavy downpours on my return journey from Sa Agoho that morning, it’s clear what’s coming next, isn’t it? After rain always comes good wind here! (more…)

It rains briefly during the night, then the wind picks up. Gusts sweep through the open window. The alarm clock rings at seven. I look out to sea. The tide has reached its lowest point. Together with the phase of the moon, the water level in the bay is now far too low. It’s not acceptable until ten o’clock. I set up the nine and go out.

Even in the bay, the waves are now up to 1.5 metres high. The wind is brutally gusty and very strong. Around midday I measure low 15 knots, mid 20s, gusts of 30 – dream conditions for any kiter – but there’s no more safety. After just 50 minutes on the water with gigantic jumps and a violent wave rodeo, I crawl ashore, ready to go. (more…)

The drunken Portuguese foreman of 5000 men on a building site in Hong Kong brings us free drinks on the last evening in Charlh’s bar. Apparently the keeper doesn’t want to let him steal the singer’s microphone like he did two nights before. We don’t find out whether his plan works. Three weeks on Boracay were simply enough. We end up in bed reasonably early.

We set off for Tablas early in the morning. Even leaving Boracay is subject to a hefty eco-tax. Letting poo rot in the sea is simply super eco. We drive past the Bulabog one last time. It looks even fuller from outside. I’m infinitely glad to finally get away. I sit on my kite bag in two metres of swell on the sun deck and keep an eye out. (more…)

Thanks to the moon phase, the tide is really low at Bulabog today. Ten metres of beach is a record. In addition, there are no waves coming over the reef. The water stinks even worse than usual, but it’s absolutely flat. Hot water for 140 kiters at 14-20 knots. We kite non-stop from breakfast to dinner.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Breakfast wasn’t until three o’clock the night before because of my second New Year’s Eve on Boracay. Max makes a six-kilometre kite trip behind the reef to Panay across the open sea. I heat up to bliss in the bay. The sun sets behind Boracay. Panoramic kiting. Max only comes ashore again in the dark.

We want to get away from the crowded Bulabog Beach, so we take a trike and drive to Ilig-Iligan Beach in the north-east of Boracay. Then we walk half a kilometre over the last hill. White sand with no dirt, abandoned resorts and restaurants and absolute emptiness. Unbelievable. A small paradise, three kilometres north of the Bulabog rubbish dump.

Max is out again immediately, thanks to the 25 metre wide beach without palm trees today. We want to take it in turns to kite. To the north-west, a few small islands cover the wind a little. To the south-east, the beach is bordered by coral rocks, behind which are the bays of a closed golf club. Drifting off is not a good idea. I stay on the beach as Baywatch with my camera. (more…)

Good days usually follow bad nights. We sit down for happy hour at Charlh’s bar. When we get up, it’s just before three o’clock at night. The hangover the next morning is at least as great as the night before. The wind’s back, the windless period is over. 45 minutes of sleep per rum and coke will have to do. There have been a few.

Balabog Beach is already full before midday today: 120 kiters are out on the water and the entire beach is full of sea rubbish thanks to the first wind in a week: driftwood, fishing nets, plastic bottles, bags, loads of seaweed and broken glass. Boracay’s sanctity finally crumbles to dust. What remains is a nice strong wind of 15-25 knots. Nothing else. (more…)

There is a very beautiful beach between 3P and Romblon Town. Bonbon Beach runs out into a long sandbank to form an island. The wind blows perfectly almost sideshore at 14 knots, the panorama is gigantic. Small islands nearby, the cloud-covered mountains of Tablas in the distance. Sometimes the locals from Boracay come over here in the off-season when there is not enough wind.

Two Tobis from Traunstein give me a lift on their bikes. I set up and go out. The wind is not strong, barely enough to run upwind and jump. I do a few laps and land at the end of the sandbank. I run into the wind again, do a few more laps and then mess up the last jump at the end of the sandbank. I land in the lee with nothing but open sea in front of me. (more…)

Why do Muslims always need 37 virgins in paradise? This one beach is paradise enough, I’m the first kiter here. The staff don’t know any kites. And that’s just 30 kilometres from Boracay. On some days you wonder what colour the sky is because you can’t see it because of all the kites.

After the heavy storm during the night, the wind finally calms down in the morning. It’s now blowing quite consistently at 15-22 knots side onshore. Perfect 13, the beach is covered in driftwood from yesterday’s storm. The lines get caught a few times. But that’s the only thing that’s not perfect – the beach boys will have raked it perfectly again by midday anyway. (more…)

I survive eight days on Boracay. David, on the other hand, falls seriously ill with Montezuma in Stereo. We leave without him, in search of true kingdoms. Our private Bangka leaves directly from White Beach and is almost on time. Jules from Cardiff arrives an hour late. He had to pay off his Philippine lapdog. Refuelling at the ATM took longer.

Thick rain clouds hang over Panay. With 25 knots of wind, it doesn’t matter whether it rains or not. As soon as we are out of the lee of Boracay with the little five-metre bangka, travelling becomes an adventure again. Waves of over 1.5 metres fly over the deck. The luggage stays dry thanks to David’s rubbish bags. After over an hour with the engine throttled back, we reach the other kingdom soaking wet. (more…)

Immediately after the merciful late checkout at one o’clock, I have to change hotels again on New Year’s Day. By the time I reach the Bonzai Resort on White Beach, I’m soaking wet thanks to my luggage. I assemble my board again, do some work and then head straight over to Bulabog. A Ukrainian woman wants to see the beach but doesn’t know the way. I’m happy to give her a lift in exchange for some good photos.

The wind isn’t particularly strong, just 14 knots. But that’s just right for my damaged condition after the mother of all parties yesterday. There are just 40 kites out – others are probably in a much worse state. Only after an hour of kiting do I feel well enough for breakfast. It’s 16:30 and nothing special is happening. Just a page for pictures…

At last! After seven weeks, 5000 kilometres and over 30 islands, the wind gods grant me absolution. The wind is here! On the beach at seven without breakfast, set up and out immediately. The wind is blowing from the north-east side onshore at 14 knots. 50 other kiters are out at low tide. There are numerous rocks in the water, some just below the surface. If you’re travelling south, you can’t see any of them thanks to the sun in the morning.

Because of the numerous sea urchins, hardly anyone goes out without gaiters. I gave mine to Uli to take home three weeks ago. Now I’m buying new ones. Kitesurfing is strictly regulated at Bulabog Beach on Boracay. You need a flag on your kite. You can get one at any kite school for a deposit of 250 pesos – nobody wants to see a licence. (more…)

El Nido is a dream. Framed by high karst cliffs, it lies at the end of a bay in northern Palawan. There is nice accommodation and decent restaurants. Even if there’s only electricity from 18.00 to 24.00: Coron was much more filthy. We walk through the town and then four kilometres north to a secluded beach.

After that I’m pretty exhausted and lie down. I’m woken up by a gust of wind that sweeps into our little hut on the beach from the sea. Wind! At last! After 16 days of waiting, I’m finally in the right place at the right time. I run out onto the beach and set up immediately. (more…)