Flo contacted us early to see if we wanted to go out on the boats for an Island tour. We said count us in, we got organised in record time and made our way out to the launch site, which was just in front of the wet markets. Christine and Scotty were starting to come down with some type of flu, but they were still up for the adventure. We met up with our guide, Angelo, and our captain, Albert, at the wet markets and took the boat out to a small nearby island named Guyam Island. This island was tiny with only two dwellings, a volleyball net and a handful of coconut palms dotted around it. A small band of musicians had set up to play music for the tourists. Christine and I danced some salsa while we listened to the music, Angelo filmed us dancing while he was giving a commentary of the island tours. While we were walking around the island we had come across a number of coconuts that had been drained of their contents and had been left to dry out in the sun. These coconuts were hollow and light. I mistakenly thought that Byron had picked up one of these coconuts, I suggested that he pip it over the Volleyball net and I would return it. We could make an amusing video about us using coconuts to play volleyball, it wasn’t until I went to return it that I realised that the coconut was actually a full coconut that had simply changed colour after falling from the tree and being left in the sun. A great, if not a little painful, video.

Once we had circumnavigated Guyam Island, listened to some music and danced salsa, we re-boarded the boat and made our way over to Secret Island. Secret Island is actually a sandbar, it may have been exposed at low tide, but it was under water at the time we went there. We disembarked and had a bit of a swim. Scotty took a photograph of Christine standing on my shoulders. He had her hold up her hands so that it would look like she was carrying Guyam Island, from where we had just left. Once we were done with our swim we re-boarded the boat and made our way across to a reef so that we could do some snorkelling. This was the first time in a long time that I had been snorkelling. Under the surface it was a labyrinth of colour and movement with various types of corrals, fish, plant life and other sea creatures, I even saw a massive sea urchin hiding in a small cave. Some parts of the reef had been destroyed in Typhoon Odette, but the majority of it was still thriving. Once we were all snorkelled out, we clambered back aboard and made our way over to naked island. 

True to its name this island was completely denuded, Scotty was hoping that this was the island where he could finally ditch his clothes and stroll around in his birthday suit, but in this instance the people had clothes and the island was naked. We walked over the top of the island and bathed in the warm tropical waters on the other side. While we were relaxing we started discussing our next adventure, I floated the idea of El Salvador, I think it is quite catchy if you say it like a chant. El Salvador – in twenty twenty-four, say it with me Chrissy, El Salvador – in twenty twenty-four …yew!!

By this time we were starting to work up an appetite, so we once again set sail, this time we made our way over to the main island where there were many dwellings, a school and a small community. Angelo took us to the school so that we could hand out some clothes books and stationary that we had brought over. Christine had purchased these supplies in Australia and had sent them to the Philippines with Flo. We did not anticipate quite how many students there would be on the islands, and we had only brought a part of one of the bags. We organised with Angelo to get him the other half of the goodies the next day. 

While we were handing out goodies to the students, Flo was organising a boodle fight for lunch for us. Now I was’t overly keen to fight for lunch, but the hungrier I became the more I was taking to the idea. It came as a surprise that I didn’t actually have to fight for lunch. A boodle fight is a large platter of rice, seafood and fruit that contains more than enough food for everyone including our guide Angelo, and our captain Albert. While the islanders prepared the food, Byron managed to hire a real volleyball so that we could play volleyball at one of the two nets that were close to our shelter. As soon as we started playing people came from everywhere to join us. In next to no time we had two complete teams. This is where I learned that everything in the Philippines is made from corral, even the sand. Unlike the sand here in Australia that is made from crushed rocks and is actually rather soft, the sand in the Philippines is made from crushed corral and acts more like tiny razor blades. I took a dive to return a shot and ended up slicing up my knee.  

When the food arrived it was absolutely delicious, there was a stack of seafood, rice, chicken and a selection of fruits. We all ate our share including Albert, the driver and Angelo, the guide, and there was still some left over. 

After lunch we made our way back to the wet markets. Christine and I picked up some supplies while the others dispersed to the four corners of the island. After collecting our supplies we returned to Siargao Residency for a siesta. 

In the afternoon I wandered down to Flo’s so that I could go for a surf with her, Christine and Scotty had been knocked down by their flu and were resting up. Christine said she would cut up some food for dinner and I would cook it when I returned. 

The Surf session was absolutely magic, it was high tide and many of the surfers were over at Cloud 9 leaving Jacking Horse basically empty. There were spectacular little waves rolling through that peaked in the middle and allowed you to surf left or right. The warm balmy evening was spectacular. The view looking back towards the beach with its green leafy coconut palms framed by a bank of dark storm clouds, contrasting perfectly with the warm lights spilling out of the beachside bars and restaurants was equally spectacular. We finished surfing at around 6 and headed in. Mum and Byron were on the beach, Flo asked if we could join her for a cold beer. I asked Byron to message Christine to see if she wanted to join us, and then then flopped into one of the beanbags that had been placed underneath the palm trees looking out over the water. We chilled, chatted and enjoyed a couple of cold ones while soaking up the sights, sounds and ambience that is La Luna in the evenings. 

On the way back to Siargao residency I stopped in at Ben’s bike shop to organise a a bike with a board rack. This was a little 4 stroke, 4 speed RXM farm type bike, similar to the ones that Justin Miles and I used to get around on back in the day. Flo wanted to meet up in the morning at a surf spot that was only accessible by boat and to do that we would need to transport the boards.