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Cloud Nine Boys
Surfing at Cloud Nine has
been around long enough now that a whole generation of Filipinos
have begun to ride it, and like locals at any break, they ride it
very well. Cloud Nine is basically a powerful tube ride, and
although the visiting surfers from throughout the Philippines were
excellent riders (one of them beat me in my heat), they couldn't
come close to the specialized wave knowledge, timing, and guts of
the local boys. A frequent sight is Aussie shaper and ripper Stuart
Cadden who has long been a strong supporter of the local surfers,
and many of them were on his boards. Some of the surfers such as
Anthony Luebens from La Union in the North, went after long waves to
rack up plenty of turns, but it really fell to the Cloud Nine locals
to catch the scary, hollow "bombs" from deeper in the
peak.
Four Aussie pros, Steve
Clements, Drew Courtney, Kurt Nyholm, and Ty Arnold, showed up for
the International Division of the contest. There were some worries
among their relatives who'd seen more than their share of news
coverage that extremists might kidnap them and
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them for ransom. Fortunately,
like us, these guys had braved unfounded fears of hijacking and made
an incredibly good call, considering the waves we all got. And
despite the Philippine Factor, the contest had two competing contest
directors, droves of dignitaries, packs of politicians, and a
Hawaiian fashion show, but the waves were so good that none of that
mattered and the contest was a huge success.
The Aussies who showed up for
the event were far and away the best surfers around, so they
basically assumed that they would take the first four places at the
Siargao Cup without breaking a sweat. But as everyone knows, in a
surf contest, "it ain't necessarily so". The Aussies were shocked
when local boy Fernando Alipayo edged one of them out for fourth
place in the final. To their discredit, the Aussies began to cry
foul and favoritism. They had a point when they complained that the
judging wasn't exactly world-class, but regardless of why "Yok-yok"
(as he's known locally) won, it was the first time a local had ever
placed in the international final, and thus a great boost for local
surfing. Besides, the prize money will go a hell of a lot further in
the Philippines. |
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SWIMMING / Well,
perhaps swimming in GL at low tide isn't the greatest, but try it at
high tide or at down or dusk, when the water is freshest, or at
night when the moon is out and the water is phosphorescent. You can
get to Guyam in about half-an-hour if you are fit. Dako has the
nearest very good beach for swimming at any tide. The swimming at
Mamon is like being a virgin olive in a very dry martini. CAVING
/ There is a huge cave at Consuelo, with stalactites,
stalagmites, rock crystals, piles of bat guano, a million bats, and
even a huge python, but you'll have to be fit to get there. There's
another at Malinao, on the way to Union. JUNGLES / Siargao is
one of the few islands in the Philippines where tarsiers (small
lemurs or bush babies, extinct almost anywhere else) are still
common. See monitor lizards six feet long, hornbills, parrots,
yellow and black lorikeets, kingfishers, and other birds nobody yet
knows the names of. MOUNTAIN BIKING / Ask the PUB for a
mountain bike rental, and try some cross-country biking. There is an
International Mountain Bike Competition held in March every year,
but to tell the truth, it's more like surfing than biking at that
time of year, in the wet season. SITTING AROUND / Probably
the most popular active sport in GL, it's remarkably relaxing,
restorative, and healthful. Watch the fishermen at dawn, the clouds
and the waves in the day, or the moon at night. It's up to you if
you just sit and think, or just sit. SHOPPING / At Maridyl's,
on the main street, you can get general supplies, fruits,
vegetables, snack, etc. Rosita's probably has the best medicines.
Marcha's (go down behind Maridyl's and turn one block left) stocks
hardware, bamboo hats, stationery, and all sorts. There are many
sari-sari stores scattered through the town, which sell odds
& sods, fresh fruits in season, tuba (coconut wine),
etc., and there are bakeries opposite the church and beside Rosita's
which do hamburger rolls and fresh sweet breads. FOOD, DRINK,
NIGHTLIFE / At Maridyl's or Lalay's in the main street, you can
get cheap beer, Filipino food, and take in the street scene or
another action video. Ruth has great chicken and pork barbecue, just
between the two. Out at Cloud 9, you could try San Miguel's beach
bar and restaurant, or 5 Lyns cafe in Katangnan, The Green Room or
Jungle Reef and maybe Veneria's Karaoke/disco. In the evening, after
nine, try the Melvinbo Disco, for sweaty group-bopping, or
Seven-Eleven Karaoke/Restaurant (the |
restaurant isn't up to much,
but the singers are great and you could even try a song yourself),
in town. They are a bit primitive but good fun. Opposite Seven
Eleven is El Nino Loco, a bit of an up-market bar. GETTING TO
KNOW PEOPLE / GL people are very friendly and hospitable, if
sometimes a little shy. Smile and you'll get a radiant smile back.
The girls are very beautiful and very charming, but well-behaved.
There is no hooker scene in GL, and nobody wants one.
Fishermen often picnic by
the beach or on Guyam, and may invite you for a shot of Tanduay
rhum, Kulafu medicinal wine, tuba or pa-oroi (strong
nipa wine). Beware, they are more intoxicating than they seem. Try
kinilaw, fresh fish steeped in vinegar, lemon juice, ginger,
and onions - refreshing and delicious. They might offer you, dog
stew, which is worth trying (once), litson (roast pig) or
kambing (roast goat), worth trying anytime. Get a lad to
climb a tree for fresh butong, coconut juice straight from
the nut.
Try halo-halo, a
great refresher with ice, condensed milk, fruit, and all sorts of
other stuff. Poot-poot, featured as a delicious dish in all
the guide books, is actually a tiny fish, salted, rotted down, and
fermented, exclusive to GL, and in great demand throughout the
Philippines, but perhaps not quite to your taste.
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