I watched my first surfing documentary, The Endless Summer 2 , back in 1994 at age 14. My family had just picked up a satellite dish and the Starz! movie channel would play it like five times a day, so my brother and I would watch it quite often. After seeing it a few times, I remember saying that one day I was going to learn how to surf and that I was going to travel the world, just like the guys in the film. This trip is definitely allowing me to fulfill many of the promises I made to myself over the years.

You never forget your first...c'mon, baby, gimme a kiss!

I have stationed myself here in Daet for 6 days now. I caught my first wave on my second day, during my third attempt. The feeling was pure magic. In those few seconds standing atop the wave, I felt stoked! It was awesome and I felt like I could understand how so many surfers forfeit everything else in favor of becoming beach bums.

My first morning in Bagasbas.

Another view of the beach.

Two days before, I had taken a bus from Manila that was supposed to leave at 4 PM and arrive in Daet, at the most, 7 hours later. Well, it turns out we didn't leave until 7 PM and the ride was actually 10 hours. I took a tricycle from Daet to Bagasbas Beach and watched the sun rise over the Pacific--first time I've ever seen that! Watching the waves roll into near-perfect tubes got me eager to seize the day and start learning, so I wandered along the street, looking for a surf shop or a place to stay. Nothing. I wandered to and fro, inspecting each business more closely. Still nothing. Now I was feeling a little discouraged, thinking I was going to have to head further south to Surigao on the island of Mindanao because there was no scene here. Luckily, I stumbled upon a young local waxing his shortboard. I asked him if there was a place to rent surfboards nearby and he led me to Arthur's, a small canteen on the corner. Arthur was still sleeping, so I waited about half-an-hour, talking to my new friend, Jong. Arthur ended up renting me a nice longboard and Jong offered to teach me the basics, so we headed out right there, only a little more than an hour after arriving in Daet.

Jong brought me out to the waves and had me lay down on my stomach. As the first wave came rolling in, he said, "Okay, when you feel the front go down, just pop up and stand." Sure, sounded simple enough. We spent a couple hours going over the finer details of the basic techniques and conituned trying to get me stnading. Well, the best ride I got that day was on my knees. It was great, though, just being out in the ocean under the sun, learning entirely new techniques and working muscles in a way I'd never tried before. Jong invited me to stay in his very basic Nipa Hut, to which I obliged and at which I remain. Everyday, we "play," the local term for surfing. It really is like playing again and the feeling is great.

Here we are in my quarters having "Guy Talk"...chicks, surfing, food...uh, hmmmm....

One of the boys at play. The waves here are gentle right now and thankfully break over sand, otherwise, I'd be shredded from all the wipe-outs.

I don't do much out here besides play. I am really not feeling any urge to drink much or party at present, I have had a couple bowl-roasting sessions before I retire and also some karaoke sessions here and there. But really all I can think about is getting back out in the ocean. There is also a nice children's playground where I can have my workouts.

One of my rare performances. "Turn around, bright eyes..."

The chick to my left is Irine. She is only twenty, but runs hands-down the coolest bar in the area. It's a really well-run joint with stand-up comedy and musical performances. Here, I was describing just how big the hamburgers in America really are.

The locals here are among the nicest I have met on this whole trip around SE Asia. Every morning, I am invited to someone's place for breakfast and coffee. Today, Arthur turns 41 and is having a birthday party at sundown. I can't wait to eat more of the local Bicol (the name of this region of Southern Luzon) cuisine, which is heavy on coconut milk and chilies. Along with Pai and Ton Sai, Bagasbas Beach is in my 'Top 3 Favorite Places in SE Asia' so far.

The local boys.

Last night, I had dinner with Mike and Joy at their PALACE about 400m from the beach. Their house is beyond rad. Mike works half the year in Malaysia doing helicopter maintenance and is doing very well. Over the next few years, he is going to start a fishing tour and island-hopping service. He is from Oregon and like me, was in the military and tried out some "normal" jobs, and then figured out (like me) that the American Dream (Nightmare?) was not for him. We had some great conversations on his third story balcony overlooking the ocean under the full-moon, sipping on bottles of San Miguel. He's seen some shit in his lifetime, and many of stories are truly an inspiration to me. Mike was also instrumental in transforming Bagasbas Beach from a garbage-strewn Manila Bay lookalike into the beautiful stretch of sand that it is today. All it took was setting an example.

Sheena, El Guapo, Irine, Tog, and Jong enjoying the Philippine's finest beverage.

Yesterday, Tog took me to watch sabong, or cockfighting, a national pastime here in the Philippines. Men bring in their prized cocks and have them battle it out until one bird either runs away or is severly injured or killed. The cocks will peck at each others faces and try to cut each others' throats with a razor affixed to their left spur. It's pretty vile and amazing to see how riled up the crowd and get, wildly waving their pesos around. Digusting yes, but I'm glad I got to experience seeing it live.

Sabongeros preparing their cocks for battle.

The birds engage...

...but only one can walk away (or rather be carried away by his owner).

Not sure how long I am going to stay here, but I will probably head south in a few days. I am excited to see the perfectly cone-shaped Mt. Mayon in Legazpi, and also to do some island-hopping through the Visayas and onto Palawan. I have to be back in Baguio on the 11th for Cousin Jacky's birthday; my only obligation other than my flight out of the Philippines on the 14th. I am headed to Kota Kinabalu, in Sabah, on the island of Borneo (Malaysia). There is a picturesque mountain there that is beckoning me and I aim to kick its ass and get some great pictures at the same time.

Been enjoying Weezer's new album, Make Believe. The second and third cuts are my favorite.

"Nothing happens unless first a dream."
Carl Sandburg