How to be an underwater propeller for your surf board

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A strong seven foot wave wiped me out and brought me underwater. It dragged my surfboard closer to shore with me spinning and tumbling underwater behind it because my right ankle was tied to the surfboard by a rope that’s about 1.5 meters long. That happened a few times and I thought it was funny. It’s only now looking back that I realize how dangerous that was. I can swim but I’m not a strong swimmer. I’ve gone surfing before but that was in Zambales where the waves are not nearly as big and powerful as the ones in La Union. Maybe next time my friends and I should take turns so we can watch each others back. Laura and I were way too pre-occupied to watch each others back. Surfing takes so much effort. It’s a complete body workout. The surfboard is heavy and you’d struggle to get it to the point several meters from where the waves start. That alone is very difficult as you’d have to struggle with the waves to get your surfboard there. It’s swimming and balancing and weight lifting all at the same time. The waves are so strong that if you’re facing it the water will enter your ears and eyes. If it’s behind you it will give you colonic irrigation therapy (Google it but don’t look at the images). We even got runny nose although we didn’t have a cold. It was just water. I wore long sleeved rash guard while surfing. It’s like a wet suit only thinner. It’s a must not only for sun protection, but to protect your nipples. I was topless the first time I tried surfing. It left my nipples raw and it hurt for days. So this time I wore a rash guard. You won’t see it coz I took it off when we were taking photos. Just to look cool.



We stayed at Sebay resort. Good place to go surfing. The rooms are decent enough but the food and service were terrible. Nobody goes there for the food and service anyway so I’d let it pass. Food is expensive at P200-P250 per meal. Board rental is standard across all shops at P200 per hour, P400 for 4 hours and P800 for 8 hours. Surf lessons cost P200 per hour. The instructors do not teach as much as the instructors in Zambales. Or maybe we just got the bad ones. They’d push your surfboard to get it going when the waves come. It makes it a lot easier but once they’re gone it would be very difficult for you to surf alone because they won’t teach you to paddle. Compared to Zambales, surfing is difficult in La Union not only because the waves are bigger, but because they’re relentless. They never stop coming. You have to get on your board very quickly after falling as it will only take fives seconds until the next wave comes.



Sebay resort is in the town of Urbiztondo, San Juan in the province of La Union. The towns are not pretty. There aren’t a lot of trees and it kind of looks like you’re in a desert. The land is beige and the weather is hot. The beach is nice though because the sand is white and fine.



We were in Baguio for four days before going to La Union. I researched about the best restaurants in Baguio and what their specialties are. We got to eat in four of them. First was Volante’s Pizza. It’s good but I still prefer Don Henrico’s which is on the same street. Chonas delight is moist chocolate cake from Tea House. It’s good but I’ve had better. Puto Bumbong from Solibao is no doubt the best Puto-bumbong I’ve ever had and It’s cheap at P45. Strawberry shortcake in Vizcos was also recommended by the blog that I read. Again, it was good but I won’t give it five stars. The best restaurant that I found is O My Gulay. It’s a vegetarian restaurant, which is perfect because I’m pesco vegetarian! It’s not the food that makes this place great though. It’s the place itself. O My Gulay occupies the entire 4^th floor of a building in Session road. It’s very spacious and it has a lot of art on display. Some made by famous Filipino artists like Ben Cab. The place looks kind of like the set for a Filipino version of the Shire from Lord Of The Rings if there was one. The food was good. I think it’s asking too much to expect amazing food from a restaurant that serves organic vegan food. But since I’ve been a vegetarian for ten years now, the taste of food is not important for me anymore.

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Photos

Last years winner
This kid is my role model

Why cant Laura take cool photos of me
I swear I can surf better than this! Laura takes photos of my weak moments!

Haunted house
they say this house is haunted. It's now a museum with wood sculptures that I didn't bother to see

My favorite restuarant "O My Gulay"
its a vegetarian restaurant in Baguio