Arriving in Sorong we have 15 to 20 knots winds from the south so we happily duck behind Doom Island, a place recommended within the sailing community.
Friendly kids on Doom island…… Village road in Doom……and we buy our first fried Tahu (Tofu) and Tempeh (Tofu with whole soy beans) – really tasty and for sure healthy too!!In front of Jhon’s house
Until a few years ago the check in process in Sorong was known for long waiting times and bribing was common but we read that this has changed completely nowadays.
After talking to three other cruisers who were both happy using Jhon from Doom Island as a translator we go over to talk to Jhon.
Having figured out the distances between the different offices we don’t understand why we would need to take a rental car for RUP 100’000.- (USD 7.-) an hour, so after a bit of discussion we agree with Jhon that he comes with us, but we go by local transport.
The town of Tibanban next to Sigaboy island is a pleasant surprise for us.
In Tibanban in the golf of Davao……we are spontaneously surrounded by a huge group of kids,…
As soon as we arrive on the beach with our dinghy children appear from everywhere, interested and curious, but still most of them too shy to try out their school English. Since our Visaya is still 0 we are grateful that Roy and his wife Rannen Lin join them, both speaking English very well.
We agree to come by later and explore the town first. One street behind the beach everything is full with little shops, a market, money changers, gas station, and the people are enormously friendly to foreigners. The town seems a bit bigger than Babak on Samal, but probably a lot less visited by tourists/white people. Continue reading Against the wind from Davao to Sorong→
Arriving in Davao we are still a bit concerned. In 2015 the Abu Sayyaf had kidnapped 4 people from the marina resulting in the execution of 2 Canadians. “It was a nightmare I will never forget” another sailor tells us. But today it is safe. It does look like it. The entrance to the marina is different from what we have seen so far..
