Kayaking as a Boy

You'll never believe this.

When I was a boy and Project 8, Quezon City was young, we used to go to this jungle river we called "Big and Little." We went to the backwoods by crossing a rice field, and then a few more meters was the flowing river. We would bring our home-made "kayaks" there and go kayaking. I was about 10 years old then. I and my friends made a wooden kayak (imagine that?) and made so much fun out of it.

Well, we never got to really ride in the wooden kayak and make progress. We just fell and fell into the water and swallowed some dirt--sometimes with floating goat poo. I wonder why we never got gastrointestinal disorders or something.

Today, there's a concrete bridge over the river along Mindanao Avenue. One of my friends who went there to "kayak" has long been dead. The rest are in the US and Australia. One is now an NHA commissioner. Me? I'm just a lowly cook--a radical one, though.

[The Dane]

Nothing wrong with being a cook I like good food...

Maybe you will cook for us at the first PB eyeball when we get one of those arranged...

On another note, maybe you should build another kayak and try again, unless the river is too polluted to even touch now...

Originally Posted by The Dane

Nothing wrong with being a cook I like good food...

Maybe you will cook for us at the first PB eyeball when we get one of those arranged...

On another note, maybe you should build another kayak and try again, unless the river is too polluted to even touch now...

cook for PB eyeball? why not?
Kayaking again with a wooden kayak? umm....no, thanks!

Originally Posted by tourist guide

You'll never believe this.

When I was a boy and Project 8, Quezon City was young, we used to go to this jungle river we called "Big and Little." We went to the backwoods by crossing a rice field, and then a few more meters was the flowing river. We would bring our home-made "kayaks" there and go kayaking. I was about 10 years old then. I and my friends made a wooden kayak (imagine that?) and made so much fun out of it.

Well, we never got to really ride in the wooden kayak and make progress. We just fell and fell into the water and swallowed some dirt--sometimes with floating goat poo. I wonder why we never got gastrointestinal disorders or something.

Today, there's a concrete bridge over the river along Mindanao Avenue. One of my friends who went there to "kayak" has long been dead. The rest are in the US and Australia. One is now an NHA commissioner. Me? I'm just a lowly cook--a radical one, though.

I used to ride a boat when I was about six years old in barangay Lagtangon, Maribojoc, Bohol. Actually it's not a kayak since it had outriggers, or two bamboo poles on both side of the boat connected to the boat by a wooden pole. The bamboo poles serve as stabilizer. So even during there's no danger of being turned over by waves, unless the outriggers would snap, which happened during strong waves. Kayak is more dangerous and not for boys since a kayak usually turns over during even a mild wave, right?
You can only do kayaking on a river, lake or lagoon when there is no wave.

it's not just dangerous, it's silly to be kayaking as a boy in a remote river without your dad with you, and using an improvised wooden "kayak." boys and girls reading this, don't do this at home (or at the nearest river--or anywhere, for that matter).

we did it because we were kayaking crazy--we read in the encyclopedia (no internet then yet) about how eskimos were kayaking, and how a certain man crossed continents just kayaking, and we imagined ourselves Pinoy eskimos crossing rivers (and in the future, continents).

by the way, if you happen to pass by mindanao avenue today in Quezon City, you'd see it's a well developed national road that connects North-EDSA with Quirino Avenue going to Novaliches (and other parts of Luzon). I fyou are in the vicinity of SM City North-EDSA in Quezon City and there's heavy traffic, and you're bound for Novaliches, just take the Mindanao Avenue route. You'd be there in minutes!

How to get to Mindanao Ave from North-EDSA? Look for Philippine Veterans Hospital. It's the best landmark.

Err, if you're going there to try kayaking, forget it!

Originally Posted by tourist guide

we imagined ourselves Pinoy eskimos crossing rivers (and in the future, continents).

haha! good luck in kayaking with your improvised wooden kayak! i hope you survive

@tourist guide - Did I interpreted it right? Your frind died because of kayaking? I think this is not a safe sport. My boss broke his arm from kayaking.

@the dane - PB eyeball...I'll look forward and also tourist guide's cooking.

Originally Posted by gemma star

@tourist guide - Did I interpreted it right? Your frind died because of kayaking? I think this is not a safe sport. My boss broke his arm from kayaking.

Nope. My friend died years after we did that crazy kayaking. Kayaking is fun and safe if you do it right, and with a professional coach. And kayaking has proper equipments to use. Never, never go kayaking using a wooden raft or kayak. It's not a kayak, in the first place!

@the dane - PB eyeball...I'll look forward and also tourist guide's cooking.

Well, i also look forward to tasting my own recipes, soon...hihi, just kidding. Most people like my cooking. The thing is, when I'm cooking, I don't like being pressured. I like to take my time cooking. It's supposed to be an art!

I agree Tourist Guide, cooking is an art. I'm willing to wait for a good meal.

Kayaking is a good activity to do since childhood. It is a desire and interest of a person to do kayaking in the lake. The boat should be of excellent quality wood and is so strong enough to pass through the tides of the sea.