What else can I say? It really all began in Daet, Camarines Norte, the first stop in my southward trip through the Bicol region.

For so many reasons, the people I met while learning how to surf at Bagasbas Beach became family. After my first visit, I came back and ended up staying for four months.

Could I finally paddle out to the lineup myself and ride waves by the end of my stay? Yes I could! And more importantly, I learned how to enjoy the power and beauty of the open ocean. And in Daet, I met my what’s easily become one of my all-time favourite dishes: sinantolan, shredded cottonfruit cooked in coconut cream with green chilies. A Bicol classic I dream about.