From Borgus, we proceeded to General Luna, the finish line of the race. I can honestly say that going on this week-long excursion was one of the best decisions I've ever made - right up there with switching into Steve Manuel's photo class junior year and moving to the Philippines.

The final night was a giant celebration, with Buzzy cooking fresh cuddle fish, octopus and pretty much anything that he could get straight from the sea.

We stayed one more day in Siargao, biking and hiking before we were slated to head back to Surigao on a ferry.

When we got back to Surigao the next day, we had about 7 hours before our overnight ferry back to Cebu. Luckily, one of the guys we were traveling with happened to be a tour guide in Surigao sooo I finally found what I was looking for: the local delicacy.

Called Sayongsong, it is a sweet treat made of finely ground rice, sugar, coconut milk, oil annd some other things that I couldn't quite make out. The consistency is somewhere in between bread dough and pie dough and best eaten hot - straight out of the steamer (we were lucky enough to catch a fresh batch). As you can see, the banana leaf is kinda like a cupcake paper, but if you let it sit a bit, you get a hint of the leaf, which is a nice touch.

Only 5 pesos a piece - about 10 cents. So if you know me, you would know that if the price is right and it's delicious, you can count on some coming home with me.

We walked about Surigao for the remainder of the day and finally boarded the ferry. Our cots were awesome. We reserved cots right next to the captain's quarters, out in the open air. The sea was calm and the night was spent jamming out on our private deck, as we were traveling with a band from Cebu.

I was sitting on the edge of the deck, watching the ferry push water out from under the boat, enjoying the hum and vibration of the engine along with the music. Out of nowhere, dolphins came popping out of the water, criss-crossing back and forth underneath. I've seen dolphins before, but never lit by the moon. This is lame, but I wouldn't trade that sort of serenity for anything.