My First Longboat Race Experience

One of the best perks of tagging along with R during his work trips is being able to have unique experiences. I've had my knees lit on fire as part of massage treatment, and I got to enjoy freshly harvested sugarcane while walking around a sugarcane field. But one of my favorites was my trip to Guagua in Pampanga where we got to witness a local longboat race and even got to ride it too!

Fast and the Furious, Guagua Edition!

Clark and Angeles are the top of mind places when Pampanga's mentioned. Guagua, though a first-class municipality under the same province, usually takes the back seat. But this town has some quirky happenings too!

We sponsored a longboat race a couple of years ago. And we didn't expect that we'd get to experience some of the thrills too.

We first visited our dealer in Guagua before the race. The trip to his house was a breath of fresh air as we took a longboat to get to his house.

True to Filipino hospitality, we were welcomed with a fresh seafood feast! I enjoyed the fat-filled crab and plump shrimps the most.

But the best part of our visit was when they offered us to ride the longboats before the race.

And by ride, they meant for us to get the first-hand experience on how fast longboats can go. The sharp turns were exciting but equally scary as I don't know how to swim. But the boatman who was driving made me feel at ease as he looks like a person who knows what he's doing.

Watching the longboat race was just as fun as riding it. For a race that lasted less than 10 minutes, there were a handful of unexpected turns of events. But it all ended in a fun and light-spirited way. 

The merriment ended with a simple awarding ceremony. The grand winner got to bring home a brand new boat engine while runner ups won cash prizes.

I heard that this local longboat race is more of a recreational activity by the residents in the area. It's quite similar to the car groups we have here in Manila. But I think the one they have is way more interesting.