Adventurer to recreate ancient journey to China
MANILA: After conquering Mount Everest, Philippine adventurer Carina Dayondon is set to sail to the southeastern Chinese city of Quanzhou in a replica of an ancient boat known as balangay in the hopes of boosting national pride in a forgotten maritime prowess.
Dayondon is planning to embark on the 1,000km journey early next year, recreating trade and migration voyages made before Spaniards colonised the Philippines in the 1500s.
“People tell me I am crazy. They ask: ‘Wow, why climb Mount Everest? Why go to China on this tiny thing’,” Dayondon said in Manila Bay aboard one of the two boats that will make the six-day trip.
“I’m excited because our team will be more inspired realising how good our forefathers were. We have to let people know we should be proud of being Fil- ipino,” the 39-year-old added.
Dayondon, a petite but muscular coast guard officer, created history in 2007 when she and two other women became the first Filipinas to conquer the world’s highest mountain.
Arturo Valdez, 69, who led their Everest support team, is also heading the sailing mission and sees it as a chance to inspire Filipinos.
“Like Mount Everest, I want this to be symbolic of what our people can accomplish, of what can be possible out of the socalled impossible,” he said.
The balangay dates back as far as 320 AD.
“Early trade with China and Southeast Asia was made possible by watercraft,” said the National Museum’s maritime division researcher Ligaya Lacsina.
“Europeans, during the colonial period, were effusive in their praise of Southeast Asian boatbuilding skill. But somehow we’ve paid very little attention to this.”
The boats, 18m long and 3m wide, are made of hardwood planks, and include two sails, two rudders and a roofed area. AFP