(176) LAST FEW HOURS IN AUSTRALIA

GOLD COAST OPEN WINNERS
GM Gawain Jones of England, 3rd from left, back row, won the GC Open. To his right is Australia's newest GM David Smerdon, winner of the Oceania Zonal. The guy in sunglass won 3rd place in the 1000 and below category, which is an achievement already for a totally blind chess player. He uses a special chessboard with special pieces during his games.                                                            (Photo by Roberto Hernandez)


       LAST FEW HOURS IN AUSTRALIA
                           JUNE 28, 2009

DURING THE awarding ceremony of 2009 Gold Coast Open in Australia which was held after the 2009 Oceania Zonal Chess Championship, Palau lone representative Roberto Hernandez had photo sessions with the winners – GM Gawain Jones (GC Open), GM David Smerdon (Zonal), together with Joselito Marcos, PNG’s top chess player, child prodigy Daniel Lapitan and his dad Raymond, Ric Ambatali, mother and son Jennifer and Kevin Tan and other winners of consolation prizes of the GC Open.

Before going to YHA Hostel to stay with Joselito for few hours because Gold Coast domestic airport is just a 5-minute walk from YHA, Hernandez said goodbye to Gary Bekker, Oceania Zone President and his sponsor of airfare Manila-Sydney-Gold Coast (roundtrip).

Mr. Bekker promised to shoulder Gene Pastrana’s airfare this time to Subic, Philippines so that Palau will be represented in the Asian Chess Championship. In the next Oceania Zonal Chess Championship in New Zealand in January 2011, he will help again if Hernandez is available to play.

Roberto, Joselito, Daniel and Raymond ride with Ric’s car so that he can drop Roberto and Lito to YHA. Roberto gave Raymond an old coffee cup which he brought from Palau that has a “Outrigger Resort and Palasia Hotel Palau” on it as the 2009 OZCC was held at Outrigger Twin Towns Resort on the border of Queensland/NSW. The other day (Saturday), Raymond gave Roberto a bottle of red wine and 2 bottles of red and white wine to Lito.

After dropping Roberto and Lito to YHA, Raymond is generous enough to give Roberto AU$15.00 that he can use for taxi fare to the airport.

After putting their luggage in the rented room that Lito has paid for the duration of OZCC and GC Open, they take a walk to the domestic airport. It’s only a 5-minute walk from YHA, the favorite place of former Australian top GM Ian Rogers, to check-in whenever he is in Gold Coast.

Roberto will not take a taxi so he spent the AU$15.00 for their snack of hotdog sandwich and drinks while strolling the nearest places around. They returned to YHA before 11:00 pm.

The one-hour unique experience of Roberto and Joselito at YHA recreation area will be published in the next “Music and Me” column of Hernandez on Thursday, May 31, 2012.

At 12:00 midnight, Lito resumes his packing and downloading of some chess stuff. Hernandez slept for 3 hours while Lito is finishing his downloading and packing.

Lito always pack lightly when he is travelling so he gave Roberto the 2 bottles of wine that Raymond has given him. And at 4:00 am, Lito took a train headed to the airport terminal for his return trip to PNG.

Hernandez is awake for almost 2 hours before walking his way to the Gold Coast domestic airport for a flight to Sydney to Manila at 7:00 am. Hernandez returned to Palau with his wife Flor on July 04, 2009.




Souce: Chessmate by Roberto Hernandez
            Tia Belau Newspaper
            Pages 13 and 15
           Volume 21 Issue 33
           May 28, 2012