Although we had hoped to head down to Kyoto as well, our trip was cut short to get us home ASAP. So we stayed in Tokyo and took advantage of our time while waiting for an earlier flight. The city is run by subways, buses, and taxis. The least expensive is the subway, so that was our way around town, about 160 Yen ($1.60 US) and it worked fantastic.
We were staying an Akasaka, the business district with high rise hotels. Ours had a fabulous view of the city.
We found sushi everywhere, but no English to understand what was what. So we used pictures most of the time, and the pictures worked well, most of the time. We ate sashimi for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yup. You heard me right. Three meals a day of raw fish. The fatty tuna had Michelle doing a Harry met Sally restaurant scene at our own restaurant. You remember the scene…where Sally tells Harry that men really can’t tell if a woman is “faking it”. Michelle enjoyed the sushi sooooo much, she wasn’t faking it.
Since we didn’t know when we’d be taking off, we wanted to see the tourist spots we’d heard so much about. We took in the Sony building, home to brand new electronic gadgets. This place was floor after floor of TV, IPods, Cameras, etc. all on sale and no tax. Then over to a near by area called Asaska, where all the old temples reside in Tokyo. It is quite a famous area because one of the temples holds Buddha’s bone in one of its shrines. This is also a famous shopping area with some really great goods to be had. We were shopped out…or should I say Michelle was, so back on the subway.
What we noticed most about Japan is how everyone looked alike, dressed alike, and walked through their daily routine without smiles or laughter. After coming from Thailand and other parts of the south east known as the land of smiles, this proved to be such a stark society. We came to understand that this is just the way their culture is and has been. Emotion is held within in Japan. We had hoped to take in some Sumo wrestling, and visit the lands of the Geisha, but this too was cut out of the itinerary.
What did happen was we took a lovely trip through the countryside to the world famous Mt. Fuji on a tour bus. It was stupendous…reaching thousands of feet into the sky. What a vision. We were so excited to see snow. We played making snowmen and snowballs with the perfect crystalline dry flakes. Being skiers, we know our flakes, and Mt. Fuji had some of the best. After Mt. Fuji, the bus took us to the famous hot springs of Hakone, where we got a chance to see the hot springs and sulfur exude from the mountainside.
The people there were selling black eggs that were cooked in the sulfur, to which I said ,”No Thanks!”, but of course Michelle had to try one. This is supposed to increase your life 7 years, but I just think it will only increase her already over the top cholesterol. We’ll see when we get back home. All in all it was a very nice day. We were missing nature in Tokyo so the drive outside into the country was well appreciated.
On the way home we had a chance to experience the famous “Bullet Train”. WOW…..you talk about going fast, I’m not sure how fast we were going, but if you have ever fanned through a picture book, and watched the images, that exactly how we saw things pass by. No sooner were we back at the subway, and on to our hotel.
Our final day….at 4:00 A.M. …yes it was that early, Michelle wanted to check out the famous Tokyo fish market. My thoughts were, hey…we need our sleep. When we got there, we were amazed at how huge it was. Many tourists, like us were there with their cameras flashing. There were trucks and forklifts running everywhere, and you can’t get in the way. It’s their life and livelihood, so with a major language barrier, “HEY BUD WATCH OUT!!!”, you have to duck and maneuver and make sure you don’t end up as sushi. But the most important part of this experience was waiting for us behind closed doors. The fish auction.
There are rules of NO CAMERA FLASHING, etc. because there is a lot of action going on with a lot of money involved. So the tourists are let in through a single door, and we’re packed in like a can of sardines (no pun intended). At 5:00 Am, there is a Japanese prayer (I think), and there goes the auctioneer. He’s yelling this and that, and pointing to buyers in the audience. He’s jumping and yelling and singing and turning red in the face. It’s something to remember. To find out later, each piece of fish was being sold for somewhere around $20,000 US dollars. It was Blue Fin tuna for restaurants around the world. We left and ventured through the entire fish warehouse thinking, hey Sushi for breakfast….!
We left Japan for the west coast of the USA, and to say our good byes to a wonderful person in my life and to so many others as well. My Aunt Mary, the infamous Minnie the Mermaid. She told me to love life, experience the things you want to, and always love your family. This trip we’ve been on has been a dream of Michelle’s and mine for sometime, but with my Aunt’s inspiration and Michelle's determination, the both of them finally pulled me out of my box to enjoy the outside world. Many loving “Thanks” go to the both of them.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Getting caught up.............
So here we are on our 2nd “Live Aboard” dive boat. The first one that we experienced was in Thailand, back in Jan. Here we go ….
On a dive boat, one doesn’t know what to expect. How will we get along with the other divers, the crew etc? What will the dive area have in store? We were heading out to the Tubbataha reef in the Sulu Sea in the Philippines. It’s a circular reef system 25 miles out at sea, untouched since the 1990’s and the cessation of dynamiting. This area is also a world heritage site, meaning it is protected from here on out.
The boat itself had our basic needs in mind, a comfy bed and warm shower. The food was excellent, and the dive masters did their best to guide us on our adventure. The other passengers were mostly Americans from Michigan. We enjoyed our time getting to know each and every one of them. 6 days diving and living with people helps you get to know them real fast.
There was also a couple from France and believe it or not, a deaf man from Germany. Michelle had the opportunity to interpret for Oliver throughout the trip. Even though American Sign Language and German Sign Language are not the same, Oliver was able to understand ASL pretty well and so, he got the benefits of an interpreter on board and Michelle got to brush up on her engrained sign language skills. It was something they both got to enjoy.
On our first night there, we gathered at about 7:00, and enjoyed meeting each other, unpacking and having our first dinner on the boat. The cooks were fabulous. We then set out for our journey riding over 25 miles out to the reef. We headed for bed. The ride was supposed to be smooth sailing, but that couldn’t have been less than the truth. The ride out was horrendous.
The boat swayed and bucked as it hit massive waves getting us out to the desired site. I don’t think we slept for more than two hours that evening as thoughts of the the movie “The Perfect Storm” went though my head. At one point, I think it was around 2 AM, I got up and wanted to go up on to the day area. One glance out of the side port hole, seeing just huge white caps and massive waves, I decided to curl up with Michelle, and ride it out.
When we arrived at Tubbataha at 7AM it was all worth it! There we were, out in the middle of the Sulu Sea. Crystal clear turquoise waters surrounded us as did the reef. We would plunge into 84 degree waters with marine laden walls falling thousands of feet into the ocean, and nothing else in site. Each day allowed us up to 5 dives, at 45 – 50 minutes for each dive. So it was briefing, dive, eat, dive, rest-eat, dive, etc. Never a dull moment, and for 5 days straight.
While diving Tubbataha, we encountered a countless number of sharks, white tip, black tip, nurse sharks, reef sharks, some up to 20 feet long! We enjoyed the sighting of one small manta ray, a devil ray, large tunas, Napoleon Wrasses, and countless other fish species.
The people from Michigan were being led by Heather, a former dive store owner and current travel organizer. During dive master briefings, Heather would educate us with a “fish of the dive” We learned the names of a few of the fish we had been spotting, the Emperor, the pyramid Butterfly, and a few others but unfortunately, I don’t remember them. She also would have a coral of the dive…these too I don’t remember. I guess all those brain cells really have been affected.
During the course of the trip, several of the American passengers were sick with sinus problems, jet leg and stomach flu. At one time, it seemed like the boat was an infirmary. The dive masters were from Australia and England, and they did a great job. The Stellar Explorer runs for just 3 months a year and this was the 2nd trip of the year. I hope we didn’t leave any sick bugs behind for the rest of their trips. They got off pretty easy though since they had fewer people to line up for each dive. Michelle and I made it through unscathed.
While on the boat, we would dive a different section of the reef each day and explore what it had to offer. The walls were endless, we’d only go to 30 meters (90ft.) and work ourselves up. The one thing that you notice a lot on a wall dive, is the large cubby holes where thing like SHARKS would be sleeping, lobsters hiding out, rays taking a break and so on.
On one dive we were descending and on a shelve of one of the walls I saw 4 black tip sharks all taking a snooze, with another laying right across them. I’ve never seen anything like this before. And if you disturb them (which we did), they take off all different directions, and hopefully not towards you! On our final day, we got to boat out to the ranger station. Here 7 men live and guard the marine sanctuary. As I mentioned, Tubbataha is only reachable 3 months of the year. The remaining 9 months make reaching Tubbataha almost impossible due to Monsoon winds and gusty waves. Most of the men live here only 3 months, but some remain year long. Talk about isolation!!!
Before we knew it, the 6 days, and 21 dives were up and it was time to continue our journey. We loved our time on the dive boat and look forward to the next opportunity to live out on the sea.
Leaving the boat back in Puerto Pricnessa was sad, but life moves on. We disembarked with the French couple, Virginia and Eric, and the four of us travelled to the subterranean river, 4 hours from Puerto Princessa. This is where salt water and fresh water meet with a large and beautiful cave system. We enjoyed the site, but the 4 hour drive was exhausting. We did get to see more of the countryside on the island of Palawan and do look forward to coming back to this very special undeveloped and beautiful area of the Philippines.
Back at Puerto Princessa we were a bit home sick. We chowed down at Shakey’s Pizza. We laughed at ourselves for using our last night in the Philippines to eat American food. You just can’t account for tastes some time. The next morning we were up incredibly early to fly from Puerto Princessa to Manila with a 4 hour lay over before our plane was scheduled to take off to Tokyo Japan.
Well, we got to Manila but from here, boy did things take a different path than expected. While getting ready to board our flight, we had learned that a Federal Express plane had crash landed in Tokyo due to high winds. Come to find out, the whole airport in Tokyo was closed. Japan Airlines didn’t communicate this to us until it was time to board. Meanwhile, the delay caused us to have to re-enter the security check several times, to where Michelle managed to lose her purse with her IPod, sunglasses and digital camera card.
Thank goodness all but the sunglasses are backed up on the computer. In any event, Japan Airlines then ushered all 400 passengers to the 5 star Manila Hotel. This place was so beautiful. It housed former Hollywood glams as well as former national diplomats and US Presidents along with us. How amazing could this be!!!!! We sucked up to the front desk host and got an amazing suite with a city and ocean view. Dinner was also on Japan Airlines with sushi, fresh fish, you name it. We were quite happy about how things were turning out until 3AM when we got our wake up call. Wake up call we asked in disbelief?
Yes said the front desk. Your departure is scheduled in three hours. Hurry on down. There went our luxurious experience at the Manila Hotel. Onwards and upwards….to Tokyo Japan. “I’m turning Japanese you know I’m turning Japanese I really think so” … Do you remember that song? This was our song for the next few days as we travelled around Tokyo and learned a bit about this city.
On a dive boat, one doesn’t know what to expect. How will we get along with the other divers, the crew etc? What will the dive area have in store? We were heading out to the Tubbataha reef in the Sulu Sea in the Philippines. It’s a circular reef system 25 miles out at sea, untouched since the 1990’s and the cessation of dynamiting. This area is also a world heritage site, meaning it is protected from here on out.
The boat itself had our basic needs in mind, a comfy bed and warm shower. The food was excellent, and the dive masters did their best to guide us on our adventure. The other passengers were mostly Americans from Michigan. We enjoyed our time getting to know each and every one of them. 6 days diving and living with people helps you get to know them real fast.
There was also a couple from France and believe it or not, a deaf man from Germany. Michelle had the opportunity to interpret for Oliver throughout the trip. Even though American Sign Language and German Sign Language are not the same, Oliver was able to understand ASL pretty well and so, he got the benefits of an interpreter on board and Michelle got to brush up on her engrained sign language skills. It was something they both got to enjoy.
On our first night there, we gathered at about 7:00, and enjoyed meeting each other, unpacking and having our first dinner on the boat. The cooks were fabulous. We then set out for our journey riding over 25 miles out to the reef. We headed for bed. The ride was supposed to be smooth sailing, but that couldn’t have been less than the truth. The ride out was horrendous.
The boat swayed and bucked as it hit massive waves getting us out to the desired site. I don’t think we slept for more than two hours that evening as thoughts of the the movie “The Perfect Storm” went though my head. At one point, I think it was around 2 AM, I got up and wanted to go up on to the day area. One glance out of the side port hole, seeing just huge white caps and massive waves, I decided to curl up with Michelle, and ride it out.
When we arrived at Tubbataha at 7AM it was all worth it! There we were, out in the middle of the Sulu Sea. Crystal clear turquoise waters surrounded us as did the reef. We would plunge into 84 degree waters with marine laden walls falling thousands of feet into the ocean, and nothing else in site. Each day allowed us up to 5 dives, at 45 – 50 minutes for each dive. So it was briefing, dive, eat, dive, rest-eat, dive, etc. Never a dull moment, and for 5 days straight.
While diving Tubbataha, we encountered a countless number of sharks, white tip, black tip, nurse sharks, reef sharks, some up to 20 feet long! We enjoyed the sighting of one small manta ray, a devil ray, large tunas, Napoleon Wrasses, and countless other fish species.
The people from Michigan were being led by Heather, a former dive store owner and current travel organizer. During dive master briefings, Heather would educate us with a “fish of the dive” We learned the names of a few of the fish we had been spotting, the Emperor, the pyramid Butterfly, and a few others but unfortunately, I don’t remember them. She also would have a coral of the dive…these too I don’t remember. I guess all those brain cells really have been affected.
During the course of the trip, several of the American passengers were sick with sinus problems, jet leg and stomach flu. At one time, it seemed like the boat was an infirmary. The dive masters were from Australia and England, and they did a great job. The Stellar Explorer runs for just 3 months a year and this was the 2nd trip of the year. I hope we didn’t leave any sick bugs behind for the rest of their trips. They got off pretty easy though since they had fewer people to line up for each dive. Michelle and I made it through unscathed.
While on the boat, we would dive a different section of the reef each day and explore what it had to offer. The walls were endless, we’d only go to 30 meters (90ft.) and work ourselves up. The one thing that you notice a lot on a wall dive, is the large cubby holes where thing like SHARKS would be sleeping, lobsters hiding out, rays taking a break and so on.
On one dive we were descending and on a shelve of one of the walls I saw 4 black tip sharks all taking a snooze, with another laying right across them. I’ve never seen anything like this before. And if you disturb them (which we did), they take off all different directions, and hopefully not towards you! On our final day, we got to boat out to the ranger station. Here 7 men live and guard the marine sanctuary. As I mentioned, Tubbataha is only reachable 3 months of the year. The remaining 9 months make reaching Tubbataha almost impossible due to Monsoon winds and gusty waves. Most of the men live here only 3 months, but some remain year long. Talk about isolation!!!
Before we knew it, the 6 days, and 21 dives were up and it was time to continue our journey. We loved our time on the dive boat and look forward to the next opportunity to live out on the sea.
Leaving the boat back in Puerto Pricnessa was sad, but life moves on. We disembarked with the French couple, Virginia and Eric, and the four of us travelled to the subterranean river, 4 hours from Puerto Princessa. This is where salt water and fresh water meet with a large and beautiful cave system. We enjoyed the site, but the 4 hour drive was exhausting. We did get to see more of the countryside on the island of Palawan and do look forward to coming back to this very special undeveloped and beautiful area of the Philippines.
Back at Puerto Princessa we were a bit home sick. We chowed down at Shakey’s Pizza. We laughed at ourselves for using our last night in the Philippines to eat American food. You just can’t account for tastes some time. The next morning we were up incredibly early to fly from Puerto Princessa to Manila with a 4 hour lay over before our plane was scheduled to take off to Tokyo Japan.
Well, we got to Manila but from here, boy did things take a different path than expected. While getting ready to board our flight, we had learned that a Federal Express plane had crash landed in Tokyo due to high winds. Come to find out, the whole airport in Tokyo was closed. Japan Airlines didn’t communicate this to us until it was time to board. Meanwhile, the delay caused us to have to re-enter the security check several times, to where Michelle managed to lose her purse with her IPod, sunglasses and digital camera card.
Thank goodness all but the sunglasses are backed up on the computer. In any event, Japan Airlines then ushered all 400 passengers to the 5 star Manila Hotel. This place was so beautiful. It housed former Hollywood glams as well as former national diplomats and US Presidents along with us. How amazing could this be!!!!! We sucked up to the front desk host and got an amazing suite with a city and ocean view. Dinner was also on Japan Airlines with sushi, fresh fish, you name it. We were quite happy about how things were turning out until 3AM when we got our wake up call. Wake up call we asked in disbelief?
Yes said the front desk. Your departure is scheduled in three hours. Hurry on down. There went our luxurious experience at the Manila Hotel. Onwards and upwards….to Tokyo Japan. “I’m turning Japanese you know I’m turning Japanese I really think so” … Do you remember that song? This was our song for the next few days as we travelled around Tokyo and learned a bit about this city.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Once in a lifetime.........
I would like to do a dedication in memory of our favorite Minnie the Mermaid….You were loved and will always be loved. Your ever lasting smile is seen and felt each day and night. Even though you are gone, your wonderful spirit is felt each morning the sun rises. We miss you and may the four winds blow you gently home.
It's still March.......
So Jeff, Michelle and I take off on a commuter boat, to a commuter bus to a commuter ferry searching for our next dive. As I mentioned, The Philippines consist of over 7,000 islands, so we have our pick. We originally were planning on going to the dive area of Moa bal, but Jeff had mentioned the town of Dauin which was one of Michelle’s original picks for the spectacular macro diving. We quickly changed course and off we went to the island of Negros. The first night there we stayed in the main town, but quickly left the next morning to peaceful Dauin.
When we arrived, we had trouble finding an open room, but the manager of the lovely El Dorado resort mixed things up a bit and we stayed in a spectacular bungalow. The island of Apo was where our diving was done. Dives to this site were only done on Tuesdays. It was a Monday. Jeff was only there for a day and it was imperative that we went to APO Island. With a lot of luck and persistence, we were able to make that happen. The way out to APO Island is on a long boat, local dive site where many divers come to adventure. During our first 2 tank dive, we saw a beautiful array of fish and turtles.
The perfect aquarium scene in crystal blue waters. That evening we shared spectacular dinners and wonderful Philippine rum at the El Dorado resort. The pool and pool bar was open 24 hours so we enjoyed a midnight dip under the stars. The next day, Jeff took off for Manila to join up with his cousin. We had an enjoyable week with him and were happy to spend many entertaining hours together. Unfortunately, all things end and we had to say our farewells.
The following day, Michelle and I dove Apo again. It is amazing how spoiled one can get, when all around is spectacular. It becomes the norm. On our final day in Dauin, we rode a jeepney (a jeep which acts like a local bus and fills people to the top….literally, with people lined up inside, outside and ON TOP of the vehicle) to the local farmers market. I know we have all seen farmers markets at one time or another, but here in Dauin, the farmers market is known throughout the islands as the biggest market of its kind. Pigs, cows, chickens, ducks, fish, sheep, etc. all congregate in the square for auction.
We were enlightened with new products, some interesting, some disgusting, some pretty and some just plain old weird. We were supposed to eat breakfast there, but the pig looked too piggish, the chickens too cute, and there was absolutely no refrigeration anywhere. It is one thing to KNOW there is no refrigeration, but it is another to SEE there is no refrigeration. We left the market, went back to our hotel for breakfast, and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon snorkeling a fantastic reef walking distance from our hotel.
The next morning we took off for the Dauin Airport and headed back to Manila for a flight to Legaspi where we would then drive 2 hours over to Donsol, for another one of Michelle’s “Once in a Lifetime” experiences. Yeah right, I thought. This time we were off to an area known as the feeding station for whale sharks. As we drove through the country side, we enjoyed the rice fields and rich greenery of the islands. Throughout our ride, we saw bamboo mats lying out in the road. As I looked more carefully, I saw that the mats were covered with rice. I learned by asking our driver that this is standard rice drying procedure. So, if by chance a car is coming in the opposite direction at the same time you are, you have to drive over the rice. I wonder if this is the reason for a “hard kernel” of rice every once in a while????
Donsol is an undeveloped area which attracts people solely for the whale shark experience. Room shopping was difficult. Without reservations, there was nothing open. We finally got lucky and found a simple vacant cottage. As we were looking at it, about 4 other cars drove up requesting lodging. We grabbed cottage fast and were grateful to not be camping since we didn’t have any gear. Looking over our travels, this by far was the most unspectacular in accommodations, but at least we had a bed and shower and AC.
Donsol is in a peaceful inlet on the Pacific Ocean. It is noted for a high concentration of plankton which is what the whale sharks feed on. I was feeling a bit under the weather with a cold, but Michelle was ready and able to begin the exploration. We had to register at the park ranger station in order to get on a boat for the next day’s feeding. After watching a short video on the do’s and don’ts, we were ready for our adventure. Michelle was so excited that night she could barely sleep. She saw a whale shark 10 years ago while diving in Honduras and didn’t know what it was. Spotting a whale shark is a pretty special experience and due to her fear, she didn’t enjoy it at the time. She vowed to see another whale shark in her life time. Well…Donsol made wishes come true.
We learned in Donsol at the Whale Shark Marine center, that only 267 whale sharks are known to be surviving in the world and 68 of them have been to Donsol this year. They are identified by their spot pattern, which is unique to each creature, sort of like our fingerprints.
That evening we hung at our hotel and hooked up with a guy we had met in Malapascua (home of the thresher shark). He was one of the few “lucky” ones to have been on the amazing thresher shark dive with us and he had video footage of this adventure which he downloaded to our computer. While he did this, we met several other guests and the next morning we all went to the ranger station to begin our hopeful swim with whale sharks.
The long boat holds 7 swimmers, plus a crew of spotters, along with a guide and a ranger who ensures all rules are followed (i.e. no touching the fish, coral, etc.) We took off into the calm waters and in less than 5 minutes, we spotted the “Butading” (Philippine for Whale Shark).
The whale shark is the largest fish known to man. Although it is called a whale shark, it has gills and therefore is a fish, not a whale which is a mammal. Because it is a fish, it can stay under water at all times. It does not need to surface for air as whales do.
As our spotter called out Butading…Butading….the 7 swimmers, guide and ranger, were lined up on the side of the boat with snorkel mask and fins on. We all jumped out of the boat to begin swimming with our fish. Because I was not feeling well, I stopped swimming fairly soon, but the rest of the swimmers stayed with the fish as he glided through the water. We saw a total of 7 fish that day and although sizes of these fish vary, those we saw were all over 25 feet long. Michelle was able to stay underwater with them and really take in the beauty of these majestic creatures of the sea.
Meanwhile, about 15 other boats were out in this area doing the same thing as we were. Each boat is allowed to follow one fish which means each fish can have 7 people at a time swimming with it. When the group tires or if the whale shark is moving too fast, the fish is traded off to another boat so all the boats and spotters work together for the spectators. This process continues for 3 hours. The spotters were as excited as we were every time we came close enough to hop out of the boat and follow a fish.
Later that day, I took a nap with the hopes of getting better while Michelle walked the beach, read, and met up with a whole new group of visitors. Most visitors stay in Donsol just a day or so but we were there for two days and got a whole new experience. When I awoke, it was time to observe the evening fire flies. Our new group of friends joined us as we boarded a taxi and travelled to the near by river. We jumped onto a long boat and travelled up stream of a nearby river, where the fire flies dance around the acacia tree.
This is the first time I have seen fireflies, but Michelle, being from the east coast, has spent many a summer night enjoying the blinking lights of these little insects. We spent a few hours on the river and then went to the best fish restaurant in town where we shared fresh shrimps, fish, potatoes, salad and locally made rum, We all got soused and ended up singing Eagles tunes with the guitar player. I even borrowed the guitar and strummed a few tunes for the crowd. Sin Palace revisited!
On day 2, it was a different day all together. We had a new group with us, and we knew the trick of the swim. We were the 2nd boat out, and in real calm waters, so our first whale shark was easy to find. We all dove in, and this time I had Michelle’s camera taking pictures of the shark while we swam with it. Day 1 was too quick for me, where day 2, I really understood what we were doing.
We were idiots trying to keep up with this huge monster of a fish while it was eating. I first started in the front of the fish, and when I saw its mouth, I screamed as load as I could. I really felt oh, oh…. Then as I caught a breath I was next to it looking into his big black eyes wondering what it was thinking. By then I was out of breath, and swam over the dorsal fin thinking that if thing ever went up, I’d be a galloping fish boy, so I slowed down even more to catch his tail fin and was again thinking, does he know I’m back here? Does he care? With a little wag of the fin, I could be in another island….hospital! So this went on for another 3 hours, incredible, with one swim lasting over 25 mins. Michelle tired, but gained up enough energy to go in for another look. Only 2 (under 20 years of age now!!!!) people stayed out there during the entire swim, and they were ready to go again…oh to be young….
The next day our whole group had to go to Legaspi at relatively the same time so we all boarded a van to begin the two hour drive back. Michelle and I spent the night in Legaspi, because the next morning we had a 7 AM flight back to Manila and we were required to be at the airport two hours before take off. Once in Manila, we had a 7 hour layover. We spent it in Mall Asia. I have never seen a shopping venue this large.
It is about 6 West Field's Valley Fairs. We hung at the Starbucks with online connectivity and caught up on internet duties. OK…Michelle did do a bit of shopping, but being out of the US has taken its toll and the consuming gene was in remission. When we finally arrived back at the Manila airport, we were off to Puerto Princessa, a main town on the island of Palawan. It is in this town where we would catch our 2nd live aboard dive boat, the Stella Explorer.
It's still March.......
So Jeff, Michelle and I take off on a commuter boat, to a commuter bus to a commuter ferry searching for our next dive. As I mentioned, The Philippines consist of over 7,000 islands, so we have our pick. We originally were planning on going to the dive area of Moa bal, but Jeff had mentioned the town of Dauin which was one of Michelle’s original picks for the spectacular macro diving. We quickly changed course and off we went to the island of Negros. The first night there we stayed in the main town, but quickly left the next morning to peaceful Dauin.
When we arrived, we had trouble finding an open room, but the manager of the lovely El Dorado resort mixed things up a bit and we stayed in a spectacular bungalow. The island of Apo was where our diving was done. Dives to this site were only done on Tuesdays. It was a Monday. Jeff was only there for a day and it was imperative that we went to APO Island. With a lot of luck and persistence, we were able to make that happen. The way out to APO Island is on a long boat, local dive site where many divers come to adventure. During our first 2 tank dive, we saw a beautiful array of fish and turtles.
The perfect aquarium scene in crystal blue waters. That evening we shared spectacular dinners and wonderful Philippine rum at the El Dorado resort. The pool and pool bar was open 24 hours so we enjoyed a midnight dip under the stars. The next day, Jeff took off for Manila to join up with his cousin. We had an enjoyable week with him and were happy to spend many entertaining hours together. Unfortunately, all things end and we had to say our farewells.
The following day, Michelle and I dove Apo again. It is amazing how spoiled one can get, when all around is spectacular. It becomes the norm. On our final day in Dauin, we rode a jeepney (a jeep which acts like a local bus and fills people to the top….literally, with people lined up inside, outside and ON TOP of the vehicle) to the local farmers market. I know we have all seen farmers markets at one time or another, but here in Dauin, the farmers market is known throughout the islands as the biggest market of its kind. Pigs, cows, chickens, ducks, fish, sheep, etc. all congregate in the square for auction.
We were enlightened with new products, some interesting, some disgusting, some pretty and some just plain old weird. We were supposed to eat breakfast there, but the pig looked too piggish, the chickens too cute, and there was absolutely no refrigeration anywhere. It is one thing to KNOW there is no refrigeration, but it is another to SEE there is no refrigeration. We left the market, went back to our hotel for breakfast, and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon snorkeling a fantastic reef walking distance from our hotel.
The next morning we took off for the Dauin Airport and headed back to Manila for a flight to Legaspi where we would then drive 2 hours over to Donsol, for another one of Michelle’s “Once in a Lifetime” experiences. Yeah right, I thought. This time we were off to an area known as the feeding station for whale sharks. As we drove through the country side, we enjoyed the rice fields and rich greenery of the islands. Throughout our ride, we saw bamboo mats lying out in the road. As I looked more carefully, I saw that the mats were covered with rice. I learned by asking our driver that this is standard rice drying procedure. So, if by chance a car is coming in the opposite direction at the same time you are, you have to drive over the rice. I wonder if this is the reason for a “hard kernel” of rice every once in a while????
Donsol is an undeveloped area which attracts people solely for the whale shark experience. Room shopping was difficult. Without reservations, there was nothing open. We finally got lucky and found a simple vacant cottage. As we were looking at it, about 4 other cars drove up requesting lodging. We grabbed cottage fast and were grateful to not be camping since we didn’t have any gear. Looking over our travels, this by far was the most unspectacular in accommodations, but at least we had a bed and shower and AC.
Donsol is in a peaceful inlet on the Pacific Ocean. It is noted for a high concentration of plankton which is what the whale sharks feed on. I was feeling a bit under the weather with a cold, but Michelle was ready and able to begin the exploration. We had to register at the park ranger station in order to get on a boat for the next day’s feeding. After watching a short video on the do’s and don’ts, we were ready for our adventure. Michelle was so excited that night she could barely sleep. She saw a whale shark 10 years ago while diving in Honduras and didn’t know what it was. Spotting a whale shark is a pretty special experience and due to her fear, she didn’t enjoy it at the time. She vowed to see another whale shark in her life time. Well…Donsol made wishes come true.
We learned in Donsol at the Whale Shark Marine center, that only 267 whale sharks are known to be surviving in the world and 68 of them have been to Donsol this year. They are identified by their spot pattern, which is unique to each creature, sort of like our fingerprints.
That evening we hung at our hotel and hooked up with a guy we had met in Malapascua (home of the thresher shark). He was one of the few “lucky” ones to have been on the amazing thresher shark dive with us and he had video footage of this adventure which he downloaded to our computer. While he did this, we met several other guests and the next morning we all went to the ranger station to begin our hopeful swim with whale sharks.
The long boat holds 7 swimmers, plus a crew of spotters, along with a guide and a ranger who ensures all rules are followed (i.e. no touching the fish, coral, etc.) We took off into the calm waters and in less than 5 minutes, we spotted the “Butading” (Philippine for Whale Shark).
The whale shark is the largest fish known to man. Although it is called a whale shark, it has gills and therefore is a fish, not a whale which is a mammal. Because it is a fish, it can stay under water at all times. It does not need to surface for air as whales do.
As our spotter called out Butading…Butading….the 7 swimmers, guide and ranger, were lined up on the side of the boat with snorkel mask and fins on. We all jumped out of the boat to begin swimming with our fish. Because I was not feeling well, I stopped swimming fairly soon, but the rest of the swimmers stayed with the fish as he glided through the water. We saw a total of 7 fish that day and although sizes of these fish vary, those we saw were all over 25 feet long. Michelle was able to stay underwater with them and really take in the beauty of these majestic creatures of the sea.
Meanwhile, about 15 other boats were out in this area doing the same thing as we were. Each boat is allowed to follow one fish which means each fish can have 7 people at a time swimming with it. When the group tires or if the whale shark is moving too fast, the fish is traded off to another boat so all the boats and spotters work together for the spectators. This process continues for 3 hours. The spotters were as excited as we were every time we came close enough to hop out of the boat and follow a fish.
Later that day, I took a nap with the hopes of getting better while Michelle walked the beach, read, and met up with a whole new group of visitors. Most visitors stay in Donsol just a day or so but we were there for two days and got a whole new experience. When I awoke, it was time to observe the evening fire flies. Our new group of friends joined us as we boarded a taxi and travelled to the near by river. We jumped onto a long boat and travelled up stream of a nearby river, where the fire flies dance around the acacia tree.
This is the first time I have seen fireflies, but Michelle, being from the east coast, has spent many a summer night enjoying the blinking lights of these little insects. We spent a few hours on the river and then went to the best fish restaurant in town where we shared fresh shrimps, fish, potatoes, salad and locally made rum, We all got soused and ended up singing Eagles tunes with the guitar player. I even borrowed the guitar and strummed a few tunes for the crowd. Sin Palace revisited!
On day 2, it was a different day all together. We had a new group with us, and we knew the trick of the swim. We were the 2nd boat out, and in real calm waters, so our first whale shark was easy to find. We all dove in, and this time I had Michelle’s camera taking pictures of the shark while we swam with it. Day 1 was too quick for me, where day 2, I really understood what we were doing.
We were idiots trying to keep up with this huge monster of a fish while it was eating. I first started in the front of the fish, and when I saw its mouth, I screamed as load as I could. I really felt oh, oh…. Then as I caught a breath I was next to it looking into his big black eyes wondering what it was thinking. By then I was out of breath, and swam over the dorsal fin thinking that if thing ever went up, I’d be a galloping fish boy, so I slowed down even more to catch his tail fin and was again thinking, does he know I’m back here? Does he care? With a little wag of the fin, I could be in another island….hospital! So this went on for another 3 hours, incredible, with one swim lasting over 25 mins. Michelle tired, but gained up enough energy to go in for another look. Only 2 (under 20 years of age now!!!!) people stayed out there during the entire swim, and they were ready to go again…oh to be young….
The next day our whole group had to go to Legaspi at relatively the same time so we all boarded a van to begin the two hour drive back. Michelle and I spent the night in Legaspi, because the next morning we had a 7 AM flight back to Manila and we were required to be at the airport two hours before take off. Once in Manila, we had a 7 hour layover. We spent it in Mall Asia. I have never seen a shopping venue this large.
It is about 6 West Field's Valley Fairs. We hung at the Starbucks with online connectivity and caught up on internet duties. OK…Michelle did do a bit of shopping, but being out of the US has taken its toll and the consuming gene was in remission. When we finally arrived back at the Manila airport, we were off to Puerto Princessa, a main town on the island of Palawan. It is in this town where we would catch our 2nd live aboard dive boat, the Stella Explorer.
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