Survivor Philippines..... Chapter 1: The Visayas and the Temple of DOOM-agette!

Sometimes while you are out seeing the world, stuff just happens. You try to do all the right things.... learn a bit of the language, understand the local customs and watch what you eat and drink to avoid any gastric mishaps. Last weekend the Travel Gods seemed fit to send a zinger our way. More on this in a minute...

Retracing our steps found us taking a quick 45 minute flight from the island of Palawan to our next destination of Cebu City in the island chain of the Visayas.

Here, the goals were simple:

1) Make our way from Cebu City to Dumagette to re-unite with an old friend of mine from Honduras, the lovely Miss Rae.
2) Collect Michelle's missing contacts (Sent from Hawaii with help from Anna and Mat in the US and Rae's permanent address in the Philippines on this end)
3) Do some diving, catch up with Rae, explore the area.

Of these three objectives, none of them went entirely to plan.

First, our Bus from Cebu to Dumagette was running late (no surprises really, we understand Island time). To make matters worse, when she finally did arrive we realized by talking to a few locals that the reason it was running late was that it was having engine problems (again, not a surprise here). After boarding our Yellow Beast bound for points south, she sputtered, coughed, the AC kicked off and there we sat helpless in the middle of swarming traffic not 10 meters outside of the bus station.

Now before you go on any further, please understand that this IS a developing country and these things happen. However, the issue at the time was that our bus not only needed to navigate down to the southern tip of our island (Cebu) but needed to do so in time to make the last Ferry over to the neighbor island of Negros around 9:30pm. So, our 3pm bus had turned into a 4pm bus and now we sit lame and lifeless in the middle of hectic afternoon traffic.

Within 10 minutes the busy bus boys were able to get it fired up and off we limped into some side street not normally reserved for tourists. The discussion to abandon ship with our backpacks had been scrapped and it was our understanding that we would be heading back to the bus yard to get the right part and then continue on our way.



I realize I'm going on and on here, but stick with it....... 5pm, we depart Cebu and make our way through the outskirts of town. 6pm, Bus breaks down in a small town outside of the main city center. 6:02pm, by befriending a local city councilman and heck of a nice guy Bobbi, I'm able to find out that we'll be leaving the pile of scrap metal there in the street and awaiting the NEXT bus which is only 2 towns behind us. 6:04pm, I order pizza at the local place which just happens to be where our bus broke down.



Bellies are full, Yellow Bus #2 arrives, and we are off. Michelle and I breathe a sigh of relief and as the surrounding skies become darker, the road continues to get more and more curvy. Our driver seems not to notice and we go careening around the curves honking, flashing the lights and slamming on the brakes whenever he seems to feel it suits him.

Now here is where Michelle and I differ. At times like this I choose to put my iPod in and fall asleep (which is exactly what I did). She, on the other hand, was the victim of carsickness on a scale she cannot remember since childhood. It didn't help that we could barely see the road and because of the double crowded bus were only able to land a seat near the back of the bus. The aforementioned habits of our driver certainly contributed to her illness and all we could hope for at this time was for the trip to come to an end soon in our destination.

To make this incredibly long and crazy story short.... we made it to Dumagette around 11:30 pm, a full 12 hours after leaving our prior guesthouse in Palawan. No vomiting took place on the bus but we had the strange feeling that this island chain had it out for us. We coined the bus ride the Bus to Doom-agette and hoped that our troubles were over.

Upon waking up the next morning, I headed off to phone our friend Rae and see what the best way would be to meet up. We decided to get a tricycle and head out of town for the 45 minute trip around mid-day. Michelle was feeling better and Rae was managing a dive-shop at a "way too out of Michelle and Gabe's budget place" in Dauin but had arranged for us to stay next door to her! Sounds awesome right!?!?!

And it was..... seeing the beautiful Atmosphere Resort and all of Rae's hard work getting the dive center up and running was amazing. She's in charge of lots of little things and keeps busy 6 days a week teaching PADI courses in the pool, guiding dives out at nearby Apo Island and doing millions of other small tasks that make her one of the hardest working chica's in the dive biz.



We were excited that she had the following day off and Michelle was stoked that she could take part in Rae's morning Yoga course! I was excited to set up some diving, hike to a waterfall and talk story with an old friend.....

That is until the next day. Michelle took part in yoga as planned, but really wasn't feeling that great. Her stomach had been bothering her for a while but by Thursday afternoon it was clear that something wasn't right. Her pains continued as we treked to an amazing waterfall and told Rae all about our wedding. By the time sunset on Thursday, Miche was not a happy camper. She tried to tough it out and by Friday morning we made the decision that it was time to head to the clinic 5 minutes down the road.

Rae was nice enough to let us borrow her car and we embarked on what we thought would be a quick journey. Not so as the looks on the faces of the locals at the clinic told us that we should probably not interfere. It was a frustrating moment where we understood that we would have to wait like everyone else and the employees at the clinic falsely thinking we demanded to be seen ASAP because of the color of our skin. We made the decision to make the 45 minute drive back to Dumagette on the advice of Rae and try to see a doc at the Siliman University Medical Center.

Now.... remember I'm driving an unfamiliar car, in an unfamiliar place, weaving through traffic but obeying the rules of the road. I see and I assess the situation... bikes, dogs, children, motorbikes, Jeepneys, cars, SUVs, big crazy honking careening Yellow Busses. You name it and I'm dealing with it. Michelle is groaning in pain and mind you I have no idea where I'm heading. I know the road leads to the town but don't know where the hospital is so I dial Rae on our travel cell phone (which quite luckily we picked up used the day before in town) and she gives me directions.

From this point on we feel like we are in good hands. Our entry to the second leg of our journey has been rough. Michelle is in some crazy pain but as our luck would have it the Doc is a sweet older lady who recognizes the symptoms and signs and admits Michelle immediately.

48 hours in a Philippino hospital may not sound like a good time to you all, but we made the most of it. Our Air-Con room had a TV with plenty to watch on it and the staff were terrific. She was diagnosed with some sort of Aemobic Dysentary (sp?) and we were told it was quite common in the area with both locals and Westerners. Sleep was difficult for both of us as every few hours the nurses would come in to take BP or administer meds. She was given tons of fluids through her IV and by the second day was able to take in a bit of food.

Silly Hospital Photo not included as per Michelle's request

We consider ourselves very lucky that this happened where it did. Siliman is a very good facility and by the time we were able to leave we had a great respect for the Doctors and nurses there. Things don't work quite like they do in the West however and I found myself running off to the neighboring pharmacy a handful of times over the weekend as they don't just get the meds for you but rather write you a scrip and then let you shop around for the best price! Can you imagine if that happened in the states?

So, all in all an unplanned visit to the hospital took only a few days out of our trip and cost us around $200 US. We are happy to have travel insurance but were both amazed at the bottom line.... anyone want to guess what it might have cost in the States?

Here we are now a week later and Michelle is almost 100%. She finishes up her meds soon and each day her appetite has come back more and more. Here she is at breakfast today with good healthy stuff like Muslei and Fruit!!!



We managed to get one nice day of diving at Apo Reef before leaving Negros, but were not able to have Rae as a guide as she was busy back at the resort. With our guide Lemi, I chose to do 3 amazing drift dives (Michelle joined for the first) and have nothing but good things to report from Apo Island. From blue ribbon eels, sweetlips, randall's shrimp gobys, a massive school of big eye jacks, several huge 100 pound grouper, schools of barracuda, hawksbill turtle and a man sized bumphead parrotfish they have done a great job keeping it safe as a Marine Sanctuary.

We know that problems with the reefs persist here in the Philippines with dynamite fishing and cyanide fishing along with anchor damage and overfishing in general but the areas seem to be holding on. Each time you visit one of these parks there are fees that you must pay. The fees go to patrolling the are against poachers and for general maintenance. It sure would be nice if we could get something like this going at Sharks Cove.... hmmmm.

Here are some shots from our dives at Apo including the Remora that hitched a ride for half the dive on my calf!






Our journey finds us now on the small island of Panglao off the coast of Bohol. We took a fast ferry over (i put the iPod in and fell asleep and Michelle did NOT get sick) and met a nice American gal, and a Canadian couple. I'll tell you all more about the diving, dolphin watching and more later but here are a few photos to get you started....




Finally, as our trip winds down we look back and find comfort in a few things.
1) Even though it sucks to get sick, we are glad it happened where it did.
2) Travel Insurance might actually pay off this time!
3) Good friends at the right time in a journey can be amazing.... thanks Rae!
4) Never sit in the back of a Philippino Bus
5) Health care is too expensive in America.

Hugs to all at home. We keep rolling on and have just more than a week left. Next up WHALESHARKS!!!! Stay tuned.

Gaberaham

Wildlife and Luxury in Sabang

There are few things so quintesentially Philipino as a ride on a dusty twisting road on a jeepney. After a dusty busride through the heart of Palawan with a stop off in TayTay, home of an old Spanish fort and the best meal I've had at Casa Rosa, and a quick stop in the provincial capital of Puerto Princessa, we hopped on our first jeepney. So it was on this elaborately painted, overgrown jeep that we clung (literally clung, as we chose to hold onto the back of the thing rather then sit inside) and bounced over dirt roads through gorgeous limestone mountains on our ride to Sabang.



Sabang is home to the famous subteranean river but nobody mentioned the stunning expanse of beach, relaxed atmosphere and breathtaking pink and yellow sunsets. I was in heaven in our little grass hut under swaying palms on a pristine beach.



After a day of me lazing about and Gabe sweating on jungle trails we made our way along the monkey trail to the underground river that makes the region so famous. The monkey trail took us across beaches and up into the jungle then down into a Indiana Jones scene of wooden bridges and stairways where monkeys oversee your passage from the crazy limestone formations overhead. A monitor lizard or three were there to greet us as we came to the end of the trail and made our way to the river. A beautiful azure pool beckons to us after a hot hike, but no swimming is allowed at the national treasure. Instead a dock awaits us where little bangka boats ferry orange life-vested tourists in and out of the limestone cave like orange centipedes. Our turn came up and like Jules Vernes we floated into the dark and vacuous cave, exploring deep into the Earth while bats screeched above us, Gabe held the flashlight and in his awe he sacrificed his helmet to the dark waters.







We decided to finish our time in Sabang in style. We threw our backpacking budget to the wind and spent Valentines night in a fancy resort. We reveled in every little luxury...hot showers, resort robes and slippers, a minibar, and toilets that flush! We topped off the experience by getting all dressed up for a Valentines dinner. Our romantic dinner was attended on by a stellar resort staff, including Mosa, the dog who decided to curl up at Gabes feet, and Princess, the kitten who terrorized the rest of the restaurant before cuddling in my lap and purring contentedly.








Next stop is the Visayas, and just wait until you hear that story...

Lovely El Nido

I shall pick up where Gabe left off...

After eight hours on the roof of a Bangka, careening past the hundreds of islands of Northern Palawan via the South China Sea we arrived in the quaint town of El Nido. This beach front town, backed up against massive limestone cliffs and surrounded by rocky outcrops looming from the ocean, is quite a sight in itself. Add to that a population of friendly locals, lot's of hammocks, restaurants where you can sip smoothies with your toes in the sand and absolutely adorable children begging to say hello and sing you songs, and you have the little slice of heaven that is El Nido.

We spent our first couple of nights in a little hut backed up against the cliffs...but the early wake-up call of roosters just feet away and motorcycles roaring to work each morning had us packing up to look for something a little more peaceful. Upon the hi recommendations of Michelle and Shelly, we made our way to a lovely place called Sunset Lovers Point...what could be better for a honeymoon. Here we found ourselves a perfect oasis right on the ocean. Many hours were wiled away on our lanai sipping SMB's as we listened to the waves.

The real draw to El Nido is for the island hopping. Just beyond our honeymoon hideaway the Bacuit Archipelago lay before us. This bay of 100+ islands is filled with towering limestone formations. Hidden among the impressive rocks are tiny lagoons only accessible by swimming through cracks in the rock, white sand beaches where you can sit in the sun and soak in tropical rays as well as a vision of the ocean in every shade of blue, healthy coral reef offering more fish then I've seen in years along with so many colors of soft and hard coral. We spent two adventure filled days exploring the islands. What an awesome place!




A sweet hat made by our awesome guide Dodong




Another adventure that must be mentioned is of the culinary sort. Let's call this one Gabe conquers balut. For those of you that don't know, balut is a very popular Philippino snack comprised of a hard boiled ckicken fetus. That's right, fetus. They take the fertilized chicken egg, boil it and serve with a bit of vinegar and chili. This is not my idea of a good meal but Gabe would not be stopped. So despite my thoughts of bird flu Gabe took on balut and I think he won. Our fantastic island hopping guide, Dodong of Seaslugs, was stoked to share his national food with a crazy, hairy American. They bonded over feathers and beaks. You will have to ask Gabe how he liked it...apparently it tastes like chicken!




The obligatory Asia motorcycle adventure, part 1. We named her the green monster. It was a fun ride out to a local waterfall.




On to the next adventure!

Coron Wreck Diving and an 8 hour ferry ride to El Nido!

Aloha Everyone,

It has been some time since we last posted and we wanted to take a minute to update the travel blog. The past week has been fantastic and Michelle will fill you in on the details in her post..... Meanwhile, I thought I would post a few photos from our time diving and island hopping in the Calamian group.

Where we last left you was flying into Coron. Here, we booked a total of 7 dives (Michelle did two massive wrecks), and one day of island hopping. The WWII wrecks were amazing..... so much coral growth and just gigantic compared to ours in Hawaii. If you took a look at the link in the previous post, it details much of the history of the wrecks so I won't go into that. I will however say that for thrills minus chills (lovely 82 degree water) Coron wrecks are impressive!

Michelle posing like the Mermaid

GO DUCKS

I found myself in heaven while diving these wrecks and Michelle did awesome too. On our first dive at the wrecked seaplane tender, the Akitsushima, she followed our Philippino guide Toto into the bowels of the ship with only a little flashlight and came out with a healthy appreciation for this side of the sport of scuba diving.

Our depth here was a little more than 100 feet and we saw a few lionfish as well as the remains of the deck guns on the boat and some munitions.

Back on the dive bangka boat, Toto cooked an amazing lunch complete with chicken and rice and of course FISH, and before we knew it we had arrived at the Okikiawa Maru.

The OM is an Oil Tanker and she is a great dive. Here we penetrated in the prop shaft and found all sorts of critters from clownfish to batfish and even a nudibranch that resembles the Spanish Dancers we have seen only this one is black with a silver lining..... all around, a great day of diving.

Below is a photo of the common in Philippines, not so common in Hawaii, Lionfish.... look out, they are poisonous!



The following day, we headed out on a small boat with captain Aldo to nearby Coron Island. Here you will find a variety of freshwater and brackish lakes. Our morning started with a trip to Cagyanon Lake. The place was amazing and Michelle even found a small bamboo raft! I of course snorkeled around and lazed in the sun. Because we were there early, we had the place to ourselves..... for about 20 minutes. Before you knew it, the small area was over-run with tourists of all types. Our privacy came to an end, but we met a large family from Manila who were just amazed at the beauty of Coron Island as we were!


Our day continued with a trip to twin lagoons (we had to swim under a cutout in the limestone) a good snorkel at Seven Islands, a protected marine area, and lunch next to the skeleton wreck. Don't ask me why they call it that, but they wanted 50 pesos to take a look and we just thought it wasn't worth the $1.10!!!

On Tuesday, our time in Coron took us on separate paths. I booked 3 dives with new found dive buddy Gareth and Instructor Dean. These two blokes were stoked and we did a total of two more wrecks and a fantastic reef called CYC.

Dive profiles are as follows:

Dive 1: Irako Maru (Refrigerator/Cargo Vessel)
38.4 meters, 35 minutes on Nitrox 28 (Transmission room, engineering room, boiler room)

Dive 2: Olympia Maru (History unknown)
24.7 meters, 46 minutes (Prop shaft penetration to boiler room, cargo hold, bow lockers and shower room) GREAT DIVE.... could do it 10 times more

Dive 3: CYC (Coron Youth Club)
14.9 meters, 74 minutes (no wetsuit thanks, boardshorts only!)
Great critter site. Remora, juvenile sweetlips, clownfish, plenty of amazing corals!



Finally, our time in Coron had come to an end. Not without a final trip up to the hotsprings. What a crazy place this was as we took a tricycle (think motorbike with a cramped sidecar) out of Coron town and into the bush. The springs are the perfect temp though and we met a group of fellow travellers enjoying the relaxing atmosphere. If we are ever back in Coron, this is a must.

We checked out of Seadive and boarded the Jessebell boat (60 passenger "ferry" if you can call it that) last Wed AM. The trip took just as they said, 8 hours and only once during the journey did the engine of this beast come to a grinding halt. The AM was spent up on top of the roof with 4 Italians who were enjoying the panoramic views as much as we were. As the day heated up however, we had to take refuge inside, under sarongs or wrapped up in hankies... hope you enjoy the photos, and yes Mom(s) we are wearing plenty of sunscreen.....