Having a Whale of a Time - Day 1

Easter weekend I took Luis to a place called Legazpi (sometimes spelt Legaspi) for a bit of adventure.  Legazpi is a place I'd been wanting to visit ever since I first came to the Philippines, primarily to see its amazing volcano, Mt. Mayon, which is still active (hence the puff of smoke from the crater in the photo below) and said to be the most active in the Philippines.  It is a near perfect symmetrical cone that rivals Mt. Fuji in Japan for it's shape and appearance (it just doesn't have the snow cap).

Mt. Mayon, with Lignon Hill in the foreground

We took a flight down to Legazpi from Manila and arrived early afternoon and checked into a cheap hotel, the Vista Al Mayon, which was fairly basic but spotlessly clean.  I saw the domestic staff putting the beds on their side so they could clean and polish the floor under the beds: how many hotels does that happen in?  The tiled corridor floors we also polished to a deep sheen and looked clean enough to eat your dinner off of.  Breakfast was good too, taken with a good view of the volcano.

Late afternoon we had a walk into town as we'd been told there was a fiesta on with music and beer and entertainment but as it was the Easter holiday the place was rather deserted and basically closed.  Which was a nice change from the usual noise, crowds and chaos you normally get.

Mixing with the locals #1 (but holding on tightly to my camera)

Mixing with the locals #2 (Luis has a penchant for men in uniform)

What does that mean? Open "Almost" 24 hrs!

After a late lunch we headed back to the hotel where Luis had to have one of his pathetic naps (bearing in mind he'd had one on the flight on the way over!).

Narcolepsy kicks in during the flight

Whilst Luis was napping I went for an evening walk with my camera to see what photographs I could get of the volcano, which dominates the city skyline.  There wasn't much to be seen without there being power lines, lighting columns or other man-made objects spoiling the view and besides, there was a blanket of cloud obscuring half the volcano.  There was however a place I could see called Lignon Hill that looked like it would give a remarkable and uninterrupted view of Mayon, so I made a plan to go there very early morning the following day.  Although this was rather risky as we were being picked up early to go to Donsol and I had no idea how long it would take to get to the hill and back again.

That evening we went back to the city centre in the hope the fiesta had picked up for the night, but no, it was as dead as a door nail so we had dinner and headed back.

I awoke early the next day but I figured not really early enough to make it to Lignon Hill.  So whilst Luis was doing his hair/nails/eyebrows/trim his leg hairs (more about that later) or whatever it takes him so long to do in the mornings and evenings I went for a walk again but in a different direction, but disappointingly there was still no decent view or photo opportunity of Mayon.

The volcano dominates the city

We were late getting picked up (I think Luis had to trim his nasal hair as well) but we needn't have rushed (not that Luis did) because we found out we had to pick up a family who had arrived late from Manila.  I seem to spend most of my time waiting for other people.

When they boarded the mini bus I greeted them with a cheery hello but was COMPLETELY blanked by the dad.  Well, that sets the standard.  They also had a puny kid with them who whined just about the whole way, telling his mum that it was her fault he was a miserable, spoilt brat (probably not wrong there) and kept complaining that he wanted to get off the bus.  All I could think was that I could oblige him but it meant opening a window and not slowing down.

Then they all fell asleep, along with Luis (they must have contracted Luis' narcolepsy), and snored heavily.  Great!

We arrived in Donsol mid morning and as we were too early to check-in at the hotel we went straight to the dive centre and registered.  Donsol is famous for its whale sharks, which visit the bay in large numbers every year from February to May, probably to feed in the plankton rich waters.  For those of you too lazy to click on the links I provide, whale sharks are the largest fish in the seas (not really whales then) growing up to 40 ft in length but are harmless to humans (unless you get in the way of one and it runs you over).  Primarily then, that's what we were there to do: swim with the whale sharks.  After registering and watching a introduction video and being briefed on the dos and don't of whale shark watching we were allocated a guide, mask, snorkel, fins and a boat and headed out into the bay.  We were fortunate to have a boat to ourselves which meant no whining kids or rude parents.  The number of boats and people in the water is supposed the be restricted but I'm not sure how this is managed or achieved as it looked rather chaotic and jolly busy at times.

Boats waiting to take out the whale shark spotters

As we headed out, spotters on the mast and at the front of the boat look for the tell-tale sign of the shark, the dark shadow in the water as they swim at a shallow depth. That is until they get fed up of being gawped at by a load of noisy humans, then they disappear into the murky depths.

Whale shark spotting

The process was one of being on standby until a shark was spotted.  As soon as one was it was all systems go as all the other boats circling in the bay piled into the area.  You then had to quickly don your gear and sit on the edge of the boat.  When you got the instruction you jumped into the ocean (trying not to get speared by the boat's bamboo outrigger) and followed the guide swimming to the location where the shark is.  For the most part there were large groups of non-swimmers all bunched together wearing bright orange life vests, thrashing around, but largely stationary in the water.  What with all the arms and legs and thrashing and the water boiling with frenetic activity they reminded me of a basket of chips when it's lowered into the hot oil   So when when you got to where the shark was it was like swimming into the chip basket.  You get kicked, clawed, slapped by fins and generally bashed about.  It really was every man for himself.

A whale?

There were two ways to avoid this:  firstly, dive under the surface where there was an immediate tranquillity and you'd be largely alone swimming alongside the shark, looking into it's eye.  I could help wondering what he/she might be thinking, looking back at me.  Secondly, either because the life jacket wearing chips couldn't swim or were not good swimmers hampered further by the bulky buoyancy aids, it was easy enough to out-swim the chips on the surface and keep pace with the shark and leave the thrashing masses behind.  The downside was this didn't last long before you'd swim into another group strategically placed in the path of the shark.

Beady eye

I found most people were fairly apologetic about crashing into you by accident but there were a few who didn't give a monkeys and thrashed around with complete disregard to anyone else.  When in these groups I would stop using my fins out of consideration for others and if there was someone in front of me I just pinch and hold the end of their fins with my thumb and forefinger, which was oddly enough to stop them from thrashing around and induced a mild panic in those that weren't swimmers.  But once my face was clear of their fins I'd let go.

Not a great photo but the only one that has a person in it (which may be me)
so you can get an idea of the size of the whale shark.

Enough about the people.  The sharks were magnificent and impressed in a way that only animals of that size and bulk can.  The relaxed movement through the water and the slow, rhythmic sweep of their massive tails was a marvel to watch.  Trying to take photos was difficult as you'd have to take your eyes off the shark and look through/adjust the camera, which meant not being able to swim so fast and losing ground to the shark.  Hence it was rather a point-and-shoot exercise and hope for the best.

We were in and out of the water so many times I lost count.  Extremely tiring but extremely rewarding nevertheless. 

Once off the boat we went and checked-in at the hotel, the Vitton Beach Resort.  This was pretty basic, almost beach hut accommodation but a tad more civilised.  The rooms were functional, no wi-fi or TV (which wasn't missed) but they did have hot water and air-con.  In the three days we were there there was no housekeeping so we had to make our own beds and keep the place tidy.  And you know what?  It was actually quite good not having someone hassling you out of your room so they can make it up and not fretting about about leaving gear laying around.  Without the housekeeping it felt more like home from home.  The resort had a couple of bars, two restaurants and a pool.  The beach wasn't really anything to write home about, with rather too much litter and broken bottles to make it a really welcoming prospect, but with a bit more effort from the locals to keep it clean (rather than rely on the tides to carry the rubbish away) it could be much better.  The resort is quite a long way from the town of Donsol so there isn't much to do in the evenings but a trike ride into town is cheap enough if you're looking for a little local entertainment (local entertainment = karaoke).

I Ain't So Lonely

I had a mate Luis visiting during May.  He didn't arrive as planned because he's a bit of a prat.  We confirmed all the details over the phone prior to his arrival and I arranged to pick him up and a hotel in Manila based on the information he gave me, and promptly turned up at the airport to meet him.  Whilst waiting at the airport I sent him a text telling him to stand in Bay 10 at arrivals so that I could locate him in the maelstrom of humanity that is Manila Airport's Terminal 1.  I very quickly had a call from him suggesting I'd made a mistake with the arrival date and that I'd been confused over the day of departure/arrival as it bridged two days.  I didn't argue but I was pretty certain I hadn't made a mistake and had acted on the information he'd given me.

Not to worry, the situation was what it was and so I headed back to the hotel (the Mandarin if you please) and went for a quiet beer on my todd.  I even popped into the Hard Rock Cafe in Makati for a burger on the way back and I have to say, it has to be one of the best burgers I've ever had.  Supremely meaty and cooked to perfection.

That evening I had a call from Luis:  his opening (confessional) words were "I've f*#ked up".  I think his second statement was, "I really am a chump and need to take a day off".  He couldn't even follow his own itinerary, the one he'd read out to me, and was sitting comfortably at home on the sofa when he should have been in the elevated hell we call flying.  Fortunately, after contacting the airline he was let off rather lightly and they re-arranged his flight for a nominal charge, and he would be arriving midnight the following day.

This gave me a day to kill so I went down to Tagatay, south of Manila, to see the Taal volcano, which was what I was originally planning to do with Luis.  Tagatay is the town/city built on the rim of the old volcano caldera, which is probably not not the most sensible idea as it is one of the Philippines' most active volcanoes.  These days it's relegated to a small active cone on an island in the lake of the old caldera but that weekend, and since, there has been increased volcanic and seismic activity in the area so we may well be in line for an eruption soon.

There's a volcano in that photo somewhere

The morning I arrived, there was appalling visibility, which I believe was caused by smoke from extensive burning of the rice stalks and stubble that occurs at this time of year.  I went up to the highest point that happens to be the site where the former president Ferdinand Marcos had built a large house, which is now largely derelict but has a great terrace overlooking Lake Taal.  

Marcos' terrace (or was)

Well it would of been great had I actually been able to see something through the smog.  With no point in hanging around I bought one of the wonderfully sweet pineapples that grow abound in the area, and followed up with a coffee in Starbucks in Tagatay.  This Starbucks is located right on the rim of the old caldera and without doubt must offer the best view (when it's not smoggy) of any Starbucks branch anywhere in the world.  But it was incredibly murky so there was rather no point.  After coffee I went for a drive around the lake, although for the most part the lake is not visible from the road, and then headed back to Manila.

A Fine Selection of Pineapples

That evening, just before midnight, I headed back to the airport again to pick up Luis.  And once again it was bedlam.  It seems that the airport is the height of entertainment for the locals.  Whole families - kids, mums, dads, grannies, granddads, aunts, uncles - all seem to congregate there waiting for someone, or perhaps they just go there for something to do, for some entertainment (they seem to be waiting a long time too - most were there when I arrived and most were still there when I left).  The approach road was chockablock, the car park had been closed as it was overflowing and there was just people everywhere.

Luis eventually emerged from the throng and we went over to the car and crawled back out of the airport and into Manila.  Luis, being in holiday/party mood wanted to go out so we headed towards Greenbelt in Makati and to a restaurant/bar called Sticky Fingers.  Or is Slippery Fingers?  Or Stubby fingers?  No, it's Spicy Fingers and it hosts one of the most entertaining and lively bands in the Philippines called In-Heat and we spent what was left of the evening, which wasn't much, listening to the music.

The band!  "In-Heat"

Back at Subic I'd signed Luis up for a diving refresher course with Nathan as I'd planned some diving over the Easter weekend, and as Luis had done his diving training 20 years ago and only dived a couple of times since, it seemed like a good idea.  And I was glad to be out on the water again getting more valuable experience under my belt.  I'd also been fortunate enough to make a flying visit to Singapore and my good mate Kev had been kind enough to lend me his underwater Nikonos V camera, so there was an opportunity to capture the dives on film.

Nathan (left) has to guess Luis' IQ (and gets it right)

Hey, Luis, are sure all those bubbles are from your breathing apparatus?

We did three dives, or rather I did three and Luis only two as he was doing his refresher course to begin with.  This time the dives were on the Japanese Patrol Boat (sunk during WWII), Nabasan Reef and the Landing Craft Utility (LCU).  All good stuff, although the visibility wasn't as good as first time I went out but it was good enough.  Better than the visibility at Tagatay.

Sad Realisation

When I moved into the house I'm living in now, it was unfurnished save for a very uncomfortable sofa and a TV stand.  Cooking wise, the landlord had provided me with twin hot plate so I could at least heat up a tin of beans or whatever or boil an egg.

However, a twin hot plate lacked some versatility so I went out and bought a halogen oven, having read good things about them on the internet.

I bought it from the department store in Clark, which is completely over-manned with staff.  Every aisle has 3 or 4 store attendants and every step of the way you are bombarded with endless "Good morning, Sirrrrrrrr".  I try to be good natured about this.  Why, at times I've even gone out of my way to respond to each and every one of them with a smile on my face: sometimes it works (for me) but at other times, when you'd quietly like to look around for or browse in peace it can became exceedingly irritating.

Another thing that really grates on me is if I'm looking at the Levis, an assistant will come up and ask "Levis, Sir?"  If I'm looking at sunglasses, an assistant will come up and say "Sunglasses, sir?"   If I'm looking at shoes, an assistant will come up and say "Shoes, sir?"  And so on and so on.

In addition, whilst you're looking at a product and deciding yourself on its merits, design and aesthetics, there's absolutely no possibility of you being left alone, but some enthusiastic assistant will start pulling other items off the shelves and shoving them under your nose with a not very helpful "Try this one, sir".

In the absence of any known brands I chose a halogen oven based on the model being called American, thinking that it was from America (it was displaying a stars and strips) and hence would be of a reasonable build quality, but this was misleading.  It was in fact made in China, although having had it for several months now it seems to be performing without a hitch (it'll probably break down tomorrow).

On getting it home I sat down and read the instruction manual.  There was a section headed "Suiting for People" and then listed a number of examples.  One of the examples fitted me perfectly and it was at that point I had a moment of realisation.  I'll leave you to see which you think is the most apt:

And now I don't feel lonely any more . . . .

Diving Deep

It's been rather busy of late.  Not only has the work started to pick up at site but there never seems to be a dull moment during my spare time.

When I stayed with the Australians at the home-stay when I first came to Subic, I learnt that they also operate a diving school (Dive Shop Subic Bay).  I've never taken up diving as I've always been happy to just flap around on the surface of the ocean with a snorkel and fins but I figured that as I was in the right location, with the right people and the right opportunity to do the PADI open water course, I thought why not?

So I told Nathan (the owner) that I'd be interested in doing the course but I kept putting it off as I was usually doing something else trivial, but my interest was reignited once they had acquired and renovated their new (old) dive boat, the Polaris.  Nathan gave me the text book to swot up on the technical side of diving but I was rather lax in reading it, which too me back to my school days learning efforts.

The Polaris Dive Boat

Then suddenly I had a phone call from Nathan and there was a spot for me to do the training and join some other newbees that were also doing the course.  The first part of the training was done in a swimming pool and so on a Friday evening last month we went up to Kalayaan (a housing estate within Subic Bay) to use the public pool there.  This was a good move because I've never been to that part of town before and it's a very nice pool in terms of actual swimming, rather than larking around, as it is a decent length, depth and has good lane swimming facilities.

I initially thought that the pool training was all I'd being doing that weekend as I was under the impression that the rest of the course would be spread out over several weeks, but then Nathan said that he'd see me tomorrow on the boat and so the penny dropped that I'd be doing the whole course that weekend.  Consequently, back at home that night I had to really swot up again on the reading for the following day's training and examination.

On the Saturday there were two other Brits on the boat as well: Simon who was working in Singapore and already an experienced diver and his friend Mel, who's a Mancunian that lives in Slovenia but who seems to spend most of her time travelling the world on a shoestring budget, although she'd splashed out to do the same training course as myself.

Looking Good in Rubber

In some ways Subic Bay is a great spot for diving but not in others.  The waters within the bay are warm, very benign and free from strong currents.  In addition, there are plenty of wrecks to dive on within the bay that are largely a by product of the American presence.  Most are scuttled craft but some are casualties of WWII.  On the downside, the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo left a thick deposit of ash on the seabed that is easily stirred up by currents, tides weather and divers, making the visibility poor.  However, during the weekend of my dive training we were blessed with exceptionally clear waters.

Man (and Woman) Overboard

After some initial training tasks in the water we did our first dive in a place called Grande Island Canyons followed by a second dive at the Grande Island Barges, which as the name implies is a group of barges sunk off the coast of Grande Island (Grande Island is located at the entrance to Subic Bay).  The dive at the Canyons was made absolutely phenomenal when we found ourselves in school of huge, bright, silver Jack Fish that swam around us looking at us curiously through their beady, big bright eyes.  At that point I knew I had to have a dive camera, especially when I saw the results of the brilliant images and HD video that another diver had taken on his Canon G10 with an underwater casing.

I never really thought there was much to this diving malarkey - just strap an air tank on, jump in and breath away but when you start going into it, it's really quite involved and I'm glad I did the training with good instructors, with excellent equipment and facilities so that I now understand the complexities and dangers involved.  

And best of all, it gives me something else to do at the weekend to keep me occupied and out of the pubs.