travelbynatasha

Diving near Cebu off the Atlantis Titan

Posted on August 7, 2012 by travelbynatasha

creative headgear became the order of the day aboard the Titan. Marco converted his polo shirt into a head covering.
©Jean Janssen

Today Atlantis has another adventure for us with an even earlier start. We return to Wuthering Heights in San Jose by jeepney for a departure by boat to Sumilon Island, near Cebu. We are riding on the Atlantis Titan a cat-type outrigger with a galley, large seating deck, and even a back landing with a grill. The seas were rough at times with water coming over the sides and up through the floorboards, but it was a beautiful bright day and we are all ready for another dive opportunity. Weather at the resort prevented us from boarding there although we are hopeful we can ride the Titan back to the resort after diving.

Jess went to change into his swimsuit and demonstrated the visibility options from and into the Titan’s “restroom”.
©Jean Janssen

There is a “head” on board with a smart ventilation system. When Jess went to change, we saw that there was no ceiling. To flush, you pour water from the provided bucket in and recycle through the sea.

Emily and Tom are now part of our group and poor Tom has to dive with the divas. At least he has both Vernie and Marco diving with us so he is not quite so outnumbered. At the first dive site, Coconut Point, Marco found something special to show Emily and I that we could touch. Both she and I read “Sea Cucumber Pod” on his slate. On a second examination, it said Sea Cucumber Poo. I handed it off to Donna.

Jess’s towel allowed him to adopt the sheik look.
©Jean Janssen

When we surfaced, Donna told me that she had saved Marco’s special gift in her wetsuit. She showed us the brown stain inside. Then I had to tell her what it was. I told Marco, no more “waste products” and he reminded me that technically sand was a waste product. Marco is a University-educated Marine Biologist and his training surfaces in his briefings, answers, and things he points out. Emily and I are still convinced that he changed the “d” in pod to an “o”, but he insists it is just his handwriting.

The “boat boy” band provided live entertainment during the surface interval.
©Jean Janssen

Jess announced live entertainment during the break and we were introduced to the Neal’s guitar playing and another “boat boy’s” wonderful vocals. Not to miss an opportunity to dance, I joined them in the Galley. We had adopted Dougie, a diver from Scotland and former drummer, and he joined the musicians as well. Jess had to shut us down at some point and remind us we were there to dive.

An underwater basket spotted near Sumilon island, Cebu.
©Jean Janssen

Conditions were better at Sumilon Island than we had near the resort and at San Jose. The second dive was at Cottage West (aka “the swimming pool”), a small wall dive and then a reef. I spotted an underwater basket with a small opening. I wondered if it was there to catch a particular kind of fish. Inside was something that looked like an eel with long whiskers and big eyes. I need to remember to ask Marco what it is. He pointed out a sailfin goby, which I read as grouper. So I am looking for a large fish while he is pointing out a small one. I am having slate reading issues today.

A colorful nudibranch near Sumilon Island, Cebu, Philippines.
©Jean Janssen

We were all hungry during the dive because they started the bar-b-gue just before we got off the boat for the second dive. When we surfaced, there was a fabulous spread for us including meats, fish, and tofu (for the vegetarians) that they had grilled right on the boat. In addition to the great dive sites and guides, the staff really went above and beyond to make this a special day of diving and entertainment.

The third dive was at Sandbar Pointwhere we saw a huge sea snake and then I spotted another later on the dive on my own. I also saw a comet, coral barnacles, a warted frogfish, and a thorny oyster as special finds. After the dive, we were able to sail directly back to the resort. It was a bit wet and rough at times, but we enjoyed the ride and the opportunity to see the city of Dumaguete from the water.

near Sumilon Island, Cebu, Philippines
©Jean Janssen

Posted in international, Scuba diving | Tagged Cebu, Sumilon Island | Leave a comment

Diving in San Jose, Philippines

Posted on August 4, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Our dive camp, Wuthering Heights at San Jose, Philippines.
©Jean Janssen

The Atlantis resort staff worked very hard to find ways for us to dive. What should have been dive day 4 and we are still unable to enter the water near the resort in the morning. The dive staff leader Paul researched another location that three members of the staff including my dive guide, Vernie, had been to before. We were taken by the Atlantis Jeepneys to San Jose, north of Dumaguete, for beach diving at the Wuthering Heights resort. There was a dock and several covered areas that Atlantis rented for the day.

Christmas Tree worms. These close when something comes near and open like christmas trees when not threatened.
©Jean Janssen

Vernie was in our jeepney on the way down and he pointed out his favorite seafood restaurant in town and another along the beach. He lives in one of the areas we drove through and he pointed out his old school, the area where his house is, and his father’s home. Emily suggested we stop by for cocktails on the way back to the resort. Vernie wisely choose to ride in the other jeepney on the way back.

Once we arrived at Wuthering Heights, the boat crew brought all our equipment down and set it up for us. We just had to wade into the water and they brought us our gear. Neal helped me get my fins on and then secure my BCD. The Princesses were at it again with Vernie in the lead. Emily and Tom joined us, as did another dive guide Genie, who is also familiar with the area.

A yellow trumpetfish. San Jose, Philippines
©Jean Janssen

We saw a peacock mantis shrimp, an extra large nudibranch, a yellow trumpet fish, christmas tree worms, and small lobster and crabs, in addition to all the special coral reef fish we love.

These juvenile sweetlips are hard to photograph, so I am pretty proud of this shot of him headed down into the coral.
©Jean Janssen

Genie found us a juvenile Harlequin Sweet Lips and demonstrated the sweet lips dance (this is where I needed a video camera). The sweetlips is a bright fish that moves the front part of its body in the opposite direction than the back end and looks like it is dancing. Adorable and so hard to find. From then on, Genie and I always did the dance when we saw each other.

Vernie and Neal dancing during the surface interval at Wuthering Heights.
©Jean Janssen

During the surface interval we hung out at the beach and Vernie and Neal danced to some tunes that Neal played on his ipod. Snacks and drinks were served. Neal has perfected the Captain Jack Sparrow look with his long locks and pirate bandana.

After the break we were back in the water for our second dive. This time we dove in the same area, but headed to the pier to check out the growth and the critters there. There was a lot more current on this dive and Emily struggled a little, as she is a new and smaller diver. She has been nominated to be a princess. However, since she is with her husband Tom she is ineligible to be one of the “Single Married Babes”. We are the married females traveling without our husbands on this dive trip. Some of us have husbands that don’t dive; others are just traveling without their diver husbands.

Donna’s turtle at San Miguel
©Jean Janssen

There was a bus ride back to the Atlantis resort and then a wonderful lunch. We were able to do a boat dive leaving from the resort in the afternoon. The weather is clearing, but the visibility is still poor. We saw an adult sweet lips, which is black and white instead of the orange and white juvenile. Donna found a small lionfish resting on the coral that she liked. The lionfish are attractive, but poisonous and are now found in abundance. (Near home in the Gulf of Mexico, the lionfish are taking over as their numbers have grown so large.) Donna was unimpressed with the dive given the conditions, but all was saved when she got to see a turtle. Amazing how much fun they are to watch. Rocky just loves them and seeing a turtle just makes me miss him more. He bonded with them when he was smaller and about the same size as a sea turtle. He is convinced they came close to him thinking he was one of their own.

A colorful nudibranch at San Jose, Philippines
©Jean Janssen

Donna doesn’t night dive, but that evening I was buddies with Martin and Bill and did the Florescent Night Dive. We wore a special yellow lens over your mask and use a modified flashlight. Junnar was our dive guide and it is nice to get another chance to dive with my rescuer. The flashlight has three settings, a white light, blue light, and off. Anything that glows really shows up under the blue light, so I used that one most of the dive. Martin freaked out a little and used the white light, making it more of a regular night dive for him. We had almost a full moon, so between that and Martin’s white light, I sometimes just turned my light off when navigating. The Corals are spectacular using the mask and blue light-bright oranges, yellows, pinks, reds, blues, and greens. We saw a red frogfish that looked pink under the blue light (you can do a quick switch to white to check out what you are seeing). Junnar said that this is the only frogfish that has a florescence so we were very lucky that he found it. The highlight was a small bright florescent eel that wove in and out of the bright corals. Spectacular.

San Jose, Philippines
©Jean Janssen

There are only three places that offer the Florescent Night Dive. Rocky and I almost did it in Bonaire with Buddy Dive in March when we dove there on spring break. Unfortunately, it was only offered one night and we couldn’t get in. I think he would love it, so I will make sure it gets to his bucket list. It is not for everyone; I know I enjoyed it much more than Martin or Bill. However, if you like night diving I recommend giving it a try.

The dock at Wuthering Heights at San Jose, Philippines
©Jean Janssen

I was exhausted at dinner and we have an early start tomorrow. It was a full day of diving for me. Talk about getting back on that horse. What a ride.

Posted in international, Scuba diving | Tagged Christmsas tree worms, juvenile sweetlips, Philippines, San Jose | 1 Comment

Our first few days in Dumaguete, Philippines (and the one thing you never want to happen while diving)

Posted on August 4, 2012 by travelbynatasha

banded shrimp with babies. Mom really protected the area from fish trying to enter the wreck here.
©Jean Janssen

In the morning we have our dive orientation and a tour of the dive shop. It is very similar to the set up in Puerto Galera. We unpacked dive gear, but the seas were rough and the morning dives were cancelled. We were able to dive early in the afternoon. The Princesses are diving with Vernie, the most experienced dive master. Not only did he find amazing things, but he was so helpful. Donna didn’t dive due to continuing rough seas.

We were muck diving just outside the resort in an area were the coral has overtaken a pile of tires. More scoriponfish, banded shrimp, and these diver fish that live in the sand (there seem like hundreds of them and they all pop under the sand when you come close-fun.)

The village church from the 1600s.
©Jean Janssen

Ann, Emily, Cheryl, and I all went into the village for mass at the church built in the 1600s (or so is the rumor). It is all crumbling stone with lots of plant life growing in it. Most of the mass was in English ; the only one for the week which is why we are going at this time. Monsignor Robert was very welcoming and said he had been to Texas for mission work, speaking at a church in Pearland, near Houston. On the outside of the church was a lovely covered candle “shed” and I lit a candle for Mom, as I have done all over the world.

No morning dives again the next day. Horrible storms. When things hadn’t cleared by midday, Marco, one of the dive masters, offered to give us a city tour. We took one of the special jeepneys. We stopped at a handicraft store and passed through Sillman University which was established in the early 1900s, the oldest building is still standing and Marco pointed out another older building used by the Japanese as a headquarters during WWII.

Marco and Donna in the city market, Dumaguete.
©Jean Janssen

The highlight was the city market. There were a few straw goods, but mostly fruits, meats, fish, and vegetables, and flowers. The open air market for meat and fish is strange for us, but common in this part of the world. The area is actually quite clean.

Chicken anyone? Dumaguete City Market, Philippines
©Jean Janssen

The market is next to the city bell tower which looks to be about the age of the village church we visited yesterday. Next to the tower is a stone grotto for the Virgin Mary and open air candle stands. There are also venders selling candles and others offering a foot massage, an interesting combination. The grotto is next to the Dumaguete Cathedral.

We didn’t get wet, but the seas still raged and the storms were strong during the night. Still no diving in the morning due to rough seas, so we visited a local factory were they make unique lacquered crafts. They took us through the process-very labor intensive-and then of course there was a gift shop.

Candle offerings at Mary’s Grotto outside the Dumaguete Cathedral.
©Jean Janssen

After lunch a single afternoon dive was being offered for those willing to brave a rough entry. At least there was some sunshine. They carried all our gear to the boat and then we walked out to the boat through the swells with the help on a line and crew positioned along the way. I was fortunate to have been among those that had an easier time getting to the boat. Donna just said no and stayed in.

The resort is going out of their way to give us a safe dive experience. I was focused on all the wrong things and forgot one of my basics. They sailed through the rough seas (with some people sitting on the floor) and found a relatively protected area farther down the beach. The crew put all our gear together and helped us into our equipment. I had everything, my air was on, and I went in. I was diving with a different buddy and a new dive master, Junnar.

Tropical flowers that are rare and expensive at home were found in abundance in the Dumaguete City Market.
©Jean Janssen

All went well and I saw a few new things, when I took a breath and the air flow was shallow. I checked to make sure my new second stage was open as was my tank. Second breath was worse. I swam to a buddy. Third breath in the series-nothing came out. I asked buddy for their safe second which they quickly gave me. (For non-divers this means I was now breathing off of an extra line into the buddy’s tank.). We checked my air gauge and the look on my buddy’s face said it all. The gauge confirmed what I already suspected. I was out of air. Not low, but completely out.

Transporting Eggs by tricyle outside the Dumaguete City Market.
©Jean Janssen

This is the dive experience you never want to happen. We were in about 64 feet of water and 24 minutes into the dive. There are lots of reasons why this happened. Someone else handled my equipment, I was focused on the rough seas, it was so early in the dive that I wasn’t watching my air yet…But the fact is that this was my fault. Trying to make a quick entry in rocky seas, I didn’t check my air gauge before I went in. Usually, I record my pressure and always check my gauges. I went down with a short tank-low on air. We usually dive with 3000 psi. I usually come up with 1100-1500 psi after an hour. The last dive I surfaced with 750 psi; if they didn’t change my tank that is where I started. That is the level you exit with, not begin. This is why you can’t forget a step.

The purple eggs are soaked in brine giving them a salty flavor. Marco said they were great in salads. The are dyed to distinguish them from the regular eggs.
©Jean Janssen

My dive guide came over right away and I moved to the safe second on his tank. We made a slow, steady controlled assent and did our 3-minute safety stop at 15 feet. All was well. Think I will do that again? No way. As I said to Junnar when we surfaced and I orally inflated my BCD, the training worked. I had done it the way I was taught. He told me that he had never had to do that (other than in his training). He was great. It was a very stupid mistake on my part, but I was proud of how I handled it. Dive Mom was my buddy in the water who gave me her second. She said she was proud and couldn’t believe how calm I was. As Emily put it later, “cool as a cucumber”.

Junnar on the Titan with Apo Island in the background.
©Jean Janssen

Junnar and I gave our equipment to the boat captain and swam to shore. Then we walked back to the resort on the beach. He lives next to the resort so he knows the area well. He commented that he hadn’t walked this way in a while and lots of new building had gone on along the shore. I got to know him and it was a calming experience for me. Not a story I ever wanted to tell, but I hope that it inspires people to follow their training and always dive with a buddy. Oh yea, and check your air gauge before you go down.

Dive Mom invited me to do the night dive, but I declined in favor of two banana daiquiri. I’ll get back on that horse tomorrow.

Posted in international, Scuba diving | Tagged Dumaguete, Dumaguete City Market, Philippines | Leave a comment

Transferring from Puerto Galera to Dumaguete, Philippines

Posted on August 2, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Dive Mom with some of the hopeful vendors that hung out around the entrance to our hotel.
©Jean Janssen

This morning is for packing. We met by the office for a final group photo before walking along the beach to the large banca that will take us back to Bantangas for our ride to Manila. There were more vendors out this morning hoping for the last deal. Donna bought a few things, all at better prices than the rest of us had gotten all week.

Airport Security Checkpoint in the Manila airport for our domestic flight to Dumaguete, Philippines.
©Jean Janssen

We made one comfort stop along the way, and Jim loaned me pesos (the local currency) so I could buy a McDonald’s meal. Then it was straight to the Manila airport where the van went though a security checkpoint to get into the airport grounds. Next we had a security check just to get inside the building. At the check-in counter, we put all our bags together to minimize the overweight charges. Your limits are very low on these domestic carriers. Next was another security checkpoint much like we are used to at home. The major difference was that there were separate lines for men and women. I have seen the entrance screening before, but never have seen separate lines at the main security checkpoint.

one of the two Atlantis specially modified jeepney
©Jean Janssen

It was a short flight, just over one hour, to Dumaguete. We are fortunate that we are able to fly directly to the city where our dive resort is located. It is a 30-45 drive from the airport to the resort depending on traffic. We are once again met by several of our dive masters and escorted to the resort on the two Atlantis jeepneys. These have been further modified to have single seating one one side and double on the other. You face forward. This is in contrast to the standard jeepney with bench seating facing each other.

“The White House” (government building) Dumaguete, Philippines
©Jean Janssen

We drove right through the center of town and pass the “white house” (government building), the Cathedral, and the major shopping area. Most interesting are the mess of wires hanging from the electrical poles. There is not a single traffic light or stop sign in the city. I only saw one intersection where someone was directing traffic.

Dumaguete is a university town of about 80,000 people. There are 7 universities here specializing in nursing, engineering, and education. Many of the Filipino nurses working at the Texas Medical Center in Houston were trained in Dumaguete.

Welcome drink at Atlantis Dive Resort, Dumaguete
©Jean Janssen

Our resort is right on the water and we leave the main road and pass by a couple of houses to reach the Atlantis Resort Dumaguete. On Trip Advisor, it is rated the #1 resort for Dumaguete. We were welcomed with a coconut drink.

Beach view from the resort restaurant and bar, Atlantis Dive Resort, Dumaguete Philippines
©Jean Janssen

Posted in international, Scuba diving | Tagged Atlantis Philippines, Atlantis Philippines Dumaguete, Dumaguete, jeepney, Manila Airport | Leave a comment

Our Final Dive Day in Puerto Galera and a School visit

Posted on August 1, 2012 by travelbynatasha

The dive princesses at the giant clam garden

This is our last day to dive in Puerto Galera. Cris has been a good guide for the Princesses. Our boat captain, Larry had the day off so Jake was our driver. He was pretty quiet, not sure what to make of us. He warmed up a little by the end and I knew we had him when he referred to me as Princess. The plan had been to dive the channels, but it was too rough so we went to the nearby Hole in the Wall dive site. I love passthroughs and we got to do this one coming and going. It was very narrow. Fortunately, I had had the body scrub so I could make it through.

Donna thought this nudibranch was “sleek and sexy”. Obviously, she is a sucker for a gentleman in a tuxedo, even if he is a slug.
©Jean Janssen

There was current at the beginning and end of the dive, but calm as we visited the coral reef and saw a red racing flatworm, a school of yellowtail snapper, white-eyed eels, multiple nudibranchs, trigger fish, staghorn coral, and a sea turtle.

For the second dive, we went to the Giant Clam dive site. This is the one Cris and I had visited alone. You find lots of seahorse in the sandy flats here and the information we learned in our class the previous evening came in handy. Cris and I had seen the wonderpus, but today we spotted a mimic octopus, very rare. Even Dive Mom said she had never seen one. We played with it for quite a while, chasing it and watching it land, spread out, and change to a darker color, definitely angry with us for bothering it.

a mimic octopus, Puerto Galera, Philippines
©Jean Janssen

We also saw a ribbon eel sticking his head out of the sand. I usually see eels in the rock or coral reef, very unusual to find them in the sand. After seahorse hunting-successfully-and chasing the octopus, we headed to the garden of giant clams, Cheryl really wanted a picture of the three of us there, so Cris obliged her.

After this dive Donna was done for the day; she wanted to get a head start on cleaning her equipment and having it dry out. Cheryl and I went out after lunch for the third dive, returning to the Sabang wrecks. The sea had grown rough and we didn’t want to go far, so Cris suggested this. In spite of it being a return visit, we spotted some new things-a banded pipefish (who looks like he has a target on one end), a dancing juvenile sweetlips, giant purple octopus, a mushroom coral pipefish (which looked like a little white snake in the annemone), and a banded coral shrimp with babies.

We rode in a Jeepney out to visit one of the village schools.

One of the reason I really like traveling with Dive Mom is that see makes our travel more than diving and wants us to experience the culture and interact with the people. She has a project to help fund schools in the places that we visit. Divers on her trips bring school supplies and used computers to donate. Dive Mom purchases local products which are sold at auction at the dive shop. The auction proceeds are donated to the schools. I have visited schools in Borneo, Fiji, and now the Philippines with Dive Mom; obviously, her personal reach extends even further.

One of the elementary school teachers at her blackboard. The words are written in Tagalog, the Philippine language. Each area also has its own dialect.
©Jean Janssen

Since we can not dive later today (due to our flight out tomorrow and the time restictions on altitude after diving), we took the late afternoon to visit a local school. One of our divers, Emily, is a watercolor artist and she taught a class to the teachers a couple of days ago. Today, we are just dropping off supplies but are also invited into the classrooms. The students were extremely polite and welcoming and it was a real treat. Dive Mom is very good with the students and I took the opportunity to interact with them as well. Experiences like these enrich my travel.

Several of the older students who live at Sabang beach rode back with us in the jeepney. They enjoyed seeing Jim’s underwater photos.
©Jean Janssen

On our way back to town, we gave a ride to several of the older students who live at Sabong Beach. Dive Mom had arranged for the local vendors to come at 6 pm to the front entrance of the resort so we could do any last minute shopping. I avoided the area until 7 pm. When I came down, Dive Mom was making the final purchases from a special vendor who brought her homemade sarongs. As much as I tried to avoid the 6 pm frenzy, I did pick up a few of sarongs, always a good purchase for me.

These 1st and 3rd graders are never late for school. They live next door. I visited with their mom on our way out of the school yard.
©Jean Janssen

The resort featured a Monogolian Wok each evening with your choice of about 20 vegetables, 12 meat and fish options, and at least 15 sauces. After making your selections, they prepare it for you with rice, noddles , or both. Since I always found something I wanted on the regular menu. I hadn’t tried the wok yet, so this was my last chance. After dinner, I headed to my last spa treatment, a 2-hour hot stone massage. Its a rough life!

These banded pipefish (lower left hand corner of photo) looked like they have a target painted on one end. They are very rare.
©Jean Janssen

The mantis srhimp looks like a lobster tail with a head. Obviously his friend wants his picture taken. I could have cropped him out, but since he was eager I decided to give him his moment in the spotlight.
©Jean Janssen

Posted in international, Scuba diving | Tagged banded pipefish, giant clam, jeepney, mimic octopus, nudibranch, Sabang Beach | Leave a comment

Wreck Diving and Natasha loses all Modesty

Posted on July 31, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Donna and Cheryl, our line assent after the wreck dive to the Alma Jane.
©Jean Janssen

We started our day with a dive out to the Alma Jane, a boat sunk in the Sabang Beach harbor. On the way out to the dive site, the hook at my neck on my halter swimsuit decided to come undone. Fortunately I caught the top before the entire harbor got a show. (This was a foreshadowing of later things to come.)

The wreck dive offered a line descent. The Alma Jane sits in about 110 feet of water. We are all diving nitrox so we need to watch our depth and bottom time carefully. There was a wonderful school of batfish and several scorpionfish at the wreck. The Princesses all love wreck diving.

Swimming with a school of Bat Fish at the Alma Jane
©Jean Janssen

For our second dive of the day, we returned to Coral Cove where we had done our first dive on day one. I got some wonderful pictures. We once again spotted the electric clam, the yellow warty frogfish, blue spotted stingray; we also found a zebra crab and the pygmy seahorse which had alluded us the last time we visited this dive site.

Dive Mom took this picture of me with the black frogfish

We also saw two giant black frogfish together, the biggest frogfish I have seen.

Our third dive of the day, after lunch was to the Sabang Wrecks. These are a series of three small wrecks where the boats are in pieces. None are as deep as the Alma Jane. More frogfish were found, both a warted white and a large green one. We also saw a mantis shrimp, commensal (small clear shrimp), and a flying gynard. We crossed a sandy area full of starfish. I like to think of it as a starfish garden. This is where we ran across Jess who had wandered away from his group. He joined us at the end of the dive. He has probably made 5,000 dives and just does his own thing.

my collection of handmade woven baskets purchased in Puerto Galera and made by the nomadic mountain people of the area, the Mangyan
©Jean Janssen

After that dive, the wind had really picked up and the water was getting rough, so rather than the fourth dive, we worked on our log books with Cris and did a little shopping. I had wanted to visit a mountain village, but hadn’t thought that one through. You need to wait 18-24 hours after diving before you go anywhere at altitude. Usually this means flying, but a trip to a mountain village was also not an option. The Mangyan people make the most beautiful hand woven baskets. I have purchased them from Dive Mom when she has brought them back from previous trips. They are so special and beautiful that I wanted to pick up a few as gifts. There are also beautiful natural and cultured pearls in a large variety of colors sold by the local people. You definitely have to bargain; you should end up paying less than the asking price.

a flying gynard in the sea grass in the Sabang Harbor
©Jean Janssen

I had a wonderful risotto for dinner and then it was spa time. Tonight I am actually getting two treatments (had to reach $100 for my 15% off). I am getting a body scrub and a conditioning hair treatment. Because a shower is needed, they do this treatment in one of the regular rooms near the spa. You have to undress completely and then two therapists scrub you down. You start by laying face down. I knew this was going to be thorough when the salt scrub was put between my bottom cheeks. Then I had to turn over. Some privacy was afforded to areas on this side, but the top was fair game. By time I had to rinse off, I thought it couldn’t get any more embarrassing. I was wrong.

Starfish Garden in the Sabang Harbor.
©Jean Janssen

The lever to redirect the water from the downward spout to the overhead shower wouldn’t move. I had to call one of the therapist to help. She couldn’t get it either. Then the second therapist tried to help. No luck. She went and got someone from the office to come help. (She told me later that normally they would have called maintenance, but given my state of undress, that wasn’t an option.) At one point, I was buck naked in the shower with three Filipino women. Natasha lost all modesty and had a great story to tell at breakfast the next day.

P.S. The girl from the office did get the shower fixed and after the scrub and hair conditioning, my skin felt so soft and my hair smelled fabulous. Embarrassing, but worth it.

Posted in international, Scuba diving | Tagged Alma Jane, batfish, body scrub, flying gynard, frogfish, Sabang Beach, Sabang Harbor | 1 Comment

Punta Verde, Philippines

Posted on July 30, 2012 by travelbynatasha

Underwater at the Pinnacle at Verde Island, Philippines
©Jean Janssen

Today after an early breakfast we ventured out to Punta Verde, a small island about a 45-minute boat ride from Sabang beach. We went out on a larger boat from which we did a giant stride entry. We rode directly to the first dive site at the pinnacle just off the island. There was a lot of current at the beginning, but then things calmed down and we were able to enjoy this aquarium dive. The resort had offered a lecture the night before where they told us that the Smithsonian had selected Verde Island as the spot in the world representing the most variety of marine life.

view from the dive camp at Verde Island, Philippines
©Jean Janssen

After the dive, we docked at the dive camp on the island. Docked on this trip means pulling up to shore as close as possible. We reach land by walking across a plank to the shore. They are always lots of helpful men to assist with the landing. The resort rents this spot as needed. We were directed to the “restroom” where the toilet was not connected to anything. There was a large barrel of water and a bucket inside. The dive camp consisted of an outdoor cooking area and several covered seating areas on multiple terraces.

Eric, our lunch host at the resort, was in charge of meal preparation at the dive camp.
©Jean Janssen

Eric, the lunch host from the resort, was there to cook for us and we enjoyed the wonderful jam rolls during the surface interval. As usually happens, the resort guests end up in one area and the dive staff in another. After my jam roll, I broke ranks and sat down with the boys who were eager to talk. Most of them are married with multiple children. The dive master with the most children had no wife but several “previous relationships”; I thought it was interesting that he used this terminology. He said he “started early”.

Hanging with the boys at the dive camp, Thax and my dive guide Cris.

Our second dive out proved to be most of my most frightening. The current was very strong, not only across but up and down. We rounded the pinnacle at one point and I was caught in a down current. In spite of kicking at full strength, I was slowly losing ground. Cris saw it in my eyes and reached down for me. He pulled me up and I held on until my breathing and heart rate slowed. We experienced serious current throughout the dive.

At this point I seriously doubted my participation in the final Verde Island dive to the washing machine. Current is a given for this dive as you are pulled through a series of canyons. There was the lunch break at the dive camp to think it over. I had the camera and thought a leisurely reef dive was more my speed after the issues with current of the second dive. The decision was taken out of my hands when the dive staff determined that the washing machine was just too treacherous that day.

We enjoyed Eric’s nice lunch on resort plates with a bamboo “placemat” on each. I had seen them heating the “placemats” as they called them (which sat on the plate rather than under them) on the open fire during the morning surface interval when I was sitting with the boys. After lunch we went back to the first dive site that we had all enjoyed. Cris kept us on the side with a light current and we loved the dive.

We rode back on the large boat, transferred to a smaller one to navigate the harbor, and landed back at the dive shop. I was tired and decided that a nice swim after cleaning my equipment was just the thing. The pool was beautiful with a waterfall and marble bottom. The other dive princesses decided to join me. I got in a little Internet time (availability is very limited and sporadic) and then went to the lecture on seahorses. Dinner was sizzling pork with rice and then off to my facial as today’s spa treatment. I downloaded pictures until I was tired and then off to bed.

Posted in international, Scuba diving | Tagged Punta Verde, Verde Island | Leave a comment

Our first dive day in Puerto Galera, Philippines

Posted on July 29, 2012 by travelbynatasha

A Jeepney (along with the tricycles) are the most common form of public transportation on land in the Philippines. They originated from the jeeps left behind by the United States at the end of WWII. This one was serving as a school bus. They are often quite colorful works of art.
©Jean Janssen

I am still not adjusted to the time change and having gone to bed at 8:30 pm, I woke up at 4 am. About six it was light (but too early for breakfast) so I walked down to the beach to see if the tide was in. There were children and their parents in school uniforms walking down the beach. After a while I realized that since it was so early they were probably going to catch the bus for school. At the point where our boat left us off yesterday there is a sort of parking lot. In the lot are jeepneys(a modified WWII jeep made from stainless steel) that pack them in. There are even passengers on top. We saw these all over Manila on our way out of the city.

Headed to the school bus. The children go to school all day long. There long holiday is from March-May (Easter). The next long break is at Christmas time.
©Jean Janssen

I learned later that each of the plaid uniforms is from a different private school (mostly Catholic schools). The children with the dark pants or skirts and white tops go to the public school. After watching a while, I saw different patterns at different times reflecting the slightly different schedules and the length of their bus rides.

After breakfast we had our dive orientation and then were divided into groups. We toured the dive shop-the most efficient and organized I have ever seen-and pulled out our gear. The Princess Divers-Cheryl, Donna, and Jean will all be diving with Cris as our dive guide and Larry as our boat driver. They don’t know what they are in for. We love been taken care of in a sport that is certainly not known for that.

Our first dive was wonderful. We saw an electric clam that sent out a spark ever few seconds, a yellow-warted frogfish, and a pair of white-eyed eels. None of these are common. There are all kinds of nudibranchs, a blue spotted ray, Nemo and his Day on the anemone, a cowfish, and a pair of kissing fish. The surface was calm and it was a great start to the day. We are diving off of small johnboats with a seating platform on each side. We use a backward roll entry, which I don’t think I have done since my training. Fortunately the boats are so low that we are not going far to hit the surface.

The banded sea krait (black and white sea snake) is from the cobra family and 5 times more poisonous. It will not bother you unless it agitate it. It is usually found on rocks.
@Jean Janssen

We came back for our hour surface interval at the resort and were greeted by warm jam rolls, one of the most caloric and wonderful things I have ever eaten. Our next dive site had an equally calm surface, but this time with a little current thrown in. The princesses found a black and white sea snake (which we were later told is five times more poisonous than a cobra), a basketball sized stone fish (never seen one that large), two mantis shrimp (that look like a lobster tail with legs), and a school of yellow-tail snapper. We looked for the pigmy seahorse, but with no luck.

seahorse in the sand flats at the Giant Clam dive site. It lowers itself near the sand to protect against the current.
©Jean Janssen

Lunch was back at the resort-meals are included with our package. Donna was done for the day (still tired from our trip to Siberia and Mongolia) and Cheryl lost track of time, so it was only Cris and I on the third dive. We went to the Giant Clam dive site and Cris found amazing things-five seahorse, 2 frogfish, a wonderpus, a gobey shrimp, and the largest sea turtle I have ever seen-at least 6 feet long and almost as wide. Cris got the wonderpus (a small octopus) out and after it got used to me being there, I got to watch as it put each leg back into into its “den”. Fascinating and an opportunity I would not have had with a large group.

The spa at Atlantis, Puerto Galera Philippines which I visited nightly at 8 pm. There are glass walls on three sides, but curtains were drawn for certain treatments. It overlooks the pool and a sundeck is on top of the building.
©Jean Janssen

Dinner was another fabulous meal-beef stroganoff for me. Not particularly Filipino, but delicious. Spa treatment for the day was a deep tissue massage, then back to the restaurant for dessert. Very decadent. We have a big day tomorrow with a trip out to Punta Verde, so to bed early again.

Posted in international, Scuba diving | Tagged Puerto Galera | Leave a comment

We have arrived-the Philippines!

Posted on July 28, 2012 by travelbynatasha

: The divers we picked up along the way. Donna in Moscow; Jim in Singapore (he had been diving in Indonesia);
and Emily and Fred in Manila (where they had been touring and adjusting to the time change)
@Jean Janssen

I hit the wall while we were waiting in line for the flight to Manila. They do a second security check at each gate here. I had a middle seat although we thought we were all getting aisles. It was a longer flight then I expected. We were on the plane for 4 hours. There were two entry forms to fill out when you arrive in the Philippines. In Manila, things ran pretty smoothly and a guide and several drivers associated with the resort met us at the exit to customs.

We took the toll way to Bantagas to boat the banca boat to Puerto Galera. There were more toll stops on this road that I had ever seen. Labor is cheap here so it is easier to put in a manned stop and have anything automated. We made one comfort stop at Starbucks. Really? Starbucks? This is not why I came half way around the world. When we arrived at Bantagas, instead of going to the public pier when drove through town and were taken to a private dock where the large resort banca boat-outrigger canoe-met us. A stream of workers carried all our luggage onto the boat for us.

As a really nice touch, 2 or our 3 dive guides for the next 4 days met us at the pier and rode over to the resort with us. They are very friendly and willing to answer any questions we had. We pulled right up to the main entry point for Sabang beach and walked along the sand to the dive resort, Atlantis. The tide was out so we made it without getting our feet wet. There is really no beach to speak of the water line is at the edge of the development.

We walked into the bar that leads into the dive shop. (A diver will appreciate the placement.) From there we cross a pathway (about two persons wide) that is the main beachside artery for pedestrian traffic. From that point you enter the resort, additional dive shop facilities are on the right side along with the front desk. To the left is the open-air restaurant, Toko’s. All this area has a tropical bamboo feel. Next is the pool with a waterfall and marble bottom, lovely. There is a spa with 3 sides of glass that looks out on the pool. From there, a series of staircases takes you to your room. I am sure the intent was to have this look as if you were living in a coral reef under the water; I mean the resort name is Atlantis. Actually, the first impression is that you have entered Bedrock; there is a real Flintstones feel. I really like it.

Donna has stayed here before and requested a lower room. I came to appreciate this request later when I saw the multiple staircases you had to take to the upper rooms. After a resort orientation, cool towel, lemonades, and a complimentary shoulder massage, we were free to explore and check out our rooms. Like before, a stream of workers brought our bags over from the boat and up to our rooms. Fortunately, we will have our check-out dive tomorrow.

Donna and I made reservations for the spa. They offer a 15% discount if you book at least $100 in spa services. This might get you one or two services (or less) at home. Here I had to book 5 services, one for every night we were here to get to $100. We stayed up for a lovely dinner and then I had a neck, back, and shoulder massage and went straight to bed. It was perfect and worked out all the kinks of the travel. I will sleep well tonight.

Posted in international, Scuba diving | Tagged Atlantis Philippines, banca, Puerto Galera, Sabang Beach | Leave a comment

Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines

Posted on July 26, 2012 by travelbynatasha

While Puerto Galera is actually a small town in Oriental Mindoro, Philippines just over 80 miles south of Manila, the term is generally used to describe the area from White Beach to Sabang. This area has been designated a Man and Biosphere reserve by UNESCO since 1973 in an effort to preserve the coral and forest reefs. The Bay of Puerto Galera is also listed by the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World. Sabang beach is generally favored by foreign tourists, while White Beach is more popular with local travelers. There has been uncontrolled development since 2001 and many of the returning visitors complain of the loss of beauty in the region due to the encroachment of ugly buildings. A whole forum on Trip Advisor was dedicated to this topic.

If you travel to tropical locals you are used to seeing unique items-usually hats-made from palms.
This is the first time I have seen palm clothing. Note the palm top on the Mangyan girl.

The city holds few attractions, but the diving is considered excellent and there is also snorkeling, beaches-32 of them, a golf course, and dance clubs in the area. Close by you can enjoy forests filled with orchids, birds, fauna, and waterfalls. Famaraw Falls are only about nine and a half miles away. There is kayaking from the Alag riverbank and the little-discovered Muelle Bay, another natural harbor with shops and restaurants. There are secluded beaches and coves and trekking. If these creatures are your thing, there is also a reptile zoo.

Mangyan Children

I am intrigued by the idea of a visit to a Mangyan Village. These are a nomadic people who live in the mountain ranges of Mindoro so you have to go with an experienced guide to be sure and find them. Entire families travel by foot and live in huts so small and simple that they can be built in a few days. The Mangyan tribes have virtually no contact with the outside world.

Tamaraw Falls, just outside Puerto Galera

I hope to make a stop at Tamaraw Falls just 9 miles from Sabang Beach. There are a series of small falls before a drop into the final pool. The water is very cool, but will be refreshing on a hot day.

Of course the number one attraction in Puerto Galera is the coral reefs and that is what I am here for. There are more than 30 dive sites less than 5-10 minutes from shore. Puerto Galera is also a main technical diving designation in Asia. One of our special equipment requirements for this trip was a safety sausage or lift bag on a reel. The normal size one is something I carry as standard equipment on all dives. In Puerto Galera, it is very important to use this safety device so that the boats know there is a diver below. There are no piers in the harbor, so the boats get as close to the shore as possible. Passengers disembark on a wood plank wading in knee-deep water or get carried off by a strong boatman. In other words, there will be a lot of boats in the area where we are diving. Certainly many more that we are used to.

Underwater the lift bag is rolled up until ready for use. When needed, you unroll it and inflate it manually or by using the air in your tank. The device will rise to above the surface of the water marking your location. We also use this when “drift diving”. In drift diving the boat is not tied off on a buoy, rather the captain follows the divers while watching the bubbles. Every diver consumes air at a different rate and each buddy team may come up at a different time; we inflate the sausage to draw the boat’s attention when we are about to surface.

A friend of mine is a preschool teacher and she asked me to visit her class during “fish week”. I went in a dive skin, showed them pictures I had taken underwater, and demonstrated the equipment. There favorite item was the bright orange safety sausage.

Puerto Galera nudibranchs

We are scheduled for up to five dives a day. This area is known for the Macro (small life) diving and photography. There are strong currents, so we will probably be drift diving. After each dive, we have a least an hour surface interval to allow for nitrogen release (a safety issue). Since all our dives will be within 10 minutes of the shore, the boat will return us to land for each surface interval. (When boat diving, surface intervals are usually on the boat, but we also gone to nearby beaches on occasion.)

Sabang Beach, Philippines

Given all that diving, I am not sure how many other “excursions” I will have time for or even how much beach time we will have in Puerto Galera. I have read about the beauty of the beaches, but have also heard them described as “touristy with importunate hawkers”. Dive Mom did tell us we don’t have to worry about hunting for souvenirs; they will come to us.

massage on Sabang beach

Beach massage by an accredited masseuse is also recommended. To avoid any “hanky-panky”, in-room massage is prohibited. Sabang does have a reputation for “girly bars” or “go-go clubs.” Some parts of Sabang beach are considered “seedy” and at least one reviewer noted that some American (yes, specifically mentioned American) tourists didn’t seem to be here just for the diving.

Well, thats the preview. I’ll let you know what the reality is…

There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign. –Robert Louis Stevenson

Posted in international, Scuba diving | Tagged Philippines, Puerto Galera | Leave a comment