Philippines #2

MOALBOAL DIVING.

Moalboal, my frist pigmy seahorse!

Named after a long gone King of Spain, this archipelago comprising a cluster of 7,107 islands makes up what we now call the Philippines. It's sort of wedged between Southern Taiwan, Vietnam, Borneo and a few northern Indonesian Islands with the Philippine Sea  and vast North Pacific to it's east.  This little cluster of lands is one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world which may have something to do with it's location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and distinct tropical climate.  We were there during the rainy season which is also commonly known as "balaklaot", or monsoon season.  Not the best time of year to be there if rain storms aren't your thing but if that's not a problem then bask in the empty beaches when the sun is shining and deserted little tourist towns.  We discovered the beauty of the "off-season" not only in the deep mountains of the North but also what we really came for, the diving. 

Next stop Cebu City, Cebu Island which is either a flight from Cauayan City, Luzon or a few tedious days of land and sea travel.  Flight please.  In our efforts to save some money for the flight we were attempting to arrive at and have a true slice, we did it the way the locals do.  First we got to cram ourselves and bags into a colorful jeepnie, with colorful painting and destination/routes displayed along the side.  We took this one for about an hr and half through narrow windy roads to another little town where we had to catch jeepnie number two.  The locals are helpful and most young ones speak english in this country, telling us exactly when our next ride arrived at his little bus stop.   Bags on top this time and off we went with new strange faces to the same destination.  After another 45 minutes or so and a peculiar chat over religion with a devote middle-aged man eager to convert us to his "way", we hopped back off to literally the side of the road outside a village next a road-stand offering hot food from steel pots and bags of chips.  I was briefly enticed by the cooler of ice-creams but walked away to sit on my bag in the dirt until our bus came.  They said it would be a bus with a city name way passed our destinations on the window which arrived after only 40 min of wait.  Bags on lap and off we went in a large bus packed with eyes on us and blaring karaoke music.  I imagine they don't see tourists on those busses often enough to not still be a little taken aback by the sight of us.  In the bustling little city  of Cauayan we asked the tricycle driver at the bus stop to take us to a hotel close to the airport, he heard "to the airport" and took us straight there.  We finally got dropped us at a large building without many windows and a kind young woman behind the desk.  Just one double-bed room, nothing fancy.  Seedy and clearly not for tourist this looked more like a one stop shop pleasure house of sorts.  But being we were in the middle of this large hot town late in the afternoon, tired, dirty, hungry and excited at the thought of cold shower and clean sheets we took it.  

Relaxing next door

Just steps from our room's balcony

One prop plain flight later we were on Cebu island and ready for a couple days of city.  We had heard of the succulent Lechon, supposedly most delicious in this region and that we just have to try it.  We did have a taste of this succulent spit-roasted pig with crispy skin, but our main reason to be there was a little town on the south-west side called Moalboal.  Our morning bus was full and we were the only white people taking this road south.  By late afternoon we were taking a taxi (motorbike with little covered carriage attached to the side) to our pre-booked room on the water.  Thanks to Craig's meticulously detailed research we found a little room right on the water with a balcony for a relatively cheep low-season rate.  There's no beach along the town so a retaining wall below our balcony was the only thing that kept us from the water while it lapped up at high tide.  The dive companies in this area vary slightly by price and you usually get what you pay for in a few variants of equipment, boat style, Dive Master, meals/drinks incl. and most often air quality etc.  The  one we chose may have been for convenience as much as good reviews being right behind our cottage with the boat launch directly in front of us.  Savedra Dive Company

 

Our dive boat

 We spent 5 relaxing days diving the Tonon Strait early mornings and afternoons reading and relaxing on the deck of our room or one of the nearby restaurants also on the water.  Blissful times doing some of our favorite things with a spectacular backdrop.  Diving in low season pays off in multiple ways, lower prices, less crowded boats at far less underwater traffic.  I'm hooked.  Where we stayed booked through Agoda. 

Reading on the balcony