Category: Travel

Tryst with Angel: Mactan Island

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Punta Engaño!

Now I aim to dive every month as every diver should be.  And I have few plans as I begin for another diving year, schedules and preparations were put to order.  My mind thinking to mix some pleasure while on a work trip to Cebu but it turned out the conference was cancelled, and the final venue is not close to the waters.  I became restless and alternately devised another trip plan.  Surprisingly, Angel invited me to join him in Mactan over a weekend suggesting for a dive.  I was ecstatic and grateful, it was just perfect as a start for diving pursuits with my favorite dive buddy.  The next thing I did was made myself free on the weekend, bought my tickets, and work harder to put things in order before getting some leisure. 

Perfect Get-Away

The week has been full at work, and on Friday I was running for meetings. But the thought of weekend lifted my spirits, and I could almost smell the sea waters.  🙂  My Saturday mornings has been reserved for early walks but I was up very much earlier as usual to catch my flight.  And the usual sneak-while-everyone-still-asleep thrilled me once more! It was a crisp morning and the cold winds embraced me as we boarded the plane, the horizon promising a sunny day.  The flight was smooth and just like with my previous Cebu Pacific flights we touched down Mactan International Airport earlier than schedule. The skies were downcast but hoping there would be no rains during our dives.

I watched the morning commotion on my taxi as I rode to Punta Engano, not the usual way to go straight to downtown Cebu. This weekend, we will be stationed in Mactan island and guess what?  We are staying at Hilton Resorts & Spa – yes, the famous pink Hilton of Cebu!  Midtown Cebu, Grand Hotel, Montebello, Crown Regency Suites, Days Hotel, Cebu Plaza, Waterfront were few of the hotels I find shelter in other occasions but never on luxurious ones like Hilton. 😛  Courtesy of Angel who got a gift certificate for  two-night stay for two as one of his complimentary award for his travel blog.  It was an honor to share his prize, experiencing a luxurious stay at pink Hilton is not in my list.  🙂  

Everything is pink as I stepped down from the taxi, after some preliminaries at the front desk I shoot up to 22nd floor, buzzed Room 2203 and sadly woke up Angel who barely slept 3 hours. 😦  He was still in stupor as he let me in. 😛 I reached out to the terrace and watched the morning horizons overlooking the beach, calm crystal waters and green vegetations yonder. It was almost two months from our last trip and so there were catch up stories to tell, then went down to Vanilla Beach Café for a sumptuous breakfast.  I watched in awe of the abundance of food, all free!  But I needed a light meal for my dive, Angel wanted to try everything he fancied with!  😛 I love long breakfasts with stories but we need to rush to Maribago beach for the dives, we are expected at 10am.

For some adventure and to save transportation costs, we chose to commute to Kontiki Divers. After a wrong stop, few inquiries and 200 m walk, we reached the diveshop on time.  Ms Diana was out there to welcome and introduce us to DM Julian, it was some kind of exclusive dive for us – no other divers to join us!  Without delay, we went off to the shore for the diving boat – alas, it was high tide and we need to wade in the waters!  We discovered that there was lot of resorts lining up the beach which includes the Maribago Blue Waters. 

First Dives of the Year

Our first stop was Agus Bay, we descend on a sandy area then getting deeper to a wall with reefs.  It felt good to be back in the depths, so relaxing – indeed a second home.  We drifted watching the scenery, there is really something peaceful with the fishes.  There were damsels, fusiliers, variety of anthias,  banners, variety of angels, some butterfly, lionfish and more.  There were gorgonians I passed by trying to look closely for macros. But alas, I forgot to put on my contacts!  😛  I planned to have it when I got to the hotel but simply slip from my mind.  There were bubble corals, tubes, some table but no sponges.  I tried to touch something that looks like sea cucumber but turn out to be a hard coral.  There were few nudis  and pelagics were nowhere.  After 48 mins with 27.8m as deepest we surfaced near Maribago Blue Waters, the boat waiting to pick us up.

After an hour of interval, we descend at Marine Station limiting to 25m deepest according to DM Julian. It was sandy slope until we went deeper to a wall covered with reefs. There were seafans in green, yellow, brownish and lavender.  Bubble corals were abundant, some crinoids and variety of hard corals.  There were, damsels, moorish idol, butterfly, angels, groupers, lionfish, anthias and more.  We were stunned when a large school of medium-sized bluefin trevally appeared before us! It darkened our view but was truly mesmerized with this wonderful display of creation, about tens of thousands of them. So near to us as we drifted on and passed us by.  As we get shallower we went east and found the crane artificial reef which is now fully covered with corals. I found lot of fishes nearby including my favorite puffer fish. We drifted shallower until we had our safety stop, we linger more and hopped on the corals until we surfaced right on the concrete steps of Club Kontiki.  We were 48 mins down and went 22.8m as our deepest.  It was already past 2pm and so we ran out of time for third dive as we wanted.  After a  coffee break  and some pleasantries with Ms Diana, we settled our bills and rushed back to the hotel – grateful it wasn’t drizzling anymore.

More of Mactan

Angel planned for a dinner at Vienna Kaffehaus to try if comparable at CdeO  😛 , so after dark we went searching for the resto.  Our choice:  Bauern Platter, Green Mix Salad, Kartoffel Soup plus fruit shakes and blueberry cheesecake – all yummy but his fave Pasta Pesto was not in the menu!  😛

The next morning we went to hear mass at Sto. Nino Mactan in Visayan, decided to walk back to the hotel but when we passed Mactan Shrine we went to take a look.  It has an obelisk (!), a large mural of Mactan Battle, monument of Lapu-Lapu, some souvenir shops and park. And there were  Korean tourists geting around in the park with matching guide.  Passing Shangri-La, a bit farther we dropped by at Scubaworld Diveshop – had a brief chat with the shop manager (a diver perhaps), and bought some dive supplies – I was looking for beanie hood but not available.  After a few meters, we finally got to the hotel entrance.  We’re famished already and so went straight to Vanilla Beach for our sumptuous brunch.  Again I was overwhelmed of the abundance when there’s so much people out there who have nothing to eat!

We wanted to make most of our stay at the resort, the remaining few hours were spent at the house reef to snorkel – waters again – ah, this is life!  🙂  The parasols along the white beach, the infinity pool and the calm waters were picture perfect.  But our love for marine life pushed us further and we were not disappointed, as soon as we got near the two rock islets fishes started to appear.  They have installed artificial reefs, big round concrete  culverts that were almost covered with corals.  There were anthias, damsels, groupers, triggers, pipefish, sergeants.  Angel spotted a lionfish coyly swimming under its abode, which he pointed out to me. 🙂  There were larger groupers, triggers, goatfish under the culverts.  Throngs of anthias came near us as if wanted to be fed – so beautiful!  🙂  Oh, I will never get tired of marine life…

Special Tryst

We rushed and shoot up to 22nd floor for the last time – to freshen up and finally pack up. Last few minutes in this luxurious trance.  After some clearance at the front desk, we took a cab to airport  leaving our pink abode behind us.  Such a wonderful experience, I wouldn’t splurge my hard earned peso just to spend a night in this kind of lavishness.  It was such an honor that Angel shared this luxury treat with me. 

This weekend was a perfect tryst with my favorite dive buddy, I never indulge  myself a leisure getaway on a January when work is just too full.  But things just went perfectly and we both loved every minute of it.  Mactan weekend will be a special memory for me and Angel.  Shhhhh, I suspect he was sneaking on my Cebu dive plans… 🙂

NB.  Snatch a photo somewhere from files…

Blowing Bubbles in December!

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picturesque horizon from the diveshop... 🙂

I went for my last dive of the year as I promised myself,  to brace for the upcoming year ending & year beginning tasks, it was also my way of capping this year’s  adventure trips.  Mantangale would be kinda perfect – not so far, warm staff, amazing marine life and idyllic place.  Sometimes when you want something you always find ways to accommodate your whims,  and that’s what really happened last Sunday.  I squeezed my weekend – skipping laundry & community party and had my Sunday free.  I was up early to catch the 6am aircon bus but when I got to the terminal, it was brimming with passengers.  Squeezing with other travellers to get unto the bus for a seat is not my fare, but have to do it – I am expected at the dive shop at 830am!  The weather was downcast and it was drizzling when I arrived at the resort earlier than appointed time, I was able to have breakfast while observing OWC students having exercises at the pool.
Just as I thought there wasn’t much divers for the day, and I was up for some surprise when Sir Dodong announced after a call from SSB radio  that Fr. Young is joining us.  I’ve been hearing about him  as a  diver, and being the current president of my alma mater I was looking forward to finally meet him.  He arrived just as I getting dressed while talking with Sir Dodong on my latest dive trips.  So, some kind of exclusive dive for the day.

mantangale alibuag dive resort

After some preliminaries, we speed off for our first descent  at the house reef, one of my favourites.  Banaug Shoal always excite me, it’s abundant  marine biodiversity is probably one of the richest of my many encounters.  The sergeants, damsels and  snappers, which always come in throngs as you touched down on shoal’s top.  They come near you as if wanting to be feed 🙂 , so near as you stretch your hands and sometimes so near your face! But I got a lot of whistles from Sir Dodong warning me not to go far away!  The black corals, gorgonians, crinoids, colorful sponges decorated the shoal – being there felt like I was carousing in a colorlful garden.  I tried to search the walls for some critters, spotted tiny nudis and hunt for unusual specie. I went around a little bit to search for critters – groupers, variety of anemonefish, trumpet, surgeons, anthias & more.  Two big snappers keeps darting on us.  I was surrounded with colourful reefs and then found a small alibuag.  Indeed, it’s a paradise!

We got back to the bouy line, I waited and searched for the moray eel and there it was!  🙂 Hidden under a reef, a white moray showing its head and gawking at me. 🙂  As if challenging me to come nearer… While watching in awe, Sir Dodong signalled for ascent – I still wanted to stay but pointing to my SPG, my air was down to 500psi.  So slowly I ascend still watching the view below, our deepest was 32.9m for 43 minutes underwater.

all in nitrox!

We went back to the diveshop for our surface interval, MSU-IIT students who were having their OWC was preparing for their exercises.  We left with them for our second dive to Sipaka Point on a speed boat and transferred to Seareyna for the cruise.  Our second descent was a shallow one, as it was purposely for the students for their exercises.  We explored sandy, wide coral gardens decorated with colourful crinoids, sponges and gorgonians.  Spotted variety of nemos, sandperch, wrasses, fusiliers, small puffer, goatfish,  triggers and long thin sea cucumber that looks like a snake!  We found too crown of sea thorns, which I learned Fr. Young has personal hatred as he was been stung once.  I was left with him while Sir Dodong were taking documentaries for the students.

We covered a large area just going around, somewhere on a slope we stumbled a fishing line entangled among the reef, so we carefully untangled it and gather almost a 10 meter nylon line.  I took delight in touching those critters on reefs that immediately hid and disappear from view.  I remembered my diving lessons then. I picked up some trash and finally ascend after 64 mins with 17.5m as our deepest, far from the boat.

Our lunch served as our surface interval for the last dive, we joined the students again on the dive boat.  After a brief rest after lunch, we boarded the speed boat and separated from them heading for lowly Lapinig Island.  It was almost 2pm and the surface was bit choppy, we descend on a sandy slope getting deeper.  In awhile, Fr Young pointed out something which we barely got a glance from the elusive manta ray.   I spotted a big puffer which I tried to follow but keep on wiggling away from me.  🙂  There were batfish, damsels, anthias, sweetlips and a variety of anemone fish. There were colourful crinoids – black and green feather star.  There were sea fans too, I was most attracted to a lavender gorgonian!  We searched for critters on sea fans, crevices and on corals.

beautiful camiguin!

Lapining is a paradise beyond the surface, I remembered I had wonderful sightings when I had my lessons more than three years ago.  This lowly island which is hardly ever noticed by people cruising to Camiguin, has treasures beneath not everyone got the opportunity to view.  We ascend after 56 minutes with 32.5m as our deepest.  When I surfaced, the sight of the glorious Island Born of Fire right in front of me!

It has been a wonderful sojourn, three deep dives all in nitrox, a perfect way to end my diving pursuits for the year.  The mermaid in me is rejoicing, really it’s all about passion…  I’m looking forward for next year’s dive escapades with my favourite dive buddy.  No doubt 2011 is a promising year for more adventures!  🙂

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CY 2011: Quo vadis, Mermaid?

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There's life beyond the depths!

Our Tubbataha 2010 is indefinitely postponed so my soul will wait silently for the right time, I know it will be worth the wait. Despite shelving my coveted dive trip for this year, I’m on again for more adventures for 2011 planning equally amazing and off beaten dive sites… I promised myself before venturing sites outside my dear country, I need to explore more and exhaust all the rich marine biodiversity in our waters.

Together with my favorite dive buddy Angel, we are more than bullish to explore these exciting sites:

  • Apo Reef – one of the most diverse marine life comparable to the Great Barrier Reef.  My tickets for San Jose – Manila – San Jose is ready. Angel encouraged me to buy this as early as May , it was on sale!
  • Coron (again!) – for the mysterious wreck diving. I’ll never get enough of all the challenging WWII wrecks in its waters.  Admittedly, I am smitten by the rich marine life and laid back environment in Calamianes.
  • Batanes – I never knew that there is diving in this northern most islands, so when Angel told me, I was thrilled! I slapped my forehead why I haven’t thought to search diving in the islands.  I have been wanting to visit this town, but keep postponing. Now, it’s like hitting two birds with one stone – stunning landscape and mysterious unspoiled depths!  Got our tickets already, it was on seat sale!
  • Manta Bowl – A new discovery, incidentally a dive master mentioned this site to us. Our diver’s itch is pestering us again!
  • Tawi-Tawi waters – one of the red flag areas in Mindanao, this is challenging!  We planned to conquer the place this year, but failed.  So, we will finally explore it next year as my birthday trip.  We got tickets already!
  • Malapascua (again!) – we missed the treshers last summer, so we need to go there again!  Hopefully, the sharks would cooperate this time. I love the laid back life of this northernmost Cebu island. 🙂
  • Others – there are other sites to explore more, those that are less expensive and accessible to get away with leaves at work.  Like Panglao Island, Camiguin Island, Moalboal, Siquijor or even Mis Or waters.

There will be more discoveries  next year aside from our surface adventures.  And always, yes always, I’m grateful with my favorite dive buddy who’s ever resourceful and very encouraging in planning our trips.  I’m  looking  forward for all these, but  shhhhhhh – these are still secret.  Ahhh, the mermaid in me is rejoicing!

Paradise Island Dive

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crystal waters at Paradise Island Resort beach

I was missing the waters, my fins were itching wanting to flip once again, so thinking of revisiting Samal waters after more than a year revived my spirits. Angel and I had this dive trip for the month, after missing our Coron trip last month. So one Friday evening after a long day at work, I gathered up my gears and boarded an ordinary bus for Davao.  It was unfortunate that the tourist bus was already full when I got to the station.  It turned out that the ride wasn’t too cold compared to aircon ones, although there were lot of stops along the 6-hour trip, I arrived safe in Davao much earlier than Angel.  It gave me enough time to check in at DMSF, freshen up and got some rest from the long trip.

Angel and I proceed to Davao Scuba Dive thinking arrangements were made already but our contact called up to go ahead to Paradise Island Resort as we need to be back early for another appointment.  We rushed back to  Sasa wharf and cruised for the resort as it started to drizzle.  Our contact Alan was very helpful suggesting to prepare ourselves and gear up as we will do beach entry.  It was good since there were no other divers.  He briefed us shortly about the sites which is just beyond the beach area.  We were warned of the currents, but we informed him that we wanted shallow dive as Angel and I  were both having colds!

There’s one thing I don’t like much with beach entries –  carrying the gears on my back – but I was grateful, an assistant was helpful enough to carry it for me. I scampered the cemented landing as I was much behind from angel and the dive guide and descend the steps. My gears waiting for me floating on the waters, getting into my gears with the cool crystal waters felt so good. Gosh! I belong to the waters, indeed…

Our first ascend was at the coral gardens, where we found  a concrete lying angel on a steel crib.  It was submerged sometime ago as an artificial reef but sadly, we didn’t find any coral, crinoids or fishes. It was lying there more of an intrusion on the sea bed.  Farther, there were lot of branching green corals, soft corals, damsels, clown fish on anemones, puffers.  Angel spotted a moray which I missed.  Some trumpet fish, wrasses,  sergeants and sponges.  There was current indeed, and it was bit ardous catching up.  I signalled for a stop, when the guide finally waited for me with the Ok sign.  I need to slow down…   We ascend after we covered the two slopes in the area, our deepest at  14.8m after 46 minutes with 500 psi of my air.  Angel and I was sad there was much trash underwater, we gathered handfuls when we end the dive.

Angel and I spent an hour for our surface interval at the guest area – short chat with the guide, listening to the serenade, sipping our fruit shakes, people watching and still deciding how much to give for our gift to Io 🙂  We decided to postpone lunch and just went for our last dive immediately so we could leave the place early for the afternoon function. 

For our next descent, we brought our net bag for the trash and went further on the same spot top cover the last slope.  Again, there was the green hard corals scattered, corals of other specie, basket sponges, soft corals.  There were damsels, wrasses, clown fishes, sand perch and more. I spotted a sea cucumber, lot of black sea urchins and found just one crown of thorns!  then we got into a field of colorful coral garden with lot of juvenile fishes. I spend more time there exploring , hopping on the corals and picking up trash we passed by.  There was current again swimming against it, for some time we lost the guide as he went fast.  Angel and I was left alone, and just explored the scenery.  The guide appeared again and signaled for us to go back, drifting with the current was fun.  Until we got to the sandy area,  had our safety stop and finally ascend after  51 minutes with 12.2 meters as deepest, my air down to 800 psi.  Our net bag was filled with trash! 😦

We hastily had bathroom routines, pack up gears, settle our bills, some pleasantries with the shop staff and bid byes.  It started to rain again but it didn’t stop us to board the boat for our cruise back.  The two dives was more than enough to have a good relaxing weekend with Angel. We finally cruised thinking for our next afternoon activity and later for the reception party at Waterfront  Insular. 

 Angel and I was actually thinking about food!  🙂  The dinner at the Waterfront Tent, Margie’s Bakeshop or Blugrey Cafe in downtown Davao! Well, the good food and dining enthusiast in us was itching again…. 😛

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Missing the Monsters!

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Glorious Kayangan Cove!

Coron is now one of my favorite destination, discovering it in March 2008 without second thought I went back three months later to know more of the secrets of the Calamianes.  I visited it again last year with my favorite dive buddy- yes, you guess it right – to explore more of its secrets in the depths! Angel and I loved every bit of it, he swore it was his best dive experience so far and in fact it was our deepest at 114 feet!.  And I could not deny that exploring Akitsushima and Taeie Maru was exhilarating – going down and penetrating the mysterious wrecks was so challenging and enthralling!

Exploring more of the monsters was so irresistible that we planned for another Coron trip this year, I booked my tickets as early as April! Indeed, we eagerly wait for October while enjoying other dive trips.  For us, Coron waters is something special, with its limestone cliffs, crystal waters and rich marine life we wanted to experience its beauty over and over again.

I thought everything was in place, except for my leave from work but alas by end of August, my community have scheduled on the date when I will be in Coron, a spiritual retreat for us and required everyone  to come!  Remembering my trip, I was bit shaken,  I wanted to delay my response.  In my mind, I tried to justify I had my tickets already and it was scheduled long before.  I remembered I was sullen that day, hoping it will be postponed to other dates.  Actually my heart sank… Going back though, I reflected that the Lord has been so good to me, He had lavished me with wonderful trips and provided me all the resources.

In submission I prayed for grace and decided to cancel my trip and be there for the Lord – He asked just one day from me!  It was a breaking news, but I guess Angel felt relieved  because his friends will be coming with him and he is not comfortable diving together with me!  Anyhow, I would be missing the Coron wrecks this year and have to let go my CGY-MNL-CGY ticket and the amount attached to it, refunds or rebooking is not possible.  Always, there is a reason for everything and I am waiting it to unfold one day.  But again, I can look up and be thankful He emerged victorious over my much valued trip.

I’ll be in Coron again hopefully in March with or without my dive buddy – that’s a promise to myself…

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