Peaceful Easy Feeling

A bit more on The Philippines...

Paul likes to steal my thunder and post the best photos before I post a whole album, but at least he was quick about it, wasn't he? He informed me, "This is how it''s done."

Until now, Paul has always worked the local holidays - which Hong Kong had plenty of - and gained the days to use at other times. So this was our first time traveling over such a holiday, Chinese New Year (Starting Feb 3). We chose a destination where they don't celebrate CNY because, though it's very festive, the actual celebration days are spent at home with family so everything else is shut. Also at home with their families on this New Year's Eve: taxi drivers. We couldn't get one at the stand we usually rely on. When that happens, we call for one. I tried about seven different cab companies, at least three times each and no one was answering. It may be the closest I've come to believing we would miss a flight. I simply got lucky on one try, while everyone in the queue surrounding me was still dialing and dialing.

Manila's airport has easily been the least modern, least organized one we've passed through in Asia so far. Even the rather "rustic" airports that we've traversed are most often acceptable. I had not realized that the Resorts World Marriott was a trek from the arrival terminal, but on the upside, it was close to the domestic terminal we needed for the morning flight out.

Before Paul's good fortune at the Blackjack table, I had some minor misfortunes of my own. First, I left my book on the plane. I always check if I've left anything behind but I had completely forgotten that I ever took it out of my bag. At least the book didn't have my rapt attention; it was just to pass time. Then, out of a lightly packed carry-on bag, I wound up with seven stained articles. Don't buy cheap travel sized containers, and then don't fail to check for holes in the plastic bag in which you put containers. Lesson learned. Soon after arrival in Bohol, while sitting by the pool, I had my bathing suit cover-up over the back of the lounger. A well-fed bird flew over and took care of staining another item.

Laundry mishaps aside, I really enjoyed the trip! With limited days to play with, you must decide if it seems worth a second flight to reach your destination. And once a place flickers in my imagination, it's hard to extinguish. I first heard of Bohol back when we went to The Philippines to get our diving certification in 2008. Alona Beach in Bohol has a similar feel to Puerto Galera, perhaps slightly more refined and even family-oriented. Puerto Galera is all about diving, while Bohol also is a diving hot spot, but we encountered quite a few people who weren't there to dive at all. The beach is nice to be near, but frankly I would be disappointed if I went there expecting a perfect beach holiday. The sand is fine and white, but its span is short and fringed with lots of sea grass and coral making it less than perfect for strolling or swimming.

I'm not exceptionally skilled at all factors in travel, but I'll say that one of my better talents is choosing accommodation. For a trip like this, there's no need to stay someplace extravagant, yet you also want a place with a pillow a few millimeters thicker than the bed sheet. I was happy with Golden Palm, essentially a guesthouse, and its grounds were lovely and felt like a private backyard (maybe I just miss green lawns?). To say the atmosphere was relaxed is an understatement; the backyard bar/restaurant also served as the hotel desk. Though the staff should look out for their guests better when they call them a cab and the driver charges triple what it should cost to get somewhere. Just saying.

It wasn't their fault that we shared our room with a gecko the first night, but what an awful sleep. I had no idea that they made such a noise, or any noise. They are surprisingly chirpy. Chirpy at 1 a.m... and 1:22 a.m... and 1:57 a.m. etc. is maddening. I was prepared to be disturbed by roaming dogs barking and possibly a rooster or two, based on our first trip, but not the incessantly chatty Geico gecko.

I especially like The Philippines for diving. Maybe we were just lucky but on both trips the dive centers I chose were well run and the guides were professional as well as kind and patient. We both felt more relaxed this time and when you can ease a preoccupation with technique and equipment function, you enjoy the scenery more and that, in turn, enthuses you to dive more. I consider myself barely mediocre at the whole process, but no guide has ever had to hold my hand for 45 minutes under water - twice! See Paul's description of this person on our second dive day... It felt good not to be that diver. On the first day, there was a dad and his 10-year-old son diving with us. I would have never been able to accomplish such a feat at 10. Good for him.

Diving all day works up an appetite. Our second night on Alona beach, I was happy to browse the string of beach front restaurants offering the catch of the day. Make your selection, park yourself at a plastic table in the sand, order a couple of drinks and enjoy. The fish is simply grilled, fresh and satisfying. We took in some of the mellow nightlife. The band at the Spiced Coconut was on duty again but we went back to the resort for mango shakes instead.

Our second accommodation, Linaw, was even better than I anticipated. It is the sort of place where you unwind just by being there. It was beautifully designed down to small details, warm and tranquil, like a fantastic home with friendly hosts, set on the beach. We were nearly the only guests; others who came to eat and use the pool were actually visiting from other hotels in the area. The only drawback was the sand flies relentlessly attacking when we ventured close to the beach. And this is not exactly a criticism of the music played throughout our stay as I can happily sing along to Air Supply and REO Speed Wagon, but they could switch it up a bit. Hearing Katy Perry's "California Gurls" 16 times does not improve its merit. As for the fabulous seafood, the menu only says Seafood Platter for Two, so we may have overlooked it if I didn't see pictures in reviews on TripAdvisor.com. The couple dining next to us were obviously unaware but on seeing ours, their eyes said they would be ordering it the next night.

Linaw offered the arrangement of all sorts of standard tours but eight hours of touring sounded painful (we're getting the hang of this by now) so we abbreviated the itinerary to the Chocolate Hills and the tarsiers. Among people I talk to in these parts, they know Bohol because of the Chocolate Hills. It's a sight worth seeing, visually interesting and scenic, but it's a long way to go if your only interest in Bohol is the Hills. It took about 90 minutes to drive there and there's only one crowded lookout point. You can't linger or explore up close - and you might have to throw a few elbows among Asian tourists with big cameras to win one photo.

As for the Philippine Tarsiers, I hope we did the right thing. They're endangered and protected, but of course you can still find them caged and available to handle and harass for a few bucks if you're seeking them that way, but this is discouraged. I still think we would have been better off at the Philippine Tarsier Foundation, but the place we went was alright, I think. It worried me when we pulled the car over to a structure on a main road and the driver said, "The tarsiers are in there," but there was a large sign on the front that indicated a particular government code that the facility met, so I hope it meant something. Inside, nothing looked too troubling. There were some trees set up and the tarsiers clinging to them didn't appear stressed. You're asked to make a donation for feeding and you can photograph them, no flash, as close as you like. They're nocturnal so they're nearly motionless in the day. One of the workers told Paul that they are very active at night and they lower netting over the area, not to keep the tarsiers in but to keep predator animals out.

Their classification is tricky - the smallest primate? Smallest of a particular sub-order of primates? Whatever. I hereby classify them as the darned cutest things I've ever seen. Sorry, koalas. They are easily likened to Gremlins with ears like Yoda and the fingers and toes of E.T. I just want to take one and nibble on its ear.

I hope I wasn't repetitive after Paul's post. I just wanted to share my impressions also. I like The Philippines because it's not the first place most people think of for a great getaway, even around here. But it has much to offer and value is outstanding. It's not over-the-top Maldives style luxury that I would seek there. It's a kind of laid back, indulgent yet affordable pleasure that keeps me interested in returning. Really, did you see that seafood platter?

Favorite Signs seen on Alona Beach:

BEST PIZZA ON THE BEACH


BEST PIZZA ON THE BEACH?


7 DAYS WITHOUT PIZZA MAKES ONE WEAK

Rock Lobster

Bohol, Philippines

So on our way to Bohol we had to spend a night in Manila before catching an early flight to the small tropical island. After some quick research we found the Resorts World Casino/Marriott Hotel which was right at terminal 3 of the airport, and even though it cost a little more than we would have liked to spend for a night’s sleep, the convenience seemed worth the expense.

Upon landing we learned quickly that airport was quite dated, the staff not very helpful and we had to wait about 45 minutes to exchange cash at the one and only booth available. Once we finally got outside we fended off the taxi drivers trying to fleece us and found a free shuttle to the resort.

We then learned that terminal 3 was practically in a different town then terminal 1 and the convenience quickly went out the window. However we finally got there and checked in and our luck was about to change.

A little wound up from all of the commuting annoyances we decided to take a walk around before calling it a night, and wouldn’t you know we ended up in the casino where they had blackjack. Figuring it would be a shame not to at least play a little (can heredity pass down from in-laws?) I sat down at a table and ended up walking away up 2,000 PHP!

Okay, okay for those of you in-the-know that’s only about 45 bucks. However, what you may not know is how far that can get you in the Philippines.

One night we decided to splurge on a big seafood dinner for two at the resort we were staying at in Bohol. The meal cost about double the price of any other we had there, but Lisa had seen people post on line claiming it was worth it and we are adventurous in that way. So along with a fair share of San Miguel (local beer) some side dishes, a salad and an ice cream sundae to boot we had the shellfish platter pictured below.

Why yes, those are 4 rock lobster tails on the plate

Total cost of the whole night --- 1700 PHP (about $40). So who’s the big winner now? You’ve got to love some things about the Philippines. The same beer I pay about $11 USD plus tax and service charge in Singapore are $0.90 cents total at a bar in Bohol – some trips are harder to return from than others.

But I’ve jumped ahead quite a bit. After a fairly uneventful commute we got to the Golden Palm Resort at Alona Beach a little before noon. Most of the places on the Island are small accommodations and GPR was fairly new with clean and spacious rooms and attractively landscaped grounds. It was conveniently located just behind the busy beach front residences and restaurants only a 3 minute walk away.

We had a small lunch while they got our room ready and then made our way down to the beach. Our primary goal for the trip besides some R&R was to get in some diving which is a big draw for the island. We found a company Lisa had also reviewed on line and signed up for 3 dives the next day.

Alona Beach is the busiest on the island because of all the restaurants and bars and it is the only swimmable area. But that description is slightly exaggerated as I went in the water after sitting in the sun a bit and not far off shore the bottom becomes covered in sea grass. So we walked in the sand awhile and headed back to our pool.

That evening we were starving and headed back down and found a nice little restaurant and sat outside. The property next door was called The Spiked Coconut and had a sign that they had live music. Lisa questioned where the bar actually was and where a band would play. I guessed right behind where I was sitting and I don’t need to tell you where they ended up setting up about 30 minutes later.

So we had back stage seats to the broken English pop cover band and hung out for little while. They weren’t the best but the stray dogs (and this was the second island in the Philippines we’ve been to, in which neither had any shortage of homeless hounds) didn’t seem to mind as not one but two walked up, looked at me, scratched a bed in the sand and took a nap at my feet.

It was tough to drag myself away from the less than a buck beers, but we had an early boat to catch so we called it quits pretty early to get some much needed rest. But unfortunately that wasn’t in the cards.

In the dark something in our room made a strange and unusual sound. First here … and then there. A bird? A large insect? I thought maybe a bat? Couldn’t say, but he remained hidden and noisy throughout the night.

The next day I could only find a bug not big enough for that noise and a newt – so exhausted we walked down to the beach still perplexed.

The diving in the Philippines was not much different here than where we learned in Puerto Galera about 2 years ago. It does not have the spectacular creatures we witnessed in Sipadan or the incredible vast beauty of the Great Barrier Reef, but it certainly never disappoints. I compare it to swimming in a crowded fish tank. The live corals are beautiful and almost look like they are laid out in a planned landscape and there is every type of colorful fish you’ve ever seen in a pet store everywhere you look. Clown fish, lion fish, neon green things, purple and blue things, sea turtles and on and on.

One took a fancy to Lisa and followed her for about half an hour like those small fish that follow along the sides of sharks. Unfortunately she never got to see it because every time I tried to point it out he’d duck away and underwater charades is much more difficult then you might think.

The outfit we chose to dive with was very nice, relaxed and patient so we set up two more dives with them the next day. Renato, our dive master, demonstrated this patience the next day to a fault as he literally pulled a first time diver the entire 50 minute dive because she couldn’t do anything. Of course she popped up on the boat and exclaimed that “that was great dive!” With our improving skills it was nice not to be the worst ones down there for once – we are actually considering getting an underwater camera before our next trip as we think we can handle it now.

After our first day diving we ended up back at our resort and while sitting outside I heard the noise that kept us awake all night. I looked at the girl at the bar and asked “do you know what that is?” and without looking up she simply said “lizard.” So it was the newt! Later we saw more and caught a few crying out. Strange that we have the same guys in Singapore and in HK but they never make noise. Live and learn. Either way we were fortunate that he must have found his way out the next day and there was no encore performance the following night.

After our second day of diving we moved on to the Linaw Beach Resort, because the GP did not have availability for four nights. This resort was right on the beach but as stated above this was not swimmable, but also as stated above it turned out that it didn’t really matter and the place was really nice with a good restaurant.

Room with a view...

For our last day we set up a shortened tour to see the Chocolate Hills: just a weird naturally hilly area where they look like mounds of chocolate when the grass dies, but taste nothing like it – blah! And a stop to see the local wildlife called a Tarsier.

Well at least Lisa got a good photo for our efforts

There were two options, either go to an area and try to spot them in the wild (Lisa’s first choice) or go somewhere they have them in captivity. An interesting side note is that it was discovered that the excessive human contact was stressing the little guys out and they would become suicidal and smash their heads on rocks. But after barely being able to pick orangutans out of the trees in Borneo I wasn’t going to try and pick out primates the size of hamsters.

Turns out we made the right choice and as the photos show they let you get pretty close to mellow little funky monkeys – but no touching!

The little guys like to nap during the day

Tough life they've got going...

but I paid my 2 bucks.. so it's photo time

this guy seemed happy to pose with Lisa

a little perspective

Afterward it was back to the resort for some relaxing pool time, a mango shake and a beautiful sunset. This was followed up by the previously described seafood dinner which capped off the perfect little getaway.

Going...

going...

gone.

My understanding is that those of you back on the east coast of the US had an equally exciting weekend scraping ice from car windows and playing in the ever falling snow. Can’t say I’m missing it at all, but I can say we are both looking very forward to heading back home one month from tomorrow. That excitement may come and go during the 19 hour flight but we’ll have three full weeks to relax this time and hopefully catch up with everyone.

Gong Xi Fat Choi!

I’ll blog ya’ later…