A day in the life of ...: January 2020

The Philippine Diaries – Day Eight

I woke up at 5:00AM feeling well rested, probably the best I’d felt on the trip so far. I was up early enough to watch the sunrise over the Chocolate Hills but wasn’t motivated to go outside. The Internet was working, so I opted to get some things done online while I had the opportunity.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for the day. I spent some time looking around Google Maps but there wasn't much for tourists north of the Chocolate Hills. There was a cave an hour away but apparently it was hard to find and hiring a guide was suggested.

I could’ve gone an hour west to a different waterfall or two hours east to another beach called Anda. Anda was in the original plans. I thought I'd stay there for a night or two but after the volcano erupted, I got in five days of beach time at Alona Beach, which was plenty for the time being as there was more beach time coming up before the end of my trip.

I knew I was not up for a long day. Usually I love exploring, but this time around was about getting some much needed R&R. I went upstairs to the restaurant for my free breakfast around 7:30AM and then headed out on a trail near the hotel. I lost the path but trekked on for some fabulous views of the hills, perhaps the best yet!

After, I went to the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park, which was around the corner from where I was staying. I didn’t have high expectations but thought it'd be fun to try a few of the activities. The place opened at 8:30AM with an entry fee of 80PHP. When I arrived, it seemed I was the only one there. The park was odd and old-looking and I wondered if going there was a bad idea.

As I walked into the park, a girl greeted me and took me over to a counter to introduce the available activities. They were trying to sell me a package deal but it included things I wasn’t interested in. I really wanted to see the cave but the two girls tried talking me of it. They were not successful.

I signed up for the ‘Superman Zip Line’ at 450PHP, the ‘Bike Zip Line’ at 500PHP and ‘Cave Spelunking’ at 300PHP. I was required to sign a waiver stating that I was in good health. And one totally absurd thing worth mentioning was that their sign said if you were menstruating, you weren't allowed to participate in the activities because they didn't want blood to get on the harnesses. And I was like, ............. ?!

I mean, really. Let's think about this. A harness doesn't touch that part of your body, first of all. Secondly, don't most ladies prepare well against leakage? Thirdly, if blood were to get on the harness, that would suggest one has bled out of whatever protection they were wearing, plus their undies, plus their shorts or pants and would have blood dripping down their leg(s) in order to get it on the harness. And if one is bleeding that much, they should be in a hospital getting checked out, not at a fun park.

I happened to be menstruating (TMI, I know) but it took everything I had not to walk back over to the desk on my way out of the park to announce that I was, in fact, menstruating and let them know that in no way did I mar the harness. So stupid. Anyway ...

I went spelunking first. They asked me to bring my phone because they didn’t have flashlights. Not off to a great start. I should’ve brought my headlamp that was sitting in my backpack in the hotel. Perhaps that was why the girls were trying to talk me out of spelunking.

I had three guides with me and the first thing we did was rappel down into the cave. Then two of us went inside. It was awesome! There were a bunch of bats at the start of the cave. We then had to go through a tiny hole to get into another part of the cave. It was too dark to get any shots but I enjoyed every moment.

There was a second part to the cave but the hole to go in was extremely small. The boys seemed hesitant and when I suggested we at least go and have a look, they followed. I agreed with them that it may have been a bit tiny and it certainly looked scary. That being said, had I had a secure headlamp on my head, I most likely would have gone for it. Unfortunately, one of my hands was needed to hold my phone as a flashlight.

After the spelunking, I went on the superman zip line. It was hilarious and not nearly as scary as I imagined it to be. There is another superman zip line over the Loboc River where I would be heading the following day and knowing me, I would be going for round two!

After the superman zip line, I got to ride a bike on a zip line. It was fun but a bit nerve-racking. The tires are made to stay on the line on their own but the bike wasn’t terribly sturdy. I was attached to the line above me had I fallen but it would’ve been a nightmare to try and get back on that bike! Anyway, I giggled my way across and back again. Near the end, there was a guy with a professional camera asking me to stop and do some poses so he could take pictures. I was a sucker and bought some. (100PHP/image) I mean, when will I ever ride a bike on a zip line again?

After I was done with the activities, the staff tried selling me more but I wasn’t interested. I was hot, sweaty and dirty and had had enough! I headed back to the hotel for some lunch. I ordered noodles with veggies and meat and had two beers. (380PHP) I watched some TV while I ate and relaxed in the restaurant.

After lunch I retired to my room without any motivation to go back out. I read for a bit and tried napping but had no luck. I then tried catching up on my journal and my pictures but the Wi-Fi at the Gonzala Suites was frustratingly slow. The place I was going to the following day was supposed to have fast Wi-Fi. Fingers crossed!

The rest of the day went by and I'm not really sure what I did with the time. My dinner consisted of spring rolls and a vegetable salad with a beer. (425PHP) I burned through two episodes of 'This is Us' before crawling into bed for the night.

The Philippine Diaries – Day Seven (images)

First one to arrive at the Tarsier Conservation Area (7:50AM)

These signs are everywhere — I ❤️ <insert name of place>

Time for a swim at Pangas Falls in Bilar, Bohol

The tiny road leading to Pangas Falls (30PHP)

The Philippine Diaries – Day Seven

I got a decent night’s sleep and was awake around 6:00AM. A simple breakfast was included with the cost of the room and I asked the staff to make it for me in the form of a sandwich so I could take it to go. I wanted to save it for later.

Before falling asleep, I had decided to go and see the tarsiers first thing in the morning. The Tarsier Conservation Area was a half hour away from the hotel. The place opens at 8:00AM and isn’t busy at that time so I aimed to be there for then. The entry fee was 80PHP.

A Tarsier (taken with iPhone 7+)

I arrived at 7:50AM and was the first person there. I had to wait until 8:00AM to buy a ticket. It took about 20 minutes to wander through the viewing paths at the Tarsier Conservation Area and I saw five or six tarsiers. They were much smaller than I thought they would be and getting pictures of them was hard as I don’t have the right kind of camera and one isn’t allowed to use a flash. Also, the area was dense with greenery and they liked to hide under the leaves. It was neat to see them though!

On my way back, I passed by a sign that said Pangas Falls. I decided to have a look. The road, if you could call it that, was tiny and broken. There were a lot of little shacks along it. People were tending to the land or hanging laundry and I got many smiles and waves as I slowly bounced my way down the road on my scooter.

The waterfall was 30PHP. I was the only one there at that hour except for two workers. One was scooping leaves out of the natural swimming hole while the other was sweeping the surrounding area. I spent an hour or so in the area and enjoyed having the pool all to myself!

After the waterfall, I went back to the hotel and ate my breakfast sandwich. The weather was showing a high percentage of rain from 11:00AM to 2:00PM making it hard to decide what to do for the day. I did bring a rain poncho but didn’t want to be driving on unfamiliar roads in the rain. My plan was to stay at the hotel and catch up on photos but by 11:30AM the skies were still very blue.

One of the places on my list was the Sagbayan Peak, which boasts nice views of the chocolate hills. There is a small water park there and life-size cartoon characters. It was about an hour away from my hotel. Along the way, was another place called the Hilltop 360 View Park, which I found on Google Maps. It also has lovely views of the hills and the selling point: hammocks. I wanted to see both.

Dark clouds were forming in the sky as I was nearing the Hilltop 360 View Park. I decided to stop in. Getting to the place involved an extremely slow and bumpy ride up a 500-meter rocky path, passing cows and horses on the way. There was a 50PHP entry fee.

The owner had dogs, chickens and turkeys running around on his property, which made for an entertaining afternoon! He had snacks and drinks for sale and areas where you could walk on the hills. The views, in my opinion, were way better than the views from the lookout point beside my hotel. I was the only one there that afternoon and got to enjoy the place in peace.

After looking around the property, I plopped myself in a hammock near a set of wind chimes and read. I ordered some passion fruit juice and got through a huge chunk of my book. Around 3:30PM, I finally pulled myself out of the hammock for the ride back to my hotel though I was seriously contemplating staying there until sundown. I never made it to Sagbayan Peak.

I hit some light rain on my way back to the hotel, but not enough to pull out my rain poncho. The last few kilometers were in the hot sun and I was dry by the time I reached my room.

I took a shower, put my photos on my computer and then headed up to the hotel restaurant. I ordered some Filipino spring rolls, which were delicious and had a cold beer. I ordered a second beer and watched the sun do down from the restaurant. I then ordered a Caesar salad, which wasn’t great but I wanted some greens and a bit more dinner. (490PHP)

I retired to my room around 7:00PM and watched the first episode of ‘This is Us’, season four. It didn’t make me cry like most episodes have in the past and that could be because it introduced a handful of new characters. I am looking forward to getting into this new season.

My lights were out by 9:00PM. There was a birthday party going on upstairs at the restaurant but that didn’t stop me from quickly falling into a deep sleep.

The Philippine Diaries – Day Six (images)

The ride from Panglao to Carmen —at the Man-Made Forest in Bilar

The Chocolate Hills

At the Chocolate Hills Complex

The Chocolate Hills at sunset

The Philippine Diaries – Day Six

I had another wonderful sleep and was awake by 5:00AM. I got up, made a coffee and started packing up. I had hours before my scooter would be dropped off at the resort but I wanted to grab some food as I wasn’t sure how my day was going to work out exactly.

I had an ‘American Breakfast’ at the place next door called One 4 Da Road. Breakfast was only OK (240PHP) but the fast Wi-Fi made up for it! Wi-Fi was continually cutting in and out on Panglao, as was the power, especially in the afternoons. My resort barely had Wi-Fi, even in the common areas.

After breakfast, I finished packing and then put another dent in my book! Finishing it on the last day of January was starting to look achievable. I do wonder how I’ll keep up the pace once I get back to my regularly scheduled life!

I arranged to rent a scooter from a place called Bohol Scooter. They had good reviews online and it seemed safer than renting it from some random dude standing on the side of the road which there were plenty. The Bohol Scooter guys brought two scooters over to my hotel. One was a pink Yamaha and the other was a red Honda. I went for the Honda because, well, I am not a fan of the color pink.

I had a two-hour drive to get to my next hotel, Gonzala Suites, which is situated in the Chocolate Hills. This was another reason I came to Bohol. I had heard about these hills years ago and had always wanted to see them.

There aren’t many main roads on the island of Bohol and GPS made it an easy ride. There were plenty of places to stop at along the way though I didn’t stop anywhere. I saw places to see pythons, birds, butterflies and Tarsiers, to name a few. I had my big backpack with me so stopping wasn’t really an option. I’ll have to get creative if I want to stop on the way back.

The only place I did stop at was the Man-Made Forest in Bilar as one only has to pull over on the side of the road. It’s a neat place for pictures and it looks like there may be some small trails in the forest. I will be staying near the area after the chocolate hills, so I may go back to check it out.

I arrived at my new hotel fairly quickly. Check-in time was 2:00PM but they let me as soon as I arrived. The hotel is new and clean and modern. The room was small but it had two double beds, a bathroom, a closet, a desk, a tiny fridge, a TV and a nightstand. They also provided a kettle, water and instant coffee for the guests.

Once settled in the room, I realized I didn’t have a game plan ... again. I knew I wanted to see the Chocolate Hills, which were currently not chocolate-colored. They were more of a matcha-color. My hotel was right beside the main lookout point for the hills. If you are sitting in the open-air restaurant of the hotel, you can see the viewing deck.

One needs to pay 50PHP to go to the viewing deck and there are about 200 steps that take you to the top. The view was impressive but not mind blowing. I went up one hour before sunset. I was hoping there would be less people as most come to the area on a day trip and leave by mid-afternoon.

I stayed at the viewpoint until sundown. The sunset was pretty but not the best. I made my way back to my hotel and headed to the restaurant for dinner. I was starving. The hotel restaurant had a small menu with a lot of local food and the dishes were reasonably priced. I ordered a chicken curry with vegetables, some garlic rice and a cold beer. (370PHP) It was good and hit the spot.

There was little to no Wi-Fi in my room which kind of sucked. It was a reminder of just how much I rely on and use the Internet. I watched a bit of TV on my computer and did some reading before shutting off the light. It was an early night for me though there seemed to be a large group having a party outside my door. Thank goodness for earplugs!

The Philippine Diaries —Day Five (images)

My instructor and I in the water waiting for two more divers to join our group

Our first sea turtle of the day

Schools of fish swam around us

Another sea turtle on one of our dives

The Philippine Diaries – Day Five

What an amazing sleep! I woke up once or twice throughout the night but turned over and fell back asleep immediately. I passed out around 8:00PM so it was no surprise that I was well awake at 4:00AM. I tried to get back to sleep but had zero luck. I was enjoying a hot cup of coffee by 5:15AM.

Around 6:00AM, I started gathering the few things I’d need for my dive trip. I had to be at the dive shop by 7:50AM. I set off around 7:35AM and was one of the last divers to show up. We were making our way to Pamilacan Island, which was a different island from the day before. I was looking at diving on both islands so I got the names confused. I was thankful that I had decided to go snorkeling the day before at Balicasag Island as it gave me the opportunity to see both neighboring islands!

My gear was already in a crate from my refresher dive so all I really needed to do was get on the boat. We took a small boat out to a bigger boat where everything was waiting for us. There were ten divers plus three instructors, three boatmen and the captain of the boat.

Pamilacan Island is about an hour away from Panglao, the small island attached to Bohol. It was a lovely day and you could feel everyone’s excitement. I was grateful to have my diving partner from the refresher course on the boat with me, as we were the only two singles though we got to know the rest of the boat fairly quickly. For the dives, we were divided into groups of three or four with one instructor. I didn’t get to dive with my dive partner because she wasn't an advanced diver but it was fun to come back on the boat after each dive and discuss what we saw.

We did two dives near Pamilacan Island and the third dive was done in front of White Beach. White Beach is much longer than Alona Beach and looked nicer as well. Had my volcano trip worked out, I was booked to stay on White Beach for two nights only. That was going to be my beach time. I didn’t really consider diving in the Philippines prior to arrival.

Banded Sea Snake

The diving was phenomenal! We saw one sea turtle on each of the dives. We saw banded sea snakes on two of our dives and one got way to close for comfort. We saw clams and crabs and squids and eels and lion fish and frogfish, which may have been my first time to see frogfish. We saw them on two different dives.

We arrived back to Alona Beach around 3:30PM. My tummy was grumbling! We didn’t need to unload our gear nor were we responsible for cleaning it! Woot! I had my instructor, Vanessa, help me with my dive logs and sign and stamp them for me. I was then on my way back to my room grinning from ear to ear.

I had dinner at the Seven Seas Restobar. It was my second time to eat there. I had a bacon cheeseburger and two happy hour beers. (610PHP) They forgot to charge me for one beer and I found myself at the counter paying for the extra beer. I am not sure why I felt the need to be so honest. Had it been a regularly priced beer, I may have kept my mouth shut! Ha! The food was delicious, again. Western food done well!

I went back to my room, did a bit of reading but could barely keep my eyes open. My lights were out by 8:00PM. I had a nice long sleep the night prior and I think earplugs were the key. I am not sure why I didn’t think to pull them out a few nights earlier.

It was my last night at the Alona Hidden Dream Resort for now, as I would be returning for one night before making way over to Oslob. The ferry pickup is right in front of the hotel at 5:25AM so I thought I’d best book one more night as close to the pickup point as possible. I was hoping the last night there would bring me another night of solid rest.

The Philippine Diaries – Day Four (images)

The Amazing Grace waiting at Virgin Island

Snorkeling at Balicasag Island

A vendor selling raw sea urchin at Virgin Island

Snorkeling at Balicasag Island

The Philippine Diaries – Day Four

Last night was another night of restless sleep. Blaring dance music was going until 4:00AM. Loud, drunken neighbors came home in the wee hours of the morning. I tossed and turned most of the night before giving up at 5:30AM and getting up to make myself a coffee.

I went through the photos I had taken so far, got them sorted and put them up online, all by 7:00AM. I had a full day ahead of me with absolutely nothing planned. I hit the ATM as my money ran out quicker than I thought it would, though I wasn’t planning on doing any diving on Bohol until I arrived in Panglao and saw all the dive shops.

I spent the morning tidying up my room a bit before going to the beach to find some breakfast. I don’t normally eat breakfast but I felt like bacon and eggs. I sat at one of the restaurants along the beach and enjoyed the views and the activity, the breakfast not so much. (185PHP)

After breakfast, I went off in search of a postcard for my cousin who is a collector. The first shop had no stamps and recommended a different place. That place also had no stamps but told me that the tiny Laundromat across the road had postcards and stamps. Perfect!

I went back to my room and decided to get ready for a day of snorkeling. I was going to hit up one of the guys outside and go on a tour. I had missed all the 9:00AM boats so I wasn’t able to go out until noon. The only snorkeling tour available was to Balicasag Island, (1,200PHP) which was where I’d be going to the following day for diving. I signed up anyway.

That gave me some time to write my postcard and go back to the Laundromat to mail it, meet up with a guy who was helping me purchase a ferry ticket over to Oslob next week and do some reading. I am only half way through my book and the end of January is coming up quick. Thankfully February’s read is a thin book.

Just before noon, I headed down to the beach and onto a boat. There were some Chinese tourists and three people from Japan on the tour. The boat ride over took almost an hour. It was lovely to be out on the ocean. When we arrived on the island, we were taken to a small restaurant where we could leave our stuff. We were then given a guide with an even smaller boat (five people/boat) that paddled us out 100m or so from the shore. The snorkeling was phenomenal!

We spent about an hour in the water. There was so much life under the sea. We saw a sea turtle twice during the snorkel. I was testing out my Olympus TG4 as well as my GoPro5. I think the TG4 is most likely better for diving but I don’t have a casing for it and it’s only waterproof to 15m. I most likely will leave it behind for tomorrow’s dives.

After snorkeling, we headed to a place called Virgin Island. We were told we had 30-40 minutes on the island. It wasn’t so much an island as it was a sandbar with vendors set up selling food, drinks, bracelets, etc. I was barely off the boat before someone approached trying to sell me ugly, fake pearl bracelets. I left my bag on the boat so I had no money.

On Virgin Island

I wandered over to some trees that were in the shallow water to take some pictures. While it was an interesting place, I was bored after ten minutes. I made my way back to the boat to wait for the others. I was quite hungry at this point but I didn’t want to eat on the island, as there were only bits and bites, nothing substantial.

Finally, we were on our way back. I was back in my room around 4:00PM and starved. I rinsed off my cameras, my snorkeling gear and myself and then thought about food. I decided to go back to the Greek restaurant. They had salad options there and I opted for a Caesar salad with some pork skewers and an icy cold beer. (475PHP) Dinner was delicious and the ladies working there are pleasant!

After dinner, I went to the 7-11 to pick up some snacks for my dive trip the following morning. I was so exhausted, I could barely think. It had been days since I'd had solid sleep. I also had a bit of headache so I took an aspirin, put in some earplugs and hoped for the best.

The Philippine Diaries – Day Three

I set my alarm for 6:30AM, as I wanted to wake up with a coffee in bed. Alona Beach is a party beach and I could hear dance music blasting into the wee hours of the morning. My neighbor came home at some insane hour, slamming the door and knocking things around the room. Then that bird or whatever it was returned but well before sun up. So much for getting a nice solid sleep.

As I was checking my email and FB with my morning coffee, I noted that construction noises started at 7:20AM. Ugh. I got my stuff ready for diving and headed out of the room at 8:00AM. I was to be at the dive shop at 8:15AM to get geared up. I was nervous but excited.

When I got to the shop, they told me there’d be another girl joining the refresher course. The two of us got gear sorted and then headed into a classroom at the dive shop to go over some theory. I enjoyed the details and the reminders of things I’d forgotten. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I remembered from the advanced diving course I took on Ko Tao, Thailand in 2003.

After an hour of theory, it was finally time to gear up and head into the pool. We practiced clearing our masks and removing them completely underwater as well as losing our regulators and recovering them and what to do without them in our mouths. We practiced sharing alternate regulators in case one of us ran out of air. We also practiced buoyancy. It was informative and I was grateful for that boost of confidence in the underwater world.

Now that our refresher was complete, it was time to jump in the boat and head a few hundred meters out to the wall I had heard about. It was amazing! The coral was gorgeous and the life around it was spectacular. We saw schools of sardines and all kinds of fish that I’d have to look up. We saw a huge lionfish, a moray eel, black and white sea snakes, a ton of starfish, a puffer fish and even a sea turtle. Apparently it’s not common to see sea turtles in the area so we were pretty lucky.

I came up to the surface of the ocean and could barely contain my excitement. Removing my regulator finally allowed a burst of giggles to escape my mouth! I felt like a school kid at recess!

All went well on the dive and I had no trouble equalizing which I have in the past so I signed up for a day trip, which includes three dives on an island for the day after tomorrow. (5,100PHP/NT$3,000/CAN$130) My new diving buddy will also be on the tour so at least I’ll know someone!

My tummy was grumbling once again as we got back just after 12:00PM. After cleaning my equipment, I had my instructor sign my dive book and was on my way. I headed back to my room to shower and change and then set off to find some food. I opted for a margarita pizza and cold beer at a place across the street from my hotel. (500PHP)

I originally thought I’d rent a scooter for the afternoon and tour around the island but I found myself putting my bathing suit on, grabbing my book and heading to the resort pool. Once again, I was the only one there. Perfect!

Not long after, I was forced to come back to my room. The day was extremely hot and they were treating the pool so one wasn’t able to go in the water. I hid in my room until just before sunset. I headed down to the ocean and was amazed at how many people were on the beach. It was Saturday, after all, making it impossible to find a quiet corner.

On my way back to my room, I grabbed some freshly cut pineapple for 100PHP. I then stopped at the 7-11 to grab a couple of beers. I had some leftover pizza, which I planned on eating in my room for dinner. I watched some TV, did a bit of reading and hit the hay early. Would tonight finally be the night that I would be able to get some solid sleep?

The Philippine Diaries — Day Two (images)

Sunset at Alona Beach

Sunset at Alona Beach on Day Three (didn't take many images that day)

Many starfish in the water and along the shores of Alona Beach

Playing around in the water with my Olympus TG-4

The Philippine Diaries — Day Two (images)

Making a dent in January's book, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, at the Alona Hidden Dream Resort in Bohol

Sunset on Alona Beach

One of many tricycles in the area

The Philippine Diaries – Day Two

I awoke to an unusual sound of a bird outside my room, at least I thought it was a bird. I was too tired to get up and look. Just shortly after, the sounds of construction started. It was 7:30AM. So much for sleeping in!

I stayed in bed until 9:00AM. Luckily I brought my own instant coffee, as there was a kettle in the room with some cups but nothing else. It was a relaxing morning and while I was sipping on my hot coffee, I realized I had made very little plans for this vacation. Not having a game plan was kind of nice yet very unlike me.

Just after 9:00AM, I went outside to check out the immediate area and the beach. Alona Beach is full of boats and men trying to push day trips, motorcycles and the likes. The beach itself can’t be more than 1KM long. I slowly wandered from one end to the other.

I stopped in two different dive shops to inquire about diving in the area. They both said that one is required to take a refresher course in the Philippines if you've not been diving in the last six months. Hmmmm. I smell a scam. I’ve been diving in a number of countries and never have I ever had to do a refresher course. The price difference was minimal and safety first, right?!

I didn’t commit to anything and decided to ask another shop or two later in the day. I inquired about renting a scooter for a week to tour around the island and about booking a boat over to Oslob for a few days. It was shaping up to be a productive day and it wasn’t even 10:30AM!

I went back to my room and decided to spend part of the day snorkeling. You can snorkel right off the shore of Alona Beach but I discovered there wasn’t much to see though I later learned that one needs to go at least 300m out to find a wonderful wall. I did find a few fish to chase around and enjoyed floating in the water.

I had no idea of the time but my tummy was telling me it wanted food so I made my way back to my room, got showered and rinsed off my gear. I had spotted a Greek restaurant that morning and knew I was going to go there for lunch.

Chinese tourists are everywhere on the island and I can understand a lot of what is going on around me. I’ve helped translate on three separate occasions already! As I was enjoying a Greek salad and an icy cold beer, a family of seven from China came into the restaurant. They had the servers move tables for them so they could all sit together. The restaurant is called 'My Greek Taverna' and there are huge menus in front of the doors with pictures. The family looked over the menu and asked for pizza. Nope. Asked for seafood. Nope. Asked for barbecue. Nope. Asked for hamburgers. Nope. Then oddly asked if the food they were serving had sugar in it?!

The cute little Filipino server looked over at me and gave me a look. I smiled and nodded acknowledging the annoyance. The family decided they didn’t like the food so they got up and left. But this was not before they ordered three 'freshly squeezed' glasses of orange juice without sugar. When they announced they were leaving, the glasses of OJ were being placed on their table. The lady of the family and the only one who could speak English told the server that they wanted them to go in five plastic cups because they didn't like the food. I must admit, the server held her composure nicely.

I enjoyed the salad, paid for my meal (325PHP) and then went to the 7-11. I bought two more beers, a 4L jug of water, a sliced apple and some salt and vinegar bites (289PHP) before making my way back to my room. I changed into my bathing suit, grabbed my book and headed straight for the resort pool. Not one person was there for the entire afternoon which caused zero complaints from me. This was exactly what I was looking for from my vacation!

Around 4:30PM and two beers later, a wave of tiredness came over me. I went into my room thinking about taking a nap but wasn’t able to fall asleep. I headed back out an hour later to watch the sunset on the beach but not before stopping at one more dive shop to inquire about pricing.

The beach was packed with people at that hour so I walked to the far end of it to escape the crowds. On my way back, I saw the Bohol Divers Club. I had contacted these guys prior to coming to the Philippines as they had wonderful reviews online. I couldn’t recall their prices but the lady had sent me a very detailed email about diving in the area. I also remember her mentioning a refresher course. I stopped in and noted that their shop was by far the nicest of all of them. Dive instructors were everywhere, which I didn’t see at any of the other three shops, only a receptionist. The prices I was quoted for the day were 2,500PHP, 2,700PHP and 3,500PHP at two shops for a refresher course.

I left the Bohol Divers shop and had some dinner at my resort restaurant. The service was terrible, again, and the food wasn’t great. I ordered a papaya salad and a beer (250PHP) but wasn't impressed. I don’t think I’ll eat at the Alona Hidden Dream Resort again.

Over dinner I thought about the four remaining days I had left on Alona beach and what I wanted to do with them. Diving seemed like my best option. I got the most information from the Bohol Divers and they seemed to be the most passionate and knowledgeable about the area. And while theirs was the higher price, I opted to do a refresher course with them.

I walked back to the beach and back to the Bohol Divers shop and signed up for a refresher course the following morning at 8:30AM. I then went to my room and read for a bit before retiring very early. I needed to get some solid sleep.

The Philippine Diaries – Day One

My morning started with a 5:20AM alarm. I got up, got showered and did some last minute packing. My driver was scheduled to pick me up at 6:45AM. The highway was empty and we made it to the airport by 7:30AM.

I found my flight on the board and went to check-in at counter number 12. As I was making my way there, I was walking beside an extremely long line that had a number of Filipinos in it. I was pretty sure that was where I was supposed to be but thought I’d best check.

Yep. That was the line to the Philippines. Apparently the entire island had the same idea. We do have a lot of Filipino workers in Taiwan and Chinese New Year is most likely the only time they get vacation each year. I didn’t think about that when choosing a destination.

I wondered how fast the line was going to move. I was near check-in counter 8. As people continued to line up behind me, everyone had a look of surprise and worry. The line moved fairly quickly but I was in it for a full hour before it was finally my time to see an agent. Check-in was quick and I had less than an hour until boarding time so I went to find a toilet, a coffee and some water and then my gate.

When I got to my gate, there was a notice stating that the gate had been changed so I booked it over to the new gate as it was five minutes before boarding time. When I got to the new gate it was showing a different flight. Huh?

I went to the waiting room to see if I could find someone to ask. There was no one around except for a few passengers. It was now past the boarding time and I was slightly panicked. Two foreigners were on their way down the stairs looking equally confused so I asked if they were looking for the Manila flight and sure enough they were. As we were deciding what to do, the sign changed showing our flight.

Our flight left late due to many planes going out at the start of the Chinese New Year holiday. The trip was only 2.5 hours though it took forever to get through immigration in Manila. I was in line for at least 45 minutes. I don't know why it was so slow because when it was my turn the officer didn’t ask me anything. He stamped my passport and sent me on my way.

I picked up my bag and went to the information desk to ask about phone cards and terminal four. I had booked two separate tickets as that seemed to be the best and cheapest way to see the Taal Volcano. Since I wasn’t doing that anymore, I had changed my flight time to connect with this flight.

I purchased a Globe 30G phone card for 2,000PHP (NT$1,200/CAN$52) and then went outside as I was told there was a shuttle bus that ran between the terminals for 20PHP. The bus involved everyone getting on and getting seats. Then the driver came through and handed everyone a ticket with the fare price. When he got to the back of the bus, where I was seated, and all the tickets had been handed out, he then asked everyone for 20PHP. This required him giving people change and if he didn’t have enough he told them to wait until more people paid and then he’d come back and give those who didn’t get change their change. It was quite the process and took a lot of time.

Finally, we were on our way but that didn’t mean the bus was moving. Traffic in Manila is insane. We drove at a snail’s pace for most of the ride. I stared out the window and smiled at all the activity. It was exciting to be in a place I’d last seen over a decade ago.

I had yet to eat and it was nearing 2:30PM. I was hoping to find a sit down restaurant at the new terminal but no such luck. It was very tiny. There was a place to buy water and they had a small Krispy Kreme stand. I bought two donuts for 120PHP. It wasn’t what I wanted to have for lunch but what a treat! I ate one and saved the other.

I had about 2.5 hours to wait for my next flight so I went through the second set of security into the passengers’ only area in hopes of finding food. The holding area was a huge room that was packed full of people. There were five gates at one end of the room and some tiny food stalls along the other. Most of it was sweets, including a Cinnabon counter. What?! It took everything I had not to buy one!

I ended up getting a small slice of pizza which cost 70PHP. I found a smaller room that had some seats and sat down and read. I also ate the other donut! Boarding time was at 4:45PM.

Around that time, I went to the bathroom and stood near the gates only to hear that our flight had been delayed to 7:00PM. Sigh. My tummy was grumbling so I wandered around again to assess the food situation. There were very few choices so I opted for another slice of pizza. I found a seat in the main room and waited among the crowds of people for any news. The flight had been pushed back to 7:20PM.

Around 6:50PM, it was finally time to board. This involved taking a bus to the plane but we were loaded on quickly. The flight was 1.5 hours and we arrived at 8:50PM. My backpack was one of the first ones out. I grabbed it and headed outside to find a taxi. They wanted a flat rate of 400PHP. (NT$240/CAN$10) This seemed a bit pricey, as I knew Alona Beach was eight minutes from the airport. I asked the motorcycle taxis but they were charging the same price. It was lightly raining so I opted for a taxi. Robbery.

I made it to my hotel, the Alona Hidden Dream Resort, and finally to my room. It was a cute room with a double bed and a bathroom. The resort had a pool and my plan was to do a whole lot of nothing over the days following.

I was starving and exhausted, most likely from lack of food. The resort has a Thai restaurant so I opted to take dinner at 9:15PM. I ordered some sweet potato leaves, a pork dish along with a cold beer. (PHP$425/NT$250/CAN$11) I ate and then retired to my room. I was finally able to access the Internet which is slow on the island. I took a shower and it was midnight when I finally turned out the light to get some sleep. So much for the Philippines being a quick commute!

A trip to the Philippines …

I started thinking about plans for Chinese New Year around October. I wanted to stay somewhere close to home, but outside of Taiwan, and not spend too much money. The Philippines is a close option and tickets are always cheap.

My original plan was to go to Cebu. The whale sharks are in Oslob around this time of year and it's something I’ve always wanted to do. In doing more research about Cebu, it didn’t seem like the safest option for a solo traveler. Everything is quite spread out and it takes hours to get from one destination to the next. I found myself eyeing the smaller neighboring island of Bohol on Google Maps.

Bohol is said to be safe with a lot less traffic and people. The chocolate hills are there and it’s the right season to see them in a chocolatey color. When I started pricing flights, I realized there are no direct flights from Taiwan to Bohol, like there are to Cebu. I would need to make a stopover in Manila. I then remembered the Taal Volcano, a place I’ve wanted to see for many, many years. It was my selling point on going to the Philippines.

I had booked a five-day layover in Manila so that I go to the city of Tagaytay, which is about 50KM south of Manila to see the Taal Volcano. I booked a place for five nights at the SMDC Wind Residences. They rent apartment suites with a wonderful outdoor pool. The place is near the city and has a wonderful view of the Taal Volcano in the distance.

Weeks later and after more research, it seemed like the attractions in the Tagaytay area weren’t anything spectacular. My reason for going to this area was to see the volcano, which is about a 45-minute drive away from the residences. I started searching Google Maps for resorts on the lake closer to the volcano.

I found a lovely resort called the San Roque Paradise Hotel that sits on the lake across from the Taal Volcano. While there was no pool, you could jump into the lake from their property. The family had a boat that would take guests over to the volcano. According to maps.me, there were a few different trails to hike up to the crater and I had hoped to hike them all.

Cancellation for the SMDC Wind Residences was free, so I canceled and booked five nights at this lakeside resort. I then started looking into taxi prices from the Manila airport, as it seemed like that would be the easiest way to get there.

The Taal Volcano eruption (image:??)

When I awoke on Monday, January 13^th, I opened my iPad while still in bed and looked at my Facebook feed. The first thing I saw was a gorgeous photo of an erupting volcano. The person who posted it is a friend who resides in Manila. Her post read, “To my fam and friends back home. Don’t worry I am a safe distance away …” and I was like ... NOOOOO. I read further, “... but it’s crazy to step outside and feel dry black snowflakes land on your body ...” and again I was like ... NOOOOO. She continued to write, “ ... school is canceled cause of the health risks …”

A small voice inside my head kept repeating the word ‘no’ over and over while I frantically closed my Facebook page and opened Safari to google the Taal Volcano. Sure enough, it had erupted on Sunday afternoon.

I had done a lesson on this volcano at school a few months prior as we were learning about dormant and active volcanoes. I knew that the volcano had last erupted in 1977 and I told my students what was really neat about this volcano is that there is an island in a lake that’s in the volcano which sits in a lake on an island in the Pacific Ocean. I mean, think about that. It’s pretty cool.

I was devastated to learn that it had blown. My hotel was booked for the 23^rd of January. When I learned about the eruption, I thought to myself that my trip was a week and a half away and perhaps I’d still be able to see it, obviously not fully understanding the implications of a volcanic eruption. I mean, why would I?!

I got out of bed and googled how long it took for ash to clear after a volcano erupted. It suggested it could take weeks to months depending on the severity and the resources. My heart sank.

It was later that day that I saw the news on CNN that the Philippine authorities wanted a total evacuation on a 14KM radius around the volcano. I started looking into changing my flight. It took two days to find someone at AirAsia to help me. Their website was showing cancellations due to the closure of the Manila airport and I could only imagine how many people were trying to make rearrangements.

After my flight change was confirmed, I contacted Agoda to cancel my reservation at the San Roque Paradise Hotel. There was a 50% cancellation fee, which I didn’t really want to pay. I sent them a note explaining the situation and asked for guidance. Two days later, Agoda sent me a note to say that I would be fully refunded for the room.

I’ve been watching the news about the volcano. It’s still listed as a danger zone. The images are unreal. Just grey. Roofs have caved in under the weight of the ash. Animals are dead. There’s no electricity or water. It's devastating.

I feel lucky that I wasn’t there during the eruption although it would’ve made for a much more exciting story than this one here. I guess the Taal Volcano goes back on my list of places to see though I wonder what the future of the volcano holds.

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