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Published: February 23rd 2008
As hoped in our last blog we've just arrived at the internet cafe directly from the beach. Unfortunately Hannes experienced some problems with his snorkelling mask but we both felt better after a few shakes (coconut, banana/rhum and mango). Not a bad day on the whole.
The ferry trip from Manila to Cebu was comfortable but not that exciting. We did, however, finally hear some of the infamous karaoke. The Filipinos were actually quite good at it which in Sweden wouldn't be fair to the audience since they wouldn't have anything to laugh at. In the Philippines the karaoke singer is deeply respected and we've even heard of a german tourist being threatened with a beating for laughing at the performer...
When we after 22 hours on the ferry finally arrived in Cebu we quickly found a cab to the bus station where we found a cheap bus to Hagnaya. The driver really drove with a the-devil-may-care attitude, as promised in our Lonely Planet guide book. Well in Hagnaya we boarded the ferry that would take us to our goal. We got the first class tickets for an extra 5 pesos (0,75 Swedish kronor) and relaxed in our air-conditioned section with a stick with grilled chicken liver and a good movie.
After less time than expected we arrived in Bantayan and immediatly were found by a hotel hawker. We paid 1200 pesos for two nights in an appartment which probably was the most humid room either of us have ever been in. The very first thing we did was take a swim in the Pacific and it was goooood.
The next day we tried to find snorkelling gear for Hannes which was exceptionally hard considering we are in a upcoming diver's paradise. Nontheless, after some haggling, we got a used mask with snorkel. Erik was utterly relieved.
That afternoon we had a quite amazing time snorkelling. A big moment was when we found the largest living mussel either of us have ever seen. Also we saw some cool fishes, a lot of sea stars and sea urchins. It's something we're planning to do a lot more.
In the evening we went to an all-you-can-eat restaurant and got stuffed. There were a lot of dishes, some of them very good. None of us has shown any signs of illness as yet.
Today we found ourselves a new beach resort, this one owned by a Dane (and now we're surrounded by them since it seems to be a gathering place for them). We got a beach hut for 750 pesos a night, which was a bit more than our guide book said, but a lot has happened since it was written. The rest of the day we snorkelled a little and relaxed a lot.
We've had very good weather all along. Fortunately for us pale Swedes the sun hasn't been out all the time. Hannes is taking the sun a bit better than Erik who has burned his shoulders.
Tomorrow we're planning to go to a local lagoon and do a lot more snorkelling. Also we're planning to visit a beach bar that has a Swedish flag on it and perhaps meet some fellow Swedes.
Note: Please use civil language in your commentaries, even if you greatly disagree with us.
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Pappa H
non-member comment
Nice to hear from you again. Three days is almost too much. Fine! You seems to go along well, to have a good time and experience a lot of new things, environments and cultures - as it should be. We envy your snorkeling. It must be wonderful. No snow here, storm again in Småland, the lambs have started to come, Emil and parents are in Grand Canaria, and tickets for South Africa are on the way. Waiting for your next report. Cheers.