Puerto Galera, Philippines

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In November 2010, Carson and Deb took a trip to the Philippines to do some scuba diving.
We flew into Manila, then traveled overland to the southern shore of Luzon Island where we
boarded a water taxi to Mindoro Island and the small beach town of Puerto Galera. Shimmering seas and lush mountains surround the small town and three cove shaped beaches, all called Sabang. The boat harbor and our hotel are on the largest. The Atlantis Dive Resort catered to our every need. From small swimming pool, spa, massages, internet, beachside bar and fantastic restaurant, we found we never had to leave the grounds. The staff were incredibly friendly, everyone was on a first name basis.
For Carson the diving was fantastic. The coral is still pristine in these waters. The Resorts Master Divers took care of all of the details of each dive, from equipment care, and carrying, to boating to the dive sites. On the dives, the Dive Masters, Jerry and Henry, would point out hard to see nudibranchs, sea slugs, miniature sea horse, and other wonderfully camouflaged creatures of the deep. Carson did around 20 dives in just 7 days, and had some wonderful underwater adventures. He dove through caves and wrecks and along deep coral walls with strong currents. His diving ability dramatically improved and he put his Mom's fears to rest that he is a strong, capable diver. He passed his strenuous Stress and Rescue Open Water exam, and received a good natured initiation at the bar from his new scuba buddies of beer and jagermeister poured through a snorkel. Deb took lots of long beach walks and read her Michener book by the pool. It was a truly idyllic vacation spent on one of the most beautiful bays in the world.

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