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Published: February 16th 2009
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Day 4 - White Beach
I had been somewhat disappointed that the sun had not been out but I was not to be let down again. By Tuesday, I was laying on White Beach enacting my usual tanning regime and watching Greg flounder around in the water. Greg was applying SPF 47 and I was spraying on oil with SPF 4. Needless to say I got burned, but minor suffering for my beloved tan.
Ever since we got to the Philippines, we had been harassed constantly for money, whether it was someone selling jewelry, personalized friendship bracelets, or offering the services of their boat/van/tricycle. Good thing I was in a good mood in the sun because the beach vendors at White Beach are relentless. Massagee ma'am? Massagee ma'am, sir? FUCK, fine. Massage me. Greg and I both got massages, Greg had the woman massage him with SPF 47. Funny enough, he still managed to get a windshield wiper burn on the top of his forehead. He walked around all week with a red triangle at the top of his forehead. He thought he had psoriasis.
Sunscreen application advice: DO NOT apply sunscreen onto your face in a windshield
wiper manner.
Day 5 - Diving
It was a fairly sunny day again and I had asked a tricyclist to take us to a quiet beach. QUIET. I said I did not want to hear a peep out of any vendor or person. He took me to Sandbar beach and asked me to walk down a trail to a scenic spot. We walked the trail and it was short and enjoyable enough but I think I might have chose not to had I known what was on the other side. Pebbles, rough sand, crabbies making holes, palm trees, and red ants. We walked back and just sat at Sandbar beach, where he originally dropped us off. I was still pretty content because I had hardly even seen a soul. There was just a maintenance men doing some work. There were about 3 people on the beach, one of who was snorkelling.
I laid down to read "Eat Pray Love", the book I had brought. The protagonist, Liz, had made it into Bali by now and was describing all the glorious people she met. There was a situation described in the book where she meets a medicine woman
whom she befriends and eventually raises 18,000 US dollars for her to buy a house. But this woman proceeds to "screw around" with her to see if she is able to get more money despite their close friendship and her benevolent nature. The perspective presented in the book is that for people who live in persistent poverty, it is their survival instinct or maybe tactic. Getting the most out of foreigners from richer countries is essentially the only way they know how to survive. So, it's not that this woman did not need financial help. She was indeed in dire straits - being evicted and having to feed 3 children as a single mother. She was just ceasing whatever opportunity she thought she might have to maximize from her seemingly rich American friend. This resonated with me and from that point on, I was became tolerant of the solicitors.
Later on that afternoon, we went out diving. It was Greg's first time and despite the fact that I was on a budget, I couldn't pass up a chance to at least see the underworld. After all, the Philippines is considered to have some of the best dive sites in
Peacock Shrimp
Not my photo but just so you get the gist. the world. Wherever I read that, they were not kidding. We didn't have to go far to see lion fish, peacock shrimp, and giant clams! Purple velvety giant clams that could swallow your feet! On most other dive trips, I've been taught not to touch or harass sea critters. In the Philippines, anything goes! Greg got to touch the clams, which he had been excited about all week. And one of the guides was intrusively badgering this poor peacock shrimp with his baton to come out of its hiding spot. Eventually, it scuttled out of the hole quite agitated I would imagine, but it was gorgeous. And in case any of you sickos are thinking of spearing yourself a giant clam for dins, there is a guard who sits in a boat above the clams. He watches the clams all day and night. So, don't bother unless you want to get shot by his spear gun.
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