LOCAL COLOR 7: April 2009

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Philippines - Manila to Cebu

Manila, Philippines Day 69 (April 9)

Manila, Philippine Map

Our timing is not so good, because this is Easter Holy Week, and all the travel agents and most stores are closed. Manila is mungbucket, and we can’t wait to leave. The book says there lots to like if you dig a bit deeper, but we spend the entire day between the hotel, convenience store, and internet café. Vana absolutely hates it; especially the children begging on the street. With every other business employing a security guard in front, I am guessing they have a crime problem.

With 7104 islands in the Philippines, Kevin’s head is ready to explode from reading the travel book we bought in Hong Kong. On facebook advice from Norwegian friends we met in Ko Phi Phi, we buy plane tickets to Cebu City, and book hotels to visit an outlying island for diving.

On the plus side, we make a lot of progress with our travel blog posts.

Manila City

Filipino breakfast - garlic rice, beef jerky and egg

Manila to Cebu City, Philippines Day 70 (April 10)

Philippines Map

We spend the morning in the internet café, and then fly to Cebu City, in the middle of the Visayas islands. Cebu is a large island, and manufacturing center. It’s a bit less mungbucket than Manila, but not by much. It’s Good Friday, and the ferries are not running, so we stay at the Fuente Pension House in uptown Cebu City. The only thing open for dinner is McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and a fast food Chinese chain restaurant.

Cebu city plane view

Cebu city - street scene (reminds me of of T.J., Mexico)

We look for it on the TV, but we don’t see any Good Friday news. In San Fernando Pampanga, volunteers are nailed to crosses and whipped until they bleed. We could have traveled there easily from Manila, but it didn’t sound that appealing to us.

Cebu City to Alona Beach, Panglao Island, Philippines Day 71 (April 11)

We take the 9:30AM ferry to Tagbilaran on Bohol, and then taxi to Alona beach on Panglao Island. When exiting the ferry, scores of naked children paddle to the dock, and unload to beg. This is the most shocking display of begging we’ve witnessed. The children look more like Monkeys than people, and we are speechless.

begging children with their parents

I realized two things after this experience.

Birth control is one of the most important modern inventions.
As the heavily Catholic influenced Filipino government shuns birth control, birth rates exceed economic growth, and the Philippines are in for several difficult decades.

On advice from our Norwegian facebook friends we stay at Cherrys House Too. Although five to ten minutes walk from the beach, it’s a very pleasant and clean hotel with swimming pool. Unfortunately, the food in the restaurant is really bad, aside from pancakes. I even throw up a ham sandwich and fries from lunch. This is the first time either of us gets sick from the food in Southeast Asia. We heard the food in the Philippines is really terrible, and so far it is true.

We’ve had several unpleasant travel days, but we catch up on our blog posts, and feedback from our friends makes us feel much better!

Friday, April 17, 2009

China - Hong Kong

Hong Kong, China Day 66 (April 6)

South East Asia Map

We spend the entire day running between the internet café and the travel agent handling our China Visas. We are shocked to find that China visas cost $250, which is a lot more than the $110 they charge from the consulates in the US. We go back and forth about ditching China, and going back to Thailand. We decide to go because Tibet just opened to foreigners, and Vana’s Uncle sourced a very reasonable tour.

Later, we find that Vana is denied by the PRC Visa office. They want to confiscate her old China passport, which we no longer have. This is the last straw, so we buy one way tickets to Manila, in the Philippines, for April 8th.

Hong Kong, China Day 67 (April 7)

We spend today sightseeing in Hong Kong. We take the subway to Hong Kong central, and then take the peak tram for city views. Afterwards, we ride the mid-level elevators around SoHo, before taking the Star Ferry back to Kowloon. The loop involves significant walking, and tires us out good. Again, we are amazed by riding subway, tram, elevators, and ferry in just a few hours.

It's impossible to get lost in HK. Street signs are everywhere in both English and Chinese

We said HELLO to Jackie Chen

then quickly jumped on the tram to the hill top

City view

Star Ferry back to Kowloon

SOHO

famous market where Jackie Chen did a food tour on Food channel

our hotel district

Cantonese are good at making roasted tasty duck, chicken, goose, pig, you name it. Even KR loves it!

Can't leave HK with an authentic Dim Sum! Yes, Dim Sum is a famous Cantonese cuisine, not Chinese. A lot of my western friends are confused about Cantonese and Chinese cuisine. I always say, if there is seafood involved, then it's most likely Cantonese. If there is Kong Bao chicken or Orange chicken on the menu, then it's an American restaurant.

CLICK HERE to see more Hong Kong pictures.

Hong Kong to Philippines, China Day 68 (April 8)

It turns out that buying one way tickets to Philippines was a bad idea. Their immigration requires proof of your flight out, so we miss our flight while figuring out what to do. Fortunately, the Hong Kong airport has free WIFI internet, and we book flights to Japan.

It takes a lot of time, because finding cost effective flights is complicated without Orbitz. The proof is a lame exercise, because immigration doesn’t check when we land anyways.

We arrive without trouble, pick a hotel from the airport booking service, and stay at Hostel 1632 in the downtown area of Malate in Manila. It’s a business style hotel with function, but no personality. I can touch opposite walls with my hands in the narrow room.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Thailand to Hong Kong

Ko Tao to Ko Sumui, Thailand Day 64 (April 4)

Unfortunately, we are out of time in Thailand. We really want to stay another week in Kao Tao and do some fun dives. However, our trip is planned four days over our 30 day visas, and we are going to have to pay fines. We weight a bunch of different options; visa run to Burma, round trip to Malaysia. None of the options make sense to spend an extra week, so we take the ferry to Ko Samui, and stay in Big Budda beach near the Ko Samui airport. The landing planes shake our bungalow pretty good.

A special thanks to the people of Thailand for being so helpful, friendly, and fun. Thailand is the best country that we ever visited.
Kevin says; khorb koon khrab
Vana says; khorb koon ka

we LOVE Thailand!

Even their airport have a theme park experience!

Ko Sumui to Hong Kong by plane, China Day 65 (April 5)

South East Asia Map. Thailand to HongKong (2 hr flight)

We arrive with no trouble and book an expensive but convenient hotel from the airport booking service. It amazing that you can get from the Airport to the Hotel without a breath of fresh air. Actually, you can get most places this way; as the airport, subways, trains, ferries, malls, and buildings are mostly connected by indoor, or covered walkways. As far as big metropolis cities go, Hong Kong is probably the best city in the world. The infrastructure here makes any US city look like a joke. People move through the Hong Kong as smooth as wind and water; as feng shui gurus are consulted before constructing any building.

We are staying at the Kowloon Hotel in Kowloon. In the evening, we walk to Victory Harbour and catch the evening light show, with neon and laser lights flashing from the buildings across the sound on Kong Kong Island. The waterfront show makes me think of Shanghai and Singapore; who wins the competition for slickest waterfront?

It's all about efficiency and convenience here.

fast and comfortable train ride

Clean train

the bed is so comfortable. I couldn't help it!

Hong Kong at last

much like NY, but more clean, efficient, and convienent.

Clean subway

music light show at Victory Harbour

Vana: kevin and I have both been to Hong Kong (HK) before and love it. I was here when I was a kid. HK was my stopping point before flying to the US for the first time. When I got to HK, I loved it so much that I called my dad and asked if I can move to HK instead the US. Well...you know rest of the story.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Thailand - Ko Tao

Kao Lak to Chumphon by Bus, Thailand Day 60 (March 30)

Today we leave the western sea of Thailand, and cross the mainland to the Eastern sea. Oddly enough, the travel agents in town have no idea how to get to Ko Tao, because they don’t sell any service. We take a 7AM public bus to the next bus station north of Kao Lak, and then book another bus to Chumphon. Unfortunately, we don’t make the 1PM boat, so we stay the night in Chumphon Gardens Hotel in the downtown area. The hotel is a business traveler style; cheap, clean, includes everything, and seems the lap of luxury, coming from the beach area.

Southern Thailand Map

Chumphon to Ko Tao by boat, Thailand Day 60 (March 31)

Southern Thailand Map

We take the 7AM high speed catamaran and head to Big Blue Diving Resort, as recommended by Katie. After signing up, and looking around town, we decide we don’t like it. Their beach side rooms are full, and we don’t like the hotel up the road. We switch to our second choice; Ban’s Diving Resort.

Ban’s is a well lubed diving factory and certifies more divers than anywhere in the world. It’s a bit corporate, but we found it professional and efficient. Since they are not at capacity, they have great deals, and the classes are not packed to the max. You can get Open Water certification for $250, and get 4 nights free fan cooled room.

Kevin and Vana start the PADI Open Water scuba diving class at 5PM. Videos, books, and homework, oh my!

Studying for exams. Feels like college all over again.

Can't complaint studying in an environment like this

Ko Tao, Thailand Day 61 (April 1)

Today is theory in the morning with an afternoon pool session. Since we have left over air, we do a quick dive offshore, and see reef and fish; just 50 yards offshore. We are familiar with a lot of the skills from our try dive in Belize, but there several new skills to learn.

pool session

Ko Tao, Thailand Day 62 (April 2)

Today, we take a 7:30AM boat and do two dives to 12m in the morning. The sun is out, and the dive is really clear, with no currents. We descend using the boats anchor line, so the students can easily control their descent rate and practice ear equalization. At the bottom, we practice the basic regulator purging, mask clearing, regulator recovery, and buoyancy. After swimming around and taking some photos, we surface to practice weight belt and full scuba equipment removal and replacement.

At 18 people, our group is very large, but we split into three groups of six people in the water. In the water, there is an instructor in the lead, and dive master at the rear of each group.

Our instructor is a Thai guy named Santi. At times, he is difficult to understand, but he is really cool, and every other sentence ends with a long “for sure…”. It is interesting to note that all the instructors and dive masters smoke. It seems they have an aversion to breathing normal air.

In the afternoon, we learn theory about decompression illness, and dive tables. Computing dive tables and pressure groups after lunch in prime napping hours, with our bodies filtering excess nitrogen is like third world torture (Vana: zzz...ZZZ...uh...what dive table?!).

Tank line up

Navigation instruction

Group descent

KR swim through

Mask clearing

Blowing kisses (my special skill)

Underwater yoga (buoyancy practice)

Alternate air source breathing (save your buddy)

Underwater smiles

Vana with our group, Santi in glasses

Ko Tao, Thailand Day 63 (April 3)

Today is our final two dives of the class, and the instructors don costumes for the dive film. Today we dive to our depth training of 18m. We start the first dive practicing a controlled emergency swimming accent from 6m; exhaling a continuous “ah…” from an endless supply of expanding air in our lungs. Then we free descend and practice more skills at the bottom.

we almost get crashed by another boat while setting up the line, no wonder most dive accidents happen on the surface

controlled emergency swimming accent

ahhhhhh......

While practicing full mask removal and replacement, the instructor tricks us out in dark aviators, which makes for some funny filming. Also, Santi pulls everyone up in a few seconds when a sea snake runs through our circle at the bottom. The local sea snake (same as we saw in the Similans) is the fourth most poisonous animal in the world; although not aggressive and not easy to get bitten from its small mouth.

underwater cop

sea snake

running under a student's leg during skills

Divemaster packing heat, pulls a toy gun for self defense! (I laugh so hard almost ran out of oxygen)

In the evening, the entire group meets for dinner, and we watch the edited dive video set to music. I realize now that we are staying in a summer camp for young adults (everyone’s in their 20’s except KR. Everyone’s from Europe except us and another two Canadian guys).

One stamp for the dive logs, another for our forehead, means a free beer

dinner and watching DVD

Santi is wearing a batman outfit, and looks hilarious with his forearms crossed in defense while a giant trigger fish swims around him erratically, biting his fins. The trigger fish has a conical protection area for its nest when breading, and attacks the fins of any fish or diver, which enters its territory. In another funny moment, Santi snaps the top of a woman jumping from the boat during our dive break. The top ends up wrapped around in her face in the water.

Underwater Batman

I'll show you who's the boss here

The other group also has a funny video. During the dive briefing the British instructor goes through a straight faced elaborate description of how the students should spit in their fins to prevent blisters under the increased pressure at depth. The camera then cuts to students using their deepest lung butter to fill their fins during dive prep . The next clip shows the instructors shaking their heads; spitting in fins? That’s just disgusting; I knew something was wrong with this group!

what matters is - we had FUN while learning. Our class kick ass!

Everyone in the class gets their certification except for one student in the hospital from a motor bike accident; the most dangerous activity by far in Thailand. Supposedly, diving is even safer than sleeping under a coconut tree!

Thanks so much to Santi and all the staff at Ban's Diving Resort. We really had a great time, and felt completely at home during our stay (party, beer, study at the same time. Just like the old days at UCSB). We really wish we could stay several more days, for sure...

More pics taken during our stay below.