 |
 |
 |
 |
 
Tuesday 1st of December 2015 and they knocked on my door at 8 o'clock. That gives me 2 hours before they will come to pick me up for the whale shark adventure. It is time to see the whale sharks in Donsol on the Philippines. You may have heard of Oslob, which lies in the south of the Philippines in the Cebu province. This is where you can dive and snorkel year  round with the Whale Sharks, but we strongly advise not to go there.
Click HERE to read: 5 reasons not to swim with the whale sharks in Oslob. So please! I had a shower and I discovered a gorgeous morning when I opened the door to go to the restaurant beautifully located just next to the beach. Yeah, what a start of the day. The sea looked calm so we might see a whale shark today. But first breakfast. I asked for tea, toast and a cheese omelette. I got my tea and when my omelette  came to the table I asked what all the red stuff was in the omelette.
- Carrots and tomatoes - I asked for a cheese omelette! - This is how we do it here! 
I was enjoying my food when one of the girls from the Donsol Eco Tours came. I asked if we could start earlier, it was 9 o'clock and I was  ready to go look for the whale sharks.
I'm going to be alone on the boat so we don't need to keep any schedule. So I went to my room to get my stuff and I went to the reception where they would come to pick me up. I said hello to the armed guard. Yeah, we have a guy in uniform and a shoot gun guarding the hotel. Same as at the Victoria Falls Hotel. They had a Bibby gun guarding the guests from angry monkeys. But I cannot see any monkeys around here. So they are obviously looking for something else around here. I went to the reception and there was a tricycle waiting for me. And they had to send away the first one as, well, I could get in to the darn thing, but there was not enough height. The next one  wasn't much better but we took off and luckily enough it was only a minute to go.
We arrived and the first thing I did was to top up my SIM card with 400 Peso. Then I had to watch a video about how to interact with the whale sharks. I got a bag with a towel, snacks and a few bottles of waters. Then we had to walk out to the boat 100 meters or so from the beach. We climbed on board and  my new friend introduced me to the 3 crew members. We pushed the boat of the sand bank and we were soon on our way searching for the whale sharks.
But it was a wee bit different tune today from when I booked the tour. Well, it started already yesterday when we arrived to the hotel. There was a girl from Donsol ECO Tours waiting for me together with the hotel staff. I got the latest updates regarding whale shark sightings. It was very hard to see the whale shark and they had not seen any for a month. And she wasn't what I would like to call “positive” attitude. And it was no positive vibrations from the boat crew.  But they sent one of they guys up in the “mast” as a look out for whale sharks.
Whale sharks or not, I felt good. It was very relaxing to cruise up and down looking for whale sharks. So this was a perfect way to continue the day after a perfect breakfast next to the beach. 
Donsol is for sure a beautiful area and I was enjoying the shore line from the boat. But no sign of any whale sharks. We turned around after 40 minutes or so and we started to go the other way to look for whale sharks. Well, I have 2 more days for whale sharks so I will  hopefully see at least one.
   We had been looking for whale shark for about 90 minutes when we decided to stop for some snorkelling. It was very nice to get in to the sea. I took some pictures as I had brought my underwater camera. But otherwise the fishes looked pretty much as they do in Thailand. At some spots there were thick with small jelly fishes, almost invisible. We did snorkelling for 30 minutes or so before we continued our trip.
We started to go back towards Donsol where we will be at 1 o'clock. The whale shark trip is 3 hours long. Today we started at 10 but tomorrow we will start at 8 o'clock. And as we started late today we changed my program and we will do the fire flies tonight. Tomorrow we start early and we will spend the afternoon driving motorcycle in the jungle to some waterfall. I could see a mountain when we steamed back towards Donsol and it looked very beautiful. I asked and it was a volcano called Mayon Volcano. Standing at 2,421 meters, Mayon Volcano gained popularity for being the most symmetrical volcano in the world. To add to its international limelight, Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines, having had erupted 47 times in the past 400 years! Mayon’s last major eruption was in 1993 and the last recorded major activity was in December 2009. Due to Mayon’s volatility, the volcano is continuously monitored by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology  Mayon Volcano
   Mayon Volcano behind my hotel
 We are back
 They wanted to take me back to the hotel with a motorcycle. I told them that I would like to walk. This was obviously unheard off. And I need my constitutional 
 - Are you sure??!!
- Yeah, I walk - Sure??!! - Yeah, it is a 5 minutes’ walk and a beautiful area. They will come to pick me up for the fire fly cruise at 6 o'clock and I have a few hours of “FREE”  time. Seems like everyone are very friendly here in Donsol, every one coming on the road were waving and smiling at me.
I had my lunch at the hotel, spaghetti and bacon plus a pot of tea. The spaghetti and bacon is nothing they have on the menu, but I sat it together and they delivered. And it was OK. Well, not for my diet. I finished my lunch and I went  to my room to leave my stuff before jumping in  to the pool outside my room. It was very nice in the pool and the whole day had been perfect. Very relaxing and a holiday like this would have been impossible just a few years ago. Back then I was restless and after 10 minutes sitting down I was climbing the walls. A few “laps” and I went back to my room for a shower. Not very much going on here, but time passes quickly and it is soon time to go for the fire fly river cruise on Donsol River.      They were waiting for me in the reception when I came there 10 minutes before 6 o'clock. I had asked them to book a ticket for me from Legaspi to Manila on Friday afternoon. So before we went  for the Firefly River Tour I needed to get to an ATM so I could pay them for the ticket.
Donsols only ATM was not working and I decided to book my ticket on internet when I was back at the hotel after my evening tour with Donsol ECO Tours. We stopped at the bridge crossing Donsol River. It was pitch dark and no lights was available when we walked down to the  canoe styled boat. We stopped at a tree full of fireflies and it looked like a lit Christmas tree. Of course, impossible to get on picture.
It was a beautiful sight, and when we returned we could see even more trees looking like Christmas trees. Obviously they fireflies was waking up now in the dark. I tried to book the ticket on Philippines Airlines web page, after 5 times I gave up and I called them. 30 minutes later and I had a confirmed ticket. I was looking for dessert after my dinner, spaghetti and bacon again. I discovered fruit salad. Mango, apple, pineapple and bananas. I asked them to remove the orange. It was good, it was so good so I decided to only have fruit salad from now on. I told the staff that they had to pay me 100 US every time they served me anything but fruit salad from now on. So I'm looking forward to my meals from now on. Back in April 2015
This is what we have said for a very long time. Only to be called Nazis, there is no end to what they have called
Sverige Demokraterna and UKIP. There is a different tune now in Sweden. Listen to the Belgian twat. What is he saying today? Let's scrap the fiasco called EU now!
 +++++++++++++++
Wednesday 2nd of December 2015 and they knocked on my door at 7 o'clock in the morning.
- Mr. Aladdin, Good morning, it is 7 o'clock - FOOCK OFF! 
No, of course, I didn't reply like this. But I felt like it. It was a thank you and good morning.  But I felt like saying FOOCK OFF for the first minutes before I woke up.
I was actually looking forward to get up and to get my breakfast in the restaurant next to the beach. I asked for cheese and onion  omelette, toast and tea. And I added a fruit salad without the orange.
It was 5 minutes past 8 when I was ready with my breakfast. Can a day start better than this? A healthy breakfast ocean side with beautiful sights. Sea side fresh air and I should have stayed  here for a few more days. But I'm booked at Best Western Hotel La Corona in Manila.
And yesterday I got my ticket confirmed with Philippine Airlines Flight Number PR 2928 from LGP, Legaspi to Manila. My “original” plan was for a part weekend in Manila. But now I have decided to take another day tour. To some mountain with off road driving. Anyway, we left for our boat at Donsol Tourist Center. And  as yesterday, we walked out to the boat and we left around 8 thirty.
It was a gorgeous morning and we were enjoying the trip. Very relaxing to sit down looking for whales. When I was looking for Donsol and whale sharks it sounded like you had to bolt the door to your hotel room or the whale sharks would come inside. Shopping at the local supermarket and you would have to fight the whale sharks for space. Yeah, they were everywhere. Four hours today and not  even a hint of any whale sharks or any other excitements.
But it is nice to cruise off the Donsol beaches and time passing very quickly. So there is a lot of feelings, disappointment that we don't see any whale sharks at the same time I enjoy the cruise. We were back on the beach after 4 hours and my guide for the Tuba Forest and Falls Adventure in the afternoon drove me to the hotel. He will be back to pick me up after an hour so I had time for a quick dip in the pool and lunch before we will leave again.  I have time to spend a few minutes in the pool
  I finished my lunch, a “DOUBLE” fruit salad. I went to the reception and I was 3 minutes late and the staff from Donsol ECO Tours was waiting for me in the reception. As I understood it we were  going by motorcycle through the jungle to a waterfall.
I asked for the helmet and the Guide told me that he would be back in 10. I had a long conversation with the girls about the importance of wearing a helmet while riding a motor bike. I was told that the roads to the water fall was in bad condition due to heavy rain. There was another water fall but it was a 1 hour ride instead of 45 minutes. I told them that I wanted to go through the forest as I had pre booked  - Yeah, we go through the forest
- OK, never mind for me - OK, that will be 700 Peso extra - Why? - It is a little longer - Are you  joking?
I could not believe my ears. They cannot go and now they want to charge me 700 Peso extra. 700 Peso is about 0,0 but it is the principle. I have booked and paid, if they cannot deliver it is not my problem. Well, we decided to try the pre booked option. I got up on my Guide's motor bike expecting us to go get a motor bike for me. I asked where we were going to pick up my motor bike. He told me that we would ride on one motor bike only. And yes, I told him HELL NO! Of course, I want my own bike. One thing is for sure, I will not sit on his motor bike for 3 hours. Of course, when you  pay for the adventure you expect to drive your own motor cycle.
We went in to the village to look for his friend. We meet him and his young daughter on the village road. They came on a small Honda and I took over the Honda. My Guide took his friend and the daughter on his motor bike and we dropped them not far away from my hotel. We continued along the coast towards north and we passed through a small village. I stopped to take a picture and my  Guide asked how much gas I had in the tank. It was down on the red and we needed to fill up the tank.
We passed the village and we were in the forest driving on a concrete road. My Guide stopped at a bamboo hut to see if they had gasoline. No gasoline and we had to continue our search for gasoline before we could continue on our adventure. We drove for 5 minutes and we took off the road and we were in a small village and my Guide found a place where they sold gasoline.  They didn't had any gasoline in the hut
 We found a place with gasoline
 We found a place with gasoline
We filled my motor bike with gasoline, 63 Peso. My Guide asked if I had any cash. Hell no! I  emptied my pockets and I had 14 Peso. Donsol's only ATM is not working and I spend my last cash filling up my SIM card.
My Guide had to promise to come back with 63 Peso and we could take off. The shop owner didn't  look too happy. He was for sure not turning cartwheels when we left.
We were soon in a middle of some road constructions and I navigating my “iron horse” between pot holes and construction machines and I managed to pass through the area without any incidents. We were hauling arse to I don't know. I had no clue where we were going. Along the coast towards north. No Tuba Forest to be seen around here. But we passed through a beautiful landscape My Guide drove ahead of me and I stopped to watch a man ploughing a rice paddy with a buffalo. My Guide came back and we were soon on our way again. After 2 minutes I stopped and told him that I wanted to go back to try the work in the rice paddy. My Guide told me that we might try further up the road, if we found anyone.
We continued and we crossed a bridge and one of the lanes had rice spread out for drying. So we  stopped to have a look. Red rice and white rice
We were soon on our way again and we drove over a ridge and when we drove down we approached a farm. And I stopped to have a look. At least 3 buffaloes was working the rice paddies. I found my Guide at the farmer’s house when I came down in the valley. It was a beautiful house and I was surprised to see a European styled garden. This was pleasant, no garbage laying around  and nice flowers and decorations. My Guide and I walked out in the paddies and my Guide asked the farmer if I could help them. It was about 40 cm mud in the paddies so I had to take off my shoes.
I plunged in to the rice paddy and the farmer showed me the ropes. It took quite some time for him to realise that I was serious. He had never seen any foreigner driving a buffalo before, same with my Guide. They thought I was joking. But I'm serious, and if I had been allowed I would have  bought a rice field in Thailand. Grow rice without chemicals and technical aids. Just a buffalo and me alone in the nature.
Walking around in the mud with the buffalo thinking about the mysteries in life. That would be something. Snakes and other dangerous creatures is of course something I can live without. Anyway, there didn't seemed to be any snakes around here and I plunged in to the paddy. I sank down in the mud but as soon as I got used to the mud it was quite nice to walk around in the mud.  On top of the ridge before going down the valley
 Working in the rice paddies
  We ask the farmer if I can help them in the paddies
I learned a few things about ploughing a rice paddy on the Philippines with a buffalo among them how to speak with the buffalo. “Shi shi” and the buffalo start to walk “Wa” and the buffalo stop This is what I need and I started. And it is not easy, if the plow is too deep you will soon get stuck. And if the plow is not deep enough you don't turn the soil. And the top layer of loose mud  don't make it easier to see how deep you are.
And it was hot walking after the buffalo trying to steer the plow. But it was fun, and again, it was very nice to walk around in 30 to 40 cm of mud. Mud means that I was very dirty and we got water at the farmer's house. They had a well behind the house and we pulled up as much water we needed The Guide had a few bottles of water under the saddle and we had a bottle before we left. We drove back towards  Donsol and we left the road when we reached a small concrete path taking us out in the farm lands.
We were driving on the path and it seemed to lead to nowhere. We met some motorcycles and people. So there must be a village somewhere along the path. We passed a few farms with animals and I made a few stops to take pictures and to have a look around. It is very peaceful here on the country  side. Rice paddies with ducks and some other wild birds. Chicken and other animals running around so there is something to look at in every corner.
We came to a kind of supermarket in a bamboo hut. My Guide  asked for a light so he could have a fag.
The concrete path continued. There was also a dirt path going up a hill and we decided to follow the dirt path when my Guide had finished his cigarette. My Guide told me that there was a beautiful sight over the hills from the top. So a picture and then it is time to go back to the hotel. We took off towards the hill with screamin' and smokin' tyres.  We stop so my Guide can have a fag
 View over the hills
 Rice paddies
 Rice paddies
 We're back on the beach
We reached the hill top, not without problems due to poor condition of the path. When we came up we saw over the hills and my Guide told me they were called the chocolate hills. When it is raining the hills are brown of mud and they look like chocolate. We drove back to my hotel and we passed more buffaloes used for the daily farm work and I took a few pictures. We also passed many school children on the way back home from school and they  were all screaming when they saw me hissing by on my motorcycle.
I had a cheese & onion omelette with a pot of tea for dinner and a double fruit salad. The only thing I have been eating the last days. The omelette is very good and the fruit salad is the best I have ever had. Darn! I will miss the fruit salad when I'm leaving tomorrow and it will be my last whale shark watching tour and they will come to wake me up at 7 o'clock. I cannot say that I have any high hopes to see any whale sharks.
+++++++++++++++
Thursday 3rd of December 2015 and they knocked on my door at 7. I turned on the news and there had been a shooting in California and UK will start to bomb in Syria. 2 days ago it was about UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees funding shortage. 400 million US Dollars leaves Syrian refugees in danger of missing vital support. The UN’s humanitarian agencies are on  the verge of bankruptcy and unable to meet the basic needs of millions of people because of the size of the refugee crisis.
There are no money for UNHCR, but to bomb children and wedding parties, seems there are no problems with funding. And they never learn. This is going to end in a disaster. After the attack  in Paris, the French President using pretty much the same words Bush used after the World Trade Centre. Merciless, war and words you are surprised, no, shocked to hear a President use. Never learn and now they will start to bomb in Syria.
Sweden, a country run by a gang of criminals that should be in prison. Prime Minister telling the citizens that “Sweden” have been naive. The latest news today is that the Government wants to be able to close the bridge between Sweden and Denmark to stop more refugees to come to Sweden Sweden have received more than 1500 refugee seekers per day, plus, and listen to this, you cannot make up things like this, at least the same amount of people coming that no one knows about. And this is the Prime Minister saying this in TV. Open borders to Europe and the whole world can come in, and no one have kept track on who is coming.  Now it is closed to Sweden, they have wasted all our money and now they have to borrow money to give away. And it is sad, there are so many children and women needing help and no one care. But money for bombs there is! And all the refugees, most of them are young bearded men that should have been home fighting the terror. Now all these young bearded men are in Europe screaming and demanding instead of being home to fight. They come here and as Nigel Farage said back in April 2015 - a threat to our civilisation! And young European men go down to the Middle East to fight a war this bearded refugees should have fought instead of coming to Europe and demand this and that! I skipped the shower today, well, there isn't much of a pressure in the shower and my showers is mostly to try to catch the drops coming out from the shower head. Hell, I even have to shake the  shower head to try to shake out the water to rinse off the soap.
I went straight in to my swimming kit and I went for breakfast. Same as every morning, tea, toast, omelette and fruit salad. Seriously, I don't know how I will be able to live without the fruit salad when I'm back home. I have all the fruit back home, but it always taste better when someone else is doing the food. You know, food you cook at home don't taste so good, and I think it is because you’re tasting and when the food is ready you are not so hungry anymore. Anyway, we drove off to Donsol Tourist  Centre and there was something wrong with the boat and it was 9 o'clock before we could get on board the boat.
We took off and I was soon asleep. The crew were soon giving up trying to find any whale sharks. We were cruising up and down the coast and it was hot. I have burned my arms and face during the days here in Donsol. They told me to use sun block cream but I never use sun block. But I have tried to stay in the shadow, but I have burned my  self a wee bit. And during the motorcycle tour yesterday it was impossible to avoid the sun. And it was sunshine when I had the buffalo experience in the rice paddy.
We will go snorkelling at the Panumbagan Sandbar in the afternoon and it seems like we will use the same boat. I told the Guide that we could go immediately, no need for lunch and we can finish earlier today. But he needed to come ashore to speak with someone and then the whole plan capsized. Now the Guide started to take us ashore and I told him that we had 30 minutes of whale watching remaining to do. So we continued the search for the  whale sharks and we were back ashore at 12.
To walk up the stairs to the Donsol Tourist Centre from the beach. I asked why they had not repaired the stairs, or just to put a few sand filled bags and the problem had been solved. I was told that it had been like this for 2 months. Things just left to fall apart like the rest of the country. I walked back to my hotel for lunch. Donsol ECO Tours representative told me that they would come to pick me up at the hotel, well, on the beach at the hotel restaurant so no need to come back to Donsol Tourist Centre. I had been thinking about this before, why don't they come to pick me up with the boat at  the restaurant. No need for motorcycle, straight from breakfast on board the boat and off we go.
Donsol ECO Tour's Representative was at the restaurant and when we walked to the boat her friend took a picture of us. - You are my first customer so I need a memory of this She waved farewell and we left towards the south and  the Panumbagan Sandbar where we will do the snorkelling. It is about 45 minutes with boat to go there and we are of course keeping our eyes out  for whale sharks.
It was raining but this time I had only brought my underwater camera so it was OK. And I was dressed in my swimming/ snorkelling dress so this was never mind. We reached a float marking the Panumbagan Sandbar and we tied the boat to the float and I was soon in the water with my snorkelling equipment. WOW! I touched the water and I was disappearing behind the boat. I had to swim full force to get back and hold on to the boat. What the duck!! The tide was very strong 2 to 3 knots and it was impossible to do any snorkelling. Normal procedure, to float around looking for fishes. I swam against the current and as soon as I stopped swimming I just floated away, in a speed making it impossible to enjoy the sights. On top of this the water wasn't very clear.    Time to get up
This was a disappointment, here I am in Donsol paying top dollars for snorkelling and this is the place they bring me to. The Guide knew about this and he did not even bother to get in to the  water. I was actually angry, yesterday, Tuba Forest and a water fall I never saw. Now snorkelling and it was impossible to do any snorkelling.
This was a scam, and now we took off for the highlight of the snorkelling tour. Sea grapes and we ended up in a river with brackish water. Snorkelling impossible as the water was so murky. The Guide went in alone and he had a hard time to find the sea grapes He found some of the sea grapes and I tried some of them. Tasted nothing, just a wee bit salty. My Guide brought out a box with stuff to make a sauce for the sea grapes. Lime, sugar and a onion. He had some other stuff he rinsed the sea grapes in. I had tried the sea grapes so I didn't  needed to try again. But my Guide seemed to like it. Actually, he liked it so much so he made more of the sea grapes and he was munching on the sea grapes on our way back to my hotel.
Brackish water and I took the opportunity to shower myself with a bucket as my swimming gear was full  of salt from the snorkelling.
The rain disappeared and the sun came back from behind the clouds. We had a nice trip back to the hotel, but we didn't see any whale sharks. Well, I had pretty much given up the hopes to see any whale sharks this morning. I will have to  come back.
Or I will look for another place to swim with the whale sharks. But I can recommend a visit to Donsol, whale sharks or not, I have had a great time here. So I might come back, if not for the whale sharks, the fruit salad. And we were back around 5 o'clock and changed clothing and I went for tea, omelette and a fruit salad in the restaurant. Laundry, I will have to wait until I'm back at Manila. I asked the staff if they did laundry and yes they did. And I will leave at 11 thirty tomorrow and I asked them if it would be ready if I gave them the laundry today. - Yes, no problem! When I wanted to leave the laundry today they told me that they didn't had any laundry service. I had to walk up the road. I thought I was going crazy. I confirmed with the girl from Donsol  ECO Tours, she was here when I asked about the laundry. And she confirmed that they had told me they had laundry service. Yes, I knew it and I'm not going crazy!
Well, this means over and out from Donsol and the failed whale shark adventure. Well, it have been a nice time here and I will be back to try again. Tomorrow afternoon and I'm off to Manila, you just need to click HERE to find yourself in the middle of that adventure.
    
  You are visitor no.
To www.aladdin.st since December 2005
Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011
|
Web page: 
Rated: 
furniture was only good for:
rinse the soap. No laundry service even if they told me that they had laundry service.
Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas
Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!
Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!
Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra
Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!
คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้
Вы говорите по-русски? NJET PROBLEMA! Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!
E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.
Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
||||