When we arrived in Manila we had to get a taxi from one airport to the other. We shared the taxi with a couple of locals and they filled us in on the local dishes that we should try - Adobo, Sinigang, Lechon. They also introduced us to a couple of useful phrases:
Como Stas - Hello
Salamat - Thank you
On arrival to the main Manila airport we met up with the rest of the group - Dan, Ed and Andy. It was about 3am, none of us had slept properly for the best part of 48 hours, so what was the best thing to do? We checked in and grabbed some beers. When the airport is charging about 80p for a beer, you know that you are in the right country.
After a few beers we jumped on our flight to our first island, Boracay. Boracay is known as the party island of The Philippines and we were also booked in to do some diving. We could not wait!!
On arrival, having travelled for up to 48 hours each, we had a two hour bus journey and a boat journey to complete before we arrived. Having just joined up with Dan, there was only one way to get through the end of our long journeys. Whilst we all piled into the minivan, Dan disappeared for a couple of minutes and turned up with a carrier bag full of beer........here we go again!
After a smooth bus journey and a not so smooth boat journey we made it to Boracay! Well we made it to the port. From here we had to get a tricycle to our hostel. Well aware that the price should be 100 pesos, we were not prepared to be ripped off. When the drivers asked for 125 pesos (an extra 16/17p each) we were not happy. We said no and waited for the next tricycle - "125". After a couple of times we realised that this 'white tax' was not going to be removed.
We checked into our accommodation, Bambooze Hauz (how fitting - it has booze in its name), napped and then headed out for dinner and drinks.
For dinner, we went to a restaurant called Hobbit House. When entering a venue with this name, and being approached by a dwarf to seat you at your table it is all a bit surreal. But when you look around and no waiter is tall enough to be seen, you have to seriously question the morals behind it. A big sign read "Worlds Smallest Waiters" - what an achievement. Congratulations!!
We all tucked in to some local dishes, with most of us ordering the chicken and pork adobo. After food, we grabbed a couple of cocktails and Andy and Dan went up on stage to perform. After receiving a huge round of applause from the four of us, we sorted the bill and headed for a walk back along the beach. This didn't last long. Dan saw a dance floor and disappeared. Within 10 minutes, Andy had bought a round of tequilas and there was only one way this night was heading.
A couples more rounds of tequila, some beers and some awesome dancing (including some Inbetweeners moves), and we headed on to Paraw bar. The drinking continued, Dan pulled a local (he is adamant she was not a prostitute), and at about 3.30 we headed back to the hostel.
The following morning Dan, Andy and Ed had to be at the dive school for 7am to do there introduction and refresher dives. For the next two days, Dan and Ed were completing there Open Water (OW) whilst Andy and I were completing our Advanced Open Water (AOW)
I headed to meet them at the dive shop to get our gear together. Dan and Ed had there first dive, whilst Andy and I had our navigation dive (one of two compulsory dives on the AOW).
For the first 15/20 minutes of the dive Andy and I had to complete some underwater navigation skills. These were a bit pointless but had to be done. One skill consisted of swimming one direction and taking note of visual marks (like different coral) to remember your way and swimming back. For obvious reasons fish were bad visual marks but that didn't stop me getting excited about the clown fish and spending the whole swim back looking for that one clown fish and not the coral.
Anyway, whilst Andy and I completed our skills, Dan and Ed sat on the sea bed and waited - a thrilling start to your first dive! After our skills we all headed for a swim around the coral. This didn't last long for Ed, who had started with just 150 bar of oxygen (you are suppose to start on 200). One of the guides took Ed up and it turns out that neither he or his buddy, Dan, had spotted this. What were they doing during their final checks?!?!
Overall, it was a good dive. The highlight was definitely seeing all the clown fish (like nemo). There were loads, including a family of four. I can't help but think Finding Nemo would have been a lot shorter if they had started their search at Boracay because I found him multiple times!
Our second dive of the day was the drift dive. This is where you let the current take you and you don't swim. It was a nice idea but the current wasn't that strong. It was not an amazing dive but it is one I will remember forever as I saw my first turtle!!! Amazing! It took 13 dives but I had finally seen one.
That was Dan and Ed done for the day but Andy and I had one more dive left. That was the night dive. As soon as the sun had set and it was dark we put on our gear and headed in off the beach. Torches were our only way of seeing things and entering the dark waters was a real thrill. As we got a couple of metres down, there were hundreds of tiny fish swimming around us, crashing into our heads, one even swam in my ear. This required a swim to the surface to get it out before heading back down. The marine life throughout the dive was pretty poor but we did manage to see a crab walking around on the sand and a scorpion fish chilling out.
That evening, Andy and I got back to find the others drinking. We had a couple with them before heading out for some late food. The two of us needed to be up early for some deep wreck dives and so jumped in a tricycle and headed back to the rooms. The others ended up out until about 6am.
Dive number 4 of the course was the second compulsory dive, the deep dive. Andy and I were buzzing because we were finally going to 30m and we were doing it around a shipwreck. It was incredible!! We dropped straight down and circled the ship. We then headed over the top to have a look in the cargo hole (from outside the boat).
When we came up, we were buzzing so much and could not wait for our final dive. This was the official wreck dive! We headed to a plane wreck. When we got to the bottom, the plane was upside down. Again we followed around the wreck, swimming under its wings, before going over the top. At one point, we popped our head in the door and our guide, Tony, put his torch in. The marine life was fantastic - there was a big lion fish in the propellor. So many fish, 30m down and a wreck. What more do you want?!?
That afternoon, Andy and I chilled whilst the others were diving and getting massages. This was also the day that Dave joined us. Dave is Andy's mate from work, and the seventh member of Equality Street.
We headed to karaoke and met up with the guys from the dive shop. After some food, beers and singing dominated by Dan, we headed to Exit bar. This is where Bram had to complete the snorkel challenge as he had just completed his Dive Master course. This was a heavy night. We ended up out drinking until about 4am and on arrival back to the hostel Ed suggested drinking more and not going to bed. A few of us went up to the room, drank vodka and watched the sun come up. What a great day it was going to be!!! The sun was out!!!
As the sun came out, we woke up the others. The sun in the Philippines is something we were yet to see. What would have happened if it never happened again? Anyway, we headed out for breakfast before heading to bed. I never made it back to bed........ I used the breakfast table as a pillow and passed out. Oops
After breakfast I headed to sleep the booze off whilst the others headed to play on the beach. This relaxing day doing nothing ended with a BBQ at the dive centre, followed by a night out. A decent night out with the highlight being Ed walking into a big glass door because he thought it was open.
So Boracay has been a great introduction to the Philippines - drinks, diving, fantastic beach, and a bit of sun. Lets hope it continues!
Josh x