Liquid Dumaguete v 2.0: My Advanced Open Water Diver Course
Having completed my Open Water Diver (OWD) Course at Liquid Dumaguete in Dauin just last October, I was more than eager to come back this month to take my Advanced Open Water Diver Course, revisit my diving “home base”, and most importantly, be part of Liquid Dumaguete’s Sunday Funday, a great initiative that the team began last December and will continue to do every first Sunday of the month.
Getting to Dauin
I’d been traveling through Iloilo and Bacolod the days before, and preferring land vs. air travel, I took a 6-hour bus ride from Bacolod to Dumaguete (I’d been on a 31-hour road trip before, so 6 hours is not a big deal), but given that I had only left Bacolod a little past 4pm, on account of my visit to Rapha Valley, this meant that I’d arrive at roughly 10:30. Upon my arrival at Dumaguete, it turned out that I’d have to wait for the 11:30 bus leaving Dumaguete for Dauin (since I arrived at a less than ideal time — it’s usually a worry-free 20-minute trip from Dumaguete to Dauin).
I cram myself into the bus departing for Dauin at 11:30pm, and get dropped off at the Petron station near Liquid, take a flashlight-guided 10-minute walk to the resort, and at around 12:00 midnight, feel grateful for arriving unscathed.
Again, by no means do I advise solo female travelers to do what I did at the time that I did it. Traveling solo at night isn’t exactly the smartest thing to do. But anyway.
Touchdown: Liquid Dumaguete
![Diving in Puerto Galera with Dive Instructor John Mateos Ong
Last Jan. 12-13, I managed to pull out just enough from what I have left in my savings (while ensuring I’d still have enough for my upcoming Iloilo-Bacolod-Dumaguete trip - I’m a super shoestring traveler, mind you) to join dive instructor John Mateos Ong’s students for a weekend of diving at Puerto Galera.
With Louie, Dive Instructor John, yours truly, and my age old friend Jane on the boat en route to Puerto Galera (photo c/o Michelle May Ong)
We arrived around 11, checked into El Galleon, had our lunch and looked forward to our dives at the renowned reefs of Puerto Galera.
After squirming into our wetsuits, prepping our weight belts, masks, booties, fins, BCDs (Buoyancy Control Device), regulators and tanks (with the help of the Asia Divers staff) we’d be off to our first two dives of the trip.
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Our BCDs, regulators and tanks all lined up and ready to go (photo c/o Michelle May Ong)
War of Nerves
This would be my first time to go diving after my Open Water Diver Course at Liquid Dumaguete, and I was really nervous to be diving with someone other than my instructor Adam who made me feel so safe and secure in spite of my initial reservations. (I have very little confidence in my swimming skills and my ability to hold my breath and my ability to stay calm when something scares or startles me several meters below sea level)
And after some tentativeness when water leaked into my mask on the surface (and delaying the second batch of divers), I finally got my shit together and began my descent.
We had our first dives at Monkey Beach and Sabang Wreck, descending 21m and 19m respectively. They were relaxing and pleasant dives that helped get me comfortable in the water again after some time away.
Unfortunately (or fortunately), I don’t have pictures or a video of the dive, because as tempting as a GoPro Hero 3 is, I don’t have the money to set aside for that right now. But that just means you’ll have to go down for a dive yourself. :) (I’ll share pictures here when John uploads his :P)
The next morning, I woke up to a serene and quiet picture of this. (taken from my Instagram)
Drift Dive at The Canyons
The day before John had asked the other girls if any of us was interested in diving with the more experienced boys in the Canyons. It was a drift dive (meaning the current would sort of take you on a ride), and was recommended only for advanced or experienced divers. I think all of us girls wanted to do it but were highly doubtful of our ability.
John was confident he could guide a newbie through it provided that he only had to focus on one person. Since no one else wanted to, I decided to go for it and try to challenge myself a little before taking my Advanced Open Water Diver Course in Dumaguete this February.
Flipping No Fins, You Won’t Get Too Far
We first dropped off at West Escarceo, where there was an abundance of corals as well, and a current. I thought the current was just making it harder for me to swim, when John pointed at my feet, and I lost a fin!!
This setback cost my dive mates some time (sorry again, guys!) and we had to resurface because the Asia Divers dive master would not allow us to go on with me having only one fin (which at that point I felt I actually still could go on swimming with only one fin - like a Nemo).
Good thing we replaced my lost fin though because our brief dive at West Escarceo did not prepare me for the current at The Canyons. Not to exaggerate, but there’s absolutely no way I could have made that dive without one fin, let alone without holding on to someone. You could literally see the fish swimming as if they were on an aquatic treadmill. There was a point wherein I was in a sort of whirlpool going round because the current was so strong. It was my most stressful dive to date, but I was so glad to be in John’s hands (quite literally). I was proud to have experienced it, in spite of losing my fin (and of course, having to pay for it :-S).
We took a break before our last dive of the trip, and after the mild trauma of losing my fin and getting stuck in such a strong current (I was hardly able to notice the corals at that point, to be honest), I told John I’d sit out the next dive to The Canyons and go with the girls instead, so the boys could swim uninhibited.
But with John’s encouragement, I dove with them to The Canyons again. And I’m so glad he convinced me because it was not nearly as strong in current. and there was one point where we reached a little enclave with a lot of violet, purple, and fuschia-colored colors some 30 meters deep, and I really felt like Ariel in the Under The Sea scene right before Sebastian sings…sans the singing aquatic life. That has been my favorite dive in my few 10 dives so far. Thank you, John, for your faith in me. Hehe.
With John’s other students, Sophie, Candy, Aimee, me, our dive masters, Diana, May, Louie, Jane, and Aze :) Thanks for adopting me! :P (photo c/o Michelle May Ong)
Diving with John / Jong
Any fears I had initially were unfounded, and it was nice to experience diving with another instructor, and if I had not planned to take my Advance Course in Dumaguete (since I’ll be headed in the area), I would have utmost faith in John to get me through it, with his 8 years experience in diving, 6 years in teaching, his patience, and his passion in making diving possible for Filipinos.
If you’re looking to explore diving (and I think you really should! Our country is the perfect place for that and it’s inexcusable not to experience it if you have the means to book trips abroad), check out Jong’s Dive Course Schedule (you can also just join in for fun dives if you’re looking for a group):
Feb 9/10 : Open Water Diver Course
Feb 16/17 : Open Water Diver Course
Feb 23/24 : Advanced Open Water Diver Course
Mar 16-18 : Coron Dive (fun dive)
Mar 23-24 : Open Water Diver Course
Mar 30-31 : Puerto Gallera Dive (fun dive)
Apr 20-21 : Open Water Diver Course
Apr 27-28 : Open Water Diver Course
May 11-12 : Open Water Diver Course
Aug 3-6 : Malapascua Dive (fun dive)
For more details on rates, packages, and possible discounts, get in touch with John via e-mail at artist_ph[at]yahoo[dot]com or via mobile at +63917-8111471.
Eat well, be merry, for tomorrow, you shall dive. ;)
Jen](http://24.media.tumblr.com/47456ef50bdd9e207566ad914a1adf77/tumblr_mh6hq35B2a1r0u81eo1_1280.jpg)
Diving in Puerto Galera with Dive Instructor John Mateos Ong
Last Jan. 12-13, I managed to pull out just enough from what I have left in my savings (while ensuring I’d still have enough for my upcoming Iloilo-Bacolod-Dumaguete trip - I’m a super shoestring traveler, mind you) to join dive instructor John Mateos Ong’s students for a weekend of diving at Puerto Galera.
With Louie, Dive Instructor John, yours truly, and my age old friend Jane on the boat en route to Puerto Galera (photo c/o Michelle May Ong)
We arrived around 11, checked into El Galleon, had our lunch and looked forward to our dives at the renowned reefs of Puerto Galera.
After squirming into our wetsuits, prepping our weight belts, masks, booties, fins, BCDs (Buoyancy Control Device), regulators and tanks (with the help of the Asia Divers staff) we’d be off to our first two dives of the trip.
![“Up” and About: An Age-defying Love & Adventure Story :)
On the long bus ride from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, I also couldn’t help but notice the couple seated in front of me through the gap between their seats. I’m a sucker for old couples, so I was really curious about their story.
When we got off the bus and boarded a tuk-tuk to the centre of Luang Prabang, I was fortunate enough to be in the same tuk-tuk as they were in. My Luang Prabang travel-mates, Yasuko, Mako, Jenney and I then learned that they’ve been traveling for 10 years now, with their sailboat. :) SOBRANG SWEET.
I knew at that moment I had to take their picture and get their full names and email address. I knew I’d have to write about them.
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When we got to town, we parted ways because we couldn’t all be booked at the same guest house. But I really hoped to meet them again in Luang Prabang. With Luang Prabang seeming like the prime example of “It’s A Small World”, we bumped into them on our trip to the weee!-inducing Tat Kuang Si.
There I sealed a deal to meet with them as I felt that there was so much more I wanted to know about their adventure. :)
Pierre and Catherine Neidhart have known each other for 20 years now, and let’s just say that Catherine is 50-something, and Pierre is 60-something, and they only got married 10 years ago, for practical reasons, just before they started traveling.
They travel with their sailboat which they park at docks or drop anchor at designated points, then either just stay around the area or travel by land to relatively nearby cities/towns or countries. :)
I can’t even really fathom the boat life, but they sail their boat with just the two of them, with each one having to keep night watches to make sure that they are on course and that they don’t crash into anything (cliff/boat/etc). There was a lot more I wanted to ask, but kept myself from prying too much as it was only our first time hanging out. :P
Nonetheless, with what they shared, it sounds like a wonderful life, and Pierre and Catherine’s similarly leisurely approach to traveling as mine is refreshing especially when meeting travelers who usually dedicate no more than 3 days per destination.
[Sharing Beerlaos and street food with the Neidharts :)]
Stupidly had my camera on the wrong setting so Catherine’s face was always blurred. And I think she got tired of all the pictures. :P
There’s no expressing how happy I was to spend time with Pierre and Catherine. It was simply precious…like having the comfort of parents around sans any potential nagging. There’s so much more I wish to know about their story, and one evening with them simply isn’t enough to hear all about their sailboat adventures, so I hope one day, the sea pushes them my way, and I can be a part of some of their future stories too. :)
Hugs to you, Pierre and Catherine!
Big grin on her face,Jen :D
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“Up” and About: An Age-defying Love & Adventure Story :)
On the long bus ride from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang, I also couldn’t help but notice the couple seated in front of me through the gap between their seats. I’m a sucker for old couples, so I was really curious about their story.
When we got off the bus and boarded a tuk-tuk to the centre of Luang Prabang, I was fortunate enough to be in the same tuk-tuk as they were in. My Luang Prabang travel-mates, Yasuko, Mako, Jenney and I then learned that they’ve been traveling for 10 years now, with their sailboat. :) SOBRANG SWEET.
I knew at that moment I had to take their picture and get their full names and email address. I knew I’d have to write about them.
![Impromptu Wet Pak Ou Cave “Adventure”August 7, 2012 - Luang Prabang, Laos
The rain wasn’t very cooperative at all in the first few days of my stay here in Luang Prabang, though it was significantly better than the weather situation in Manila at the time.
Nonetheless, Yasuko, and Jenney and Mako (who we met on the bus from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang) and I braved the rain and went out to explore what we could in the rain.
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We first walked a bit around town, checked out some temples:
Hung out at a cafe..
Checked out yet another temple (which we had to pay 20,000 kip for…which I feel was unwarranted, perhaps because I do not know of its more profound significance).
We then walked toward the river, in hopes of maybe finding a boat to take us to Pak Ou Cave. There, we bumped into 3 Dutch girls by the “boat station” and hopped onto a slow boat for 70,000 kip / person.
It was late in the day so we needed to ride a speedboat half the way to get there and back before dark, and we agreed.
We failed to ask if the speedboat was covered, and we hadn’t really planned on this at all, so no one else had a raincoat but me, none of us were in bikinis, nor did we have “wet bags” for our gear / valuables. So we were soaked (I’m not sure if it was by the rain or the river water, but it was all good fun (for a while…going back wasn’t so fun anymore and we were all just quiet as the rain pelted on our bodies).
And while there may be some truth to what guidebooks say about the ride to the cave being nicer / more fun than the cave itself, it was still worthwhile to go to due to the sheer number of buddha figurines.
I found out days after (again due to poor planning / research), that we could’ve dropped by a whiskey and/or weaving village either before or after going to the cave. Harhar.
No regrets about having the non-plan plan though. But thank you to Jenney for her Type A-ness and diligence in research. :)
Plan-rider,Jen
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Impromptu Wet Pak Ou Cave “Adventure”
August 7, 2012 - Luang Prabang, Laos
The rain wasn’t very cooperative at all in the first few days of my stay here in Luang Prabang, though it was significantly better than the weather situation in Manila at the time.
Nonetheless, Yasuko, and Jenney and Mako (who we met on the bus from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang) and I braved the rain and went out to explore what we could in the rain.
![Baan Chang Elephant Park Part 2: How To Train An Elephant (Or Try At Least)
After an awesome first day at Baan Chang, it was time for the “main event”!Time to train, trek and bathe with the elephaaaaants!! Gaaahh!
Now, I was wary about joining just any mahout training course because the last thing I wanted to do was help fund the inhumane treatment of elephants (similar to Mali’s case).
So, I tried to research as much as I could online, and I also wanted to talk to the Baan Chang tour coordinator in person to express my concern for the elephants’ well-being, and well, my power as a blogger (albeit not a super popular one, but still) to expose malicious acts to my readers. But you’ll never really know what they will be like until you get there.
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[With Dag, Michelle, Amy and Joe, waiting to be briefed in our not-so-fabulous mahout outfits]
[Feeding sugar cane to an elephant…yup, my hand’s in there somewhere. And they eat anywhere between 200-350 kilograms of food. Whut.]
The Use of Hooks / Weapons at Elephant Camps / Parks
After giving the elephants a morning snack, our head mahout Woody briefed us on proper elephant etiquette, and apologized in advance for the possibility of him using his hook on an elephant.
[Woody up front, with his hook, and other mahouts and their elephants in the background]
Woody explained that sometimes, some elephants do bad / naughty things to each other or to people, and the hook was used to discipline them. Sometimes, just showing them the hook would be enough to calm them down, and elephants have 3-inch thick skin, so it would have to take considerable force to hurt them.
I had also spoken to Tinar, the Baan Chang booking agent, about this, and she explained that sometimes, the use of the hook was necessary, and she felt better because Baan Chang was at least transparent about it, unlike other elephant camps who show the pretense of not using weapons on the elephants but concealing nails in their hands. :(
I am happy to report, however, that I did not see the mahouts use their hooks on their elephants, and I could feel that they really loved the elephant under their care.
[Elephant munching on bananas with his mahout resting on his back]
My Brief “Mahout” Stint
After being oriented, it was time! First, Woody taught us how to ride an elephant with the appropriate commands. I’m not sure I did it right though, but I think the elephant got it after a few times, and with the help of its mahout. :P
[Practicing alighting and disembarking from Tong-en :P]
[Trekking with Mae Hong something - I couldn’t quite catch what the mahout said the elephant’s name was. I shared an elephant with Jessica of England. You have to pay for 2 people if you want an elephant to yourself. :P]
After an all too brief trek (around 45 minutes - but it’s okay, we don’t want to overwork the elephants), it was time to bathe the elephants!
While I was looking forward to this fun activity, I was a bit worried about wading in a pond filled with elephant pee and floating chunks of poo. But it wasn’t nearly as foul-smelling as I thought it would be. Just be careful not to get the water in your eyes. :P
[Some humping action going on! Exhibitionist elephants :P]
[With our elephant’s mahout]
It was an awesome 2 days, and I would definitely do this again. :)View more pictures here.
Gotta rush off now!
Heading for Laos,Jen
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Baan Chang Elephant Park Part 2: How To Train An Elephant (Or Try At Least)
After an awesome first day at Baan Chang, it was time for the “main event”!
Time to train, trek and bathe with the elephaaaaants!! Gaaahh!
Now, I was wary about joining just any mahout training course because the last thing I wanted to do was help fund the inhumane treatment of elephants (similar to Mali’s case).
So, I tried to research as much as I could online, and I also wanted to talk to the Baan Chang tour coordinator in person to express my concern for the elephants’ well-being, and well, my power as a blogger (albeit not a super popular one, but still) to expose malicious acts to my readers. But you’ll never really know what they will be like until you get there.
![Baan Chang Elephant Park Part 1: Waterfalls, Rapids, Rafts & Lanterns
At $100 for only 2 days, this was the single most expensive thing I paid for in my trip so far, and I couldn’t be happier about the decision to push through with it.
I initially just wanted to take mahout training (elephant whispering), but when I saw Baan Chang’s packages, I figured I’d take 1 “adventure” day as well. Let me take you step by step through Day 1. :)
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First: Akha Village
There are a number of hill tribes advertised by different tour operators in Chiang Mai, and while I LOVE the idea of visiting hill tribes and seeing them in their beautifully woven traditional garbs (I love indigenous textiles), something about the other tours (particularly to the longneck tribes) made me feel like visiting them would be akin to visiting poor Mali in Manila Zoo, so I was quite put off by the idea and decided not to do something like that.
Akha Village didn’t feel zoo-like (though I noted how the ladies seemed rather desperate / dependent on tourists buying souvenirs).
Our guide also took us around the village showing elevated bamboo houses with thatched roofs, which amused my western tour-mates, and reminded me a lot of traditional provincial homes in the Philippines.
And then we’re off.
Second: Trek to Waterfalls
Having never owned a pair of trekking / hiking shoes / sandals, I didn’t buy one specifically for this either. And I was okay with that. Even when early in the trek, I fell flat on my butt on account of the super slippery mud brought about by the rain (Mishi, you would have been happy to see this happen to me).
At this point, I am glad that Hariharalaya had got me accustomed to walking barefoot on the ground, and I continue some 45 minutes to the waterfalls on bare feet. :)
I was on the same tour as Welsh couple Joe and Amy, and Swedish-Canadian couple Dag and Michelle, and I appreciate the fact that they kept checking up on me and how I was doing (Michelle, in particular). It really is sweet how some strangers look out for you when you’re alone. :)
[With Michelle on the trail]
[Joe & Amy]
[See first photo in this post for waterfalls :)]
While I thought the Mapawa river trek and Iligan waterfalls (both in my beautiful country, The Philippines), which I had gone to on a Cagayan de Oro trip earlier this year, were more awesome than this, I was still happy to have gone on at least one trek in Thailand (:P), and with good company. But we were just getting warmed up for…
Third & Fourth: White Water and Bamboo-Rafting
I didn’t expect much from this either because I was told it would only be 45 minutes (as opposed to my 3-4 hour rafting adventure again in CDO), but we did have a couple of thrilling moments. I realized we don’t ALWAYS have to compare which one was the more adrenalin-pumping adventure. What really matters is that we have good fun either way, and it wasn’t hard with good company. :)
When the river’s excitement died down, we changed rafts to enjoy a more peaceful ride through the river.
[With my “arch-nemesis” Dag, and people from another group]
[Michelle & Amy]
…
Overnight at Baan Chang Elephant Park
After that, we head back to Baan Chang to get cleaned up. Since we booked a 2-day thing, we had accommodations at the park. And while the rooms were spartan, the surroundings were uh-mazing.
[Dag & Michelle by our baan / house]
Longan trees surrounded the place, and you were free to get as much as you could eat. They were big, sweet, and juicy too. My dear mother would have a field day here.
Later that night, we would have dinner. More than we could really eat. And even later that night, we would be in for a bigger surprise.
If you plan on going to Baan Chang for an overnight stay and be delighted by an activity that is not otherwise stated in their brochure / catalog, then DON’T READ ON.
I was happy that I didn’t see this coming.
After dinner, our guide Woody…
…created a bonfire, and he and the other mahouts would gather around singing their campfire songs of choice (Boyzone and other boy band-y songs, but good fun nonetheless) with a makeshift drum set from aluminum containers of oil.
They also roasted a couple of bamboo stalks, which we would later discover encased sticky rice with coconut milk and sugar (like the Filipino suman).
But the most delightful surprise was yet to come.
Woody later brought out these giant paper lanterns for us to send a wish to the heavens with.
Bye-bye, wish. Please come true.
Day 2 post on my mahout training coming up.
But hey, Day 1 and I already got more than I hoped for.So thank you, paper lantern.
Catching a falling star and putting it in her pocket,Jen
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Baan Chang Elephant Park Part 1: Waterfalls, Rapids, Rafts & Lanterns
At $100 for only 2 days, this was the single most expensive thing I paid for in my trip so far, and I couldn’t be happier about the decision to push through with it.
I initially just wanted to take mahout training (elephant whispering), but when I saw Baan Chang’s packages, I figured I’d take 1 “adventure” day as well. Let me take you step by step through Day 1. :)
My “Epic Adventure”: Turtle Travel
Everyone’s been wishing me well on this “epic adventure” I’m embarking on, and I’m sure it will be, but we all have subjective definitions of what an “epic adventure” is, but believe it or not, prior to my arrival here at Siem Reap, I only really had in my head that I would spend my first day here watching Season 4 of Breaking Bad. And followers of the series will know just what an epic adventure THAT is. Haha.
I actually wound up doing a DIY Nomad Manager Cambodian Arts & Crafts Walking Tour though, but that’s not my point here.
This is just me wanting to manage the expectations of people following this blog and people saying I should do this or that. I plan to discover things about Cambodia (and Thailand, Myanmar/Laos, and Sri Lanka later in this trip), meet new people, but all at my own pace (which is akin to turtle-paced travel), and not in some frenzy as if my life depended on stepping foot on each and every tourist attraction.
Day 3: Bukidnon (Dahilayan Forest Park + Dahilayan Adventure Park + Pineappling)
Our CDO trip was jampacked with adventure (see day 1 and day 2 here), and it’s kind of hard to pick which activity/adventure I loved best because they were all fun in their own right. But the place I loved the most in our CDO-Bukidnon-Camiguin-Iligan trip was undoubtedly Bukidnon.
And this was the first thing I did:
