Check-in is super quick, helps when it’s carry on only.
The friendly security guy at work says “traveling again” as I enter the turnstiles at work - yes I am.
I have a few minutes wait before the train arrives; enough time to get the heart rate down after the crazy time at work and moving hotels (for this trip) at the complete eleventh hour!
Whizzing through the two passport controls then security is super-fast - I’d even say probably the quickest I’ve ever had. Amazing gives its CNY Eve.
Within 45 minutes of leaving my desk I’m walking into the Qantas lounge. Aaah.
At 4.15pm I decide I should leave the Qantas lounge and wander to the gate. It’s definitely spot the person not wearing a mask (me included).
I pass one of the Cathay lounges before heading to the gate and make a decision to pop in quickly. Within minutes of arriving I receive a text from Cathay - this can only mean one thing......my flight has been delayed. This happened last time too. And bingo I’m right; this time by 35 minutes. A glass of Mumm champagne helps to pass the time.
We finally pull back from the gate at 6.02pm; basically 50 minutes late.
The sunset as we get higher and higher is amazing.
We land into Manila at 8.05pm; 40 minutes later than scheduled. There is a plane that is heading our way so we need to stay put for a few minutes.
It’s a quick brisk walk to immigration and within minutes I’m through. Didn’t even need the APEC line.
Finding the driver takes a bit of time; in the end I run into the guy I was sitting next too and he allows me to use his phone. Within seconds my driver pokes his head through the door. Bingo.
The car park is soooo much quieter than it was last time I was here! Crazy the difference. After paying the fee we pull out at 8.43pm. Anilao here I come.
As soon as we pull onto the toll booth for the skyway (elevated highway) I realize all the cars are here. It’s a massive traffic jam (standard Manila traffics).
Traffic is basically back to back but at least we are moving….just! To add to the fun it starts to rain.
I manage to doze / nap for at least half of the journey, helps to pass time.
Finally we turn down our street - 7.5 km until we reach La Chevrerie (my home for the next four days).
Two hours 45 minutes after leaving Manila we arrive. Sleep is needed.
I have to register with the receptionist upon arrival which only takes a few minutes.
Even though I’m tired I’m also quite wired. Laur is still awake so we chat while I find what I need for tonight before crawling into bed 5 minutes before midnight - too late for me!
I wake just before 7am on New Year’s Day (Saturday 25 January), the Year is the Rat. More sleep is needed.
Sitting outside listening to the sound of the waves is super relaxing. Shame its overcast and there are mozzies around already.
I don’t last long as the mozzies increase and so do the number of bites on my legs.
Sitting here with the smell of my coffee and the sound of the waves is blissful. Thankfully there is blue sky poking through the grey clouds.
In typical fashion it’s like running a half marathon putting on the wet suit. Once on I decide I’ll be wearing it for the whole four days!!
Dive 1 is at Sombero Island, which I’ve been to before. My new mask proves not so great....fogs up within seconds of getting into the water. Definitely need to sort this!! Each time I clean the mask I can see again....for 10 seconds. I did manage to see a few things - large turtle; trumpet fish; coral coral and more coral; and a large variety of all different types and sizes of fish.
We hang out around the island for our surface interval. The longer we have up the longer we can be at our bottom time for dive 2. My dive master manages to borrow a lighter from the boat next door and burns my mask. Let’s hope this works.
Dive 2 has a false start with my mask fogging up; Mark (dive master) decides we’ll change it so up we go....just as I get my ear to a good place. At least now I can see clearly!! We saw trumpet fish, moral eel, mantis shrimp, lion fish and nudibranchs.
I head to lunch after cleaning all my gear and doing my dive logs. Must write notes after each dive tomorrow as I struggle to remember things from the first dive.
Laur comes to join me after her massage.
Aah this is the life - total relaxation lying in the sun listening to the sounds of the waves and daily life go about around us. I already feel like I’ve been out of HK for days (it’s been less than 24 hours).
Sun set is spectacular!
I don’t want a repeat of breakfast this morning (mozzie attack) so decide it’s trousers for dinner.
I wake before my alarm on Sunday 26 January - it’s a relaxed start to the day.
Breakfast is enjoyed outside.
We head back to Somboro Island for our first dive. Today Laur is diving with me. We saw a sleeping turtle (under a rock0, Moorish idol, nudibranchs, puffer fish, singular yellow spotted jack fish, anthies fish and many more! It was like being in an aquarium,
At the surface Mark informs me we need to burn my mask again - 100% we do! The right side was ok but the left not so good.
We cruise the Arthur’s Point, where we will be diving for our second dive, for our surface time. It’s a tad busy compared to our earlier dive spot.
For Dive 2 we decide I’ll dive with the hotel mask. Much better! We saw a large turtle, school of bat fish, trumpet fish, two white mushroom eels, large emperor snapper, puffer fish, sting ray and so much more!
The afternoon is spent relaxing on the sun loungers listening to the waves and breeze within the palm trees. Yes a great life!!
It’s a nice change to swim in chlorine rather than sea water.
Sunset is stunning again! A sight I never get sick off.
The waves are louder than during the day while we eat dinner - still soothing though.
We are woken at 2.48am on Monday 27 January by an earthquake. Wholly smoke! Google informs us the epicentre is in the area we are staying. There are a number of other earthquakes / aftershocks.
Shortly after going back to bed a few more earthquakes / aftershocks happen; I’m so tired and thankfully they aren’t big that I stay put.
I wake again just after 7.30am. More sleep is definitely needed. Fingers crossed we don’t have a repeat tonight!!
A super strong coffee is needed this morning! My view while sitting here is delightful.
We are cruising down the highway (sea) in the hot hot sun, it seems so much later than 10.15am.
My new mask was great for the first 43 minutes of dive 1 (then the last 12 minutes not so good). We are slowly getting there!! We saw large trumpet fish, lots of giant clams, parrot fish, school of butterfly fish, to large squid, school of angle fish, school of smaller squid and man many more! At one stage in the dive Mark hands Laur a water bottle filled with bread – as soon as she takes the lid off the fish surround her! Fish feeding time. My turn and it’s quite freaky when they touch your fingers. Once is enough for me :)
I had decided earlier that I need to try out my snorkel before I return back to Hong Kong so after de-kitting my dive gear I jump back in. Mask and snorkel work aok.
Back onto the boat and we cruise to our second dive spot.
My left ear takes longer than usual (on this dive trip) to equalize which is frustrating but we finally get there. Visibility wasn’t great again but we still saw lots. Definitely love diving in the Philippines as you always get to see so much more than other places.
We saw a rainbow eel, razor fish schools, trumpet fish, boxing shrimp, bat fish, school of silver fish yellow striped, boxing shrimp and so much more! Vistamar is the site where a boat sank, which we swam under along with a “restaurant”. We sat around a table for a few minutes.
Back at the hotel we clean our gear then head straight to lunch. There is only one other person around - heaven!
I have the afternoon relaxing on a sun lounger; Laur has a massage then joins me. A great way to spend an afternoon.
Packing up takes what seems like two seconds - we are both going back with three quarters of our stuff clean.
We watch the moon slowly descend while eating dinner listening to the sounds of the waves. Not entirely sure why the moon disappeared. Google isn’t being helpful when I ask for a reason,
I wake at 3.30am on Tuesday 28 January, far too early to rise! Hoping my blocked nose is due to the air conditioning. I manage to nap for a few more hours.
Sitting at breakfast watching the waves and the dive boats head out for the day is super soothing.
Must ensure my next break involves the sea or at least water.
It’s a relaxing breakfast before we head to the sun lounges for a few hours. The hotel is sooo peaceful as the big group has gone.
We enjoy our last lunch sitting outside listening to the sound of the waves - I would never get bored of this life! I feel like I’ve been gone longer than 4 days which is awesome.
Two hours 15 minutes after leaving the hotel we arrive at Manila airport. And that is with a 10 minute stop. So much for “could be 4 hours”.
As always it’s a long line to get into the terminal. Security staff check you have a flight out. We decide to try to get on the earlier flight to Hong Kong so it’s a fast walk to the Cathay check-in aisle. Unfortunately it doesn’t work out as it’s already full, but Laur does manage to change her flight to my one (without paying). Thank goodness we have the Cathay lounge to go into.
I manage to get Laur through the APEC line with me; no questions were asked. Major win as the immigration line was looooong!
Now that I have WiFi again messages start to come in about what’s going on in Hong Kong (due to the Coronavirus). Work has also sent emails on what to do if you or a family member has recently been in Hong Kong. Meg, who Laur lives with, returned from China on Wednesday night so we both email our bosses. I’ll be working from home for the next three days and Lauren until mid next week.
We pull back from the gate a couple of minutes ahead of schedule. Let’s hope it’s a speedy flight across the ditch.
It’s been a fantastic 4 days away, as I said earlier it seems like it’s been much longer.
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