Sunday morning, at 6:00 am on the dot – electricity goes out. After a short wait, it’s clearly not coming back on and several nearby resorts start their generators. The power company says it’ll be back on at 16:00 (4 pm) and sure enough, the power comes back on exactly 10 hours later at 4:00 [...]
Source I have not heard anything about this at all – but it’s in the news. MANILA, Philippines – A German citizen drowned after suffering a heart attack while swimming in the waters of the popular tourist destination Boracay Island, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported Monday. Reports reaching PCG headquarters in Manila said Harmut [...]
The Boracay Blackout Alliance isn’t about power outages or brownouts, it’s about the mysterious affliction whereby people suddenly do things for no other reason than it being out of their normal character. Normally this happens when alone; the fact that it’s often caught in public is a hint just how common this occurrence really is. [...]
Got up early Sunday for some swimming and snorkeling before the homies started acting like opening day at a trailer-park swimming pool…about 5:30 or 6am. Annnnnnd….brownout, just as I step outside. No bother, not going to be home anyway. Out swimming around was pretty good although visibility was poor. Got about 1.5 kilometers out and [...]
This goes to show that something as benign as snorkeling might claim lives in a 100% tourist setting. Many tourists don’t swim so the operators put them in life-vests, mask/snorkel, and fins to go put-putting around a shallow coral area. Imagine a group of people, all face down in the water with life vests and [...]
The winds finally changed directions for Habagat season, meaning my western side of the island is getting cooler air and my happy ass can go outside. With the wind, it’s like the difference between night and day for temperature around here. I spent most of the day in the water, something I’ve not done in [...]
Earlier this year and during the year before there was a good deal of firearm violations involving larger property owners hiring off-duty security guys to go shoot-em-up over land ownership disputes, property line disputes, and once just for the hell of it at an elementary school. Although local media misrepresented it with stories about no tourists [...]
It’s gotta be Island Karma coming my way because I put up with so much scamming – and finally, things are falling into place. A nice warm fuzzy. It seems I ripped the zipper off my shorts a few nights ago and only hope that was after getting home. Upon waking, I remembered finding that [...]
After eating nothing but pure red meat for two days solid and drinking a couple liters of rum, we arrive at some ‘me time’ in the bathroom during another brownout. Just as the task at hand was becoming violent, I looked up to see this. OMG did things end badly in an instant. Use the [...]
Finally made it home to Boracay and dysentary. I’d forgotten the water here, even tooth-brushing and showering, is pretty contaminated. Well, I didn’t forget, just kinda assumed it wouldnt be hard on me as if aclimetized like before. I cope with large amounts of Tanduay rum and take-out food. And mangos, loves me some mangos. [...]
Leaving Hostel 1632, I had forgotten, is a pain in the ass. You can spend hundreds of dollars there and they make you wait to check-out while they count the towels, mini bar, furniture, and ashtrays… it’s slow. And just like last time, they tried padding the minibar bill with items I didn’t use (and [...]
Is there a curse on planes that visit the Caticlan airport servicing Boracay in the Philippines? Now we have one that had just left Caticlan and slides off the runway in Manila. Just a month ago, another SeAir plane had a jacked-up landing there. MANILA — A plane carrying 32 people from the Philippines resort [...]
Leaving Boracay was a pain that started with some east-euro guy asking if I was leaving – yea, I don’t mind pausing my trudge uphill with luggage in the oppressive heat to stop and have a chat. Next was the resident/non fees. I’m just about sick that people keep telling me “just tell them you’re [...]
Theres been another crash by Zest Air at the Caticlan airport that serves as entrance to Boracay. Although no-one was hurt this time, its a troubeling trend for the airliner. In the January 2009 crash, (truly a crash), they painted over all the Zest Air markings and colors within hours of impact. Seems that almost [...]
A few days ago, a dive instructor asked why I’ve only gone diving with Blue Mango during my two years on Boracay: They treat me like a family friend, not like a customer. Simple as that. Went on a excellent dive at Friday’s Rock with a young Australian couple, Dustin, and myself. We back-rolled down [...]
Went diving yesterday to Crocodile on the south-east side of Boracay in the morning. It was pretty good but cloudy so the colors weren’t out. Dropped on buoy, went down and out on the wall, wall back, up, and kicked around in the shallows at 10 meters. Next dive was to Camia II in the [...]
The internet connection at home has been sketchy for a few weeks. Seems be a guaranteed outage if it rains or the wind blows or, like today, no reason whatsoever. We’ve been having sporadic brownouts and rain every day for a few weeks now. Don’t know if thats causing it – my bet is the [...]
Went diving yesterday after a few months off – and now, I hurt. Thankfully the water was nice and cool with overhead cloudiness. I really do know better, but of course failed to use sunblock. It was a double dive with Blue Mango’s new instructor, Tom (UK). He’s spent the last 8 months with the [...]
“MANILA: The Department of Health is officially announcing this evening the first confirmed case of influenza A(H1N1) in the Philippines,” Francisco Duque told reporters here by teleconference from the Geneva headquarters of the WHO. A 10-year-old girl has become the first Influenza A(H1N1) flu case in the Philippines, the health department said on Thursday. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/430947/1/.html [...]
Which is 3 more than I normally eat in a 24hr period. Insomnia had me out early and down at Blue Mango for breakfast, 2 eggs however you want them, wheat bread toast, bacon (or ham slice), and mango jam & butter. Wow, breakfast…. me….who would have thought?! A few hours later I got the [...]
In a revolutionary marketing move, Andoks is offsetting the unhealthy nutrition image of the menu by introducing brand-name pharmacies. Or possibly it’s meant for employees? If you look to the left, you’ll see they also seem to be the owners of the Obama Bar & Grill.
The night started simply enough being alone with myself, but ended with obscene quantities of tequila and tacos. I don’t have a single picture: which is probably for the best. No need for evidence. Was planing on doing some coding so I got some take-out from Cocolocos: sliced beef w/vegetables, sliced chicken in bamboo shoots, [...]
Went out with some friends and Chad took pics with me and a tequila bottle – don’t remember it. Summer Place was in there somehow. I do remember a girl sticking her daisy-dukes in my face at Bom Boms. Made a 2,000 peso order for tacos at Jammers and being about 300p short, handed the [...]
Its been a long bloom this year, and thicker than anyone can remember. Not only are the sea urchin counts sky-high, but the Crown of Thorn starfish is likely to bloom as well. These are cellphone pics so don’t use the PicLens or slideshow option, just click the first one and navigate from there.