This is Athens 2014

9 years ago, me and my girlfriend was deciding between Greece or Russia for our backpacking trip.  In the end, Russia won and Greece was forever forgotten as the place that might have been.  Until now.  Luck has it that I won the lucky draw to fly to Greece for a 2 week business trip during March, which was not the peak season but weather was alright.  Woohoo! What goes around comes around eh?

Graffiti walls

 

Impression of Athens - You can literally FEEL the economic turmoil in the city.  Looking around, the buildings are all half done, dilapidated, rundown.  Graffiti graced the walls of the streets and buildings. That's not a bad thing artistically.  But being in this city, you KNOW they are experiencing financial trouble.  People are just happy having work, no matter what.  Taxis lined the city, empty and eager to have their first customers.  Comparatively, Greece or rather Athens is a lot cheaper than the other EU countries!  A 20min taxi ride costs only EUR15 max.  Can you say that for a taxi ride in Germany? Or for that matter, I took a 40min ride in Amsterdam that costs EUR88! The metro system is pretty great.  EUR1.40 for 1 ticket that gets you anywhere you want to go, and free transfer within 90minutes to buses/trams.  That's pretty cool!

 

Understanding the history of Greece, where greek gods materialised, riches prosper in the BC era, it is a stark contrast to the powerhouse it was centuries and decades ago.  This is a country full of archaelogical history, Greek mythology permeates through and through.  Almost every stones and marbles have their histories dated back to BC.  And this is my experience of my visit in Athens, however short it is.

 

Of course, Athens and Acropolis are synonymous.  Why would you come all the way to Athens and NOT go to visit Acropolis? Heck, you can see the Acropolis whereever you are in Athens city. Even if you did not go to visit the site, you CANNOT say you haven't seen it!  Athens doesn't really have high rise buildings in the city center.  It's financial center (if there still is one) is outside of this city center, so everything is rather flat here.  Hotels are no taller than 8 stories so everything is lower than the Acropolis.  The history of Acropolis - google it.  If you know feng shui, then you know that is the reason why they chose to build temples of worship on top of that rock.  Temples to worship the daughter of Zeus - Athena, the god of war.  Over the years, the sacred place was occupied by Romans, Turks etc and looted by the British etc.  And now, all that is left is the ruins. 

 

Parthenon

 

Parthenon is a pale remains of what it once was, coupled with the fact that construction and restoration works are happening since forever, you literally do not see the Parthenon but just cranes and concretes lying around.  It's just me, but sometimes I think, maybe it's best to leave the ruins as it is, for people to truly understand what happened to it, and marvel at the fact that it once was so majestic and now all that is left is half of what it once was, the regret, the history behind it.  Replicas and models should stay in the museum to educate people.  Having cranes and constructions around the actual ruins are unsightly and really just downgrade the experience a little.  I'm all for preserving them, but recreating them?  On the actual site? I'm not sure.  Just doesn't feel real anymore does it?  Imagine 30 years later, you visit the Parthenon all nicely built up as it once was and you would think wow, yea that's it.  Can you really appreciate the history behind it, the workmanship behind it? Cos a recreation would be made using modern technology, not how the ancient people just stacked the stones together using geometry and science.  But enough of preaching.  To each his/her own.  I like my ruins/historical artifact rustic and original.

 

Dionysus Theater

 

Back to Acropolis.  It is a HUGE site, that being said, you can of course do it in one day depending on what you want to see and get out of it.  The main site is Parthenon Acropolis site, where basically it is concentrated in one area.  Getting up, going around take no more than 1-1.5 hour.  The all in ticket price is EUR12 which gives you access to the main site, the Olympus of Zeus, the Agora sites and some other small ones.  Once there, you can choose to hire an independent guide.  Not sure how much that costs, cos I didn't get one.  It's a good idea if you are a group to share the cost as they will tell you the history and stories behind which would make for a more interesting and meaningful visit.

 

It's a climb up to the top but nothing strenous.  Along the way you are greeted with the view of Athens.  Up at the top, you will find yourself surrounded by tourists.  March is not really the peak season but the weather was great and sunny and so tourists were all out.  Still not overly crowded.

The excavation

 

Just across the Acropolis is the New Acropolis Museum.  This is not included in the all in ticket and costs EUR5 to enter.  In there you will see all the artifacts from the Acropolis.  They are currently excavating the underground to build a pathway for visitors to walk through the real archaelogical site.  Not sure when that will be completed but once done I think it will be rather awesome.  The museum is very interesting and I would highly recommend a visit.  It tells you stories of the Greek God historys and there is a video show of the Parthenon history as well! Give yourself about 45mins to tour the museum. 

 

Just opposite the Acropolis is the Temple of Zeus.  It is a big site but really it is just a few pillars of ruins.  This site does not have the construction going on as in Acropolis and is an easy 15mins visit.

 

Temple of Zeus

 

After which you could weave your way through the narrow streets of Plaka, Psiri where cafes and small shops lined the streets.

 

Another nice site to visit would be the Lycabettus Hill.  Ignore the hotel reception who advice you against walking up the hill (saying it would take you 1 hour) and take the cable car instead.  The walk up took me only 20 minutes and it is really not as hard as they made it out to be.  And anyway I couldn't find the cable car station!  My hotel was situated along Alexandra Ave so it was an easy 30min walk from my hotel to the base where I started my climb.  Up at the top you have a couple of cafes and restaurants where you can sit and enjoy the view of Athens.  From the top you can also see Acropolis from afar.  Really it is not THAT hard to NOT see Acropolis.  This makes for a nice short hike away from the bustle of the center.  There is an open air theater and during summer time, there are concerts held there outdoors.  Would be pretty cool!

Lycabettus Hill

 

I took another day trip outside of Athens down south to Sounion to visit the Temple of Poseidon.  As you know Poseidon is associated with water so obviously his temple is built along the coast!  There is an orange KTEL bus that goes from Athens to Sounion, running from 830am, once every 2 hours, last bus out at 430pm.  Coming back from Sounion is around 12 noon, also once every 2 hours last bus back at 6pm.  This is the coastal route, which is the recommended one.  There is also an inland route but the last bus back is also around 6-ish.  So unless you drive, you would not be able to enjoy the sunset.  The trip took just 2 hours and costs EUR6.30 each way.  My hotel is just located opposite the terminal bus stop which was very convenient.  They also stop along the way in the city center.

Temple of Poseidon

 

I must say I love this site the most.  First, the scenery of coastal and water already took my heart.  The temple is not as majestic as Parthenon.  In fact it was a little like Temple of Zeus but just the location was good enough!  As usual, there was construction going on.  You could walk around the little hill to the edges and you are literally on the southern most tip of the Greek mainland!  The entrance fee is EUR4.  Sometimes you wonder, why do I pay so much to see just 6-8 pillars.  But it goes to the preservation work so I do hope they spend it wisely. 

 

 

That pretty much marks my trip in Athens.  Oh and the food.  Yea it is a lot of cheese (especially feta cheese) and bread...  And I did try the local alcohol - Ouzo, Raki, Mastiha and such.  They are strong!  Even the wines are strong.  Yes it was wine and dine almost every night in Greece.  Generally the locals are pretty friendly and nice.  Well, except maybe some creepy Greek men who seem to be lurking around targeting Asians. Ok I'm not trying to sound racist or anything, but seriously I have had 3 encounters.  And it does seem to me that their eyes brighten up when they see an Asian female or they get really interested when they see an Asian female face.  Obviously they don't when they see a Causasian female face who is equally young and beautiful. 

 

Next up Mykonos!

Once Upon A Hike Up Mt Apo, Philippines

Mt Apo, at 2,950m above sea level, is the tallest mountain in Philippines.  The shortest trek is about 15km, and takes a minimum 2 days to complete the trail.  You would think you could do it in 1 day, technically, if you don't count day and night, you could possibly, but you wouldn't want to do it in the dark.  Every year, they have a race up Mt Apo and the record time at the moment is held by a local at 12H.  Interestingly, the race consist of mountain biking, running up and down and white water tubing for the last leg!!

 

My expedition started with online research on how to go about doing a trek up Mt Apo.  There are several routes, the more common ones involving Kapatangan-Kidapawan or Kapatangan-Kapatangan or Kidapawan-Kidapawan.  Note that as I mentioned in my previous post Climbing Mt Apo The DIY way, Kidapawan trek involves about 6 river crossings which could get dangerous during the rainy season or when it rains.  If you do not want to get wet, avoid Kidapawan. 

 

After much research, I decided to go with Mt Apo Adventures who organizes group trips up Mt Apo via the Sibulan Trail (which is Kapatangan-Kapatangan), one of the easiest trail.  Sir Albert Gabriel (adventuregabo@yahoo.com) is very helpful and did a good job organizing the trip.  My email to him was replied almost on the same exact day and all questions were answered without me even meeting him!  His packages and prices are all listed in the website link I provided (just click on the Mt Apo Adventures), and they are pretty reasonable given that everything is provided for.  If you are looking at doing other trails (his website does provide the different trails), you can email and ask him about it and he can advise you on it.

 

I find this the most value for money as they include practically everything - food, tent, sleeping bag, hiking sticks, transportation and even 1 night stay at Davao city!  For my single air-con room (with cable TV and attached bathroom), it costs approximately P560 per night with breakfast.  The hotel is D'Counter Executive Dormitel which I would say is pretty value for money.  There is hot shower too if you ask.  As I wasn't going to bring a fleece jacket, Sir Albert even provided a fleece jacket for me, free of charge!  Plus, we get a souvenir T-Shirt (which is pretty cool) and certificate after the climb.  Putting two and two together and considering all the factors, I decided to go with him.  There were 11 of us in the group, so the cost per person was P4,700.  Pretty value for money I would say.

 

And so it was, on the 28th January 2014, I found myself up at 6am in the morning, met up and sat through the briefing with Sir Albert and also made payment for the hike.  Our 11 people consisted of 4 locals, 2 Chinese, 2 couples living in Australia and me.  And accompanying us were 6 porters and 1 guide (Aman).  Our little van took us to Kapatangan drop off point within about 3H and we started the hike just after noon.  Weather was pretty good on the first day of hike and it was all uphill in the forest.  Before we get into the forest though, we had to walk through thick bushes, if you do not want to get cut on your legs/arms, wear protection on them or change into long pants before changing back.  Me, I just went with the cuts.  The first day hike was a lot of 60 degree incline in the forest, some parts are a little slippery.  There are markers on the branches in case you fall behind the pack but in some areas, the markers are not as clear.  Generally it was not too difficult to follow.

Passing by the village

 

Our group quickly separated into 3 - Us 5 (Australians and me) with our guide were at the front, then the 2 Chinese, and the 4 locals were way back.  Technically, the forest part was not very difficult going up.  If you have done Kinabalu, this is not too difficult but without the nicely paved steps.  Our group arrived in Camp 1 in 3 hours, and the others followed an hour later.  Between the beginning (where we passed through 2 villages) and Camp 1, there is no water source, so pack your water source sufficiently.  There is a slow stream at Camp 1, where the water is drinkable.  If you are more conscious, you can bring purifying tablets.  Me, I drank the water and I'm fine!

Camp 1 - our tents

 

Our 3 porters (with the food and half the tents) got 'lost' somewhere.  Well porters don't get lost, but 2 of them technically waited for each other at opposite ends and ended up just waiting at the wrong place until our guides went down to find them.  So our dinner got delayed, and while we waited, it was freezing cold!  I was wearing 3 layers - Long sleeved shirt + Down jacket + Fleece, and 2 layers of pants (thick leggings + pants) and beanie and gloves.  Please be prepared for the cold at night because it IS REALLY COLD!!! Temperatures drop to 2-8 celsius at night.

 

Dinner was freshly cooked by our porters and guide and was pork sinigang with rice on the first night.  If you have special dietary restrictions, tell Sir Albert and he will arrange.  I got my fish and eggs.  Everyone just conked out right after dinner as we have an early morning start the next day.  It is essential to really keep warm to get a good night's sleep.

 

The next morning, woke up at 6-ish and had our breakfast of hot milo with luncheon meat and rice. Once again, my special was eggs with bittergourd.  Then it was break camp, fill water and onwards travel.  Do fill up the water at this stage as there will NOT be any waterholes until you reach the summit. 

Breakfast time

The hike up to Camp 2 was pretty steep and still within the forest area.  We took 1H to get to the start of the boulders.  (*Note:  when I mention "we" I mean the group of 6 of us - Australians and me and the guide.  As an estimation, the rest of the group was about 1-1.5H behind us) After which it was a 2 hour hike/climb up the boulders.  Compared to Mt Kinabalu, these are looser and jagged rock surfaces whereas Kinabalu was relatively flat rock surfaces.  I did Kinabalu in 1 day meaning I was at the rocks mid morning when the sun was shining bright and it was more difficult then with the altitude and the sun.  Mt Apo boulders going up, though looser rocks, I didn't feel too much of the thin air and the sky was a little cloudy so was not as tough.  But with loose rocks, it meant that some parts were a little tricky.

Bouldering

 

We had a short lunch break when it started to rain.  But we have come too far to NOT make it to the top.  So we took a 30min hike up to the mirror summit just for the sake of it (though we really couldn't see anything as fog was everywhere!!).  Then it was a 15min hike down to our campsite for the night near the summit.  It was 130pm when we arrived.  This camp site was beautiful, right within the valley.  There is a water source here but the water tasted a little sulphurish, although it is still safe for drinking.  Then we all settled into our tents to seek warmth while the rest arrived later. 

Misty campsite

 

With the foggy weather, we knew there was no chance of a sunset, but still we tried our luck and went up anyways.  No sunset but the view was pretty awesome.  Our dinner that night was Pasta with Tomato sauce and tuna.  Everyone just went crazy when we saw pasta! Something other than rice :)  It was pretty good! 

 

As soon as we were done eating, it was lights out as the next day we had to wake up at 430am for the sunrise.  The night was really freezing cold.  Up here, the temperatures probably dropped to -2 and it was too cold to sleep.  Note to self and others - Keep your feet super warm because my feet were freezing cold and couldn't sleep because of that.

Next morning at 445am, we went up to the highest point of Mt Apo for the sunrise (about a 15min hike).  And we waited, in the freezing cold, for the sun to slowly rise up.  It was really amazing view as  you can see Davao below, samal island and talikud island.  We stayed up there for an hour or so taking pictures and just revelling in the feeling of being on top.  Not to mention shivering in the cold.

 

 

Mighty 5 (haha) - Cold.....

 

After a quick breakfast, it was break camp and we started our descent at 730am.  Going down, it is best to start as early as possible as you do not want to be caught in the afternoon showers or going down in dimming lights.

Me and the guide/porter

Crater Lake

 

The hike down brought us through a different boulder path than we came up and the view was amazing! With the great weather, we were just in awe of the view presented before us!  Going down boulders is not my strong point and I'm not good at it as rock surface and loose rocks are tricky for me.  We took 3H to get down to camp 1 where we waited a while for the rest of the group.  They were approximately 2H behind us.  After a short break for lunch, we continued our way down in the forest.  Going down in the forest, it was slippery and steep.  Some of us slipped a fair bit.  Hiking stick helps to keep your balance, but mine broke just before we entered the forest.  But thanks to my Kampung Addidas, I was able to get a better gripe of the soil and just hang onto the trees and roots for support!  Another 3 hours brought us from camp 1 to our drop off point and the trek finally ended at 230pm for the 6 of us. 

 

 

Waiting at the drop off point, we contemplated getting our own transport back to Davao first as the others were too far behind.  But after lots of waiting and negotiating, 2 hours gone and the rest of the pack arrived. We saw no point in getting another van with the rest of the group back again.

 

The van dropped us back at the hotel after about 3 hours and it was time to wash up and clean off the 3-day dirt!

 

All in all, it was a really good experience.  Was tough at some parts, and the cold at night was unbearable at times, but the experience was great!  Our guide was really nice and had a lot of experience climbing the mountain.  The itinerary was pretty well planned and the timings provided were rough estimate to buffer for the slower hikers.  Food was pretty good.  Do note that climbing Mt Apo does require stamina and training.  If you are those who never exercises, please do not try it.  At least train a little before you go.  Unless you exercise regularly, then it is not that bad.  I didn't train but my regular exercise did help me along the way.  It is NOT a walk in the park.  Especially since you will be carrying a pack on your back, which really adds load onto you.  So pack light.  You don't need a new set of clothes everyday.  Going with an organized group means that you don't have to pack food or tents so it helps.  Do bring along trail food or munchies for you to snack along the way. 

 

Also, if you 'worry' about your clothes getting muddy and dirty, bring those you are going to discard.  I throw away all my hiking clothes, except for the winter wear.  The T-shirt, the long sleeve shirt, the socks - All thrown away.  There is absolutely no way to shower, unless you are willing to brave the cold night and wipe yourself down with a wet towel.  And plenty of rubbish around also.  Basically the group pack their rubbish (plastic, cans etc etc) up and leave them at a corner.  But, I got to know from a divemaster that once or twice a year, they do a massive clean up of Mt Apo, especially after the Holy Week.  Groups of porters will go up Mt Apo just to collect these rubbish down to dispose.  Though could have done with more frequency.

 

Possible to do it in 2 days? Yes of course!  We had quite a lot of lax time given we arrived at Camp 1 at 330pm, and at the second day campsite at 130pm.  So, could have pushed on a little bit more on the first day, especially if you start earlier.  We started at 1230pm, so if you started 2-3 hours earlier, easily you could have been up to the summit campsite at the end of the first day which would cut it down by 1 day.   Our guide told us a 63-year-old guy did it in 2 days! Must have been a really fit grandfather.

 

Other than that, just go and have fun, enjoy the scenery and make the most out of it! 

Climbing Mt Apo - The DIY way

For those of you out there who prefer to plan and trek Mt Apo yourself, you can do so easily by registering with the respective authorities in Davao Oriental.  Though I must caution that if you are a single climber, the cost would add up significantly and would be much more expensive than if you joined an organized group of 4 and above (where an organized group provides all the equipments and luxury of porters, while organizing yourself doesn't avil you with these).  However, if you are a group of 3, splitting up the costs of the guide, sleeping and cooking equipments and even porters would be a cheaper option and you get a private tour.

 

Listed below will be the information and organization you go to to register your own climb.  This is based on the starting point from Kidapawan - some 3Hours local bus transport from Davao City (costs approximately P150 per way).

 

Contact Kidapawan Tourism Office - Their facebook page is this Kidapawan Tourism Office.  I spoke with Gillan via facebook and she is very nice and helpful.  Their contact number is on the FB page as well.  They will help you to arrange all the registration, guides, food, equipment rental etc.  You can contact them prior to your arrival, and settle all the necessary things upon arrival the day before your climb.  They normally do registration on weekdays, however if you go on a weekend, contact them ahead and they can arrange.  Receipts can only be given out on weekdays, so you will get it after you finished your climb.

 

You can also contact Marlon Ceballos at see_values@yahoo.com or his facebook page Marlon Ceballos.  He is the president of the Kidapawan Mountain Guide association and he can personally arrange a guide for you.  He works together with Kidapawan Tourism Office.

 

There are many trails from Kidapawan, and you can choose to do a traverse trail or back-trek.  Traverse trails are harder and probably takes longer than 3 days, though you could push it through.  The Office requires you to pay the guide fee for a minimum of 3 days, although you could potentially complete certain trails in 2. 

 

The Kidapawan Trail starts with several river crossing, which is not ideal when you climb during the rainy season as flash flood is frequent and would be dangerous when crossing.  So do take note if you decide to start in Kidapawan.  The good thing about starting or ending in Kidapawan is that you get to go to the Hot Spring and get close to Lake Venado. 

 

Below listed are the fees involved:

 

Permit: P500 (local), P750 (Foreigner)

Guide: P800/day (local), P1,000/day (foreigner)

Porter (optional): P350/day max 15kg load

*Note: you will have to be responsible for providing food to your guide and/or porter

Tent rental: P250-P350/night (you will have to bring your own sleeping bag)

Cooking set rental: P200-300/night

Transport from Kidapawan to drop off point: P85/pax for a habal habal for 3 (this means if you are 1 person, you pay for 3 pax for the entire habal habal).  Unless you prefer to wait for the public transport.

If you choose a traverse trail, exiting from a different location, there would be an exit fee of approximately P250

 

Do note that the above guide fee is for the back trail Kidapawan.  Apparently there is a different guide fee for traverse route, which could potentially go up to P1,500/day.  Ask at Kidapawan for more information, or contact Sir Marlon.

 

Do note that the last bus out of Kidapawan back to Davao City is around 730pm, so make sure you are back down before that if you plan to head back to Davao.

 

I will post an entry on my climbing experience with an organized group - Mt Apo Adventures in a separate post.  As I mentioned, it is more expensive and less value for money for a single climber to register on my own, so I decided to go with a group which happened to have an available climb on the dates I wanted.  Also, the cost includes a night's stay in Davao at a pretty good budget hotel.  For those of you out there, hope this helps if you plan on doing it on your own or if you plan on organizing a group trek on your own.  It is also possible to start in Kapatangan (also about 3H from Davao) and do a back trek or traverse to Kidapawan. 

 

Do note that it IS COLD at night when you camp.  The temperature is between 2-8 degree celsius and can even drop to -2.  So do bring winter clothings for the night and also for the early mornings especially the sunrise.  If you have a thermal sleeping bag, it would be best.

 

There is another climbing group Climb Mt Apo who organizes such trip for P5,000 per head for a group of 3 or more, including everything except for food, tent and sleeping bag.  This group does not provide accomodation in Davao City.

 

I've also gotten some other contacts who can help to arrange Mt Apo treks, but for more details on the costs and itinerary, you would have to contact them direct to ask - Micheal delima michealdelima777@gmail.com.  He quoted me P14,500 for a solo climb which includes everything except sleeping bag and tents.  Conversely, he directed me to Jhoc Nalda (his FB page)  or contact him at +63 (0)9172558923/ +63 (0)9981924345 to arrange for cheaper/lesser expenses.   

 

Diving with Critters in Samal/Talikud Island, Davao Philippines

What is a vacation without some underwater action?!?!  Little known Davao actually has pretty amazing macro diving!!!  A small island just 20mins from Davao itself is Samal island, and just a little away from Samal is a littler island - Talikud.  Around these 2 islands are critters, critters and more critters.  Basically a macro photographer haven!  At least according to the guys from Samal Watersports Center Samal Watersports Center FB. 

 

My research was basically typing into the google search engine for dive centers in Samal and chanced upon Samal Watersports Center.  They seemed pretty organized and good, so an email to PJ and pretty much instant reply (provided he's not out on a dive) to confirm everything! Just like that!  No additional questions asked!  Everything was confirmed via email and I just went out to meet them at Davao Boat Club.  Although they are based on Samal Island, it is no problem for pickup at Davao as they will dock at Davao Boat Club to get their tanks for the dives.  So just arrange for them to pick you up at Davao Boat Club at 9am and they'll be there for you.  Payment is made after the dives, at the end of the dive before they let you off the boat.  P2,500 for 2 dives, including lunch (freshly cooked onboard), and if you choose 3 dives it will be P3,100 where the 3rd dive would be a night dive.

 

At 9am, I waited at Davao Boat Club.  At Lanang road, right beside Pearl Farm.  A taxi from Davao City costs about P160 or jeepneys kinda do go there as well!  25mins and you are there.

 

I was greeted by my DM for the day - Klo Lim.  Onboard the boat were 6 more divers.  Our group were split into groups of 2, each with their own DM.  Fortunately for me, I got 1 DM to myself - Like a private tour. 

 

The visibility that day was not the best, at most about 7-8m due to the changing weather.  But still, didn't deter the critters from being spotted.  My DM was pretty good at digging and discovering the critters.  I wouldn't have known there were things hidden beneath rocks!  We spotted lots of different types of shrimps, crabs, some I've never seen, also mantis shrimps.  Not to mention Seahorse!!! 

 

 

The water temperature was pretty cold - 26 degree celsius, common for this time of the year in Philippines where it is still kinda winter waters.  Current is not particularly strong in Samal/Talikud, though at times there were some small ones.  But if you have been to Komodo, this is nothing!  Relatively speaking, it is an easy dive.  Not much of corals so as to speak, as all are dead.  But I must say it really is a macro paradise of sorts.  According to East (resident Dive Instructor) it is even better than Lembeh Straits.  I for one had been to Lembeh and with this dive, I wouldn't agree, but he has been diving in Samal for longer and had seen better days and visibility, so I would not disagree as well.  I've seen photos that they have taken, and they were really amazing discoveries!  I guess, if you went at the right time, it would be amazing too!  Also, we only went to 2 dive sites near Talikud, and I didn't have time to explore dive sites nearer to Samal which might provide even better creatures.

 

Still, if you have time in Davao, I would highly recommend taking a dive in Samal.  Davao city doesn't have much to offer, so why not spend your time diving??  You can choose to stay on Samal island too, however the resorts on the island are slightly on the pricier range.  Samal Island can easily be visited on a day trip as the boats leave Davao pretty frequently.

 

Depending on your budget, you can get a room in Davao from as low as P350 (fan with bathroom).  D'Counter Executive Dormitel offers fan room with bath and toilet and TV for P370 (single) or aircon at P560 (single).  If you are ok with shared bathroom, there are hotels at P250 (single fan).  Staying in Davao presents you the chance to do some shopping at the SM Ecoland, or walk to the local public market Bankerohan to buy some really cheap fruits.

Chasing the Waves Amihan style - By the Little Red Bikini Girl in Dahican Beach

Planned a trip to Davao, and upon research, chanced upon this little jewel of South Mindanao known as the Dahican Beach.  The so-called Boracay of Yester Years, before Boracay became this tourist trap of an island.  And, it is known for the Amihan Boys - the Surfer dudes of the Philippines!! Yes, of course, Dahican may not be as famous as its neighbours - Cloud Nine with the amazing waves, but it is still a nice beach and great place for beginners to learn surfing!

 

Trip to Dahican beach is not to be taken lightly.  First, you have to get to Mati either via the public bus or the van from Davao City.  Upon landing at Davao International airport, you can just take a 10min walk out of the airport to the little bus stop just outside Jose Maria college to wait for the bus to Mati.  The bus takes about 5H (P282 for air-con, P255 for non air-con) to get into Mati, while the van would take about 3.5H, costing about the same.  My journey was by the bus, which was frequent enough. 

 

Upon arriving in Mati, it was late night (after 6pm) when the sky turned dark.  I checked myself into Chew Lodge, which is a 5min walk from the bus stop.  This area near the bus stop is not Mati City, and hence food choices are far and few.  Chew Lodge is located very near to the Market (as you walk out of the bus stop, take the first left, past the market, and take the 2nd right).  For better options, you can choose to stay in Mati City (5min habal habal ride away).  Chew Lodge is a very basic home run lodge, where bathrooms are shared amongst all guests.  I got a room for P250 with a double bed fan room with nothing else.  As mentioned, this area doesn't have much food choices except for roast chicken, or small local food stall with nothing much to offer at that time of the day.  If you want more food options, take a trip down to Mati City.  There are 2 more home run lodges just opposite Chew Lodge but I didn't ask for their prices.

 

The next day, I traveled down to Dahican Beach (20min motorbike ride for P40 each way).  Just tell the driver you want to go to Amihan Surf, or anywhere you are planning to go, and they will drop you right there.  It is easier if you know where you are going, else you will have to end up walking the entire stretch of beach to find the different resorts.

Dahican Beach

 The day was perfect for a beach day as the sun was shining bright, the sky was clear and the water crystal blue.

Amihan Sa Dahican is a group of surfer boys who are famous for their surfing prowess.  Their location right smack in the middle of Dahican Beach also makes for great surf spot.  I chatted up with Mark, one of the surfer dudes there and got myself a surf lesson (P400 per hour).  Climbed onto the board and pushed out to the middle of the sea, where the surfing started.  It was pretty manageable for me as I've tried wakeboarding and windsurfing before, so balancing wasn't a problem for me.  And I managed to stand up and surfed on my very first try!  Just remember to fall back before you reach the shore!  And don't worry too much about picking up the board as the boys will help you with it when you get washed up on shore.  Jan-Mar is the best time to surf there as the waves pick up during the period.  Don't expect super waves like Bali or even Cloud Nine, but the waves there are good enough to surf for a period of time.  Before I knew it, my hour was up! Where did all the time go?!?! Surfing was really fun and you wouldn't realize time actually passed by so quickly!  Do note that you might get some bruises or scratches from the pebbles and rocks when you fall back and get washed up on shore.  Especially when the waves come.  I got 'thrown' about a few times, and rocks are really painful when they pelt on you.

Amihan Hut

 

Skimboarding is also big in Dahican, and you can get a lesson for P150 per hour.  Boards are also for rental for 500-700P per day with the Amihan Boys.  You can find them on facebook here Amihan Sa Dahican, or their website at Amihan Team or contact Winston Plaza at (+63) 0921 452 5027.  They do rent out tent for P200 per night, but you will have to buy your own food to cook in their kitchen.  There are also a few resorts along the beach ranging from P1,000-P2,500 per night.

 

After my lesson, it was time to explore a little of the beach.  I didn't go too far out to Botona Resort, just stationed myself along one stretch of the quite beach and rested.  The beach is really quiet and idyllic, there weren't many people along the beach and you can actually take pictures with no one but you in it!  Not much of a night life there unless you create your own.  Didn't see any cafes/restaurants, so you just have to stick with the resort cafes/restaurants.  But the view is pretty amazing!  And the water was crystal clear blue!  Hope it actually stays this way, but it might be soon that people actually start to discover this little stretch of beach in Mindanao.  Already, there are constructions going on to build more resorts along the beach.  As of now, still only frequently mostly by local surfers.  I did spot only a couple of foreigners laying by the beach.

 

Don't you "Wish You Were Here"??

Beach is so empty and the sky was so blue

Construction in progress

Didn't choose to stay in Dahican, but probably should have cos I bet the sunset is amazing.  Went back to Chew Lodge for the night, and another 5H bus ride back to Davao City the next morning.  Going back, you would have to either choose to stop somewhere near the airport stop and head into Davao City or go all the way to Ecoland Bus Terminal and take a taxi from there.  Either way, it would be similar costs.  The conductor advised me to get off somewhere further from the airport stop and took a taxi into Davao City (about P150).  There are plenty of jeepneys passing by as well, if you know exactly where you want to get off, jeepneys are a cheap way to travel (about P20 into city probably).

 

Chatted with Winston Plaza (his contact listed above) and he knows places nearby Dahican where you can chase the waves in private! And he has taken some American clients on the bangka just to explore the nearby waves.  So if any of you are interested, contact him for a private tour to chase the waves!!

Also, there 2 obscure and quiet little islands - Waniban and Pujada.  No resorts or eateries.  You can pitch tent to stay overnight there, and bring your own food.  Heard from Winston that diving is pretty good over there too. 

 

Next stop on my vacation - Mount Apo and Diving in Samal Island.  To be continued.

H.E.M Ankle Rehab System

Just wanted to share with my readers about this H.E.M Ankle Rehab System which I can truly say WORKS!!

If you recall, I had a terrible sprained ankle back in 2010 that lasted 4 months - took 4 months to fully recover.  As you can read from the links of the 2 posts I updated back in 2010 :

http://dianshan.blogspot.sg/2010/06/sprained-ankle.html

http://dianshan.blogspot.sg/2010/07/update.html

Feeling desperate and down at that time, I searched online to find cures and fast way to recover and chanced upon HEM Ankle Rehab System!  Which I briefly talked about in the UPDATE post in July 2010.  Unfortunately, I didn't take the chance to update you guys on the recovery process!  So now, I guess I shall!

1st, as I mentioned back then, this works in a different way - combining hot and cold treatment, plus lots of ankle exercises right after you sprained your ankle and massaging it.  Which is quite different from the old story of icing it and resting your ankle till it gets better.  And I for one can truly say - It really works wonder!!  Tried and tested and proven to be effective!

See, my ankle sprained did not recover after 2 months of resting and resting it.  But after I followed the instructions from the HEM programme, the swelling did really go down SIGNIFICANTLY and with the exercises, the agility of my ankle improved vastly!  And coupled with the castor oil massages, my ankle really felt much better just after days of doing the steps.  Compared to months of the plain simple physio workout which didn't do much for my ankle.  What's more, I sprained my ankle again twice after that heartbreaking serious sprain, and the first thing I did was to do the HEM program right away and the sprain went down in 1 day.  Granted, it was a minor sprain the 2nd and 3rd time, but we all know how sprains are.  Yes, there was swelling the 2nd and 3rd time, and when there's swelling, it is not that minor that you can go run immediately.  But after going through the steps straight away, the swelling went down in 1 day and I felt like new again the next day.  I'm not joking here or exaggerating.  It worked for me, and i'm pretty sure it will work for anyone who uses it.

I for one, am not one to do online and purchase a fitness program or exercise program.  Don't even mention an ankle rehab program??  Nope, I am not one to do such a thing.  But at that time, this program really seemed very legit and had loads of great reviews, so I gave it a try and I am still very glad I did.  So here, I just want to share what I discovered and hope everyone out there who has sprained their ankle or who needs to rehab their ankles do give this program a try and purchase it. 

The link to the website is permanently posted on my blog right at the top and I will also include the link here and the poster for more information:

 H.E.M Ankle Rehab System

 

Fast and Furious - What have I done the past year!!!

It is that time of the year once again.  Seems like only yesterday that I wrote the same thing about 2012 - Cliche!! But once again, the year is coming to an end, how fast is that!  And I'm writing this ahead of time now because for the first time in 6 years, I have no plans to be anywhere this Xmas and New Year!  Well, I had a plan to visit somewhere or I thought there was a plan, but it went kaput/cancelled/denied.I guess I knew from the start that it wasn't really gonna happen anyway, was it.  Words, easy to say.  Disappointed? I guess a little yes....

 

 

That being said, it just means I'm gonna be boring back home and probably sleep through NYE. It happens, I get lazy back home.

 

 

2013 - Ah the supposed new beginnings.  At least that was what I told myself back in 2012.  I told myself a lot of things in 2012 that I was supposed to do or not do in 2013 - Like not to cry over someone again.  But reality has its way of twisting words and resolve, and it didn't plan out as I had hoped - hurting over the old one, yearning over the could-have and pondering over the 'is it?', at one point it seemed as if whatever resolve made in 2012 was going to be whitewashed by the newly found emotional person who is typing this piece!  

 

 

2013 - I started the first day of 2013 being extremely hungover, and puked on the boat and just felt really terrible the entire day.  Yes, it was a result of the hard partying on NYE.  Yea, sungsom and redbull mix isn't exactly friendly.

 

 

Oh and I dyed my hair red for once and it was fun!  I probably can't do that anymore now that I'm in a different industry, but at least I did it..

I had a year of wonderful travels and knowing great people from around the world and I am truly grateful for that!  My 2 weeks impromptu vacation to the Philippines brought much joy to my broken soul.  I got to meet whalesharks, thresher sharks, immersed myself in the wonderful underwater world in Bohol and saw the smallest creature in the world - the tarsiers! And finally able to tell the world I've been to Boracay!  That fancy, touristy place in Philippines that everyone raves about but seriously isn't really all that fantastic!  The trip presented me with great opportunities to be the adventurous self that I am (though it was not the most adventurous trip I've had, in fact nothing really went wrong in terms of mis-adventure this time which is unusual for me), and meet with great people - The fun-loving bunch from Taiwan, the adorable hip Finnish couple, the young danish lads, and the south african Divemaster!  We had loads of fun and these are people I really enjoy being with and getting to know!  This was the trip where I missed my boat to another destination because I was too hungover from the Valentines' Day party the night before, or was it the wee morning hours before? But all is not lost as a missed chance brought about a new opportunity!  I got to travel with the Finns and that was one of the best decisions I've ever made because they are so chill and cool.  And they are likely to pop by for a visit soon!

 

 

My another 2 weeks impromptu vacation to Flores was another gem.  It was amazing how raw that place still is and how nice generally the people in Flores are.  At least I think so, but that is probably because I was a tourist there and not living there long term.  It wasn't overly populated with backpackers or tourists, which is what I really admire and like and throughout my trip I can almost say I did not see a single tourist from China!  Except for that fateful day when a Shanghainese walked into the dive shop. Damn, she spoilt my record!  But it was real nice to be in a place that is still not swarmped by Chinese tourists.  Also, Flores brought about much joy and great friends and people.  An unexpected stay in labuan bajo turned into a week long diving vacation and brought me so close to the people I dived with - The nonchalant Russian, the rapid fire Spanish and the cute sexy American.  Not to mention the locals who partied with us.  I never expected to build such close ties with these people but I guess I did, and it brought me much joy to be in that place and for those 2 weeks, I forgot the fact that I had a job waiting for me back home.  It was also a trip that made me think twice about my life (but more on that in a bit).

 

 

What was also nice was visitor(s)! Visitors from my travels coming over and spending time and having fun!  Which was real nice because most of the time, people you meet on travels are just that - people you meet on travels.  They add you on facebook and never really catch up again.  And these are friend(s) I treasure who visited.  And I am expecting more next year - My adorable Finns and how can I forget the Canadian might be making a repeat appearance!

 

 

This was a year of bad health for me.  I have no diagnosis for what I'm sufferring or have sufferred but it has taken a toll on me physically and mentally.  Starting with the insomnia, which begun in 2012, it got so bad at one point I just felt like killing myself.  Waking up at 1-2am, falling back to sleep at 3, and waking up at 5 again.  Torture!  Someone told me that I probably need to sleep with someone (doesn't have to be sexual) to feel the security, comfort and be able to doze comfortably.  And I must say, I agree with him.  That was a spot-on remedy which worked.  But I do not have that luxury to have someone to cuddle me constantly.  And so, the insomnia looms its ugly head on and off on occassions and I to suffer its wrath!  Then it was the mysterious case of the back pain that almost paralysed me for 3 days.  What was scary was not just that fact that I was bedridden for 3 days, but the fact that for no reason, the backpain morphed into something so serious that I literally couldn't move or breathe.  I pride myself on the fact that I try to live as healthily as I can, and I exercise to keep myself fit and injury-free, but this episode brought me straight down to earth and really shook me to the bones.  Anything can happen in a flick of the hand, just like that, and you probably will never know what hit you.  Just like my fucked up digestive system, for whatever reason, it is a little fucked up right now.  And it is not a good feeling.  Maybe it has to do with the insomnia, maybe it has to do with me.  Who knows?  The doctors don't at the moment.  But maybe I just need to get checked for it.  When I get my butt over to the doctor's.  If I ever get my butt over.

 

 

2013 - I just realised I have come to my 10th year of working life!  10! Fuck! Where did all those years go?  4th job in 10 years!  How did I get so old?  Just a few days ago, I was reading a magazine and looking at a caption saying 1991 and I thought yea that was not too long ago only for my mathematical mind to set in, telling me that was 22 years ago!!!

 

 

Yes, I started my 4th job right about when my 10th year anniversary started.  And it was scary.  It was a right decision to leave the crap that was my last job, not for the fact that the company was not good.  In fact I liked the company, I liked the people in my Singapore office!  I just didn't like my department, and the way they treat the staff.  And of course, that particular colleague.  I wanted to move, but yet again I didn't want to move.  I had an opportunity from outside my department which I yearned for, but after months of waiting, it didn't materialize and I understood that it was time to move on.  Was it a right decision? Professionally, I'm in a better department now.  But deep down inside, I do question myself alot about what I have done in my entire 10 years.  I'm ok at my job, it's a comfortable line of work for me and I know what I'm doing.  I'm not great at it but I manage.  Passion? I don't think so, but I survive.  I admire those people who have the fire and passion in what they do, the dive instructors who live on whatever they get paid when they have a customer but truly enjoy and love what they are doing, people who quit their job to follow their lives and passion. What do I live for?  What is my passion in life and what do I want?  I cannot and do not know how to answer that question.  My trip to Flores really hit me hard and made me think a lot about my direction in life, influenced by the people I met there.  What do I like?  I like the ocean, the sea, the freedom, the adventure.  But I don't like the hassle, and the administrative part of planning an adventure.  I have a friend who told me to set up an adventure agency.  Sounds like a great plan, but the problem is I can do adventure but I'm not the most organized person in the world!  I live by the organized mess philosophy.  Look at my room and you will know.  Sure, I can plan and when I get really into the excitement of a place, there are a lot of things I can do and dig out.  But multiply that to a great scale of 10 people?  Geez did I mention that I hate crowds?  Thinking about what to eat for dinner when breakfast is not over?  I can't even think about breakfast when I wake up!  So herein lies my dilemma.  Which I may never solve.  For all you know, I might elope with someone and end up somewhere at the very ends of the world, living on a yacht, cruising through the oceans around the world.  Now that would be a story worth telling.

 

 

The nice dinner gathering with my ex-colleagues and boss was a great reminder of the me back in the older days - how much younger I was then, how much fire I had in me, how much I didn't really care back then.  I travelled the world with excitement and eagerness that befits a young girl, I loved the fact that every trip brought me to a different place.  I loved that fact that I enjoyed the company of my colleagues and I had a great boss who supported us.  I could just pack my bags and be gone for 2 weeks without a care of what was happening, come back and pack again for the next one!  Nobody to make me think twice about going some place, no worries that made me go "I dread going away".  I jumped at every opportunity to fly and get out to the world!  And I really realy love my team - the Charlie's Angels.  And I do miss The Boss.  And I came to realize it is probably real hard to find a boss like him ever.  I've only ever had 2 great bosses in my life and they are both ex-bosses now.

 

 

That is not to say I don't like travelling now.  I still do.  I guess I'm one of those who can't sit still.  Need to be on the move.  Can't imagine me having a deskbound job where I just sit in the same office, on the same chair facing the monitor day in day out, 5 days a week, 8 hours a day.  Of course, even when I travel, I still face the same monitor, but it feels different to be out of the office and be somewhere, interact with new people.  But it seems that it gets harder and harder to face the same arguments, to have to find issues, report and start the process of reporting the finding to people who sometimes just do not seem to comprehend.  And then the fighting starts and it gets tiring to have to fight your way through something that is so apparent.  But such is the job of an auditor isn't it?

 

 

Relationship.  Relationship with people is a funny thing.  Let's start with the new company.  There is a very weird dynamics between the people of the department.  It is very weird till this very day.  Although we are a team of 3 auditors, there is absolutely no team dynamics present.  Or rather, there was no team dynamics before I joined.  They are very individual and separated persons, and even though they work in the same office, they go their separate ways during lunch.  It is a very strange phenomenon I noticed which took me by surprise.  You would expect that colleagues would lunch together, but no!  Come lunch time, one of them would just walk out quietly and the other would just stay in or lunch somewhere.  No talk no nothing.  The very first time it happened, I still didn't quite grasp the fact and was waiting for that colleague to come back for lunch.  And then there is the manager.  So the fact that we auditors do not lunch with the manager, well not really that strange but still a little harder to comprehend.  It is quite individualistic over here.  And sometimes, I don't blame this situation!  I lunch with that one colleague because she is the one who has nobody to lunch with.  But I've come to realize that we have no common topics to lunch with, and that is exactly the reason why the other colleague chose to go his own way.  And it is indeed quite awkard at times, lunching with her in complete silence, racking my brain on topics we could talk about.  I do not like awkard silence.  As much as possible I try to think of something to say to fill the silence, but try as I may, I couldn't do it often enough.  So as it is, I lunched on my own a few times, preferring to read my book over lunching in silence.  And it is these times that make me really miss my old team.  How we always talk and laugh and discuss about things outside of work.  Believe me, I am as private a person as anyone could be and I do not like to share private matters with colleagues.  But with my old team, it felt natural. 

 

 

Relationship with my friends and others.  I have abused my journal too much this past year, writing tons and tons about the happenings around me.  There are things I should have said to people but chose to keep it to myself, and things I should not have said or done but I did.  They may not be pleasing to the ears, but I guess sometimes I should express what I feel.  Maybe it will help my insomnia!  But still it may be hard to say it in person, so I'm just gonna write them down here, if you read my blog, you will read it.  If not, well....

• I will be lying if I said I am not disappointed that my besties and I have not met up/ catch up on things since a gazillion years.  I guess the last time we gathered was June 2012.  And that gathering was a gathering of the hubbies and kids, not really what I had envisioned.  But such is life isn't it?  It has come to a stage where the only gatherings we ever had were baby showers, baby 1st birthdays or house warming, and even those are usually not in full force and weren't much catching up involved.  Is it so hard to find a day or even just a 2H dinner once to come out with the girls and talk?  Believe me, i've tried to organize but as always it has never been a success.  I could blame kids for taking the attention away from the mummies, I could blame my besties for not making the effort to try to organize a gathering, but I guess that would seem selfish of me.  I could also blame myself for always being out of town during those baby showers, for not making enough effort to maybe make a personal visit to each of your houses, or simply just giving up trying to gather us after so many failed attempts.  But what I really want to say is I really do miss you guys very very much.  I miss the days when we didn't have the families to tie us down and talked like there was no tomorrow.  But we grow up, and priorities change.  I love you girls very much and do wish to catch up with you girls, just us without distractions.

• I want to tell him that it really did hurt a lot what happened and what you said.  I guess I didn't tell you because I still cared for your feelings more than how I felt.  But in part that was what was holding me back and I couldn't let go.  I poured my heart and soul for months, only for you to say that you never wanted it to be this way.  And that one sentence basically erased all those promises you made, all those words you said and the things we were supposed to be doing together.  How hard I fell and how deep I hurt.  And it took me a very long time to go pass all that, to move on and forget about everything.  I'm happy that you are happy now. 
• To that person who tortured me so much in my last job - I hate you!  I don't know you personally, and maybe you are a good person, but working with you killed me physically and mentally and I couldn't stand you as a colleague.  The degrading way you talk to people, like we are all stupid and guilty folks.  The way you lose your patience and temper and started shouting at the auditees - complete and utter disgrace of the profession.  The way you used to say 'I work more hours on weekends than you do', completely demolishing my entire week of hard work.  I don't work for you, and you have no rights to measure how much effort and work I put in based on your crazy idea of working on weekends.  And my weekend is my time, I do not have to entertain you on weekends!  I do not have the obligation to tell you anything about my personal life and I certainly do not have an obligation to make you feel looked after even overseas.

• Been missing someone.. Maybe it's time to stop that missing...

You know, they said that 2013 is a good year for the Saggitarius.  Good for work, and personal relationships.  Especially you singles out there, romance aplenty and new romance may bloom into something concrete.  I guess I'm old enough to take all these with a pinch of salt, but at the same time enjoy reading them and seeing how they pan out.  Afterall, your destiny lies not with predictions and fortune telling, but in your own hands.

Next year is a new year.  2014.  I don't make resolutions.  I tried, but they are not helpful or useful.  You just do the things you want to do.  You don't need resolutions for them.  I wait for magic to happen, as I always do.  I wait for friends to come (hopefully when I'm around in town).  I wait for my sister to get married, so she'll move out of the room so I can have the room to myself and remodel the room! (throw away her bed, change mine to a bigger one, remove her desk, change a bigger wardrobe etc etc)  I wait for more adventures.  I wait for the day when I finally say "I've had it with the 3H to and fro travel to work, I quit!".  And I wait for the day I strike the 10M ToTo lottery.  So I can wait for the day I buy my yacht.

I think I might just grow out my hair. To long. Ya, just for my sister's wedding. We shall see till it gets to shoulder length.  If I can still stand it.  Check back in a couple months' time.