Departure 2013-0ct-01 - 0.30 Arrival 2013-Oct-01 - 17.30
It was a nightlong journey from Shanghai to Cebu in the Philippines. There, I had planned to meet my friend Fransiska, who was there on vacation for breakfast before heading up north. Going to the Mövenpick Hotel was supposed to be a 20min taxi-ride from the airport, basically just around the corner, instead it turned out to be an hour-or-so-journey through the city-center, as the driver had no clue where I wanted to go or he was going. Finally. We arrived at the destination, and he asked my to pay the full journey price! He even threatened my karma, would I not do so …. Great start! As this was only the first day of my trip I did not want to take a risk and bought my karma back for only 200PP….
Seeing my friend, some fried eggs and a cup of coffee helped me to get over this unpleasant encounter and shortly after I made my way up to Malapascua. Another taxi-ride, a 5-hour bus-ride (including 3 movies) and a one-hour banka-ride till I made it to this small island, famous for its thresher-sharks ("Fuchshaie").
I stayed in White Sands Bungalows; simple cottages on the beach, perfect to hang-out, relax, explore the island and do some diving. As it was the Golden Week Holiday there were plenty of Chinese travel-groups, diving those famous thresher-sharks as well. Luckily, they used a different dive-shop than I did.
Apparently, thresher sharks are best seen at 6 o'clock in the morning at a depth of 30m. They come up from 300m to get a good scrub from small cleaner-fishes. It is said to be magical, how they peacefully circle around this cleaning-station before they disappear in the blue infinity again.
So on my last day on the island I decided to go for it, get up at 4.30 to have a look myself. Luck wasn't on my side though! When I came down to 30m there was absolutely nothing to see for 15 to 20 minutes (of a 35 minute dive). Then, for a brief moment one thresher shark came out of the blue, did one quick loop and disappeared again …… Unpredictable nature; or should I have given the cab-driver more then 200PP for a bit of diving-karma …?!
continue with ... LEYTE