Saturday, January 1, 2011 Whale shark snorkeling

I woke up when I landed in Legazpi, in Bicol Region in SW Luzon Island.  I was tired and hungover.  I got out of the airport, and it was overcast but warm.  The unfortunate part was that I couldn't even see the top half of "The World's Most Perfect Volcano", Mt. Mayon, because it was all clouded over.  Ugh.  I took a tricycle to the bus station nearby (I knew it was nearby but for $1 I'd rather make it someone else's problem to find the place).  I ended up taking a very speedy shared minivan to Donsol, a small little town which has exploded after 1998 when a resident whale shark population was "discovered" by the Philippine Ministry of Tourism.  Ok, so "exploded" is a little overzealous; actually more like still a sleepy little town.  I took a tricycle through the town to the Butansing (whale shark) center.  Since the season starts February and tours don't run in adverse weather, I was doubtful in my expectations of being able to go out today.  But sure enough, they were running trips!  And I was expecting to be the only one, but luckily there was a group of 4 French guys with whom I even split the cost, so it was only $25 total for the day!  After getting all the equipment (snorkel and fins), we got on the bangka (Filipino long outrigger canoe) and set off into the ocean off the coast of Donsol.  Donsol has a river feeding into the little coastal area which is rich in plankton (hence the group of resident whale sharks, who eat plankton).  Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world, and are very gentle creatures, but also are endangered because humans kill them both on purpose for meat, and inadvertently through habitat destruction.  Here they are protected.  Our guide was a spotter sitting on the mast, and when he saw one, we quickly jumped out and followed him.  Sure enough, there was a whale shark!  It was huge, just calmly slowly swimming along.  It was big, silvery, spotted, and followed by a hoard of mini whale sharks and other feeder fish.  I got so close to it I could almost touch it (but I didn't because you're not supposed to, and I try to respect wildlife as much as possible).  There were several other sightings, and I got some great pictures and videos with my handy dandy little waterproof/shockproof camera!  Probably one of the coolest things I've ever done, to be honest.  And I was under the impression that seeing them was commonplace.  Apparently not; in December only 2% of boats had sightings, the guide told me.  What a way to start the New Year 2011.  So lucky!  After that, I caught a tricycle back to the town and got a nice hotel for only $10.  Then I took a walk around the quaint little [village], where kids were playing in their yards, women were washing clothes, men were sleeping in their hammocks, and water buffalo were in the rice paddies grazing.  It started to rain and so I got invited into this little family party at a little house.  It was pretty fun; I was definitely the center of attention.  They gave me spaghetti for lunch, they offered me beer and whisky, and I took pictures with all of them.  There were 2 drunk guys who got really old and too touchy feely after a while, so as soon as the rain clouds parted, I left and went strolling down the beach.  Again, it was really rainy so I met this guy my age named Phillip and I sat with him for a while waiting for the rain to die down.  He spoke really good English, and we hung out and talked for a while.  He lives with his grandma, who had to have been the cutest lady, oh, ever.  He went out to the backyard, took a bamboo stick, and speared some coconuts from the tree, and after he hacked them apart with a typical machete, we had REAL coconut water and meat, straight from the source.  Living like a local!  The island life here is pretty good (but also, boring as hell).  If I was born here or in Hawaii, even though my life would be 100% different, I'd be just as happy; clearly, I wouldn't travel or be a CPA, but if the alternative is spending every day under the palm trees on the beach with friends and family, then who cares?  I came back and had dinner at the ONE restaurant in town, at my hotel.  Minus one for the Philippines.  That is without a doubt the biggest annoyance traveling here.  I can deal with touts, sewage, poverty, crime, repulsive bathrooms, corruption, and repressive dictatorships.  But no food?  Kill me now!  Listen all you Filipinos (that includes those in the US): Your food is delicious (and you know it), so open some damn restaurants already.  That way, you make money, I'm full and satisfied when I  look for good hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants, and last but not least so that white people don't keep associating you with balut (half-fertilized egg embryo)!  Cuisine = Fail, when your best restaurants are mall food courts.  I got a $5 massage from a man which was kind of awkward, but who cares, it was bomb.  Again, I went to bed to the pitter patter of tropical rain.