u-journal

Backing home… Still Cebu awaits to be explored, but the more I know about the Philippines the stronger the idea of avoid-cities becomes. Cebu is supposed to be the second city of the country, after Manila. Unfortunatelly, as far as I know, looks like that - it’s full of shit. Among the towns I have visited these four days, Dumaguete - in Negros Oriental - is the most relaxing, clean and nice one. It actually has a beautiful walkway around the busy harbour and a university just in front of the sea. It is definitely a relaxing destination, really well provided of diving facilities. Fuck! Diving… I took unexpectedly five dives this mini-holidays. I am entering the phase of going deeper into it. I like it very very much and I am developing my skills… anyway, I am kind of approaching the point where I should get and maintain my own gear. That is safe. That is my life, fuck! I was shocked with the rented gear… conditions. I took three dives in Bohol with a leaking BCD and a leaking regulator, basically the most important pieces of all the required stuff… Yesterday I dove with a really shitty BCD again. Diving in the Philippines seems to be cheaper than in other places, but… last month while diving in Anilao I realized that my extra second stage wasn’t working underwater. Anyway, risk. I want to take it easy, but I am starting to really like it… and I do not want to take stupid extra-risk. It does not make sense. x x x Cebu airport loud messages are weird. Examples: - “Please, to all the passengers in the flight no. XXX flying to Manila, proceed through gate 5, not gate 4″ - (on the screens gate#5 is shown, I can’t see the problem) - “Please, Mr. XXXXX board now or we fly” - :-DDDDDDD - (fuck, I forgot the third one)

Here I am, waiting for my third dive of the day… The Trip of Chaos brought me here, 50% pretended… 50% expected. I did not realize yesterday night how amazing is the place where I am right now. Wooden, probably hand-made, big hut. Extremely clean. Really familiar mood. It is a diving spot, a diving self claimed resort which probably subsists thanks to the dirty fast talking skills of it’s… president. I am feeling again this over-nice threat at me, and this co-guest. Both of us have brighter skin. That seems to be the biggest difference. He is American. Top of the top, within the Filipino culture and society. There was a big disappointment for the business-shark-guy here when I discussed with him about pricing last night. It was a bit… disgusting for me. That’s exactly what happened: I arrived to Dumaguete and phone the guy. I walk to the place where they are having dinner. My expectations were to find an American and an Swedish guy. There’s nothing about countries but I thought I was going to meet a friend’s friend and another guy. It sounded cool, know new people, dive in different places… cool. What I contacted was a ultra-experienced diver running his long snake and a business-man. First thing that the semi-drunk money slave is to take this sexy girl into the car. The dirty game of words begins. Mr Shark fucks her with his talking. No action is happening but Mr Shark being shown pretty horny. The girl leaves us, she has to start working on this “karaoke”. Then we go to get my gear. We stop buy another shithole. The over-used two compressors working inside attack my ears. Another shitty set of gear. More worries, more thoughts inside my mind about buying diving equipment. Sounds stupid, but it doesn’t seem so like that. Diving time. x x x …back from diving. Two fact’s to point: the site was amazing and I thought something SERIOUS to Edwing.

From shithole to shithole… The place where I slept last night was not much better than the Shithole#1 in Cebu… Ok, ok… this one is EXACTLY on the beach… I want to try some diving today.