#11 28th. November 2000

Moalboal December 2000, mailing #11

Hello People!!

WEATHER:

About 29 degrees, pleasant with a few rain showers in the afternoon. It's actually nice when it cools down sometimes. Iÿve been to white beach quite a few times the last 4 weeks. You should come and visit.

ACTIVITIES:

Congratulations to Course director Mario Tapales that had a 100% success rate when all his students passed the IE. Patricia (Savedra), Ino (Nelsons) and Mike at Mollies all made it. Parties two days in a row was a hard one, but a good practice for the high season.

BIRTHS, SOCIAL AND GOSSIP:

Marco at Quo Vadis heard from one of his customers that had been to the Maldives many times recently ÿThe diving here is like paradise, much better than the Maldives

Magnussons girl is now delivered. Her name is Stacy and looks very healthy according to the proud father. I enjoyed the whisky and cigars he treated us all to. (But maybe not the day after)

Ditmar should arrive with girlfriend and new baby any day now. Coos will be happy when he gets his old chess-playing adversary back.

In mid November we had 2 whale sharks right outside Nelsons dive shop that stayed for 2 hours. Some fishermen managed to stand on the biggest one (9m). Today Chicago and Benjim (DM Nelsons) saw a whale shark again. The last month weÿve had a humoungus school of sardines on the house reef and thatÿs what attracts them. If you do not spot the whale sharks, just diving with 59 billion sardines makes it worth it.

LETTERS FROM ABROAD:

In the last letter I wrote that the dollar is at an all-time low (now 49.5 Peso to the $) well here comes a response.

The Peso exchange rate is OK if you are an American, but nearly nothing has changed versus EURO currency for the last two years. Here in Europe we are very happy with a Dollar at a ridiculous height since this is a "turbo-drive" for the EU-economy.
Moalboal Dive shops should adjust their prices. These days diving is cheaper at the red sea or even Maldives than Moalboal (from a EU currency standpoint). Moalboal dive shops seem to forget that 90% of their customers are from EU and the Moalboal-Dollar-Dive rates went up Almost 70% versus EU-currencies for the last 30 month. On Top of the Abu Sayaf syndrome Moalboal is loosing its mean attraction "Upper/medium" Diving Quality at budget prices.

For this reason we are now more focusing on the sort of activities like what Planet Action offers. Looks like bookings come up slowly again Starting +-Easter 2001 but according to travel agencies here (=Germany) Bookings are still below 30% versus 1999.

To whom it may concern: Open water courses here are offered at +- 150 EU, Aquanaut, Submariner, two of the biggest German Dive & Tour Facilities (=125US$)

No wonder Moalboal Dive course sales dropped at +- 5% compared to 6-7 Years ago. I guess at that time Nelson and Savedra sold 500-1000 open water peranum at +- DM 250,- The "oldies" amongst you might remember those days. At that time DM 250 was = 155 US
Besides of Quo Vadis, Moalboal doesn't seem to be blessed by marketing people. "Bring in people at dumping-cottage-prices" and than get the money back on the dives. What if someone starts bringing in the people with attractive diving (Moalboalïs main attraction) and asks for reasonable prices for lodging. Such an action might restructure cost for diving and lodging on a "normal" level along the beach.

Best regards to all of you and see u soon
Rudy Poitiers
Dolphin-House

I asked Dick to write a bit about life in Sweden, most of us knows Dick so it might be nice to know whatÿs happening with him:

I (Dick E. Bustamante) am Filipino and used to work as a dive-master for many years in my Uncle Nelson's dive-shop. Katrine was a backpacker from Sweden who got hooked in diving. After many years of diving experience and with thousands of dives, I took my Instructor course in 1991. The year after, Katrine came back to do her dive master course and stayed on the beach for six months. That was the time we moved in together. In 1993 I moved permanently the Swedish West Coast, to a town called Varberg. I have learned the Swedish language, although it is so difficult to get it perfect. I am working for a big laundry company. The only connection the new job, operating huge industrial washing machines, has with diving is the water. Katrine has left her job as a hairdresser and is now studying to become a teacher in English and Swedish for Senior High School /Upper Secondary students. We are the parents of two lovely daughters; Matilda, born in March 1994, and Frida, born in October 1996. Matilda is doing her first year at school and she is already correcting her father's Swedish sometimes (poor me). Frida is still at kindergarten/ nursery. We miss the Philippines basically all the time. It is difficult to find the time and the money to go back, but we are working on it. I just came back from a week one-week holiday in France, where I visited my sister Nancy and her family. She used to work in Nelson's too, before she married Thierry and moved to France. (Now it is getting complicated, so we will save the France- business for another time.) We hope to see you soon!
All the best, Katrine & Dick

THESE ARE A FEW FACTS THAT MIGHT BE GOOD TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN BACK TO MOALBOAL FOR A WHILE (Like Andy Perreeÿ, Nelson instructor that left 8 years ago for a bank job, and is longing every day to be back.)

We now have running water. Most of the pipes are running above ground so sometimes when the sun is shining the water is too hot for a shower.

The maximum stay on a tourist visa is still 2 months before you have to renew it. If you come with out a visa youÿll get 21 days at the airport, and then you have to start renewing. If you bring 50-75 000 US$ in to the country you can get a retirement visa, it depends on your age.

Cell phones works fine on the beach. Islacom and Globe are the 2 companies that work. Itÿs possible to (unless out of stock) buy SIM cards in Moalboal. Some of the people here have ÿlandlineÿ; it's a station in your house that communicates (wireless) with a teletower in Moalboal. At Eve's kiosk you can get on the net. It's pretty expensive because it takes a long distance call to Cebu to get connected.

There is a bank in Moalboal, so if you bring a lot for your long vacation, just open a bank account here to keep your money safe.

Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, PAL (from HK), Silk air and Japan Airlines flies direct to Cebu now days. A taxi from the airport is between 700 and 1500 Pesos depending on how good you are at bargaining.

Itÿs not possible for foreigners to own land here, even though there are ways around it.

They still add 5-6% when you use your VISA card. There are still no good moneychangers on the beach or in Moalboal.

Taboo is the disco of choice now days. Pacitas is no more. Calypso and Hotshot do not exist anymore.

You can hire a carpenter for 150 pesos / day. A waitress makes about 1000 pesos a month.

YOU MAY BE MARRIED TO A MOALBOAL GIRL IF:

She prefers bistek to beef steak.

Her homeland has more Mega malls than islands.

Your in-lawÿs first visit lasted 6 years.

She's done her best job planning a surprise party for you if she manages not to tell you about it until a week or two before.

GENERAL:

If anyone has any information that they think would be interesting for people on this list, please do let me know and I will add it in. You may check the list web site - http://moalboal.listbot.com - to have a look at the message archives for this list or to subscribe and unsubscribe from this list.

Best regards,

Lars Starner,
starner [at] hotmail.com