#61 29th. December 2009

Moalboal, December 2009

Hi, friends of Moalboal!!

The year is about to end and the high season to start. We have not seen a lot of
tourists the last year but this week we should be able to see a lot of new and
old faces returning.
I/we have now found a boat where I can work 2 months and then have 2 months off.
Chicago did unfortunately get the same deal so she is now in the Caribbean and I
will join her in February. We are now working on http://www.parsifal3.com
Lots of parties here, the last one was at Pacitas Disco and you actually have to
watch this video of the Sexiest body on the beach competition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-DbsHhZfPc
As of today, we are 454 readers of the Moalboal mailing List.

ACTIVITIES:

Jochen, Planet Action, the Mr. Sexy wannabe says that you are surplus if you do
not show up for soccer every Monday and Friday up in Moalboal. If you want to
play, just show up 16:30.
Pool champion ship every Wednesday in Chili Bar.
In the final the last few weeks:
Eddi, Ravenala resort won the same week as I arrived.
Katz and Pilo had a first all Japanese Final and Katz won.
Katz and Peter, Katz won
And now the last Wednesday I was in the final against Katz ?. but no luck for
me.

BIRTHS, SOCIAL AND GOSSIP:
Danish Peter has now opened a restaurant, Mayas Garden, just opposite from Last
Filling station. Good food, BBQ and a bit of everything.

Mika Kivela had his moped stolen the other night and that made his wife cry for
hours until he found out that he had parked it somewhere else. Mika is the same
guy that was riding his pushbike back to Dumanjug, stopped for a piss in
Alcantara, got back on the bike and after biking for 25 minutes found himself
back in Moalboal again 

Andy and Jacky are rebuilding their restaurant up by the fish market.

Chili Bar celebrated their 6 year anniversary, 15 cases of free beer and a lot
of happy people. Become a friend of "Chili Bar" on facebook and take a look at
the pictures.

Roland and Ruffa have opened a bar where old Wack Wack bar used to be. "5 R Bar"
We are still waiting for the grand opening.

There's a rumor that they will open a Gaisano supermarket in Moalboal and that
they have already bought land somewhere between Moalboal and Badian

PRACTICAL:

There is now a list at the notice board in Chili Bar where you can
tell your friends to sign up for the newsletter. Or just have them
send me an e-mail.

At the moment the
exchange rate is:
1 $ = 46.5
1 Euro = 66.7
1 Pound = 75.1
1 Swedish Krona = 6.4

At the airport in Cebu/Mactan they now have airport taxi, yellow colour. It is
still cheaper to take the stairs up to departure and get a taxi there but
obviously not as convenient.
The Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu
City so if you are arriving around that time, make sure to book your hotel in
advance.

WHALE SHARK SIGHTINGS:

To get the absolute latest whale shark sightings go to Chili Bar and
look at the notice board there. Anyone putting up a sighting receives
a free Ning-Ning drink.

Once you have taken a picture of your whale shark you should go to
http://www.whaleshark.org, they will register the shark.
There's a huge school of sardines at Pescador now and they have been there for 6
months. This obviously attracts predator fish and the other day Kasai Micke saw
a whale shark there.

FOR SALE:

If you have something for sale, just E-mail me and I will add it onto
the mail.

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.
If you know anyone that would like to receive this letter, please
tell him or her to send me an E-mail at the address below and I will
add him or her. I've found it too hard to do it through
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/moalboalmail

Regards, Lars Starner
starner@...

Moalboal home page:
http://www.moalboal.org.uk

Other Moalboal Web sites
Kalles blog: http://living-and-diving-in-moalboal.blogspot.com
http://www.moalboal-online.de
http://moalboal.gov.ph
Moalboal town now have their own web site: http://moalboal.gov.ph

This is the first YOUTUBE videos I have found (please let me know if
you know any other videos worth watching) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEEegDMEi2I , commercial about
barefoot resort, White beach.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLHxVbW8nsk , dive video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-pWX2Y6hXE , dive video

Flights:

http://www.singaporeairlines.com and then http://www.silkair.com to Cebu
http://www.qatarairways.com
http://www.cathaypacific.com
http://www.malaysiaairlines.com
Tiger air airways, http://www.tigerarways.com, S'pore to Clark (close to
Manila) something like 60 US$ one way.
Cebu pacific: Cebu ? Hong Kong, http://www.cebupacificair.com
Oasis: http://www.oasishongkong.com
Air Asia X: UK to Malaysia, starting July

Copyright (c) Lars Starner 2009. All rights reserved

Below is websites for different Dive Shops and places to stay and other. If they
want they can tell me to add their websites and even better tell me if there's
any good barging deals.

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Nelsons dive shop:
http://www.ibara.ne.jp/~bitoon/index.htm
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1. Moalboal Real Estate | Ling Ling Real Estate
Welcome to Ling Ling Real Estate! This company is a part of PINC group that has
been in operation for more than 7 years. We are not only known by our ...
lingling.com.ph

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http://www.magellantravel.de
info@...

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If you're interested in a budget live-aboard dive safari, check out:
http://www.kasaivillage.com/liveaboard-safari.php
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Jespers dive shop
Jesper blog: http://diving-in-moalboal-and-santander.blogspot.com/
Jesper photo: http://diving-in-moalboal-and-santander.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeA97FEU5hY, commercial about Neptune
diving adventure, Moalboal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_5IpKADAhc, whale shark diving in
Moalboal with Neptune diving adventure.

http://www.neptunediving.com/neptune/general/gallery.jsp, same gallery as above
but on our web page.

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Marcosas
The website about Panagsama Beach
http://www.infomoalboal.com
and the website about diving in Moalboal
http://www.dive-moalboal.com/
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Philippines Scuba Diving
With 7107 islands (covering a land area of 299,746 square kilometers/115,739
square miles) and a coastline twice the length of the United States, the
Philippines can legitimately be called Asia's beach capital. With a tropical
climate, warm water, long and white sandy beaches, nearly 40,000 square
kilometers/15,444 square miles of coral reefs, mind-blowingly beautiful flora
and fauna, (including many endemic species) - the area is truly a diver's
paradise.

Home to 77 million people, the Philippines is the third largest English speaking
country in the world and has a rich history with an Asian, European and American
influence. Filipinos warmly embrace visitors and are generally very friendly and
relaxed. You'll often hear the cheerful salutation "Mabuhay" meaning welcome.

The country has three main island groups ? Luzon in the north, Visayas in the
middle and Mindanao - the largest island - in the south. The national capital of
Manila is on Luzon Island.

The Philippines offers a full range of diving for divers of all experience
levels. Shore diving on the home reef - one located in front of beach resorts -
is popular, but divers can also hop on a day boat or liveaboard to access the
sheer reef walls and atolls offshore.

Dive Areas
There are numerous dive sites - all with their own merits - in the Philippines.
Here are some of the more popular areas:

PUERTO GALERA Known as the Pearl of Mindoro, Puerto Galera is approximately 160
kilometers/99 miles from Manila on Mindoro Island and offers at least 40 prime
dive sites. Mindoro Island is separated from Luzon by the Verde Island Passage,
which is flushed by the current from the South China Sea. The resulting strong
current (up to six knots) makes this a prime drift dive. The marine life here is
spectacular. Drift dive along the breathtaking walls, flirt with swim-through or
just marvel at the schools of snapper, emperors, eagle rays, barracudas,
turtles, tuna and the occasional shark. The most famous dive site is The Canyons
is the most famous dive site, but with depths ranging from 5-40 meters/16-130
feet, Puerto Galera there is something for every diver - from novice to advance.

BORACAY With 4.0 kilometers/2.5 miles of sugary white sand beaches and azure
waters, Boracay Island is touted as having some of the finest beaches in the
world. Because it is generally calm and offers easy access to most dive sites,
Boracay is ideal for novice divers. If you have the experience and are looking
for thrills, Yapak is your dive site. At Yapak, the top of the wall starts at 30
meters/98 feet then plunges straight down. Prepare for surprises because you
never know what you'll see. Patrolling whitetip and grey reef sharks, schools of
tuna, manta rays and eagle rays have all been known to make an appearance. This
is all in addition to a vibrant wall encrusted with corals of every description.

MOALBOAL, on Cebu Island, with its spectacular variety of dive sites, is making
waves among divers is the know. Divers will find awesome walls, stunning coral
gardens and prolific fish life - much of which is accessible from the beach.
Just a 15minute boatride is Pescador Island, one of the best dive sites in the
world, popular with divers for its vibrant marine life. Experienced divers know
Moalboal for muck diving as well as spotting big fish. Moalboal is one of the
few places in the world where you can dive with Whale Sharks every month of the
year. Also thresher sharks, whitetip sharks, manta rays, batfish, flutemouth,
barracuda, tuna, mantis shrimp, pipefish, scorpionfish, lionfish, moorish idols,
schooling bannerfish, squid, octopus and various moray eels, it's a great dive
even without the toothy critters. Diving is from 5 ? 40 meters, there is
something for every diver - from beginning to advance.

http://www.moalboal.org.uk

Dive Summary
Depth: 5 -40 meters/16 feet - 130 feet
Visibility: 5 - 45 meters/16 - 148 feet with strong seasonal and local
variability.
Currents: Mostly mild, but some current is always present due to the tidal flow
between the islands. In some areas, currents can be very strong.
Water Temperature: 23 - 30°Celsius/73 - 86° Fahrenheit depending on the season.
Dive Season: You can dive year-round in the Philippines but the dry season from
November to June brings the warmest water and the best visibility.
Weather: There are three distinct seasons in the Philippines:
? December-March is the northeast monsoon (called Amihan). There are strong
winds during this time.
? April-June are the summer months with dry and warm days with little wind
? July-November is the southwest monsoon (called Habagat). It is wet and rainy
but the water is warm.
Air temperatures average 25-32°C/78-90°F with a 77 percent mean humidity.
Access: With relatively few shore dive sites, boat diving is the norm in the
Philippines. Most dive sites are within an hour of the dive shops although a
number of multiday and liveaboard trips are also on offer.
Skill Level: With conservative depths, warm, clear water and good visibility,
diving in the Philippines is suited to divers of all skill levels.

Featured Creatures:
Divers often find eels, turtles, frogfish, pipefish and mandarinfish, as well as
schooling snapper and bannerfish. As part of the Coral Triangle, considered to
be the epicenter of marine biodiversity in the world, the Philippines is a great
place to see scorpionfish, emperor, barracuda, moorish idol, flutemouth, tuna,
batfish and trevellies. Some of the more unusual creatures spotted also include
pygmy sea horses, parrotfish, lionfish, triggerfish, unicornfish, trumpet fish,
wrasse, mantis shrimp, squid, and octopus. Bigger animals also get into the
picture with eagle rays, devil rays and manta rays and sharks, including
thresher sharks and hammerhead sharks, all making an appearance. From March to
May, you also have the chance to encounter an occasional whale shark. But it
isn't just the big critters that draw dives - the Philippines is world renowned
for its macro life.

Fast Facts
Language: Filipino. English is also widely spoken.
Currency: Philippine Peso.
Tipping: Tipping is frequently expected. The standard practice is 10 percent of
the total bill but is optional if it already includes a 10 percent service
charge. Credit cards are not widely accepted to you might want to carry small
bills and change for porter tips and sundry fees such as port fees, airport
terminal fees, etc.
Transportation: With such a diverse topography, there are numerous ways to get
to and get around in the Philippines. You can travel by air, sea, land, rail or
taxi, to name a few. Regardless of how you travel, you'll want to check
transport schedules in advance because some destinations are serviced
intermittently and extreme weather can disrupt plans. There are four
international airports in the Philippines - the Ninoy Aquino International
Airport in Manila, Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Angeles City,
Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu and the Francisco
Bangoy International Airport in Davao City. Philippine Airlines links Manila
with several international destinations. Major cruise lines also visit Manila.
For further transport information visit the WOWPinoy website.

Other: Time Zone: GMT + 8 hours
Book now
WOW Pinoy ? Tourism Philippines
http://www.moalboal.org.uk

Links to visa requirements:
World Travels
WOW Philippines - Department of Tourism Philippines
Fast Facts about the Philippines