#59 8th. July 2009

Moalboal July, 2009

Hi, friends of Moalboal!!

I'm in Morocco at the moment, waiting to start a 6 week relief job on S/Y Hyperion in Mallorca,
http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=sailing...\
yperion-1095 .

This time I have asked Jack to write the newsletter as I do not have much to add. Read his letter below.

Please, is there anyone else in Moalboal that can write the next newsletter?? I have asked a few but no one has any time. Something that I'm a bit embarrassed about is that I forgot to mention Ling-Lings and Micke Pinoys wedding in the last news letter???..man, how could I forget that. Hundreds and hundreds of people were in Cebu for the wonderful day and Ling Ling looked more beautiful than ever. Afterwards there was a big reception at Waterfront Hotel. Check out the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXcvIwCXODc&feature=sdig&et=1246837165.94

As of today, we are 425 readers of the Moalboal mailing List.

ACTIVITIES:

Jochen, Planet Action, is still making sure that there's soccer every Monday and Friday up in Moalboal. If you want to play, just show up 16:30. Last Friday they were 20 players.

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 $ = 48.4
1 Euro = 67.7
1 Pound = 78.5
1 Swedish crown = 6.2

Chili Bar is now on facebook, just look for Chilibar and add as a friend. Normally lots of up-to-date stuff there in season.

Aquaholics are organizing a big beach cleanup at white beach July 27-28. They have a good offer for food, accommodation & dive. Contact: aquaholics@... for more information.

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.

Aquaholics divers saw pilot whales outside Club Serena just a few days ago. They just posted a good video on facebook. Wolfgang!, send me the URL when it's on youtube!

LETTERS FROM ABROAD:
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Hi Lars.
I received the Moalboal news and I would like to tell to anybody interested, that in October 2008, I tried to purchase flight ticket online in Cebu pacific or on Tiger airways, as I did 2 years ago, but both don't accept anymore the international VISA card. Very frustrating. When I arrived in Cebu October 21, I
went to tell them it's useless to put an online ticketing if we cannot pay with a credit card.

My Ruffa went especially to the city to get for me a ticket in Cebu pacific office, since I wasn't yet in Philippines at that time. I had also to send my passport copy by email to their office in SM Cebu. When I met Mika, he told me he had the same problem.
Roland Guisy
rolgui2002@...

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Hi my name is Asa but everyone calls me Jack and I am filling in for regular editor Lars who is playing away somewhere........!

It is eleven years since I first caught the magic of Panagsama on a round the world stopover. I've been back every year since including a late arrival in May this year, when I took a walk along the '' strip '' and reflected on some changes.

Starting at Mollies Place where I first stayed. Some said it looked like a prison, but Jessica, who I met on a recent visit from the USA and Mollie who has grown into a lovely girl, was still running things then and she and her staff were so friendly I have only fond memories. It's a little tired looking these
days however.

Wander a little further along the track and you come to Maricosas where I also stayed on two occasions. Now if Mollies looked like a prison Maricosas is one! While neighboring Quo Vadis, Sunshine, Pacitas Eves Cottages, are all pretty open garden resorts this one has been walled in. What is the point in coming to a lovely place like this to be stuffed behind a head high brick wall? It gives off an air of secluded arrogance. How it would ruin the area everyone did the same.

I came for the second time with D'tai, my Thai girlfriend. We stayed and dived with Quo Vadis. Nice equipment and well organized dive shop. Gary the young Pilipino lad has moved from there though and now works with Klemens and Lorenzo at Blue Abyss.

We ran into Swedish Mike and Ling Ling who were celebrating their wedding with friends at the resort restaurant. Well these two just exude happiness so good luck to them.

Further along to Roxy. Who could forget those great nights with Greg and Larry on guitar, Gianlucca or Joris on drums. The fun we had in the first pool tournaments that were held there and more than a few party nights.

'Luccas forced absence while he spent time in Italy in the forlorn hope of finding a cure for his ailing child, saw the business decline. I met up with him and his lovely wife again last year and he looked great. He had just sold the place on to an American guy and was looking to re-start his life in his new
house.But this is not a happy story, Gianlucca died in May this year. I had not taken the chance to look him up in his new home near the Sampaguita road but I understand that he had been ill and was planning a trip home for medical attention.

This is a huge loss. 'Lucca was one of the originals. He had a taste for zany jazz and the courage to try new things with Roxy, always friendly; he was due a better break in life but sadly was robbed of it. Friends like Lee Hewitt, indeed all of us will mourn his passing.

Let's walk on.

Looks very quiet here, is Planet Action closed? Absolutely not! It's very much alive and kicking as is Last Filling Station in their new location between Roxy and Pacitas. I have noticed one or two others offering ' Adventure tours ' but I doubt any of them will match the expertise and experience of Mario and Jochen when it comes to challenging excursions into the hidden wonders of nature in these islands. You can even rent a decent mountain bike here. I once compared the closing of the original Filling Station to losing an old friend but the food and service lets you know that nothing is lost. There is also a fine new resort Tipolo which runs from here to the coast stylish cabins in a pretty garden setting.

Close by is Pacitas. Home of the Saturday Big Noise, sorry, Disco for some time now. If you have the energy to watch, you will enjoy the sight of young locals burn their energy on the dance floor. The cottages at Pacitas resort have all been rebuilt in brick and the landscaping and plants at the back make it among the nicest in the area.

Ocean Globe dive shop has a Japanese Restaurant upstairs if you fancy something different and then the 'Ghost Strip' from here to the Little Corner Restaurant all the buildings and businesses are gone. No sign of the proposed Japanese financed development and rumor (What here in Panagsama?) has it that the main
man is in prison.

Little Corner represents value for money but the real story is next door at Hot Stuff. I heard from his lady, En En, that English Bob resisted the eviction order posted by the aforementioned developer, had his day in court and won. So if you fancy a curry here's the place. Well done Bob, proud of you.

Stagger on through the dog leg track, mind you don't bang your head on the 'aircraft carrier '! Sorry I mean the concrete terrace of Neptune dive shop, a painful looking threat to anyone less than sober.

Well this really is down town. Above Neptune is Lan Taw serving exotic food from SE Asia, the Beach Bar on the same level, then downstairs a Karaoke bar (What in the Philippines? ) and Chili Bar now relocated from its original site the old Bull dog which I understand is also to reopen pretty soon, so a very busy spot.
It has to be said though that Chili has set the standard and pace for the resort over recent years. It's the place to go. Is it possible to have a bar that is at once vibrant and at the same time laid back? The answer is yes and Chili is. I sometimes have a word with Jorgen or Mike about the music but 'you can't always get what you want'.

There are some very friendly smaller bars further along. Ricks Tattoo shop, he's filled the gap left by Oliver 'Geronimo' who now lives in Dumaguete.

Italian Corner serving, well, yes, Italian food. Red Banana is closed but Esther has taken over the bar adjacent to Italian Corner and that's a fun open air bar. If you haven't run into Coos " You ain't much if you ain't Dutch " by now check your compass you could be on the wrong island.

Around the bend Lloyds music bar is still pumping sounds and my favorite of the three big bars Chief Mau. It's a lovely spacious place, nice mood music, play pool, darts or just relax in the breezy open. It was at its peak when Gerry owned and ran it, but it has been pleasantly re decorated and we spent a lovely
evening there. It does need a revamp though and the beach needs these fine alternate venues.

The May Fiesta was great. I really admire the Philipinos for the amount of time and effort they put into the costumes and rehearsals for these things. Half of Moalboals roads were closed, a grand big painted screen/stage was erected for the big nights live music, right on the ' football pitch' so the
poor lads had to go sit at Nancy's and drown their sorrow Diving is the main activity and all the dive shops offer very good service. Might mention Nelsons for value if you have your own gear, Savedra where Kalle and Herman offer the best in advanced courses including Tri Mix and Nitrox. More importantly the reefs are growing all the time. Talisay is amazing for Turtles, Clown Trigger, Yellow Edged Trigger, a couple of mating Titan Triggers looking to make life fun for divers soon and closer to the reef Electric Shell, Yellow Box, Nudis, so rich in fish and coral. No one was reporting Whale Sharks ten years ago, now the notice board in Chili has a list of sightings. Huge storm clouds of Sardine shoals at Pescador, incredible fan coral forest at Rhonda and on and on and down and down I'd have to say food in restaurants is getting silly on price in some places. I can eat cheaper in downtown Bangkok! I notice fewer locals dining out. Good news is that Swedes Jorgen and Mika are planning to open a 'value for food' place which should be really good because they are both chefs. Also Kiki serves her own recipe lunches in Chili bar.

On a bigger scale land is rocketing in price and that brings its own problems. Among my best memories are Sunday afternoons at Whitebeach. Volleyball and beers, Barbe Qs and cheers ,swim in the crystal clear sea and having fun with friends.

But land battles have changed the place. It's like Stalag 17 on approach with huge Iron gates , quirky access and parking controls. Some ropey construction on the beach and, at the back, walls and barbed wire.
Of course there are some nice places like Dutch Eddies which has been there a long time and Barefoot which is new. Hopefully things will settle, people will relax when they know where they stand. There are a lot of new foreign owned houses all over the Moalboal area, some are quite impressive if a little out of place but that is progress, isn't it?

Places we love are always at their best from the perspective of our first visit, after all that's when we fall in love with them. What adds to a place with time is that we meet more friends and grow closer to old ones. The quality of the people I've met in Panagsama over the years is a huge part of its appeal
to me. I will always go back there. Hope to see you there again one day \.......................................\
.....................................Jack

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/