Firsts - Lifeatroomtemperature

I’ve experienced a lot of firsts over the last five days.

Or is that four days?

My time is a bit fuzzy at this point, given that I’m approximately 8,000 miles and 13 time zones from home.

The Philippines is famous for great scuba diving. My professional scuba diving husband will lead a group trip to the Philippines next year, so we are here for the first time on a “fam trip.” As you might imagine from the name, the goal is to become familiar with the accommodations and amenities.

In this case, part of the learning process is getting here.

Our journey started early Thursday morning in St. Louis, where we caught a very early morning flight to Los Angeles. From there, we flew to Manila. When we boarded the plane at 12:25 pm in Los Angeles, the time in the Philippines was 3:25 am Friday. As we ate breakfast this morning in Puerta Galera, back home folks were in Sunday evening church or finishing their supper. They’ll begin their Monday morning as we head to bed tonight.

Thankfully, technology keeps track of what time it is where, so (1) I’m on time for meals and (2) I can focus on other things, like writing about the experience.

Our short visit to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was another first. I don’t know what I expected, but it was remarkably unmemorable except for the walking. Our 40-minute trek from the arrival gate to the departure gate consisted of a 5-minute bus ride followed by a 35-minute walk. I am not a fan of escalators, so I do not consider those rides a respite from the walk. I’m too busy making sure my feet land squarely on the step behind the yellow line and remaining upright all the way through to level ground.

(The early hour and focus on walking is why there are no pictures up to this point.)

Another first for this trip is the long-haul flight to Manila, estimated at 14-1/2 hours.

Thanks to a great flight crew, we landed in Manila 15 minutes early. After a short walk, we joined a sea of people waiting to go through immigration. As often happens, we developed a camaraderie with our neighbors in line as we wound through the maze to the immigration counter. The slow progress was only because of the hundreds of people passing through. Once we saw the immigration officers at work, we realized they were quite quick and efficient. We cleared immigration with ease, by which time our checked bags were ready. Our next stop was customs, where a group of smiling officers waved us through. We stopped briefly for currency exchange, then went outside to meet our arranged transport.

Nothing could have prepared me for the chaos outside Terminal 1 of the Manila airport, where we were greeted by honking horns and police whistles. Uniformed security guards directed traffic so pedestrians could cross over to the transport pick-up area. There, we encountered more horns, whistles, and bumper-to-bumper cars and scooters vying for position to pick up passengers. By “bumper-to-bumper,” I mean they were so close that one couldn’t walk between two cars! Our driver greeted us quickly and, thanks to his skillful driving, we soon arrived at the Belmont Hotel for a night’s rest.

Early the next morning, we headed to the hotel lobby for breakfast, where we met two members of the group with whom we would travel to our first destination. We had a good laugh about coming all the way to Manila to meet dive shop owners from St. Louis! We enjoyed a great breakfast and then met the rest of the group. Nine of us and our luggage were loaded into two vans for a 90-minute drive to the Port of Batangas.

This is probably a good time to mention that I am not particularly fond of boats. In fact, I usually avoid them. However, I knew coming into this trip that reaching the first destination would require a boat ride.

Across the ocean.

In a 24-passenger speedboat.

Did I mention that I am terrified of water?

(Before you ask how someone terrified of water ends up married to a professional scuba diver… he wasn’t a diver when I married him. That didn’t happen until about 10 years in, and the dive shop didn’t come along until another 6 years later.)

We arrived at the Port of Batangas and took a brief pit stop before heading to the boat. The cutest blue-eyed puppy watched us make our way from the van. One of the group reached out and was quickly advised not to touch. Unfortunately, there are a lot of stray animals in the Philippines, and a scratch or bite can be trouble.

This wasn’t my first encounter with a third-world potty, so I wasn’t entirely surprised by the condition of the facilities. I have only two things to say about this experience: (1) I am thankful for the “bum bag” of paper and sanitation supplies I packed before I left home, and (2) I now consider the facility at the port to be for dire emergencies only.

Thankfully, my husband agreed to ask his point of contact for specifics of this boat ride before we left home. We found the transportation situation just as shown in the picture we received. The speedboat sat docked next to a 5-foot-wide walkway (to which I have hereafter referred as the gangplank), with a handrail on one side. I gripped the rail with both hands, slowly made my way onto the boat, and donned a life jacket. Flotation devices are required for all passengers. Compliance is checked and documented by photograph before the boat leaves the port.

The point of contact was also kind enough to send a video of the boat ride, so I had an idea of what to expect as we set off. Speedboating across the ocean waves was another first. Although the ride was a little rougher in spots than I anticipated, overall the trip was pretty much as described. The only surprise was exiting the boat from the back by stepping over the side at our destination. I managed that easily enough with help from hubby and a crew member. I’m thankful that is behind me, and I honestly don’t dread repeating the trip (too much) in a few days.

Atlantis Philippines – Puerta Galera is a 4-minute walk from the boat dock. We passed several small dive shops on the left and lots of boats on the right. I enjoyed the walk but had to watch carefully since we shared the street with other walkers and moving vehicles. The Atlantis staff greeted us immediately upon arrival and invited us to sit and rest. They treated us to camansi juice (a fruit similar to lime) and a fruit plate. Resort management briefed us on things to know during our stay, then staff members took us to our rooms to freshen up before lunch.

The Atlantis Puerta Galera resort is unique but comfortable. This is Bedrock (as in “Meet the Flinstones”) on the ocean! I love the architecture and the rooms here.

There are stairs from the restaurant and dive shop to most of the rooms, but we’ve managed them without issue. The Atlantis staff handles luggage and dive gear throughout one’s stay, making navigating the resort much easier.

We are enjoying great food three times a day. Our guide warned us day one that we might prefer half portions since there is a lot of food. She wasn’t wrong! Lunch and dinner are three-course meals offering an appetizer, main course, and dessert. The breakfast menu offers choices ranging from local fare to English and American cuisine. The restaurant has a food artist who makes the most beautiful specialty coffees I’ve ever seen. A speciality coffee is free only with breakfast, but is available for purchase throughout the day if one chooses.

The people here are friendly and hospitable. (The resort staff called us by name within hours of our arrival!) And there’s nothing like an ocean view for catching up on some much-needed writing time.

Although I miss my people back home and my favorite little buddy, all the firsts involved in this trip so far are well worth the time and effort. Thanks to free wi-fi, we receive regular updates from Miss Cheryl. Thanks to her and her family, and our friend James, Raleigh is enjoying his regular daily routine as Odyssey Scuba door greeter and Ambassador of Happiness.

Speaking of firsts, I hope you enjoyed my first blog entry from the Philippines!

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