Going overseas to the PHILLIPINES for the month of September partly bussiness but mostly R & R THE TEMPERATURE THERE WILL BE 29 /30 celcious.

Scuba diving on the island of MINDORO ,Sabang beach ,Puerto Gallero , the women are as hot as the weather

I should be really well rested for the nationals at wakefield .

If anyone wishes to come along give me a yell , i am sure it will be awesome , i love diving


B...free
michael

 

Just remember to wear 'body armour' when you go into 'combat', no 'commando' tactics, ok? LOL :D

 

Don't forget to check your bags before going through customs

 

Only taking overnight locker bag halve a dozen T shirts shorts 1 pair of jeans , i like to travel light :D

B...free
michael

 

Paul i last went to the phillipines at the young age of 23 , a few years ago :D , so i know all about the rules of engagement .

B....free
michael

 

....... don't forget condoms, you don't want to be bringing unwanted stuff back!

 

A mate of mine had a doctor friend who used to work his butt off in medical centres for 6 months of every year and spend the other six months on one of the outer islands of the Phillippines. He would rent a house with 'adequate' staff and just relax. He reckoned it was the perfect lifestyle.

Don't know if he's still alive these days though!

Have a good trip Lock- the diving will be top notch.

 

Hopefully will be diving looking for the 15th century old spanish Galleons that are known to have sanked around here .Hence the name Puerto Gallero (port of Galleons )

These spanish Galleons traded in wood and rare spices from the phillipines and other parts of the world most payments were in gold coins , they often docked in puerto gallero for fresh water and refreshments , or to repair their ships.

John my friend has been diving on ship wrecks most of his life and has a fast collection of antiques in his possesion including two cannons pre :James cook .

He is the keeper of immense knowledge , that he sometimes shares with a priviliged friends :D

The Australian maritime museum confiscated a few of the relics , but he has plenty more including information on other wrecks that have as yet not been found by the authorities .

Its amazing finding treasure and holding it in your hand knowing that it belonged back in 1650 - 1750 Era

One special piece that john has is the actual ships Bell , i wont name the ship but it has been verified as belonging to a ship dating back to 1670 .

So i consider myself privilidged to have found someone like him to call a true friend and be able to share in his love of diving .

B...free
michael

 

If you're "well-rested" after coming home from the Phillipines you didn't have near enough.... fun as you should have.

 

I remember reading some time ago that there was one ship in particular that made the annual trip between Portugal and the Orient - it was known as the "Black Ship" and was typically a huge galleon crammed with gold on the way out and crammed with spices, silks, etc on the way back.

Pretty sure one or more of these was sunk by privateers attempting to capture them around the Phillippines.

 

From what i have heard read the original Black ships were named after the priest that accompanied them and wore their long Black robes , while they converted the heathons(just an excuse ) the army of sailors also used their god given right to kill the locals and plunder the treasures of gold and raw materials.

Correctly these ships were carrying raw materials and spices and mostly looted gold .

When Commodore Perry (invaded ) went to Japan the japanese also called these ships black ships due to the fact that they had black hulls and bellowed black smoke .

B...free
michael

 

Interestingly enough, in the 1500s (can't remember the year now) Spain and Portugal signed a treaty that divided the world into two on a line of longitude.

The Spanish were entitled to plunder one half (which included most of South America) while the Portuguese got the other half.

Of course the Brits, Dutch, French and other protestant nations later spolit the Catholic party once they figured out how to get through the Strait of Magellan around 1600.

 

Nothing suprises me arent the powerfull nations still triyng to carve up the riches of the world , instead of gold and spices its now OIL AND DRUGS

My only concern is that there are a lot of fundamentalist in some of the southern islands so diving around these parts could be detrimental to your health

Australians, Americans , Britains are not the flavour of the month in these areas

B..free
michael

 

Mate if you are in Manila......then "Ivory".....fun without being to hard