This week we started our classes and we asked to change our schedule.
Our schedule now is:
1st class 8:00 am/9:50 am
2nd class 10:00 am/11:50 am
3rd class 2:40 pm/4:30 pm
Between the second and the third class we have time to have lunch (the restaurant closes at 12:30pm!), to do a "siesta", to start the homework and time to go to ask some things, like a change in our schedule to have consecutives classes, without the big break. They told us we will get it in December.
Along the week we don't have time to do a lot of things. We finish classes at 4:30 pm, and at 5:30 pm it starts to get dark in here (and the restaurant opens for the dinner!).
Friday is different. On Fridays, we have a reduced schedule and we finish at 2:30 pm. They do the graduation ceremony for the students that finish their course and some games to have fun between students and teachers. Because it was the first Friday, we were at the ceremony and played a game. We wanted to know about that. It's funny if you don't have anything better to do! On Thursday, we had decided to go for a walk on a principal road on Friday evening, to know more things about Mactan (almost the principal roads!). After walking 6 km, we decided to come back to school. It was time for dinner!
Principal road in front of our school
On Saturday, some students went to a town about 4 hours travelling by car to see whale sharks and swim with them. We decided to go another day, with calm and more time. Then we went to a mall in Cebu City. We wanted to buy some things and see this Mall (it's a very big Mall indeed).
We had reserved a special excursion for Sunday. We wanted to rent a motorbike and to go over and to see the island of Mactan, and search places where to swim for free! On Friday, we asked how much is the entrance fee in a resort. Their answer was1500₽ (27€) and you can stay there from 8 am to 5 pm and that includes lunch.On this day, we discovered one without sand-beach and they asked 200₽ (3'6€) to arrive at the coast inside their property. Another one, which was far from anywhere, they asked 400₽ (7'2€) with lunch. We didn't accept! The beach was unattractive.
Beach of the most expensive resort
Mactan is a peculiar island. The island doesn't have any public access at the coast, except some places where there are mangroves. If I'm not wrong, all the sand-beach that are in front of all resorts are artificials. Then, we are a little bit fuss with this, it will be difficult to go for a swim! We are lucky for the tour of today and to ask for a public access to the coast; some people told us a place where we can have access to the sea and we can be there in just 30min from the school. It is an access without sand. It seems an access for fishermen, but we can go for a swim! Nothing is less!
The unique access to the sea that we have found
It's surprising the number of resorts that you can find in this island, also the number of diving shops (I thought their name was diving center!). I think we have seen almost 20 Diving shops in a cost line not longer than 15km. In the most surprising and unexpected place, we have found a diving shop: in a secondary street, in the center of the island! We have entered, of course, to ask for the price and I think is the most expensive place where we have asked. Diving in this island (and I think in the Philippines) is expensive, but it is cheaper than diving in Menorca.
Today, with the motorbike, we have experienced one fun thing, danger and anxious moments.
The first, the dangerous one, happened when we tried to cross a street from right to left. Usually, in 90% of overtakings, they blow the horn to advice the overtaking. Well, I put the signal light to advice I had the intention to cross to the left. At the same time I started to turn left, the van we notticed behind us (little bit far from us) passed to the left side with the intention to overtake us. We didn't notice it, and he didn't blow the horn. We were very close to being hit by the van! It was a dangerous and a frightening experience!!!
The anxious one happened after a stop to buy water in a shop (they didn't have a cold one, and they asked for the water for an exaggereted price!). At the end we bought a cold drink haggling a little bit. We learned that here, most of them will ask the foreigners a more expensive price than the real. The lesson: haggling and ask for the change after paying (in the jeepneys for example!). Sometimes they don't give us the change. After, we continued our way and after 5 km we stopped again to buy some food. Here, Maria noticed she had forgotten the helmet!!!! I think we did some "record driving" back to these 5 km with the motorbike and in these roads! We went to the first shop to find the helmet. If we didn't return the helmet, we had to buy another new one! We were advised by the rental shop.
We were lucky. The helmet was there, and the woman gave it to us. We had a big sigh of relief!
Big shop in the street to buy different things
The last experience happened when we were going to fill the tank, just a moment before returning the motorbike. A crowded road. Motorbikes everywhere. Bycicles everywhere, as well. Cars, jeepneys, tricycles... Everybody turning in a free way, blowing the horns. An authentic chaos, where I needed my 5 senses. We saw two oil stations. I made my mental plan to arrive there (I had to turn left again and in a crowded road this time!). And suddenly, a policeman called me. The woman from the rental shop told us about it is normal that the police stop foreign drivers and for this reason, it was better if we didn't drive without helmet. Both of us were wearing the helmet. I thought he wanted to ask about the motorbike's papers, driver's license... I knew we had all, and all was correct (almost our papers!). But he told us I drove against the traffic, I passed a "No Entry" signal. My face should be a poem. I said the truth, I was more focused with the driving (the length in opposite way was shorter than 10m) than to look at the signal. He offered to us a "ticket". I started to explain that we are foreigners (obviously!), we were going to return the motorbike, we even did not notice the signal because I concentrated on driving,... At the end, no ticket! Maybe, was it because of pity?
In summary, today has been a good Sunday, well spent and with good experiencies! Now, we know a free place where to go for a swim. We have found a cheap dive shop (around 27€ for dive and equipment) and we have gone from one end of the island to the other. We have seen nice places!
We have almost decided how to spend next weekend: go swimming and go diving!
MARIA'S VERSION
Now we are starting the second week class and we feel that more than a thousand days has passed since we arrived! I've learned to haggle and to ask for the change because they are a cad.
Truly, I learn a new thing everyday!! I'm very happy for this!!
What I feel the worst is to think that I have the sea very near me, but I can't swim. I'm pissed off with this!! We will see if this new place is ok.
In the non tourist places, it's a nonsense!! I believe I can pass everywhere although there is a bank and other things situated in difficult locations. The consequence, I suffer a release hehehehehe. The day we rented the motorbike we found a path through the mangroves. I was desiring to go. Obviously I had to try it, even though there was some wood to block the pass. After some steps, the path started to collapse!!! I was faster than the light to return my way!!! The Filipinos are crazy!!!
The path after Maria walked in it
Some more pictures:
Another view of the place we've found to swim
Fruit stand where we bought a mango
Maria meeting some local children
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