Four Month Lockdown

July 2, 2020

We are now in the 4th month of lockdown in the Philippines. It started on March 17th with quarantine, curfew and although the curfew is lifted, the island is practically still under quarantine.

The Philippines has one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. Tourists who are still stranded on the island, can not just travel to Manila. There are no flights available anyway. And it seems there is no real plan to open up. They announced several times that aviation will start again and they always cancelled it again, because they found a case. Well, I think they can play this game for the next 12 month because the virus will not go away!

How the Philippines are able to handle their paralysed country for such a long time, I do not understand. Tourism after all is the backbone of their economy. And yet, after four month, there is no clear strategy in sight. Airlines sell tickets and then cancel the flights. That’s how they make at least a little money. Of course, the customer will never get a refund.

We are stranded on this island and actually we cannot really complain. ‘Stranded in Paradise’ in this case, is not just a flowery phrase. It is reality! Sometimes I have no words for how beautiful and stunning it is.

Of course there are the watchdogs and the military police. But after a while, they are just part of the picture and sometimes I don’t realise that they are even there. The rules are sometimes ridicules indeed. But you also learn not to argue. Just play the game!

 

And there is also a final conclusion. Maybe it is time to change your life. Because, once, if you leave this island, you’ll probably never come back.

One should leave when it is best. Maybe it’s time to go.  True to the motto: ‘Always leave them wanting more!’ (W. Disney)

Corona Dates:

Cases roughly 35000. Death 1350. The Philippines has an estimated Population of 100 Million people. Due to the lockdown they estimate 1.9 million newborns.

 

Tropical Dream

Sometimes it can be so beautiful, so outlandish, so islandish, that one might consider oneself to be in a dream…

White Beach. Low Tide at Willy’s Rock. 

…and it’s hard to imagine, that we are about to destroy our planet!

The Day the Earth stood still! – Electionday!

Monday, 13 May 2019 – Electionday.

Filipinos obviously take their right to vote very seriously. The resort I live in, was like dead. No employee was be seen, during Monday – Electionday. I talked to a Filipino. He said, on Electionday he would go to his home province to vote his politician, and to pic up his money. A 1000 peso he is expecting to get for his vote.

The sale of alcohol and drinking in public is strictly forbidden the day before Election (Sunday) and during the Election. I was with my friend for dinner on Sunday. He asked for a Sun Miguel and the waiter refused. My friend complained and even asked for the friendly Japanese owner of the resto. This regulations, he claimed, wouldn’t hold true for tourists, only for Filipinos! The Japanese owner however friendly insisted that no exceptions can be made!

The main road – empty, no traffic. If you are used to the usual hustle and bustle, you ask yourself, what’s wrong?

Mainroad Station 3, Monday 13, May 2019 – Election Day!

Mainroad to Cagban Jetty on Election Day

 

 

Election Propaganda

And even the tide seemed to be absent today. It was one of the rare days in the year when there is only one, elongated tide during the day. There was almost no movement in the air as well.

tide chart 13 May 2019 (source: tides4fishing)

And the ocean? – Flat as a mirror!

The ocean looks more like a flat lake. Almost no wind and little boat traffic. The watersport businesses have already moved over to Bulabog Beach because of the Beginn of the Habagat Season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 May – NO PARTY

No Party, no party people, no ad campaign! – Yeah!:-) This ad campaign in Boracay was always the worst!!

Just a normal, touristic day on the island.

The kite season at Bulabog is over. The wind has dropped almost to zero.

Kiteseason at Bulabog is over.

What about the Algeas?

There are a few patches at Station 1. But much less than all the previous years. So, now it is very much likely, that the illegal pipes from all the Hotels had caused the algae infestation.

A patch of algeas at the d’Mall Beach Front (30 April 2019)

Crystal clear water at Angol Beach Station 3

White Beach Station 3 (Angol), 1 May 2019

Live view of the pontoon jetty at Station 3. 1 May 2019, 3 pm

 

 

Under Water Scene

Coral growing out of the seafloor.

Montastraea. A genus of colonial stony coral. It’s inhabited by  polyps which will extend out of their cavities in the night.

 

TAXI Please!

Taxi to Paradise!

Boracay Water Taxi

Two Beaches in One Day

1 April 2019

First we visit Bulabog Beach. Surprisingly good wind conditions late in the season. Until we have a solid 15 kts blowing from ENE. On the water it is not very busy. We have an max. of 20 kites up. We had a nice kite session at „Habagat Kite Center“.

Habagat Kiteboarding

Bulabog Beach. Late in the Season. Enjoying kiteboarding and tranquility of a beautiful tropical beach.

The wind has dropped around 1 pm. In the morning until noon we had winds up to 16 kts.

Time to Relax

And then we make over to White Beach.

They got their own floating jetty at Station 1 now (after the one at Station 3). Ready to take on Mass Tourism!!

White Beach at the North end. Here the first Algae’s in this season arrive on the scene. This Algae’s are not very pleasant. On the beach they are slippery and backed by the hot sun it smells like old cabbage.

For the most part however White Beach is very beautiful. It’s getting hotter.

That’s why its called White Beach!

Ladies in Red…

…lost in the blue!

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  Chinese Tourists in red dress

A stark contrast of color

Kite behind Bars

While construction on the island is still going on, the tourist industry runs at full speed. This opens a new view on some tourist attractions.

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  Construction Site at Bulabog Beach (Pumping Station)

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  Kite behind Bars

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  Bulabog Beach 2nd Bay

Bay 2 Bulabog

Kite Impressions February 2019

In the first two weeks of February the wind was quiet consistent. An average of 14/15 knots. Mostly sunny.

Kite down!

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After the reopening the island is still undergoing a lot of construction. Bulabog Beach displays many construction sides as well. Especially the pumping station in the middle of the bay has still a long time to go until it will be finished. The beach around that area is almost unusable. Maybe because of a lot of uncertainty it is not as busy as it was before the closure, which is not necessarily a bad thing if you just come for kitesurfing.

Bulabog Beach