Travel Tips
Sometimes, You Just Have to Yell
By Tony on August 30, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Thomas and I have the good-cop/bad-cop act down to a fine art. Sometimes, I don’t even realize that I am doing it, it has become so automatic. Of course, as many of you might suspect, I generally play the role of bad cop.
You might remember that we recently lost our underwater camera while we were diving in Sabang, Mindoro. Shortly thereafter, we purchased a replacement water-resistant snorkeling camera (Canon D10) to allow us to capture some of the underwater treasures in Palawan and beyond. Well, as luck would have it, our new camera started leaking after less than a month. Damn.
Luckily, we had the foresight to purchase our new Canon D10 camera from a reliable chain which supposedly had great customer service and support. The store assured us that all repairs or returns would be painless. So when we approached the store and they informed us that the camera would be “repaired” within EIGHT weeks, I » Continue reading this post »
Free Phone Calls to USA and Canada
By Tony on August 27, 2010 | No Comments »
Gmail has just upgraded US-based Gmail accounts to allow people to make free calls to phones in the United States and Canada.
This is different from Skype and Gmail Voice Chat because Gmail users can call telephones for free, not just other computers. Although Skype’s fantastic Skype-In feature has provided a similar service for years, a small per-minute charge has always been required.
So, will Gmail calls stay free forever? Probably not, as there is a small line of text stating “free in 2010.” Well, enjoy them while they last. Everyone else certainly is. Apparently, over a million free calls were made in the first 24 hours!
$18 a Night
By Thomas on August 18, 2010 | 2 Comments »
If you are visiting Boracay and don’t want to pay a lot, you don’t have to spend half a month’s budget on a night in a luxury hotel. There are plenty of other options – especially during low season. After some searching, we discovered the Sulu House, a palm-thatched treasure tucked away in a quiet alley just off White Beach.
Clearly, Sulu House is not quite as polished as the Presidential Suite at the Asya Premier, but it has everything we need. From a kitchen, sitting area and bathroom to a veranda, cable TV and air-conditioning, what else could we possibly want? The house even » Continue reading this post »
Palawan’s Subterranean River
By Tony on August 2, 2010 | No Comments »
Palawan tourism officials love to love their not-so-world-famous subterranean river. Although if they have their way, that is about to change. Nominated to compete in an online competition to choose the New Natural 7 Wonders of the World, Filipinos and foreign visitors are racing to see this piece of marketing mania for themselves.
Heralded as the ultimate underground river journey, I think we can safely say that this wasn’t even the nicest underground river journey we have made this year. But perhaps, this is somewhat unfair.
To be honest, Palawan’s subterranean river is a beautiful place. The entrance, situated on a picturesque blue lagoon, is strait out of a tropical dream. Boating through the cavern’s interior, visitors encounter » Continue reading this post »
100 Ways to Kill Coral
By Tony on July 17, 2010 | 21 Comments »
Above water, the Bacuit Archipelago is one of the most stunning places on the planet. Below the surface of its perfectly turquoise waters, it’s a different story. A story of neglect, corruption, mismanagement and ignorance.
It is estimated that only 1% of the Philippines’ coral is still in pristine condition. Sewage run-off, anchor damage, shore erosion, a crown-of-thorns starfish infestation, and overfishing are some of the more typical culprits. And, of course, coral bleaching due to global warming is a huge problem. But to kill that much coral, you need to employ some of the more destructive practices such as » Continue reading this post »
