Day 1 We took a two hour comfortable ferry ride from Bohol to Cebu and arrived just after noon. If you’ve been following us for anytime you can probably guess what’s next. Yep, we dropped off our luggage and headed out to eat and explore our home for the last 6 days of this trip. As we were heading out the front desk staff at the hotel stopped us and gave us two warnings. The first was to bring only the amount of money we needed. For example, if we were going out to eat, only carry enough to cover dinner. The second was to avoid the children begging in the street as they distract you while another pick pockets you. Not only did we get approached by begging children but we saw others sleeping on the sidewalks with no signs of an adult anywhere. Cebu isn’t as big as Manila but it seems the poverty is just as bad. Homeless people, beggars, garbage everywhere and to our surprise guys selling sample packs of prescription drugs on every street, from Cialis to Valium.

Day 2 We spent the day lounging at the hotel pool until late afternoon when we wanted to find dinner. Not wanting to deal with the streets again we decided to hop in a cab and head to the mall. Like Manila, Cebu has a super mall. Technically it’s not as big but we liked this one much better. Manila’s mall is laid out in a maze over several city blocks making it hard to navigate. Cebu’s mall is a giant circle with 4 levels. There is an ice skating rink, 3 movie theaters, an archery park, restaurants, food courts, hundreds of high end shops and a bowling alley with karaoke rooms and pool and ping pong tables. There’s even a seaside park on the roof to relax outside and watch the sunset over the ocean. There are also several car dealerships. Just like in Manila there doesn’t seem to be any middle class. You either have money or you have nothing.

Day 3 We woke up at 4am and met up with a driver we hired for the day. The plan was to head 3 hours south to the town of Oslob to find and swim with giant whale sharks. A tour from Cebu city costs $150 per person but we found a driver to take us there for $80 plus $20 each to get us on a boat. We saved $180 and had a private car! So many cool tips like that coming in my book!
Once we arrived we paid our fee and got our orientation on encountering the beasts. Then we waited on the beach until it was our turn to head out. Once in the boat our crew of 3 rowed out about 200 meters before we spotted our first whale shark. It was 20 feet long with a huge mouth big enough to swallow a person whole if it desired. He swam within feet of the boat followed by dozens of smaller fish. At this point we jumped off the boat with our hearts racing. With all the rules about keeping your distance and protecting the sharks it is easiest to jump in and swim to the boats outrigger and grab hold. Before we could get used to the water 2 more giants swam right at us. With amazing grace they would slowly drift past making eye contact for a few seconds before moving on. Looking a 25 foot whale shark in his eye as he swims by rubbing against you is a feeling words can’t describe. The encounter was not only closer but much more personal than the Manta Rays or the Komodo dragons. However it was bitter sweet leaving us with an ethical conundrum. The whale sharks are free to leave the area but they return everyday cause the tour guides feed them. The problem is they get used to being fed instead of finding their own food. In recent years they have begun approaching all boats looking for food making it real easy for Chinese fishing boats to kill them and now their numbers are dwindling to the point where they will be declared endangered by next year. After we got home we went to a fancy restaurant and had the best meal we have had in the Philippines yet. If any of our Phillipino friends can tell me what part of the pig Crispy Sesig is made from I would appreciate. I was told it had all different parts of the head and brain in it today. Loved it!