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Vela Huang

Vela Huang

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    • Our OE
      Off we go!
      Our ride for the daySeeing this immediately under the dive boatDidn't even spot this guy until Vela yanked my finBetter images of the garden eels todayLoved how bright blue this coral wasThis photo doesn't do it justice, this thing was massive (2m+) and so intricateFrog fish chilling on a coralSee you later from the underwater world

      Diving Balicasag

      July 27, 2024 on the Philippines ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

      Well... Unfortunately we might have caught the bug for another expensive hobby... At least while we're in the Philippines the cost isn't too bad, so we took the opportunity to book ourselves on a dive trip to the nearby island and marine reserve of Balicasag.

      The trip included 3 dives, two at Balicasag and one more back at Alona Beach. It was an early start, at the beach by 7.50am and headed out to the island on a large Outrigger (which looks a bit like a giant water skater bug). We were kitted up and in the water by 9.15 for our first dive.

      The difference from back at Panglao was immediate.

      The crystal clear water. The white sandy bottom. The water filled with amazing brightly coloured coral and teeming with brightly coloured little fish. It was awesome.

      Within 5 minutes we were swimming with turtles. There were so many that Nathan was busy filming four swimming, and completely missed the one a metre in front of him chilling on the reef.

      We left the turtles alone and headed over the edge of the reef, checking out the amazing corals and fish life. We saw more garden eels, a nudibranch, and plenty of other aquatic life.

      Dive two came around, at a site called the "Royal Garden" and it lived up to its name! The current blew us across the sand and over the edge of the reef. Floating past the wall, heading deeper to check out some cool blue tube coral and massive fan coral. We saw turtles again but none up close. The most exciting thing we spotted was an octopus. It was a little bit shy and hid in his hole, but very cool watching it change colours while hiding. Nathan got a little too close to a territorial clown fish and it gave him a little headbutt to tell him to back off... Oops...

      Back on board the Outrigger and it was lunch time before heading back to Alona beach for our third and final dive. It was a bit disappointing heading back into the murkier water after being out at Balicasag, but still very cool checking out some more eels and crabs, and even taking the time to check out the sea cucumbers and feather stars pushing food into their mouths with their feathery appendages. It was insanely hard to get everything into a 1 minute video from today...

      So after four days we completed 7 dives, spending a total of nearly 7 hours underwater. Very surreal to look back and be able to say this. Looking forward to planning some more diving in the future!      Read more

    • Our OE
      Off to explore!
      Practicing taking our BCD off underwaterPracticing taking our BCD off underwaterGotta earn those fist bumpsThe beautiful but dangerous lion fishTrumpet fishTuktuk time!Off to dinner!

      Qualified Scuba Divers!

      July 26, 2024 on the Philippines ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

      Last day of our PADI Open Water qualification today. Only one final dive to go. We had our briefing with our instructor Mehdi, and then hit the water. The visibility had cleared up immensely since yesterday. We played around a bit, practicing our buoyancy control with Yoda imitations. We also completed our underwater compass navigation and the last few skills we needed to check off.

      Then it was off to explore in the much improved water quality. It was the same dive site we went to yesterday, but it was amazing how different 24 hours can make. Mehdi brought his GoPro along so we were treated to some awesome videography.

      We saw some eels, clown fish, a very venomous lionfish (which gave Mehdi a little scare when it moved), a bright yellow trumpet fish, and a playful sea snake to finish it off.

      We treated ourselves to dinner at a restaurant on the other side of Bohol island. We took a tuktuk to get there, and had a fairly decent meal of crab, white marlin, chicken and pork.

      Learning to Scuba in the Philippines has been epic. We think it will be a great skill to have and opens up new possibilities for sightseeing when we visit places in the future. But we couldn't end here... So tomorrow we've booked a trip to Balicasag Island which is a marine reserve. Two dives at the island and one more off Alona Beach before we get ourselves firmly back on dry land for a while!      Read more

    • Our OE
      Underwater selfie!
      Hi Vela!We're offThis little dude looks quite offended...Garden eels - difficult to take a photo of...Not our photo, but imagine a bunch of these guys in the previous photoOur instructor, Mehdi, pointing out a little critter on this strand of ropeSome cool coral-scapes

      Day Two Scuba Training

      July 25, 2024 on the Philippines ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

      Second day learning to Scuba in the Philippines. Conditions had improved so we were able to dive right off Alona Beach today. After learning about dive planning and calculating safe nitrogen levels, we hit the water for our first dive of the day. We practiced some skills including breathing using your buddies alternate air source, and a Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent. After we'd completed this we headed off to explore again.

      We rented a GoPro from the dive club (as our underwater case for our 360 got lost in the Italian post... Grr) but fortunately we were still able to get some video and photos to remember this awesome experience.

      We were able to get two dives in today, and it was quite incredible the difference in visibility between the two. Plenty to see, including a box fish, clown fish, garden eels, tonnes of coral and anemones, and some other weird and wonderful ocean life.

      After two dives we were pretty beat, so we had an early dinner and straight to bed. Final day tomorrow and then we'll officially be scuba divers!      Read more

    • Our OE
      Geared up and ready to go!
      Headed to the beachHanging out waiting for our course to startCute little gear boxesCute little gear boxesIn the tuktukAbout to go down for our first diveBeach where we're diving fromHeading to the reefHappy kids having done our first dive!

      Day One Scuba Training in Panglao

      July 24, 2024 on the Philippines ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

      While in the Philippines we're taking advantage of the warm water and reasonable prices to complete our PADI Open Water course. We have been doing our online learning over the past few weeks so it was very cool to start putting this into practice!

      We spent most of the morning doing theory and learning how to set up our gear. After lunch we were taken to the other side of the island via tuktuk and thrown in the deep end (literally). No pool learning here. We completed our skills with our instructor before he took us for a little explore of the coral reef.

      It was so freeing to glide underwater for an hour without having to surface. Definitely a bit funky getting used to the breathing and attempting to control our buoyancy - some things to work on! We were super lucky though and saw three turtles, including a Hawksbill and a big a Green turtle. There were also a few small sea snakes and tonnes of other fish.

      Unfortunately we don't have our Insta 360 dive case, but we'll try to find another way to get some underwater footage over the next couple of days! And hopefully the turtles hang around as well!      Read more

    • Our OE
      Flying into Istanbul
      Are we going to miss our bus to the airport...Wet in ManilaMidnight feast in the hotel

      Escape from Europe

      Jul 21–22, 2024 on the Philippines ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

      Not the smoothest 24 hours of travel for us. We thought we had everything planned out for leaving our little hotel, getting to Sorento, and catching a bus to Naples international airport. So we started the day off pretty relaxed, enjoyed our lovely breakfast at the hotel, packed our bags, and set off to the bus stop. As we were leaving, the hotel manager was a little concerned for us "Are you sure that bus is coming today? It's Sunday... Oh I think that one should come today..." He very nicely offered that if we had any issues he would help.

      So we waited for our bus. And then we waited some more. And we kept on waiting but it never came... Luckily we got talking to the guys that manage the beach over the road, and we negotiated paying them to drop us to the bus station in Sorento. Our bus was due to leave at 1pm, and we ran to board at 1.01pm... way too close for comfort. We did know that our plane wasn't until much later (8pm) so we were never missing our flight, but it was definitely the most stressed we've felt trying to catch transport!

      Our bus arrived at the airport with no issues, and we spent the last of our euro cash on McDonald's for lunch (sometimes you just need some dirty fast food). Our plane ended up delayed and we didn't leave until after 10pm, which started to get us worried about our connecting flight in Istanbul... There was no need to worry however, but Nathan did attempt to board separately in Istanbul - with Vela's passport. This led to Vela chasing Nathan down the air bridge with an airline staff member to retrieve her passport so she could board... Whoops...

      A short 12 hour flight later and we arrived into a rather wet Manila. No issues with security or border control, and Vela quickly extended her visa to cover our whole trip (she would only get 7 days by default). We then had to make our way to our hotel. It was quite literally only 200m from the airport, but we couldn't walk in a direct line due to fences and walls. As we were figuring it out, the heavy rain turned into a full blown deluge.

      We eventually figured out how to get to the hotel, but we were drenched and our shoes were sopping. We checked in and hung out our wet stuff to dry. Time for some food!      Read more

    • Our OE
      Pretty people
      Eggplant, cheese and tomatoGrilled seafood platterMeatballsGnocchiCheers!Last sunset in ItalyCya later!

      Last night in Europe

      July 20, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Our final day in Europe. After Capri we were pretty exhausted, so we made the most of our fantastic hotel room, using the private terrace, sun beds, and generally relaxing and enjoying the view of all the boats going to and from Capri.

      We thought we might head to a beach in the afternoon, but there weren't a lot of great options in walking distance, and we were happy relaxing.

      We went back to the same restaurant as our first night in Sorento, but a bit later to take full advantage of the sunset. We ordered a feast, starting with an eggplant, tomato and cheese dish before sharing a grilled seafood platter, meatballs, and gnocchi. It was delicious but our eyes were definitely bigger than our belly.

      Plan all in place for tomorrow to get back to Naples airport, bound for the Philippines!      Read more

    • Our OE
      1Checking out Via Krupp
      Off to Capri!On our final approachVela looks like she was made for this lifeFinally found some sand!Views from Gardini di AugustoOur afternoon spent checking out the caves and the waterReady or not, here I come!Boat lifeChilling out with the sunset

      Capri

      July 19, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Big one. We started the day off right by enjoying an early breakfast at our accommodation - an omelette, breads, and sweet treats - before we caught a bus to Sorento. From there we jumped on a ferry over to Capri. We were on a bit of a tight timeline on Capri as we had to catch a ferry back at 4.20 in order to make the last bus back to our accommodation. Vela had the day all planned out though.

      We started with a hike up from the main marina to the Capri town centre. It wasn't midday yet but the temperature was well into the 30s. Neither of us has ever sweated so much in our lives. Nathan had rivers running down his arms and dripping off the end of his fingers, while Vela (blessed with those superior Asian genes) experienced a light sheen and sweat beading on her upper body...

      We made it to the top, made sure to rehydrate, then headed for the gardens - Gardini di Augusto. The Gardens provide a great lookout point over the southern side of Capri. The bay was chock full of boats, and the water looked incredibly inviting. We made sure to get our fill of photos and also headed to the Via Krupp walkway for some extra shots.

      Time for a quick lunch back in Capri town before we headed back down the hill to the marina. We hunted out a private charter boat and locked in a two hour trip to find some swimming spots. We shared the cost with a couple of other Chinese girls who just happened to also be from Chongqing!

      We spent the next couple of hours enjoying the waters and sights around Capri. Our driver took us into some of the caves and showed us the white cave which you could swim inside to find lit up by a natural skylight. The water was amazing and there were a few inquisitive fish that followed us around. It was very refreshing to dive down to the bottom where the water was cooler, holding your breath and checking out the fish that came for a nosey.

      All too soon it was time to head back to the marina. We made it back in time for our ferry and shortly were back in Sorento. We had a nice big meal for dinner at a restaurant overlooking one of the marina's near Sorento and enjoyed watching the sun set over the water again.      Read more

    • Our OE
      Clifftops of Sorrento
      On the ferry from Naples to SorentoExploring Sorrento and trying out the Aperol & Campari SpritzThe Napoli GulfLooking forward to getting in that waterVesuvius looking majestic in the backgroundDinner time!Sunset view from the restaurantQuick evening photo shootAnd watching the last of the sunset from our balcony

      Sorrento

      July 18, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      We jumped on a ferry this morning and moved ourselves across the Napoli Gulf to Sorento. We arrived and after climbing up the cliffs from the ferry terminal, we set off to explore the old town. It wasn't quite midday, but it was hot enough so we decided to test out the Aperol & Campari Spritz at a local bar.

      After we were refreshed, we went back to the cliffs for a view of the gulf and the people enjoying the water below. Our hotel is a little way out of town, so we caught a bus for 30 minutes to get there. The hotel is pretty sweet with a great view - you can see a little corner of Capri and all the way out to Ischia.

      An afternoon nap later and it was time to head out for dinner. We had an awesome meal, starting with stuffed courgette flowers, followed by lasagne and clam tagliatelle, and finished off with cannoli and gelato. We had a great view of the sunset from the restaurant, but we opted to head back to our hotel to enjoy the last of the sunset there. We even managed to capture the exact moment the sun dropped below the horizon.

      Looking forward to more adventures tomorrow, and definitely getting into that water!      Read more

    • Our OE
      Off to Pompeii!
      The streets with their raised stepping stonesSome of the viewsThe plaster casts made in the holes left by the ancient citizensSome of the wall paintings we sawThe bath houseChecking out a bakery1No caption neededSome very cool mosaicsAnd an epic feast to end the day1

      Pompeii

      July 17, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

      Very big one today. We took so many photos we didn't know what to do with them! So sorry for all of these being collages, but even still not all of the photos we wanted to share made the cut.

      Anyway... The main event today was a visit to the ancient ruins of Pompeii. The city was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2000 years ago. The eruption left Pompeii in a state of very good preservation and gives a great insight into life in the Roman Empire at the time - including hollows in the ash where people were buried alive.

      The place was completely fascinating to us, and we knew to get the most out of it we needed a guided tour. Even with the guided tour it felt like we were only scratching the surface. The streets with their raised stepping stones, the open spaces with Vesuvius looming on the horizon, the plaster casts of the ancient inhabitants of Pompeii, the bathhouse, the mosaics, and the artwork - the whole place felt like a window into history. It even has its own mini Colosseum and a couple of outside theatres.

      We spent a solid three hours wandering around in the 35+ degree heat enjoying the sights of this place. Eventually it was time to return to Naples however, and we were quite hungry by this point.

      We headed straight for dinner. Vela booked us into a restaurant where she could sample some local crab. Nathan went for a more traditional gnocchi option. But the surprise highlight was the tiramisu. After we ordered the dessert and the waiter brought out a small serving table, we knew something was up. They proceeded to make the tiramisu in front of us, dipping the biscuits into the espresso before coating it with Mascarpone and a dusting of cocoa. What a great way to finish off our day!      Read more

    • Our OE
      Naples!
      2Waiting for our turn to get a pizzaApparently the inventor of the pizzaCouple of awards... Should be pretty good then!Cooking timeAlright, that's bigger than we thought...And we got one each...Not sure how, but we made it through!Cheeky seagullCheeky gelato

      Naples

      July 16, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

      Travel day for the most part. With our plane leaving around midday from Nice and arriving into Naples around 1.30.

      Once we were back on the ground we made our way to our hotel. It was incredibly hot, some of the signs outside the pharmacies were saying 38 degrees. A lot of stone and concrete in Naples and it felt like the heat was coming from all around us. Thoroughly dripping we made it to our hotel room where we had a short rest and a change of clothes before braving the heat again.

      For dinner we made our way to "L'antica Pizzeria da Michele" which was made famous by the movie "Eat, Pray, Love". There were only 3 flavour options, each a different variation of tomato, herbs and cheese, and a fourth option which was a combination of two flavours, and they were all priced at 5.50eur. With a plethora of Michelin and other awards posted to the front door, wet knew we were in for something special.

      We ordered a pizza each and washed it down with a beer. Feeling like we needed to walk off some of the food, we began wandering home. We then realised we were actually in Italy now and hadn't had a gelato today, so we made a quick pit stop for gelato. It was about 9pm by now, and the pharmacy signs were still reading 34 degrees...      Read more

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