Where's Scott?

(edit 3/14: dive after Bogo)

Seb’s suffering from a bit throat infection though, and our cash reserves are also running dry; it’s clear we’re going to need to hit the mainland for a little ATM and clinic help.

The nearest town with facilities is Bogo on Cebu island, about two hours by boat and bus. We leave early the next morning on a very small fishing boat crewed by “generator man” (who hangs out all day to turn on/off our generator at our request), and soon learn that the roads on Cebu are about on par with those near Basud – very, very rough and dusty!

Bogo’s fairly small, and we quickly locate a local hospital and get Seb diagnosed and prescribed for, and head to the market to stock up with goods and cash (oooo, and visit Jollibee! :P). Everything is cheap… really, really cheap, and Seb loads up with dozens of toys for the kids and kilos of pork (recall he can’t survive on the fish). We’re soon laden with heavy boxes of loot!

By the time we get back to the boat, it’s sunset, and the weather’s turned a bit dodgy; loaded with both us and our bulk purchases, the crossing in our tiny boat promises to be a thrilling experience in flood avoidance. By half way, in the rain and high waves, I’m soaked through and loving it (it’s actually quite warm). The slim boat creaks and the stabilizers bend, and eventually the engine stalls; but I’m comforted at the thought that our captain can’t swim, so things can’t be as bad as they appear! I just hope we don’t swamp though, as poor Mabel can’t swim either!