All the News from Southern Leyte
Latest Update 30th January 2012

Janaury 30th.
The excellent weather continues and, as we had no guests yesterday, Delia went sailing for the first time in many, many months and really enjoyed it. We had a nice light breeze in the morning, with the wind picking up in the late afternoon as it often does. We get consistent and reliable north-easterly breezes at this time of year, and when there is no breeze the kayak is an excellent way to explore the coastline.

January 22nd.
After more than our fair share of wet weather over Christmas and the first couple of weeks of January, the past week has been lovely with plenty of whale sharks beeing seen on our whale shark tours and some excellent sailing conditions. We ran an Introductory Saling course for a couple of guests who have since had some great solo sails around the bay - and are looking forward to getting out on the lakes back home when the ice melts in their native Finland. Whether you have never sailed before, or are an accomplished sailor you will find our Hobie Cat to be exhilirating and a great way to enjoy the surroundings. Do please remember that if you take the catamaran (or the kayak) out on your own you are responsible for getting it back to the beach and if you need to be rescued extra costs will be incurred.

January 5th.
It was raining this morning, and when the guests queried the chances of seeing whale sharks I remarked that they weren't going to see them from the comfort and dryness of the resort lounge. So, after waiting for 20 minutes for a particularly heavy shower to pass, we departed and were rewarded with a fantastic day - 7 whale sharks all to ourselves. Although we got a good drenching as we started looking for the whale sharks, the weather brightened up after lunch and we had a lovely stop at the First Mass site, some excellent snorkeling and a sunset cruise back to the resort in the early evening.

January 1st, 2012.
Happy New Year! We had a full house last night, and Delia and the team put on a superb gala dinner with a whole letchon as the centrepiece. The midnight fireworks were really superb and everyone stayed up to watch them and enjoy the complimentary champagne. So if you couldn't make it this year we hope to see you next time around!

December 29th.
We lost count of how many whale sharks we saw on Christmas Eve - but it was a lot. Today we had a brief but very close encounter with just 1 whale shark. After an excellent lunch we saw maybe 100 dolphins on the way to Limasawa Island. Snorkeling with the whale sharks is the objective of the day, but with dolphin and pilot whale watching, snorkeling at a fantastic marine sanctuary and visiting the site of the First Mass our whale shark tours are all round and truly excellent full day tours.

December 20th.
There are at least 30 whale sharks over at Sunok at the moment, and our guests enjoyed great outings seeing plenty of sharks yesterday and today. The Castle is looking very festive, and provided a great setting for Club Vera's traditional British Christmas dinner complete with turkey and trimmings plus a superb letchon.

December 17th.
Tropical Storm Washi (called Sendong in the Philippines) has thankfully passed well to the south of us, and although we had 24 hours of poor weather it was nothing exceptional. Tragically the storm has brought severe flooding to parts of Mindanao causing considerable loss of life and extensive damage to property. Ferries have been severely disrupted with no ferries sailing to or from Leyte yesterday or today, but things should be back to normal tomorrow.

December 1st.
The penthouse apartment building is now complete, as scheduled. Over the next month we will be identifying and fixing any niggling issues which often arise with new buildings, and the apartment is available for guests starting from January 2012. The rate is fixed regardless of the number of guests, up to a maximum of 6 people, and includes our delicious Continental breakfast served in the restuarant. The apartment has a fully equipped kitchen, 'maxi bar' free Wi-Fi, satellite TV, DVD, CD, MP3 player, 2 very large bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a huge lounge/diner with a lovely balcony. Extra beds are provided for the 5th and 6th guests and can be set up in the bedrooms or in the lounge to suit your choice. On another note, whale sharks continue to be seen very regularly and our private whale shark tours are proving to be very successful and very popular.

November 17th.
The whale sharks are back! With sightings over the weekend, we ran our maiden private whale shark tour for 2 guests yesterday, including a bbq lunch on a secluded beach, dolphin watching, visiting the site of the First Mass, and some superlative snorkelling in a marine sanctuary at Limasawa to round it off. Being a private tour, the pace of and programme for the day was tailored to the guests and the tour was a huge success. Yet another reason to spend your vacation at Padre Burgos Castle Resort!

November 5th.
About a week ago the wind started to veer from the south-west, from where it has been coming since June, to the south and then the east and it appears already that the north-easterly windflow is now established and we can expect that to dominate for another 7 months. The sand is returning nicely to our beach, and we should once again have a complete cover from the permanently dry are to the low tide mark very soon.

October 12th.
We were on storm alert last night with a tropical storm forecast to make a direct hit on Padre Burgos. The storm was not that big as tropical cyclones go, and was in fact only classified as a tropical depression, but nonetheless we took precautions to protect people and property. Although we had a fair amount of rain and some strongish winds, there was nothing exceptional and according to the reports the storm seemed somehow to leapfrog us and is now heading west from Cebu towards Palawan. We had stocked up with about 3 weeks supply of gasoline for the generator, but the mains electricty has just been re-connected after a 27 hour power cut (our longest in the 3 1/2 years we've been here, but perferctly manageable). So we now have the task of putting everything back from shelter into its proper place but, as the saying goes, we're much better to be safe than sorry.

September 14th.
Today I had an absolutely fabulous sail accompanied by a huge pod of maybe 50 dolphins swimming in front, behind, to the side and underneath the catamaran for over half an hour. Also common in the bay are pilot whales which, although they are not as playful as dolphins, are much bigger and are very impressive close up. For the coming whale shark season, which will hopefully start around the beginning of December, we intend to run our own, private whale shark tours looking for dolphins and pilot whales, taking a barbecue beach lunch, visiting a marine sanctuary for snorkelling as well as whale shark watching. This service will be exclusive to Padre Burgos Castle Resort guests and tours will run for groups of 2 to 6 people so guests can dictate the pace and the programme for the day.

September 3rd.
Nikka is 3 today, and celebrated with a pool party. She is already attending nursery school, so her classmates (and their parents), as well as children from our barangay loved swimming in the pool and the great food which Delia laid on.

August 21st.
The great weather is continuing, with sunshine pretty much all day every day, with some regular night-time rainfall to keep things fresh and green. The sailing continues to be excellent, with steady south-westerly winds (called the habagat), although these have now washed most of the sand further up the bay from us. The permanently dry area is always nice and sandy and the sand-free shoreline makes for really clear water and great snorkelling on the house reef.

July 24th.
We're busy constructing a new and very luxurious 2 bedroom/2 bathroom penthouse apartment. Together with the huge lounge and fully equipped kitchen, this will provide fabulous accommodation for families or groups of up to 6 people - with all the services and facilities of the resort. Completion will be in late November and it is bookable from January 2012.

June 30th.
I never believed it myself until I saw it, but the sand here is seasonal. There is no fixed time of year, but the sand moves up and down the coastline following the pattern of the prevailing wind. Generally the wind comes from the north-east from November until May, and from the south-west from June til October. So with the recent change to south-westerly wind and waves a huge amount of sand has washed up on our beach which is always stunning but is currently really impressive - and it makes launching and beaching the catamaran very easy.

June 19th.
We have recently re-configured our guests rooms, and we are now offering a Family Suite and a Single/Double Room in addition to 2 Doubles and 1 Twin/Double Room. The Family Suite, which is priced at a fixed rate for up to 4 people, has a king-size bed and a single bed (or we can change it to 3 single beds), and an extra bed can be added for a 4th child. The Single/Double Room is a genuine double room but is offered at a great discount for a single traveller, or a 3rd or 5th person who is part a small group. The Twin/Double has a double bed and a single bed, so it is ideal for a couple or for 2 people sharing, and can accommodate a 3rd person at extra cost. Of course, all the rooms are beautifully furnished and have air-conditioning and private, en-suite bathrooms and can be booked via our secure on-line booking system.

June 6th.
Delia, Nikka and I have just returned from a very enjoyable and relaxing few days at Anda, on the east coast of Bohol. We had a couple of chill out days and a day touring Bohol's famous Chocolate Hills and a trip on the Loboc River, all of which Nikka really loved - as did Delia and I! There are many guests who look to combine a visit to Southern Leyte with a few days at another destination in the Philippines, and that part of Bohol makes a perfect combination with Padre Burgos. It is not as touristy or commercialised as Panglao, offers great beaches with good diving and snorkeling, and travel in either direction to or from Padre Burgos is quick and easy to arrange. So, if you're looking for a 2-centre holiday in beautiful beach environments, Padre Burgos and Anda are hard to beat.

May 31st.
The 'low' season starts tomorrow, with room rates reduced accordingly. 'Low' season is really a misnomer, because all the facilities and services, with the exception of whale shark tours, are available and conditions are at their best. After 2 or 3 days of grey weather but with excellent winds for sailing, we are enjoying the seasonal norm of beautiful sunshine and clear, calm seas. With the change of wind and wave direction, the beach is in superb condition and the 'house reef' is providing amazing snorkeling.

May 18th.
As we approach the end of the 'high' season, we are now planning the new building to be constructed at the entrance gate. The upper floor will comprise a luxurious 2-bedroom apartment while the ground floor will house, amongst other things, a scuba gear washing and drying room. Disruption to guests in the Castle will be minimal, but we will be reducing the room rates during the construction period so continue to check our web site for 'special offers'.

May 9th.
We did have some guests who spotted whale sharks last week. Unfortunately, they saw them from the beach and by the time they got back out on the boat and donned their snorkels, the sharks had dived too deep to be seen. Even the 'locals' are now saying that the whale sharks are no longer around so it does look like this unusual and disappointing season is truly over. There were plenty of whale sharks to be seen in December and January. But the prolonged wet and windy weather reduced sightings and from the beginning March onwards the majority of whale shark tours were unsuccessful. But the weather and the diving, apart from watching whale sharks, should just continue to get better and better and the 'off-season' is a great time to visit Southern Leyte. At the Castle we have catamaran sailing for breezy days and the kayak when it is calm.

April 24th.
Happy Easter! Still no confirmed whale shark sightings yet, although the Limasawa locals say they are seeing whale sharks both mornings and afternoons on a daily basis. Our Limasawa Island tour is hugely popular and enjoyable, so why not add on a search for the whale sharks to the standard tour on the basis of 'no see, no pay'?

April 15th.
There have been reports of regular whale shark sightings at Limasawa Island. As yet, we are unaware of any whale shark tours finding the sharks but there may yet be a good end to this whale shark season.

April 10th.
At last we've had a prolonged spell of dry, if not completely sunny, weather. The winds have continued to be superb and the sailing excellent. We recently hosted a private dive club from Cebu who made the trip in their own well appointed dive boat. We are delighted to accommodate such groups and can arrange re-filling of tanks and the services of experienced local dive guides. Of course, such groups are required to respect all the local ordinances and pay all the sanctuary and diving fees, and generally protect the marine environment they are here to enjoy.

March 26th.
It does look as if we might have to give up on whale sharks for this season after 2 more consecutive unsuccessful tours. We're still getting a lot of showery weather, but the winds remain consistently good. So diving in the morning and sailing in the afternoons makes for a pretty good holiday! With the prevailing winds coming from the north-east Ampo reef and the Coral Garden offer excellent snorkeling in calm waters.

March 7th.
We've augmented our range of wines with an excellent Argentinean malbec, a delicious Chilean merlot and a crisp Chilean sauvignon blanc. So whether you wish to enjoy a relaxing cocktail, refresh yourself with an ice-cold beer or savour a bottle wine, the bar at Padre Burgos Castle Resort is the best in town - in fact, in Leyte!

February 25th.
The last couple of weeks has been disappointing for seeing whale sharks. They are being seen sometimes during regular dives, and we had guests who participated in a successful tour last week but there have also been some tours failing to find them. We had some guests who were caught out, not realising that the public transport system within Padre Burgos closes down at 6.00pm. If you're going out in the evenings make sure you pre-book your return transport - or enjoy the 3km walk back from the town!

February 10th.
Finally we've had a sustained spell of good weather and whale sharks are being spotted again - although not as easily and frequently as normal at this time of year. We're also getting some nice winds and sailing conditions have been excellent.

February 2nd.
Delia and I are now back from our visit to Edinburgh combined with some skiing in the Swiss Alps. We had great weather in Switzerland - cold, sunny days but no snow - and got back to continuing wainy and windy weather here. More discouraging is that the whale sharks are proving to be elusive and there have been unsuccessful whale shark tours conducted. Let's hope they surface again soon.

January 3rd.
The whale sharks are here in abundance now, with an average of 5 being seen on each whale shark tour. If you've never seen whale sharks before, or you want to see them again at very close quarters, now is a great time to visit Padre Burgos.

November 30th.
The 'low' season has come to a close and bookings are already good for the high season. The whale sharks are around in Sogod Bay but still in rather too few numbers for a sighting to be probable - and the 1 tour run last week was unsuccessful - but signs for a great season are very promising. If you want to take a wahle shark tour so early in the season, we recommend going with an operator who will offer a scuba dive (or two) if the whale sharks prove to be elusive. We still have some availability for both our Christmas and New Year's Eve festivities, so contact us soon if you are looking for a warm tropical environment, great activities in peaceful surroundings and superb food and drinks over the festive period.

November 17th.
We now have DVD systems with 22" LCD flat screens available for rent at a small cost for use in the bedrooms, for those that wish to enjoy a movie in privacy. We have a selection of DVD's available for guests to borrow, including some children's programmes.

November 6th.
We have now installed a booster aerial for our internet connection, and the speed has improved considerably. While it is still not up to broadband standards, the free Wi-Fi connection provides very good internet access for e-mails, social networking and web browsing.

October 10th.
Sailing is proving to be a big hit, with generally excellent conditions and superb scenery to admire. There is also plenty of fauna to see, with sea turtles swimming beneath the boat, eagles soaring overhead and regular pods of dolphins and pilot whales swimming through the bay.

September 19th.
Our Water Sports Centre offering catamaran sailing, kayaking and snorkeling is now fully operational. These great sports are superb ways to enjoy the natural splendour of Sogod Bay, in complete harmony with the peaceful surroundings.

September 3rd.
Happy Birthday! Nikka celebrated her 2nd birthday today, inviting the local children to a great party down at the beach with letchon, ice cream and of course birthday cake. Nikka was on much better form than last year, and really enjoyed having so many other children around. We've just ordered a sailing boat and a 2-person kayak which will be delivered in a couple of week's time. Sogod Bay is a great place for sailing and the kayak will allow guests to explore the wonderful and varied coastline.

August 24th.
Jackie gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Jadericks, last night. Congratualtions to Jackie and husband, Maasin.

August 9th.
Weather and sea conditions here remain great. Limasawa tours have been very popular recently, with dolphins being seen regularly on the trip over there which is always a great bonus.

July 19th.
Having been laid low with a mystery virus, I am now pretty much back to normal form. We've been taking advantage of a rather quiet period to do some painting to keep the place in tip-top condition. We've also being doing a little re-arranging of the garden landscaping - as things grow they need to be re-positioned to maintain our superb ocean views.

June 24th.
The Castle facilities now include free wi-fi internet access, allowing our guests to surf the web and access e-mails from anywhere inside the Castle and from the patio.
Snorkeling conditions on the 'house reef' are currently excellent with calm, ultra-clear water conditions and the usual plethora of fish, hard and soft corals being boosted by regular visits from sea turtles.


June 6th.
We have just implemented a secure, encrypted on-line booking system with Reseliva. This allows guests to make and receive instant confirmation of a booking up to 12 months in advance. Guests who have special requirements or seek further information before making a booking can continue to e-mail info@padreburgoscastle.com or telephone us and make a booking in the traditional manner. We anticipate that the new on-line reservation system will enhance our booking procedures and we look forward to receiving your feedback.

May 26th.
Delia, Nikka and I have just returned from a very pleasant few days in Bohol, attending the fiesta in Delia's home barangay in Loon. It is interesting to compare the touristic development of Bohol with that of Leyte, with Bohol being much better served by regular fast ferries from Cebu and several daily flights from Manila and having well advertised attractions for visitors to enjoy. Of course the downside is that tourist vans swarm around the Chocolate Hills like bees collecting pollen, while Leyte's sights are far less publicised and can be enjoyed in a calm, unhurried and harmonious fashion. With several daily boat services between Leyte and Bohol, combining both these islands into a single holiday is becoming increasing popular and we thoroughly recommend doing so.

May 10th.
Election Day has passed very peacefully and although I wouldn't discount all the stories reported in the press the picture of nationwide violence portrayed by the media is far from accurate. Here in Padre Burgos there were some issues with the electronic counting machines and queues to vote were quite lengthy, but everyone was very good natured and there was a real sense of community purpose. The whale sharks are still here with 8 being seen on a single tour to Limasawa last Monday.

April 20th.
Yesterday Delia and I paid a visit to Maasin Forest Park and the shrine at Monte Cueva. The park offers superb views into the mountainous interior of Southern Leyte and across the Bohol Sea and is an excellent place to explore on a mountain bike. Monte Cueva also affords fantastic views and the chapel in the summit cave offers physical and spiritual relaxtion after the hot sweaty climb up the 400 or so steps, and it is very well worth exploring.

April 6th.
Holy Week saw mixed conditions for diving with stiff breezes, moderate waves and a fair amount of rain reducing visibility from the normally excellent conditions we experience here in Sogod Bay. The whale sharks are still around in large numbers and all whale shark tours continue to report sightings. With the north-east monsoon winds becoming less dominant, the crowds thinning out after Easter and the whale sharks still around, the coming weeks look set to be superb.

March 20th.
Happy Birthday Delia! She hasn't had much time for relaxing as we've had resident and non-resident guests dining this evening, but it has been a rewarding day. We've also had 4 hours of rain this morning which was desparately needed, and things are already looking markedly greener than they were a day ago. Jade has joined the Castle team and we wish her success in her new role.

March 14th.
We are now back from our trip, having had a wonderful time. The beautiful archictecture of Edinburgh and the cold mountain air of Grimentz in the Swiss Alps were quite a change from the tropical surroundings of Southern Leyte and it was wonderful to spend time with David's family. There's been no rain here for nearly a month which has been great for guests and visitors but the Castle garden is lin desparate need of a significant amount of water. The whale sharks are still being seen reliably at Limasawa Island and all 3 dive shops seemed to have settled on a formula of 2 morning dives plus snorkeling with whale sharks in the afternoon. Options also exist for non-divers.

March 1st.
Delia and I are departing tomorrow for our trip to the UK and Switzerland. We will be monitoring the e-mail although there may be a longer delay in replying and, of course, we will be in a different time zone. We will also be contactable on both our phone numbers.

February 25th.
One of our guests has posted a very interesting article on his vist to Padre Burgos on his on-line journal which can be found at www.marquemywords.co.uk/journal/suzhous-sun-xvii.html

February 20th.
The easy access to the whale sharks at Limasawa is now starting to cause some problems with too many boats and too many people trying to get too close to the fish. In addition to the 3 established local dive shops, transient liveaboard dive boats and local bangkas are also taking customers on whale shark tours. Our guests have also been seeing whale sharks as part of our popular Limasawa Island tours, but our boat driver will not take guests close to the whale sharks if there are already significant numbers of people around. If our guests want to do a whale shark tour we encourage them to use one of the 3 dive shops, but if they take a Limasawa Isaland tour they may enjoy the huge added bonus of snorkeling with the world's largest fish. However people go, they should all treat the environment and the marine life with complete respect.

February 8th.
It finally looks like the weather is changing with dry settled weather predominating again - right on cue for the busier holiday periods, not that it's ever busy in Padre Burgos! Whale sharks are continuing to be seen in numbers around Limasawa Isalnd and all the dive shops are now offering whale shark tours there.

January 29th.
Delia and I have just returned from a short trip to Manila we made in order to process a visa application for Delia. It's the first time we've been to Manila since we've been based full time in Southern Leyte and it's a world apart - skyscrapers, tree-lined boulevards, wall-to-wall financial institutions in Makati City, office workers thronging the streets at rush hour, international restaurants on every corner. The traffic and attendant fumes are horrendous (although not nearly as bad as many big cities in Asia) and it's wonderful to be based here with the clean sea air and lush vegatation whatever appeal the convenience and sophistication of the city may hold.

January 2nd.
After rain on New Year's Eve and a very strong breeze yesterday, we were finally able to set of our fireworks this evening and everyone enjoyed a great display. After some rain and a few breezy days the weather is now looking settled and conditions should be great for enjoying the full range of activities in and around Padre Burgos.

December 27th.
Two of our guests took a tour to Limasawa Island yesterday and while snorkeling they saw 3 whale sharks. Four more guests decided to try their luck today and spent about 30 minutes snorkeling with a 5 metre whale shark. So the world's largest fish are still around in Sogod Bay but are proving rather more elusive than usual and are still not reliably to be found at their normal feeding area.

December 24th.
Merry Christmas!
The whale sharks seem to have gone walkabout recently, and there was another unsuccessful tour today. A strong breeze has been blowing down the bay for the last few days which doesn't make whale shark spotting any easier. Let's hope things pick up soon and we start seeing whale sharks consistently again.

December 18th.
Yesterday we celebrated the 1st Anniversary of the opening of Padre Burgos Castle Resort, and commerated the event with a superb dinner attended by 17 guests. The previous evening we hosted a private dinner for some of the provincial and municipal leaders and officials. Over the last 12 months we've been guided by our mission to provide excellent service to you, our cherished guests and customers, to enable you to make the most of your time visiting this beautiful and peaceful part of the world. From the feedback we've received we are being successful in achieving that objective and we aim to continue to raise the standards over our 2nd year of operation.
Diane has decided to seek new opportunities elsewhere and we wish her well in that and thank her for her excellent contribution over the last 12 months. Charmine and Joecyl are now leading the Castle Service Team and have done a fantastic job during the last very busy week. Well done and keep it up, girls!

December 15th.
Mixed news on the whale sharks, with 1 successful and 1 unsuccessful tour last week. So the advice on the Nov 23rd update still holds good. The bats are now back in full force and we've been getting some great dusk time shows as these huge bats fly directly overhead on their way to their nocturnal feeding grounds.

December 5th.
Positive news on the whale sharks. The sea temperatures have been falling and there is a lot more plankton in the water now, which is what attracts the whale sharks into the bay at this time of year. The last 4 tours have all been successful with great snorkeling up close with these magnificent creatures. Whale sharks have also been spotted several times on our side of the bay and things are looking very promising for a great whale shark season.
While I have been writing this a beautiful sea eagle has just soared gracefully over the Castle. Superb!

December 1st.
Even after 6 years in SE Asia I can't get used to Christmas in a warm climate. Delia would put up the Christmas decorations in September if she could, so we compromise on 1st December each year. So we're now looking very festive and are well stocked up with 'champagne' and smoked salmon for your Christmas Day breakfast.

November 23rd.
Whale Shark Update....The good news is that the whale sharks are back in Sogod Bay, and should now be here until late April giving visitors the chance to see the world's largest fish at very close quarters. Not quite so encouraging is that 2 tours last week failed to locate the whale sharks so viewing opportunities aren't yet as reliable as they should be later in the season. The best advice for divers is to go on a tour which combines a dive with snorkeling with the whale sharks. Non-divers should be realistic about the chances of finding whale sharks - so far there has been only a 50% success rate. Stay tuned for further news.

November 15th.
We have now completed upgrading the Castle bar area and are very pleased with the result. As well as looking really good, our selection of wines continues to expand and improve with recent additions including a refreshing merlot from northern Italy and a deliciously fruity Chilean chardonnay. We have also hand built and installed a couple of display cabinets housing souvenir items and holiday essentials such as sunblock and insect repellent.

November 9th.
The first whale shark tour of the 2009/2010 season was a success today. Only 1 of the world's largest fish was sighted on the "official" tour but another was lying on wait back at base on this side of the bay. It's early days, but with whale sharks remaining in the bay until August the signs for a great season are very promising.

November 1st.
Padre Burgos Castle Resort witnessed its first marriage proposal this evening - and a successful one at that. Gus and Amor visited us in October, and then returned here for another 5 nights so Gus could make his proposal in the glorious natural environment here in Sogod Bay. Congratulations and very best wishes to the pair of you, and we are looking forward to hosting a wonderful honeymoon for you!

October 23rd.
The Municipality of Padre Burgos has been celebrating its 52nd Anniversary this week with a series of events leading up to the Grand Dinner & Ball yesterday evening. Activities have included basketball, volleyball, boxing and, undoubtedly the highlight of the week, the Search for Miss Padre Burgos 2009 where 11 glamourous ladies competed for the prestigious title. On a more serious note both the Municipal Mayor and the Congressman of Southern Leyte reiterated their commitment to 3 key areas: development of the agricultural industry; protection of the environment and natural resources; development of touristic infrastructure. More power!

October 12th.
A good easterly breeze around dusk this evening, saw the first flypast of giant bats we've had in many weeks. These bats dwell in caves on Limasawa Island and feed at night time in the mountainous forests above Padre Burgos. When the wind is from any sort of northerly direction their evening flightpath is directly over the Castle which makes a great spectacle and it was a real pleasure to observe them again today. It seems that the south-west monsoon is finally drawing to a close and that bat-watching at dusk time will be on the early evening agenda once again.

October 10th.
Jackie celebrated her birthday today. A last minute booking and dinner reservation meant she had to cancel her plans for a day off and help prepare some wonderful dinners. Thanks very much, Jackie, and Happy Birthday! It's been a good day for wildlife spotting with turtles swimming over the Castle reef and sea eagles soaring gracefully high above Macrohon.

October 5th.
Typhoon Parma, thankfully downgraded from it's earlier ferocity as a super typhoon, is now sitting almost stationary off the north west coast of Luzon and while very northern Luzon continues to be battered by this storm we are enjoying perfect weather here with a light south-westerly cooling breeze. Last night we enjoyed a classical Sogod Bay full moon and the image of small fishing boats plying the moonlit waters was simply stunning.

September 30th.
Our good friend Pete Green has just completed the UK '3 Peaks' comprising Ben Nevis, Scaffel Pike and Snowdon - the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales. He was just outside the magical 24 hour mark, but contending with driving rain, low cloud and a puncture en route it was a magnificent achievement. Bravo Pete!

September 28th.
Tropical storm Ketsana, which susequently developed into a full blown typhoon, has brought tragedy and loss of life to Manila and other provinces on the island of Luzon, but fortunately the island of Leyte has been unaffected and services at Padre Burgos Castle Resort continue to function normally. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to all the victims in Luzon, Vietnam, Camodia and Laos.

September 23rd.
It was another cracking day for snorkeling today and I'm getting to grips with the camera now. I need to take care to equalise the pressure in my ear while diving to the sea bed and concentrating on the camera settings - even a couple of metres of pressure can be quite painful. But a good shot of a spotfin lionfish was the reward today for a slightly sore right ear.

September 17th.
Another perfect day weatherwise, so Canigao Island looked a good bet for a day out for Delia, Liezel, Nikka and I. Canigao has long been a favourite picnic destination for locals but more recently the municipality of Matalom has put time, effort and money into developing it as a managed beauty spot. And beautiful it is - only a half hour's stroll all the way around with white sand beaches on 3 sides, and lush tropical vegetation in the middle. Everything is well organised with bangkas departing from 3 separate points on the mainland; snacks, drinks and delicious barbecued seafood for sustenance; running water and clean toilet facilities. I explored the snorkeling possibilities and with very strong currents on the western 'scuba diving area' found the best area to be on the eastern, landward side of the island with some lovely corals and a huge variety of fish. Despite the good organisation, Canigao is still a very peaceful, quiet place and makes a super day out or lunchtime stop on a day tour of southern Leyte.

September 14th.
After several days of perfect snorkeling conditions, Delia and I opted for a change of scene today and dug out the hiking boots which had last seen action in the Western Highlands of Scotland over 2 years ago. We decided on the 'Kinderhilfe Circuit' which starts near the Children's Village and after 20 minutes in the forest opens up into open meadows with glorious views across Sogod Bay and to more distant islands of Bohol, Camiguin and Mindanao. From up here the Tangkaan peninsular and Limasawa Island follow an identical sweep and it is no surprise that an underwater ridge covered by relatively shallow water connects the two. Although more distant hills beckoned we decided on the shorter route back to Barangay Buenavista, near the centre of Padre Burgos and a hable hable to take us back to our motor cycle at the Children's Village.

September 10th.
There wasn't a ripple on the sea today and the sun was shining brightly in a clear blue sky so it was time to try out the new underwater camera on the Castle reef. The camera is a very nifty Canon D10 which looks, and functions, very much the same as any modern small digital camera apart from a small protruding lens. It is waterproof to 10 metres and is therefore ideal for snorkelers and experimentation quickly showed that the 'underwater' setting did indeed produce the best results. There are some stunning creatures to be found and pictures to be taken on the 'house reef', but time and patience is required. Fish have an annoying tendency of moving quite quickly and not coming very close to the camera and to get side-on rather than top-down pictures requires a fair bit of underwater swimming. But great pictures can be taken so look out for the 'Photo of the Week' on our Homepage or check out the Photo Gallery.

September 9th.
Beautiful weather with clear skies and a light breeze so Delia, Nikka and I headed off to explore Hinunangan on Leyte's Pacific Coast. The road journey winds round Sogod Bay before heading east over the hills to the Pacific. Promises of mile upon mile of soft golden sand proved to be a little exaggerated, but Hinunangan is still a delightful place on a long sandy bay with the nearby twin islets of St Peter and St Paul beckoning for a return visit. The return journey turned into something of an epic as I decided to take a short cut, which entailed 1 ½ hours crawling along just 15km of extremely rough road winding through stunning countryside with not a soul in sight. So lesson learnt - if the road's not on the map, the cement mixer hasn't been near it.

September 3rd.
Delia laid on a superb spread for Nikka's 1st birthday party, with a 30kg lechon as the centrepiece accompanied by beef steak, fried chicken, prawn sotanghoon, grilled milkfish, lumpia shanghai, all cooked in Delia's unique Filipino style followed by fruit salad, caramel cake and fresh tropical fruits. A brief shower around noon caused a swift removal of the serving tables to the shelter of the dining room, but that passed quickly and around 35 guests passed a wonderful afternoon on the terrace. The only person who didn't relish the moment too much was the birthday celebrant herself - hope you're on form next time round, Nikka!