I just received a mail from Carlos, the owner of ACE Logic computershop. He appologized for his “service” and I am really impressed about that. With that email he climbed way up high in my character - scale.
I must admit that I also might not have had the best day in my life. I guess several factors just came together. At the end I am happy about that outcome and might be a little more patient on my next approach. Most be the german in me. I want things NOW NA… and I want the 3rd price and not waste my time with negociating.
In that case again: Respect, Carlo from ACE Logic comutershop showed style !!!
ACE logic is a very well known Computer Shop in Dumaguete. I was thinking the best … but that was somewhen last year. My friend Kim always used the service of that company and was happy. When I needed some things I also went there. Usually ACE Logic had good service and fast delivery.
Those positive points changed dramatically. April this year I asked for a quotation for a complete new setup of a desktop. It took me 3 follow up mails to ACE Logic and 2 calls. Finally I got one end of may. All the hardware was 8.000 Pesos more expensive than the same stuff on a retail list of Computershops and supplier in Cebu or Manila.
After some discussions with Carlo, the owner and Manager of ACE Logic we came a bit closer to a price I was willing to pay and we finally did the deal…
Yesterday I loocked around in Dumaguete as I want a second 22″ Monitor. I went to several Computer Shops in Dumaguete. When I went to ACE, they gave me a again a price 1.000 peso higher than one of their direct competitor for the same model. I told Carlo that that might be a bit over the top and if he can adjust the price a little bit and he gave me amazing 200 !!!! (two hundred) Peso discount. And this after I spend some ”not that little money” just a few weeks earlier.
I smiled a bit and asked him if that is all you can do. His customer-friendly and real great answer was: “Yes, just go to the other shop and buy it there … ”
At around 11 we went on the small boat of Linaw Beach Resort and headed towards Virgin Island with another couple. The other couple was on the last day of their vacation. After a smooth boat ride of about an hour we reached the tiny Island south west of Panglao. Virgin Island is maybe 250 meters long and 60 meters wide at low tide. Perfect white soft sand and palm trees are all you can find when it is low tide.
The real stunning beauty of that Island comes with the outgoing water. An almost perfect semicircle of fine white sand develops. The whole area is surrounded by shallow sea-grass what gives the water a dramatic turquoise touch drifting into dark blue.
While Kim and I made a walk around the Island, his secretaries were sweating in the shade of big umbrella, the boys from Linaw brought for us. They also prepared the BBQ and we had a great Lunch.
After we ate, it was time to take another walk on the sandbar. Due to the seagrass, it was amazing how many creatures were crawling and swimming around at the sandbar. If you are not used to the sun make sure you got some sun-blocker with you, Even you life here it is advisable to use one. I definitely can’t describe the beauty of that spot and even the pictures here only show a fraction of this outstanding site.
Finally at 5 pm we started our way back. Due to the low-tide our boat was tucked and the crew had to jump of the boat more than once to push and pull us out of the shallow waters. That lead to a delay and when we finally reached the resort we could not go back to the Resort and ankerd some 500 meters offshore. The water was shallow enough to walk but there were millions of sea urgins surrounding us. Kim and I rejected to walk bare foot on this Minefield and our American friend from Japan stepped into two after 15 meters.
Kim suggested already half our earlier to drive down 5 minutes more to Alona Beach where it is easy to go right to the beach. Finally the boatcrew understood that we won’t go by foot through the urgin-minefield and another 20 minutes later we landed at Alona Beach where the Belgium Owner of Linaw Beach Resort picked us up with the van.
We came back at the resort around 8 pm and after a quick shower we had a decent dinner at the Bar there. The challenge during the next few hours was simple. To get hydrated again we tried if we can drink faster as the fridge can cool down the SMB and SML…. And we won, but at that point it was not so important anymore if the beer is ice-cold or not.
The next challenge was to wake up early the next day as we planned to head towards the tourist spots of Bohol….
Whenever you visit Bohol for acouple of days, don’t miss out on that trip.
cheers
I wanted to write a longer report about Linaw Beach Resort, but have a look at the video I found on youtube, I am sure you will enjoy if you decide to book there.
the roomrates are around 4000 Peso, I know it is not cheap, but Linaw has only 6 rooms and you have 100% privacy.
I just came back from a three day/night trip from Panglao-Bohol. I went there to meet my friend Kim Beermonster the BIG boy of www.Dumagueteinfo.com.
He is on a working-vacation there to kick-start his new project www.boholboard.com.
I planned to stay there for one, maximum 2 nights Man, it’s been a while since we met and my plan was to go there just over night as I am covered with work here in Dumaguete.
I took the OceanJet from Dumaguete to Tagbilaran for 520 PHP at 7 am in the morning. I would never take a ferry at that time on a Sunday morning suffering from a bad hangover due to the grand opening of Dumaguete Springs the evening before, but I had the choice between OceanJet and WEESAM Express 10 Minutes !!!! later.
Who in the wide wide world of sports makes a schedule like that.
The Ferry was nearly empty (no wonder at that time) and of course delayed. I arrived in Tagbilaran on Bohol at around 10 am where a driver was already waiting for me. It is only a 30 minute ride from the Pier to Linaw Beach Resort.
The resort is new and under Belgium ownership. The rooms are spacious and the staff very friendly. The only real complaints I had was the beer-temperature. It was way too warm…
The staff tried hard during my whole stay to get that sorted but somwhow it never worked really out.
The Dane booked me in a place called Linaw Beach Resort which is a nice quiet Resort on Panglao of away from the crowded Alona Beach, but still only a 5-10 minute ride to the Restaurants there at Alona. I guess I am not that kind of a stabled person as right after the “Hello” I changed my mind and decided to stay 3 nights instead of one or two.
My room and the view from it was outstanding and there was no doubt that this gonna be 3 awesome days. Like I promised my friend I also brought the sun from Dumaguete and after checking in we went on a daytrip to Virgin-Island. But this is the next part of the report, what should not be missed…
The following is stolen from Sebastian Crumble who posted it on another board. It shows quite a lot about typical attitude here.
The Chinese Medicine store on the 2nd Floor of Robinson’s is the only place in town now you can buy Tiger Balm, essential for insect bites during the Wet.
It is wide open to the mall, no front door or walls. I wandered in and while the lights were all on and the place seemed open, there was no one there.
If I had wanted too, I could’a easy stole like 3 boxes’a sunflower seed tea…
I stood like a good little boy, waiting, waiting, waiting…hey what the fxxx is this shxx?
Where the fxxx is everybody?
Ah, there’s a little room in the back I didn’t see, “hello?”
“Hello? Anybody working?”
A girl with an obviously very annoyed look on her face peaked out the door at me. Then simply stared.
“Hi, you work here? Can I buy something?”
“We eat now.”
There it was. The ultimate reality. We eat now. Nothing comes between their lips and a handful of rice. Customer? Leave the place deserted? Sell something? Pay for our salary?
“We eat now.”
I know a Restaurant here in Dumaguete where the chef walked out of the kitchen at 12:00 noon and left the owner with 15 guests… The chef was hungry and could not work anymore…
After plenty of off-topics I need to get back to diving. Last Thursday I met Egon the owner of Dumaguete Springs Resort at Casablanca, our both favourite Restaurants. He ask me if I have time to teach a Rescue course at his Resort. After some calls and changes in my planned schedule I decided to teach the course.
My Student Liz was arriving from Bacolodand we introduced each other. She came with her parents and we run through the rough schedule. It is a requirement to have an EFR course (Emergency First Response aka Medic first aid). While my colleagues headed towards Apo Island I was left alone with two mermaids to teach the Rescue and EFR. the only guy helping us was “Manni” the Manequin… but as you can see on the pictures he has some important body-parts missing that I was totally left alone with the two.
In my next post I will write something about the Rescue and EFR Course, and why I think Each diver should be at least a rescue diver.
I planned to stay there for one, maximum 2 nights 
