Ye Shiwen hits back at critics after remarks over Olympic gold

Chinese swimming prodigy Ye Shiwen dismissed doubts of doping about her two gold-winning performances in London Games, saying that the allegations are “bit unfair” and wants to know why she is being targeted even after she was cleared of the charges.

Handling bouquets and brickbats with a sense of ease, the 16-year-old Ye, who is now famously known all over her country and the world, said, “the allegations are a little bit unfair, but I am not affected by them at all.”

 Asked by the state media whether the allegations were rooted in bias against China, Ye, who was grilled at the press meet by foreign media even after she was cleared of doping charges by coaches of her rivals, said, “It’s possible. Nobody ever suspected other countries’ multi-gold medal winners. Why doubt me? I just won two.”

 On the front pages of every Chinese newspaper and flooded with praise by millions of compatriots on Weibo, the Chinese Twitter, Ye said she is relishing the headlines.

Ye started swimming at the age of six after her kindergarten teacher noticed she had much larger hands and feet than other children.

She shattered the world record for the 400m individual medley with an eye-catching last-leg freestyle sprint on Saturday, which brought her under the microscope, with pundits alleging that her last 50 meters of 28.93 sec, faster than US swimmer Ryan Lochte’s equivalent in the male event, could only be possible by drug use.

John Leonard, the head of the American Swimming Coaches Association, said, “Every time we see something unbelievable, history shows us that it turns out later on there was doping involved.”

Ye’s counterpart Sun Yang, who also made history by becoming China’s first male gold medalist swimmer after winning the 400m freestyle, was quick to offer his support.

“The doubt is unfair and does not take account of the effort involved. The Americans can win many gold medals without being questioned, but we can’t,” he said.

Colin Moynihan, chairman of the British Olympic Association, said, “She’s been through World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) program and she’s clean. That’s the end of the story. She deserves recognition for her talent.”

China’s anti-doping chief revealed Chinese athletes have undergone nearly 100 drug tests ever since arriving in London, and not a single one has tested positive.

“Ye’s great talent was recognised at an early age and her performance vindicates her,” Xu Qi, head of the Chinese swimming team, told Xinhua News Agency. “Don’t use your suspicions to knock down others.”

Ye, an admirer of US swimming sensation Michael Phelps, attributed her rise to what every great athlete attributes their rise to – hard work. She underwent gruelling training in Brisbane, Australia with two renowned coaches Dennis Cotterell and Ken Wood after last year’s Shanghai Worlds.

She normally spent five hours every day in the pool for nine years and in Australia she was able to fine-tune her stroke efficiency, starting and turning.

Cotterell, Australian distance swimmer Grant Hackett’s mentor, said Ye had ‘unparalleled gifts.’

“She’s a little girl with a lot of strength and power. She may even get better given that she’s improved a lot in Australia,” Cotterell told China’s state run CCTV.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s freestyle sprinter Cesar Cielo, who won the 50m free at the Beijing Olympics, believed Ye’s last 50m achievement could be easily explained.

“I think it’s possible (for a woman to outperform a man in last leg sprint),” Cielo told China Daily. “She’s 16. I think she can swim fast because the structure of her body really makes a lot of difference in terms of speed.”

With all eyes on Ye’s incredibly-fast last sprint, her world-record time was still 23 seconds slower than Lochte’s winning time, and many other male swimmers were faster than Ye over the final 50m.

Ye made her first splash at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games by bagging 200m and 400m in the individual medley before hitting international headlines at last year’s Worlds, where she won the 200m.

The US team women’s head coach Teri Mckeever said people questioned Ye’s results out of context (of her previous races).

Michael Phelps’ coach Bob Bowman said performances like Ye’s do happen.”She is taking advantage of size, hands and feet,” he said. Support from Bowman is a great motivation for Ye, who regards Phelps as her idol. She hopes to emulate his achievements.

“He’s been a model for me for many years. I hope I can win as many medals as he did but all I can do is to try my best,” she said.

Taylor Swift tops Forbes’ ‘Highest-paid celebs under 30′ list

They have youth, beauty, talent – and tons and tons of cash.

Female pop singers led by Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Lady Gaga dominate the latest Forbes magazine ranking of highest-paid celebrities under 30 years old.

Overall, girls garnered six of the coveted spots on the Top 10 list and four of the top five positions.

Swift, 22, beat out teen heartthrob Justin Bieber for top honors, earning an estimated $57 million for the year ending in May.

Justin Bieber snagged second place with $55 million.

Each of the Grammy-winning singer’s three albums has gone platinum at least four times, and the “You Belong With Me” singer rakes in $1 million per concert on top of her lucrative CoverGirl cosmetics contract, Forbes said.

Bieber, 18, snagged second place with $55 million earned from music sales, sold-out concerts and endorsements for products like the skincare line Proactiv.

The Canadian crooner, whose video for the breakout ballad “Baby” is the second most watched on YouTube, also boasts an enviable investment portfolio with stakes in the popular start-up companies Tinychat and Spotify, Forbes said.

Rihanna came in third place with $53 million. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Rihanna, 24, edged out last year’s first place winner Lady Gaga, 26, for third place with $53 million.

The Barbados-born singer earned her impressive haul from her recent “Talk That Talk” album, an 85-night concert tour and endorsement deals with Vita Coco coconut water and Nivea lotion.

Gaga dropped to fourth place this year because the list’s May deadline hit before she embarked on her latest world tour, Forbes said.

The “Poker Face” singer earned an estimated $52 million, down from $90 million a year earlier.

Singers Katy Perry, 27, and Adele, 24, came in fifth and sixth with estimated earnings of $45 million and $35 million respectively.

Lady Gaga earned an estimated $52 million. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

“Twilight” actress Kristen Stewart, rapper Lil Wayne and “Twilight” actors Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattison rounded out the list with earnings between $26.5 million and $34.5 million.

“We’re seeing this confluence of talented young female stars. They have such distinct personalities and sounds, they can all co-exist without cannibalizing each other,” list author Dorothy Pomerantz told the Daily News.

Pomerantz said Swift embodies “youth, innocence and the struggle of being a teen” while Rihanna is the “edgy bad girl” and Adele is all about stripped-down “heartfelt” vocals.

Katy Perry came in fifth with estimated earnings of $45 million. (George Napolitano/FilmMagic)

She said young female singers also tend to benefit from bigger endorsement contracts in the areas of beauty, health and fashion.

This year’s list did not include athletes as it has in the past.

“Athletes are at the height of their career when they’re under 30, so they tend to earn a lot more,” Pomerantz said. “We do a lot of athlete lists, so we wanted this list to focus on Hollywood and entertainment.”

 

Travel: Puerto Princesa Underground River, Philippines – 7 Wonders of Nature

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is one of the most significant protected areas of the Philippines. It is located in the Midwest coast of Palawan, some 76 km northwest of Puerto Princesa City. It was designated as a National Park on March 26, 1971 at 3,901 has by virtue of Proclamation No.835. To ensure long term viability, the Park was expanded to 22,202 has that includes the entire catchment of the Underground River and important forested areas by virtue of Proclamation No. 212 signed on November 16, 1999.

The Site features a spectacular limestone or karst mountain landscape with one of the most impressive cave systems in the world. It contains an 8.2 km long underground river that flows directly to the sea. The lower half of the river is brackish and subject to the oceans tide. A subterranean river flowing directly into the sea and the associated tidal influence makes it the most unique natural phenomenon of its type to exist. The discovery of 11 minerals, scientifically and aesthetically unique speleothems, and a 20 million year old Serenia fossil justifies the declaration of the Puerto Princesa Underground River as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The Site also contains a full mountain to sea ecosystems and protects forests that are important for biodiversity conservation. It is a representative of Palawan Moist Forests, which are among the most significant in Asia, and is noted for high levels of regional and local endemism. The Site serves as habitat to numerous endangered, rare and endemic wildlife species. In the coastal area, mangroves, sea grass beds and coral reefs are found.

In recognition of its outstanding universal value, it was inscribed to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage List on December 4, 1999. Inscription to this prestigious list confirms the outstanding universal value of the Park and its well-integrated state of conservation.

Thru the efforts of Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn, management of the Park was transferred to the City Government of Puerto Princesa on December 16, 1992. It has the distinction of being the first national park devolved and successfully managed by a local government unit. It is managed by the City thru a multi-sector Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). It is a model for effective protected area management and sustainable tourism in the Philippines.

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a source of pride and a key element in the identity of the people of Puerto Princesa in particular and of the Philippines as a whole. It is a symbol of commitment by the Filipino people in the global efforts to conserve our natural heritage.

How to get there:

By plane

Puerto Princesa is slightly more than an hour away by plane from Manila. Philippine Airlines [1], Cebu Pacific [2] and Air Philippines [3], Zest Air [4] all have daily flights from Manila to Puerto Princesa. Air Philippines and Cebu Pacific also operates flights to and from Puerto Princesa to other major cities such as Davao and Cebu City. SEAIR [5] offers flights from Busuanga Tu/F/Su and El Nido on Tu/F. Starting from this year 2012, there are now daily connecting/return budget flights by Philippines AirAsia from Clark/Angeles City in Luzon direct to Puerto Princesa.

The airport is practically in the city centre so you can ignore the overpriced tricycles waiting in front of the arrival and catch a tricycle on the main road for a fare of 7-10 pesos per passenger.

The airport is small and can be closed at certain points in the day (e.g. between 2pm and 3pm) and there are only 2 cafes and some local eateries outside the airport, therefore don’t plan to kill any time here.

By ferry

SuperFerry and Negros Navigation  both have a weekly ferry to Puerto Princesa from Manila. The ferry trip is about 22 hours long.

Milagrosa Shipping has a weekly ferry that sails between Puerto Princesa – Cuyo Islands – Iloilo. It departs Iloilo at 7pm on Thursday, arrives at the Cuyo Islands at 8am Friday, departs Cuyo Islands 3pm Friday and arrives in Puerto Princesa at 8am on Saturday.

Panibagong bagyo, nabuo sa karagatang Pasipiko – JMA

Isang bagyo ang tuluyang nabuo sa karagatang Pasipiko partikular sa hilagang silangan ng Luzon, ayon sa Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

Gayunman ang magandang balita ay hindi na ito tatama sa kalupaan ng Pilipinas sa halip ay tutumbukin ang hilagang Taiwan at didiretso sa China.

Ngunit maaring dadaan ito sa dulong bahagi ng Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) na papangalanan kay Helen kung sakali.

Sa kabila nito maaring magdudulot ng mga pag-ulan sa Pilipinas ang bagyo dahil pag-iibayuhin nito ang hanging habagat

US Embassy, handang tumulong sa paglilinis sa Baywalk

Handang tumulong ang United States Embassy sa paglilinis sa Baywalk sa Roxas Boulevard.

Napasugod kanina sa isinagawang clean-up operations ng Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) ang ilang opisyal ng US Embassy para mag-alok ng tulong.

Ayon kay Paul Schaefer, facility manager ng US Embassy, kung kailangan ng MMDA ng anumang assistance ay handa ang embahada na tumulong kasunod na rin ng pagpasok ng tubig-dagat sa embassy compound na nakaapekto sa operasyon nila kahapon.

Hiniling din ni Schaefer na pansamantalang maglagay ng mga sandbag sa bahagi ng opening sa gilid ng embahada na pinapasukan ng tubig-dagat mula sa Manila Bay upang maiwasan ang pag-apaw nito sa Roxas Boulevard.

Samantala nagmistula na ring tourist spot ang naglalakihang alon sa Manila Bay na sumasampa sa Baywalk dahil sa dami ng mga nagpapa-litrato roon.

Abala naman ang Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sa pagtataboy sa kanila dahil bukod sa delikado ay nakaka-abala pa sa clean-up ng MMDA. Report from Noel Alamar, Radyo Patrol 38

Taiwan, hinahataw ng bagyo; may 4 nang namatay

Nananalasa na ngayon sa Taiwan ang Typhoon Saola o Bagyong Gener na humataw din sa Pilipinas.

Mayroon nang apat na namatay doon na isinisisi sa bagyo.

Tumama sa kalupaan ng Hualien City sa eastern Taiwan ang bagyo at nagdulot agad ng mga pagbaha sa mga palayan.

Nagmistula ring ghost town ang Taipei, capital ng Taiwan matapos ipasara ng mga awtoridad ang pasok sa mga opisina at mga negosyo maging sa ibang lugar sa northern Taiwan dahil sa lakas ng hangin at ulang dala ng bagyo,

Marami ring flight ang nakansela sa international airport sa Taipei at naapektuhan din ang biyahe ng tren doon. Report from Associated Press

Aga Muhlach, tuloy na ang pagsabak sa pulitika

Tuloy na ang pagsabak sa pulitika ng aktor na si Aga Muhlach.

Manunumpa na si Muhlach sa Liberal Party (LP) ngayong Biyernes, Agosot 3 para tumakbo sa lokal na halalan sa Camarines Sur.

Sa pahayag ni Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas, presidente ng LP, kasamang manunumpa ni Muhlach ang 63 iba pang top local government officials sa isang oath-taking ceremony sa Balay, ang national headquarters ng partido sa Cubao.

Nitong nakalipas na Marso, nagparehistro si Muhlach at asawang si Charlene Gonzales sa Camarines Sur sa Bicol.

Sa interview noon sa The Buzz, matatandaang sinabi ni Gonzales na pangarap ng kaniyang asawa ang makapagsilbi sa mga kababayan. Report from ABS CBNnews.com

Travel: Boracay Island, Philippines

Boracay is a tropical island about an hour’s flight from Manila in the Philippines. Its long white sand beaches rival the best beaches of more popular destinations such as the Caribbean, the South Pacific as well as neighbouring Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Facilities are available to suit different levels of activity. For those wanting to just lounge around and take in some rays, beach-front hotels usually have lounge chairs set up just a few steps away from the hotel entrances. Facilities for the usual water sports activities such as sailing, wind surfing, snorkeling, diving and jet skiing are also widely available for those in search of more active pursuits. The fun in Boracay also doesn’t end when the sun sets. Boracay nightlife is pulsating with many bars and restaurants serving food, drink and fun until the very late evening.

[edit] Understand

Map of Boracay

 

Areas

White Beach is divided into five areas from

• Area 1— Boracay Terraces (north) to Willy’s Rock
• Area 2— From Willy’s Rock to Red Coconut Resort
• Area 3— From Red Coconut to Boat Station 2
• Area 4— From Boat Station 2 to Station 3
• Area 5 — From Boat Station 3 to Angol Point

In every station, there are two lifeguards on foot patrolling equipped with whistle, life buoy and hand-held radio. The boat station 2 is the lifeguard and rescue command center.

Climate

During the dry season (Nov-Apr), also known as Amihan, White Beach is calm and very suitable for swimming, etc. The other side of the island has large winds and waves making it suitable for wind surfing, wave running, etc. During the rainy season (Jun-Oct), also known as Habagat, this is reversed, with a risk of typhoons. White Beach often gets large winds and waves which sometimes makes it unsuitable for swimming. Current weather conditions can be found at boracayweatherstation.com

Boracay Beach Live Cameras

Boracay Island visualization can only go so far through pictures. See an array of Boracay Beach Cameras to actually see what Boracay looks like and to actually see the weather, what to expect and more. Live Boracay cameras boost tourism and promotes Filipino pride. See the beauty that is Boracay[2], Philippines in your own eyes.

• Boracay Beach Live – Boracay Camera located at Red Coconut Beach Front Resort with a 12 Mega Pixel, High Definition, Wide Angle Lens Camera which live streams – no delays 24 hours A day.

• Ariel’s House Boracay Beach Camera – Boracay camera is located at Ariel’s Bar which is beach front boat station 1 with a 30 second camera refresh rate.

• Nigi Nigi Too Boracay Beach Camera. Boracay Camera located at Nigi Nigi Too Beach Front Resort beach front boat station 1 with a refresh rate of approximately every 5 seconds.

Get in

Whether you go by plane or by boat, the port of entry for Boracay Island is the small town of Caticlan on the mainland. Outrigger boats or “bancas” leave every few minutes from Caticlan’s jetty port. The short boat trip to Boracay’s jetty port at Cagban costs 20 Pesos. Tourists have to pay a terminal fee of 50 Pesos and an environmental fee of 75 pesos. Tricycles are available at Cagban to bring passengers to their hotels. Tricycle fare is from P20 per pax up to P150 per trip depending where your resort is.

From Cagban Port to Station 1, the most that you should pay is P25 per head. That is, if you don’t mind sharing the tricycle with other tourists. If you don’t want to rent the tricycle and allow the driver to pick up other passengers along the way, say you just want the “Individual” price and not “Special”

By plane

There are two airports located near to the island of Boracay.

• Caticlan or Godofredo P. Ramos Airport (IATA: MPH) (ICAO: RPVE) – Only small body aircrafts could land in this airport. Airlines with flights to and from Caticlan are South East Asian Airlines(SEAIR)[3], Cebu Pacific Air[4] and Air Philippines[5] from Manila, Cebu and Clark. From the Caticlan airport, you can either take a tricycle (PhP 40.00) or walk (10 minutes) to Caticlan Jetty Port. You can’t take more than 15 kg luggage, when flying here.

• Kalibo International Airport (IATA: KLO) (ICAO: RPVK) – Compared to Caticlan’s airport, the runway is able to hold aircrafts such as Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 however it is farther from Caticlan’s jetty port which is 90 minutes away. Cebu Pacific Air, China Airlines[6], Philippine Airlines[7], and Zest Airways[8] connects Kalibo to Manila, Taipei, Shanghai and Seoul. Now budget carrier Philippines AirAsia connects from Clark/Angeles City in central Luzon to Kalibo with daily return flights. There are minivans, vans, coasters and buses that serve travellers between Kalibo International Aiport and Caticlan Jetty Port. Be sure to ask if your ticket includes a ferry to Boracay (₱200 for a van and ferry, ₱300 for more comfortable bus), and how much the additional environmental taxes will be (a total of ₱125 on top of your tickets).

Note that if your flight connects in Manila, you will be charged an airport tax of ₱200 in cash between flights. When you leave Manila on an international flight (upon departure) you will be charged ₱750.

By road and ferry (RoRo)

The “Nautical Highway” is a combination of overland highways and roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) vessels that allow you to bring your vehicle up to Panay Island [9] and visit key cities like Kalibo. Taking your car all the way to Boracay, though, is not possible. Public transport also operates on the same route, and is the most cost-effective way of traveling between Manila and Boracay. Assuming good connections, the total journey time is around 12 hours.

The easiest way of arranging this is to book a van in Manila by contacting private operators such as Angel Star (02 783-0886 c/o Abner) and Gope (02 732-6891 c/o Cesar). This will enable you to book a straight trip from Manila to Caticlan at the cost of P1200, more or less. Their group operates several passenger vans which can load 10-14 or 15-18 persons. You book the trip exclusively or share with fellow travellers. The Van leaves at 9PM daily from Manila, travelling through Batangas-Calapan-Roxas (arrives Roxas at 5AM or 6AM) to catch the 8AM or 10AM ferry/boat to Caticlan, where you are expected to arrive between noon to 2PM. Before proceeding to Boracay Island though, be sure to get your return ticket (Roxas-Manila) at the Caticlan Ferry Terminal (inquire about the updated schedule from the staff of the van operators). Take an early dinner before boarding the van and bring water and something to eat while on travel. Riding a van gives you a more relaxed pace to Caticlan because you wouldn’t have to stop in many sub-destinations which lengthen your trip and therefore can be truly tiresome.

The more challenging (but slightly cheaper) do-it-yourself version goes as follows:

The easiest way would be to book a straight trip that allows you to purchase just one ticket from Cubao terminal to Caticlan Port. The cost is between 1000-1200 pesos.

But if you really want to save money, you can also commute from Cubao bus terminal station (near Alimall). There is really no difference except for the fact that you need to purchase ticket/s in every stop.

Cubao-Batangas Best leave between 7pm-8pm so you arrive in Batangas Port before 10pm.

Batangas-Calapan the trip takes 2 hours via cargo ship or an hour to one hour and a half via supercat. Do not purchase tickets for the Calapan to Roxas Van as this can either be a scam or you end up squeezed in one van along with several other passengers with tickets.

Calapan-Roxas Takes about 4 hours. Make sure you leave early so you arrive before 4am. In the morning, the ship to Caticlan usually leaves at 2am and 4am and the next trip wont be until 10am. The 10am trip usually leaves late.

This is the best time to leave travel via Cubao to Roxas. You arrive in Caticlan at 8am and you are left to enjoy the rest of your day in Boracay.

You can also start your journey with Philtranco, Alps, Dimple, Ceres, Rodastco coaches which leave at regular intervals throughout the day from Cubao, serving the Manila-Caticlan route for P1,200.00. Rodastco also offers a door-to-door service with pick ups anywhere in Metro Manila. The contact numbers for trip booking are +63 2-7326891 or +63 917-3820426, or +63 919-3820426.

Get around

Boracay sandcastle

• Most visitors opt for motorized tricycles, which act as the island’s taxis and make up most of its traffic. Rides are inexpensive, usually no more than PhP 100 for individual (per tricycle, not shared with other people) ride to any point on the island, and can be found almost anywhere along the main road. As the tricycle seats are (in)conveniently located right above the vehicle exhausts, there can be a little pollution however – bring a handkerchief if you tend to be easily bothered by this sort of thing.

• Short rides on busy routes, say from D’Mall to Station 3 or from Station 1 to Station 3, are a standard rate of 20 pesos per passenger, but expect the tricycle driver to ask for 40 pesos or more if you look like a foreigner. Long rides, like Puka beach to D’Mall, should cost around P40. Drivers waiting near beaches, hotels, etc. generally ask higher price like P150-200, even if you’re alone. May worth bargaining if there are a few people with you and you want an individual ride – otherwise, batter catch a passing-by tricycle on the main road.

• Scooters provide the best flexibility at a reasonable price. The downside is having to deal with island traffic which can be unnerving for visitors unused to the aggressive tricycle drivers.

• Mountain bikes are also available for rent at several locations along White Beach, which is off limits to motorized vehicles.

• To explore around the island, rent a native sailboat (paraw) or motorized outrigger (banca) and visit the many beaches of Boracay.

See

Willy’s Rock, White Beach, Boracay

Puka Beach

• White Beach – This is what most people are here for. Not only is it a lovely stretch of powdery white sand against azure water, it’s also the commercial center of the island. The long beach is divided into three sections, Station 1, Station 2, and Station 3. Station 1 is the northernmost and has the widest beachfront, where prime hotels and resorts are located. Accommodations are pricier, but quality is generally the best as well. Station 2 is the commercial and geographical center of white beach. This is the center of it all for for shopping, eating, partying, and etc. That said, the beach here is also the most crowded, and the area the nosiest. Station 3 is the southernmost section; quieter than station 2, it is the least developed, and also the lowest priced. All of White Beach from the northernmost tip of Station 1 to the southernmost of Station 3 (~4km) is open to the public, so one can relax and/or swim wherever they like, regardless of hotel location.

• Puka Beach – A quiet stretch of white sand along the northern tip of the island, Puka Beach is an image of what most people expect on a tropical island: white sand, azure water, and relatively empty. This is where locals gather the small puka shells for some of the jewelry that is sold on the island so expect the sand to be more coarse than on White Beach. The water tends to be a little rougher on this side of the island but it is much quieter. Similarly, there are fewer services — there are only a couple of restaurants, but you likely won’t have a problem getting a cold drink or an ice cream as there are a few vendors that patrol the beach. The main road in Boracay terminates at Puka Beach therefore you’ll be able to hire a tricycle to get there in less than 10-15 minutes from central White Beach. Make sure you arrange a pickup if it is a quiet day and no tricycles are hanging around the beach. Most people experience Puka as one of their sailboat or banca stops during a day trip. This is a good spot for a picnic, but be sure to bring your trash home with you.

• Baling Hai Beach – This is a quiet little cove just north of Diniwid Beach, where you can enjoy swimming, snorkeling and dining in a relaxed, peaceful environment. There are some fantastic views from the clifftop restaurant. Baling Hai is often included as a stop-off on an island boat tour.

• Bulabog Beach – Come there on a windy days to see kiteboarders doing high jumps and crazy tricks.

• The Bat Cave. One will see in several tour guides and maps of Boracay something called the Bat Cave, which houses many small insectivorous bats (the larger fruit bats roost in the trees on the hillside above Punta Bunga Beach), and locals will be more than happy to accompany you there for a fee, or “tip”. The cave is on the western-end of the island and down several dirt roads. The guide will then take you on a short hike through the forest to the mouth of a cave, which drops down at a very steep angle. The mouth of the cave is littered with large boulders, and is extremely difficult to enter and walk down. There is no visible path, no handrail, and the stones are extremely slippery with slime and bat guano, as well as extremely dangerous, since the cave is at such an extreme angle. Also, the air inside the cave is very warm and humid, and in addition to the amount of guano, is very difficult to breathe. Additionally, several snakes live inside the cave. Caution should be taken by those visiting and entering the cave. There are bats in the cave, but down at the bottom of it in the dark, and unless you have a flashlight or are there at dusk, you won’t see them. The ceiling of the cave is interesting, however, with multiple, small stalactites. Just nearby, you can find another cave, called “crystal” cave which has a lot of stalactites and a hole on the opposite site of the entrance, from which you can watch out to the sea if you dare to climb up to it. You will have to pay 50P entry-fee to visit both caves on behalf of the family that owns the land, in addition to paying your guide. Visiting both caves can cost up to 2500P for the guide, but this is the “rich tourist price”, so try to bargain if you like.

Do

Cliff Diving at Ariel’s Point

Fire Dancing

Scuba diving

For those interested in Scuba Diving and Diving Packages, there are literally dozens of Dive Centres along the White Beach; it is a good place to learn or to improve your skills. Cost is typically $33 per dive which includes hire of all equipment.The dive centres operate a cartel and have agreed standard prices amongst themselves so prices will be the same at all centres. There are 25-30 dive sites within 10-15 minutes speed boat ride from the beach, suitable for beginners up to advanced level. Dives range from ‘Angol Point’ (10m), through ‘Crocodile Island’ (22-25m), a straightforward wall dive, up to ‘Yapak’- a deep wall dive suitable for only the most experienced divers due to strong currents, although there is the possibility of seeing sharks and stingrays.

Boat tours

Boat trip on a sunset

The best way to see the beauty of Boracay and its various beaches is by Paraw (native outrigger sailboat). You will be constantly asked if you want to take a boat trip, as there are literally dozens of companies offering this service. It is better to go with a reputable and established group such as Allen Fun Tours (motorized banca boat tours) or Red Pirates (paraw sailing) to ensure your safety and avoid being overcharged.

Kiteboarding

Kites on Bulabog beach

Boracay’s Bulabog beach is known as the best kitesurf destination in Asia. The season runs from November through to April with onshore winds varying between 12-30 knots. Small lagoon (2km wide) is protected from waves with coral reef. Water becomes almost flat on a low tide, making it easy to start learning kitesurfing and continue with freestyle tricks. Because of its nice conditions, spot becomes overcrowded with riders in high season. Serious disadvantage is sewage pollution of lagoon, so smell from water and infections from even small injuries are common.

• Freestyle Academy Kitesurfing School, Bulabog Beach, ☎ 09155593080 (info@freestyle-boracay.com), [10]. Kitesurfing School owned by local hero Ken Nacor, offers lessons from beginner to advanced. All instructors are IKO-certified.  
• Isla Kiteboarding school, Bulabog Beach, ☎ +63362885352 (info@islakitesurfing.com), [11]. Offers courses from beginners to advanced level. All instructors are IKO-certified  
• Pinas Kite Boarding, Bulabog Beach, ☎ 09182574658, [12]. Locally owned kite-boarding shop, offers courses from level 1 to 3. All instructors are IKO-certified.  

Skimboarding

Skimboarding in Boracay has been a new fun sport for kids and entertainment for older for people for several years. It is a welcome new attraction and a pleasure to watch. Skimboards are available for rent at several places along White Beach. But be sure to hire an expert to teach you to do the skills, 1-hour lesson from a local rider is usually around 300 peso.

Philippine floods persist, toll rises to 23

Rescuers deployed rubber boats while doctors fanned across cramped evacuation centres in the Philippines as the death toll from five days of flooding reached 23 on Thursday, officials said.

Large farming towns north of the capital Manila as well as heavily populated coastal areas remained under waist deep floods, with television footage showing residents wading in muddy waters as they tried to seek safer shelters.

Health officials meanwhile raised the alarm over a possible outbreak of leptospirosis, a bacterial disease spread by infected rat urine in flood waters, saying this could lead to a further spike in the death toll.

“We are appealing for help from the national government. Our town hall itself is submerged in waist deep water,” said mayor Orencio Gabriel of Obando town on government radio as intermittent rains continued to pound many areas.

“We are all under water here,” he said.

Obando is a farming town of about 60,000 people 16 kilometres (10 miles) north of Manila where a major river system drains into Manila Bay.

But high sea tides on Thursday morning worsened the flooding by slowing down the flow of water into the bay, even as Typhoon Saola had already began bringing its fury northward to Taiwan.

“People are living in dire situations in evacuation centres and disease outbreaks are what could push the toll even higher,” warned Carmencita Banatin, head of the department of health’s emergency management unit.

“We have rushed medicines and doctors to evacuation centres to begin immunising and stave off any explosion of diseases,” she told AFP.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Manila said nine more people were killed due to drowning and other accidents related to Typhoon Saola, raising the toll to 23 overnight.

Saola had caused tidal surges that swept over seawalls and flooded huge parts of Manila Wednesday, forcing schools to call off classes and flights to be grounded.

Close to 180,000 people had been evacuated from 90 towns and 22 cities, many of them crowding each other in school gyms converted into temporary shelters.

Banatin said said health workers were expecting an outbreak of leptospirosis which has an incubation of about a week.

The worst outbreak of the disease occurred in Manila in 2009, when a major storm submerged more than 80 percent of the city of 15 million.

Of the more than 3,300 cases of leptospirosis cases recorded then, 249 died, making it the biggest casualty figure for the disease in the world so far, according to government and World Health Organization figures. – yahoo.com

Update: As of August 2, 2012 – LONDON OLYMPIC 2012

Medal Table

Overall Medal Count

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	China	17	9	4	30
2	United States	13	8	9	30
3	South Korea	6	2	4	12
4	France	5	3	5	13
5	North Korea	4	0	1	5
6	Germany	3	8	2	13
7	Italy	3	5	2	10
8	Kazakhstan	3	0	0	3
8	South Africa	3	0	0	3
10	Japan	2	4	11	17