My Journey to the Philippines 1999, lead me to Retirement and Scuba Diving.

Nipa House at the foot of the Sleeping Lion, Legazpi City Philippines (1999)

In December 1999 I found myself on an airplane heading to the Philippines to meet my new wife's family. I had no real idea what to expect I had just finished taking Spanish 101 at the Jr. College hoping the few words I learned would help me with the family. (30% of Filipino language is Spanish) But was it the right 30%. LoL
Most things that the Spanish introduced there like plato, baso, mesa, yellow, silla, kabayo, bano, and time was in Spanish, and a lot more. But the spelling and sentences are not the same.

Sleeping Lion Mountain and Bay - Albay Gulf - Legazpi

First house I bought that got me to thinking. I could live in this place and retire! 2 story 70sq meters (700 sq feet)

I left to go home December 30th, (remember the Y2K scare? planes crashing, computers crashing, life was to end) well non of that happened. January 2000 the Mayon Volcano did erupt.

That is a picture from our roof the Mayon is about 12 Kilometers away. (8 miles)

When I got back home over the next 4 years talking with my friends all of us married to American/Filipinas the plans to retire to the Philippines started to take shape. My best friend and I spent hours then days and now years planning. But what can I do there to not get bored? My friend said "you need to learn to scuba dive", I had always loved swimming and the water so in 2005 at the age of 40 I learned to dive and am loving it every chance I can get in the ocean.

Monterrey Bay, California getting my Naui Open Water Certification and Nitrox card.