El Galleon Resort, The Philippines

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After lengthy planning, my dive club was scheduled to dive at El Galleon Resort in Puerto Galera, Philippines, in May 2020. But, the Philippines government locked down the country in March 2020 and it stayed shut for two years. In early May 2022, I was finally excited to be on my way, though only seven of us had decided to continue.

Three days before my departure, the Philippines changed their entry rules, requiring a negative COVID test 24 hours before departure in addition to vaccination cards. I got my negative result (and a QR code at the last minter for expedited entry) and headed out. (They had also required written proof of Covid insurance, but no one along the way asked to see it -- or to see my pre COVID registration or QR code.)

After carefully keeping myself masked at the airports and aboard Nippon airlines, I met my fellow travelers at the comfortable Belmont hotel in Manila, five minutes from the international terminal via moving walkways. Now among friends, off came the masks. The next day we traveled unmasked in two vans to Batangas, windows up so the air conditioner would keep us cool. One of my friends had an occasional dry cough, but I shrugged it off....

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