Memories

The family decided to have a small get together. We had lunch at my grandparents' house and then proceeded to have drinks after dark. All night, we talked about our memories with our grandfather. And it was nice reliving all those with the group of people I shared them with. I had a great childhood, and how each of us wish we could relive the life we used to have when we were kids, even for just one day. What I would give for that. 

We went for drinks in a restaurant/bar called Gustav's. From the outside, it is not a place that I would personally go in to if I were with friends. But inside, it's so homely and almost vintage-y. To add to that, they have really great sisig- they serve it with green and red bellpeppers, cheese and egg. Their cheese sticks and sizzling button mushrooms are also decent. It's an ideal place to talk over drinks since the music isn't too loud and we stayed in one of their nipa huts which gave us some sort of privacy. It's one of the very few bars that have a comfortable ambiance which I was able to appreciate, especially during that evening. 

Plants in old mugs.

A stone throw away from Gustav's is The Cake Box, I brought my grandmother for some dessert here on another day. Their store is just so cute! There's just something about cupcakes that I love. We tried their red velvet, it was good. Not too sweet, I could still taste the cream cheese in their frosting which I really liked. I can tell it's been in their refrigerator for a day or two though. A fresh batch, I'm sure would have been perfect. 

It's also located right beside a nail spa and Moonleaf :) I like this place. 

I really enjoy dining in new places, especially with my family. Not only do I get to each delicious meals, it gives us a chance to catch up on each other's lives too - and just talk like good friends do. 

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die

Dear Pang, 

Thank you very much for everything. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. Thank you for greeting me with such warmth and joy whenever I come to visit you. I will miss you shouting "My Camille!" the moment I walk into your room. I am sorry for not visiting more often. I love you and you will forever hold a place in my heart. It is very hard to let go but I know you are going to a good place and I am happy that you can finally rest. I will miss you, Pang. I will never ever ever forget you. 

I love you. 

Your Camille. 

My last photograph with Pang. 2009. 

Me with Pang and Mang 

Puerto Princesa

It was a series of unfortunate events but it was one hell of a trip. 

The Philippines really is amazing, especially this place. Looking at the island from the plane, I knew it was going to better than what I had in mind. And to my delight, not only is the place beautiful, they also have the warmest locals. Every single person I encountered was just so pleasant.

We arrived around 1:30 in the afternoon and the Skylight hotel pick-up service was already there at the airport. We took a couple of minutes to settle in and by 2pm, Kuya Ding, our driver for the day picked us up to bring us to Honda Bay. We arrived at the wharf around 2:25, just 5 minutes before they  closed! Whew! We were quite lucky too because we were able to get the biggest boat that they use for tours. 

We boarded the boat and went on with our journey. The place is very fitting of its name, Puerto Princesa. I could imagine that if Puerto Princesa was a person, she would be the sweetest, most beautiful and most alluring woman in the tropics.  The place is just that magical. 

While island hopping, we planned to visit the Pambato Reef, Starfish Island, Pandan Island and Cowry Island. But given that we had limited time, we skipped pambato reef. 

Our first stop was in Starfish Island. It's named so because of the abundance of the starfishes in the area. Ironically though, I only saw a few. Upon getting off the boat,one can already tell that it's mostly for picture taking because besides that it's very picturesque (as most islands in Honda Bay), they also have the huge bamboo frames and a mini stonehenge - looking structure by the sea where you can take your photos.

We stayed there only for a while because we wanted to save our time for when we are in Pandan Island where we planned to swim.

  

Starfish Island

Our next stop was in Pandan Island. This is one of the islands where we were told we can snorkel. It's a lovely island, the sand is white and is very fine. I was very excited to go here because whenever I have the chance, I enjoy watching fishes underwater and I love love lovee seeing corals of different sizes and colors. I had my goggles with me, swam away from the shore and I went to the deeper part of the ocean. It was quite enjoyable and there really was a variety of the type of fishes but the marine life there isn't as rich as maybe samal or balicasag.

I wasn't able to take much photos in this island because we were busy swimming (and being chased by a bee but that's another story). 

These were all I needed that day :)

  

Our last island to visit was Cowry Island. The sun was just about to set and upon disembarking the boat the photo below is the first thing I saw. I just fell in love with the place.

I wish we could have gone earlier so that we can have more time to stay and relax in the islands, or even visit others. But even with just 3 islands, it was well worth it. By this point, I felt like if we no longer did or saw anything else in Palawan, I would have still been content with the trip already. It was just that great of an experience.

That evening, we went to Ka Lui but they require reservations, so I made one for the following night and we proceeded to Kinabuchs to get dinner. It was like a pub/restaurant and they had a huge LCD screen outside where you can watch sports. I think it's a hit more with the foreigners since they're more used to pubs.

We ordered seafood sisig which was really really good- it had squid and different types of fish. I was supposed to order Tamilok, which is a local delicacy but unfortunately, it wasn't available at that time.

Tired from commuting, the plane ride and island hopping, we settled in quite early that evening. What was frustrating though is that the receptionist just told us that they accidentally scheduled our underground river tour on the wrong day. And there were no longer slots for our original schedule. However, they were able to secure slots on our last day which was a bit of a concern because our flight was at 1:50 in the afternoon. But since we no longer had a choice and since they were going to schedule an exclusive trip for us, we took it.

Day 2 wasn't that busy. We started at 9am and took the city tour. The first stop was the butterfly garden, it was small but nice and there we a lot of flowers which are always nice to see. It's very rare that we see butterflies in the city so I was able to appreciate it.

The next stop was the Crocodile Farm, the bridge going there was destroyed by the typhoon and so we had to walk from that point. And I'm glad we did, while walking we were able to appreciate the sights  more. 

If there's something about me that most people know is that I absolutely love animals and so when I saw a carabao cooling off and taking a dip in the muddy water, I had to have my photo taken. I also took photos with the baby crocodile and this cute bearcat. The crocodile farm was just okay, I learned that saltwater crocodiles have black spots while freshwater have stripes. So now, if ever I am put in a situation where I'm about to be eaten by a crocodile, I can tell if he's from the sea or the river.I kid. haha They also release heat by keeping their mouths open, it looks kind of odd though - I thought they were waiting for food to be thrown into their mouths. haha

After seeing the saltwater and freshwater crocs in the crocodile farm (and the big lazy 17ft one), we went to the nature park. The trees were so tall and the fauna so rich that I could stay there for hours without getting bored.

Next was Mitra's Ranch, it overlooks the city which is beautiful. It's sort of like antipolo minus the crowded places, buildings and add some horses and cows loitering around the area. Amazing? Yes.  

Our last stop for the city tour was in Plaza Cuartel and Baywalk. I think Plaza Cuartel has underground tunnels, it is a former Japanese garrison. With how beautiful it is now, it's hard to believe that this is the sight where American soldiers were burned alive.

After the city tour, we were dropped off at our hotel. But with nothing to do, we walked to tiange tiange where I bought a traditional fertility woodcraft as pasalubong to my aunt. We also went to the wet market where honey and cashew are sold at a cheap cost. 

That evening, we smelled like daing from the palengke so we took a quick shower before heading to Ka Lui for dinner. This restaurant has an great ambiance and I think that this is what customers are actually paying for when they eat there. Our bill was about 700Php but the servings were quite small, average price for Manila but quite expensive for a provincial restaurant. It isn't to be missed though because the dining experience they offer is very unique. 

The place we visited on our third day left me in awe. 

It was breathtaking. It was nothing like I have ever ever seen before. It was surreal. 

Dizzy from the van ride along the mountainous(but paved) roads of Palawan, I stepped into this dream.  The wharf on its own is amazing, I could not wait to get to the underground river.

We took a boat to where the underground river was.We passed by several limestone formations and all I could think of is how beautiful it was. 

The surroundings of the underground river was even more beautiful. The trip inside the cave itself was quite quick, it was interesting. The way the boatmen delivered their spiels were interesting, not devoid of Filipino humour, of course.  We took a look at the different rock formations which resembled members of the holy family, plants, fruits or even mythical creatures they were all very unique. I can imagine how many thousands of years it took mother nature to create those shapes, some changing every year with every drop of water.

Then there was the highest ceiling, water from the mountain drops from it. Position yourself right under it and then look up, it's as though the water is dropping in slow motion. It was beautiful. It was so magical. It was otherworldly. Like avatar, haha. 

Our stay was short and sweet. It wasn't exactly as planned but I had such a great time. I don't think I can ever forget about this amazing, magical, beautiful, and surreal province. I think that Palawan is the most magical place on earth (or in the Philippines at least) and that everyone should visit it.

Contacts:
City tour tricycle rental - Kuya Ding: 09186620495 (He can take you to all the tourist sites in the city)
Tour guide - Dave : 09214336987