2013 indeed is a good year as once again a dream is realized. I have always wanted to go to Palawan, it being an important center of biodiversity. Any nature-lover would certainly be happy to visit this island, with the clear waters surrounding it which promise great views of the underwater world.
The sun has just gone down when I got out of the airport. I was welcomed by offers from tricylce drivers to drive me to my hotel but I paid no heed to them, which was a good move because walking a bit farther from the airport, I was able to hire a tricycle for a cheaper rate. I asked to be dropped off at Audissie Pension along Malvar Road. Earlier, I had contacted a tour company for my Underground River tour (because I don't want to be hassled by permit requisites) and they offered to book me a room at a cheap hotel. But then I would find out to my horror and dismay that a double room costs P900! (Who needs aircon when you're in Palawan??? I've told them I prefer the cheapest and no aircon.)
I was supposed to hear mass at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral which is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Unfortunately, my flight to Puerto Princesa was delayed for more than an hour. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR RUINING MY PLANS, CEBU PACIFIC!!! So I just took pictures of the church despite the bad lighting, it was already dark when I got there.
After that, I went to the nearby grocery store to buy a gallon of water and a bar of laundry soap. My dinner was a bowl of noodles which I bought in Manila. (Budget is tight due to my consecutive travels so I might as well save money by consuming junk food. I even brought with me a bag of Gardenia wheat bread for my breakfast. Pathetic it is, yes.)
The following day I transferred to Princesa Inn which has way cheaper rates. Day 2 was spent in Ugong Rock and the Underground River. I was kind of disappointed because the Monkey Trail tour is deleted from the itinerary. According to the tour guide, the place if off-limits at that time.
Going back to the inn after the tour, I found my Gardenia bread attacked by unknown creatures. Then, I realized what I paid for back at Audissie Pension. The room I was given has broken screens and some of the wood had been broken. And the toilet only has a curtain as door. Broken-hearted, I walked along Rizal Avenue to look for a cheap place for dinner, and found a small Vietnamese restaurant. I terribly missed pho so I had a bowl (P60) for dinner, and bought a piece of banh mi (P10) for my breakfast the following day. Both the pho and the banh mi here were not as good as the ones I had in the streets of Ho Chih Minh but they did me a lot of good.
The sun has just gone down when I got out of the airport. I was welcomed by offers from tricylce drivers to drive me to my hotel but I paid no heed to them, which was a good move because walking a bit farther from the airport, I was able to hire a tricycle for a cheaper rate. I asked to be dropped off at Audissie Pension along Malvar Road. Earlier, I had contacted a tour company for my Underground River tour (because I don't want to be hassled by permit requisites) and they offered to book me a room at a cheap hotel. But then I would find out to my horror and dismay that a double room costs P900! (Who needs aircon when you're in Palawan??? I've told them I prefer the cheapest and no aircon.)
I was supposed to hear mass at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral which is a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Unfortunately, my flight to Puerto Princesa was delayed for more than an hour. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR RUINING MY PLANS, CEBU PACIFIC!!! So I just took pictures of the church despite the bad lighting, it was already dark when I got there.
After that, I went to the nearby grocery store to buy a gallon of water and a bar of laundry soap. My dinner was a bowl of noodles which I bought in Manila. (Budget is tight due to my consecutive travels so I might as well save money by consuming junk food. I even brought with me a bag of Gardenia wheat bread for my breakfast. Pathetic it is, yes.)
The following day I transferred to Princesa Inn which has way cheaper rates. Day 2 was spent in Ugong Rock and the Underground River. I was kind of disappointed because the Monkey Trail tour is deleted from the itinerary. According to the tour guide, the place if off-limits at that time.
Going back to the inn after the tour, I found my Gardenia bread attacked by unknown creatures. Then, I realized what I paid for back at Audissie Pension. The room I was given has broken screens and some of the wood had been broken. And the toilet only has a curtain as door. Broken-hearted, I walked along Rizal Avenue to look for a cheap place for dinner, and found a small Vietnamese restaurant. I terribly missed pho so I had a bowl (P60) for dinner, and bought a piece of banh mi (P10) for my breakfast the following day. Both the pho and the banh mi here were not as good as the ones I had in the streets of Ho Chih Minh but they did me a lot of good.
Day 3 was spent in Honda Bay. After dinner, I packed my bag and off I went to San Jose bus terminal to take a bus to El Nido. Earlier, I reserved a seat at a RORO bus which would be leaving at 10pm. This is to save money for accommodation. Fare was P483, inclusive of moving accommodation. I was determined to sleep during the ride and greet the dawn in El Nido. But of course, sleeping wasn't that comfortable. I stirred in my sleep whenever the ride got bumpy.
At 4am the following day, we finally arrived at El Nido. It's a good thing I was with a small group of women who asked the bus driver to allow them to sleep a little more before they head off to the town proper. So I was able to get extra sleep, joining them since I didn't know where to go at that dark hour.
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| A limestone formation overlooking the bus terminal and the wet market in El Nido |
At 6am, I finally decided to take the tricycle to the town proper where I would be waiting for a member of the archaeological fieldwork to pick me up. (Yes, I terribly need the help, being quite unfamiliar with the place and more so on how to get to Ille the cheapest way possible.) We would meet more than an hour later and got a tour of the place.
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| Municipal Hall- El Nido |
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| Parish of Saint Francis of Assissi- El Nido |
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| El Nido's beach, with plastic chairs and tables for tourists |
We bought some foodstuffs (and I got to experience buying vegetables and the likes at the wet market) before we boarded the jeepney to Ille. We had to wait for a looong time before the jeep departed and it was very hot and crowded inside that I fell asleep to escape from the uncomfortable situation.
For six days, I stayed at Ille. On my first day, I was introduced by my friend to the different archaeological sites, all near the camp. On my second day (April 25), we climbed the Ille Rockshelter which is just a couple of minutes' walk from the camp, the nearest site. We also went to the so-called 14 Waterfalls, took a refreshing dip in the cool waters and spent half of the afternoon there. On my third and fourth day, I helped with the accessioning and cleaning of shells. They recovered LOTS of shells, bivalves and univalves alike and these require cleaning. It was tiring but it's the least I could do since I came too late to excavate. On the night of the 27th, we had a party thrown for the locals. It was very awkward for me since I never go to parties where dancing and booze play a big part. Anyhow, it was wonderful to see everyone having fun, though I got tired easily.
On April 28, we spent the whole day packing everything for shipment to Manila. April 29 was spent in Calitang where we enjoyed the very nice beach there sans tourist overload. In Calitang, my fingers got burning sensation after removing the seeds of green chilies. I never knew it would get to this. It was awful but at nighttime the burn has mellowed down. At 8pm, I left Calitang by tricycle. It took us approximately an hour to get to the bus terminal in El Nido town and fare was P500.
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| Calitang beach |
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| Calitang sunset |
For the second time, I slept inside the bus as we traveled back to Puerto Princesa. I was with a fellow archaeologist. We waited at the terminal until daylight then we walked to the main road. We had breakfast buffet (P189 including taxes and surcharges) somewhere in front of Robinsons Palawan. I only liked the fish fillet and it was gone too soon. After that, no more refill of fish fillet, much to my dismay.
I was almost late for check in. I took the multicab from the highway to the town proper and alighted at the intersection, determined to walk all the way to the airport, which is around half a kilometer. That, considering my backpack weighed more than 11kg. It's still a miracle I didn't collapse from the summer heat. And damn, I was forced to have my backpack checked in because they found out it exceeded the maximum weight for hand carry. I was forced to shell out P560 which hurt a lot. DAMMIT!!! And as expected, my flight was delayed. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE, CEBU PACIFIC!
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