Ille Adventure 04252013

For six days, I was with archaeo peeps in Palawan, more specifically in El Nido. It was my first ever time to experience camping while undergoing archaeological excavations. (Unfortunately, I came too late and excavations had just finished so all I did was just accession and clean artifacts.)

Away from the usual comforts, camping proved to be a challenge. We would sleep in tents. I shared one with a friend. It was hard not to have water form faucets. Brushing the teeth equally requires extra bit of effort. We were drinking water which tasted funny (tasted like metal but since we were informed it was spring water, we drank anyway). One can not be too self-centered and be choosy because everyone is living in the same way so it helps to keep complaints all to one's self. Compared to previous seasons, nowadays at least people do not have to dig dirt to hide their poop nor do they have to find their own private sanctuary for peeing. At least now they have toilets and bathrooms--- comfort rooms indeed!

On the plus side, I got to take baths with other girls again. Also, it was nice being friends with foreigners. Their adventurous and carefree spirit is such an inspiration. During my stay, I also got to talk to other archaeo peeps whom I never got to talk to before.

My favorite day was April 25 when my friends had their day off and we had a bit of Ille adventure with a local guide so this will be the focus of this blog post. We got up early and got to the top of Ille Rockshelter to witness the majestic sunrise. Mind you, it wasn't an easy climb.

Ille sunrise

We had our quick breakfast and were then on our way to other parts of Ille, with lots of walking and bonding with nature. It was a bit tiring but we shrugged it off, knowing that rewards are great for those in pursuit of adventures. And rewarded we were with a nice cool dip in a small pool beneath the 13th of 14 Waterfalls.

After that, we were toured to other limestone rockshelters. And before we headed back to camp, our dearest guide gave us buko treats! The perfect thirst quencher after a day of much activity.

And that's the reason why April 25 is such a memorable day for me. I got to experience a difficult climb after many years of no mountain climbing activity, leaving me with such sense of accomplishment at the end of a tiring day.

See what else I did in Ille HERE

Palawan Trip 2013

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.

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.

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. 

Municipal Hall- El Nido

Parish of Saint Francis of Assissi- El Nido

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.

Calitang beach

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!

Ugong Rock and Underground River, Palawan 04222013

Day 1 of my Palawan trip was spent in Ugong Rock, and the famed Subterranean River Park. Earlier, I had booked a tour of the Underground river (P1500) since I don't want to ruin my vacation worrying about the permit to enter the park.

The guide first took us to Ugong Rock where I had my fun climbing the limestone formations. There's part in the climb where you will need ropes for ascending, which for me is the most fun part, since I terribly miss rappelling. When you get to the top, you have a choice, either to go down the say way you went up OR you do so by zipline. Of course, I chose the second. It was my FIRST EVER ZIPLINE EXPERIENCE and it was FUN! You see greens flashing before your eyes for some 21 seconds. And after that, you'll want more. The hard part is letting go at first. My knees wobbled at the start. (Yes, I'm acrophobic... a bit!)

Ugong Rock

On the way to the Undergroung River Park, we stopped by the majestic Elephant Limestone Formation for some picture-taking.

Elephant Limestone Formation

Then off to some place where we had a wonderful buffet lunch before we took a ferry ride to the park.

komodo dragon vs. moneky

After waiting for our turn for what seemed like an hour (you'll find interesting things to do while waiting so don't worry), the 45-minute tour started. We're lucky to have a very funny guy who pointed out the cool formations inside the cave with his witty and humorous comments. By all means, bring your own flashlight, just in case the one holding the torch lamp is an unreliable fellow.

Honda Bay and Chinese Temple, Palawan 04232013

Day 2 of my Palawan 2013 trip was spent mostly in Honda Bay. Taking the multicab from Puerto Princesa proper to St. Lourdes (with a sign saying "Honda Bay"), we were dropped off near the tourism office.

Below are the costs one needs to take note of:

snorkeling gear P100

water shoes (optional) P100

boat rental (for 6 pax) P1300

Luli Island P60

Pambato Reef P50

Starfish Island P50

Pandan Island P150

Cowrie Island P75

Our first stop was Luli Island, a very small private island with houses on stilts. Its name is short for Lulubog-Lilitaw, due to its visibility depending on the tides. Lubog is to be submerged and litaw is to surface. One can spend some time snorkeling and swimming with little fishes here.

Luli Island

Next stop was Pambato Reef but I don't have pictures since my camera isn't waterproof. Our guide has a big doughnut-shaped floater which we must hang onto. (However, for those who know how to swim, they may not cling to the floater.) The guide will pull the floater and you will see the different colored corals under the sea. Very breathtaking! It's such a pity I don't have a waterproof camera (sulks again). Still the experience was very nice. I suggest that you don't skip Pambato Reef.

We skipped Starfish Island and proceeded to Pandan Island where food can be bought. It is also said to be the most complete island as it has shower areas, too. Don't be surprised if the water is a bit salty.

We had lunch in Pandan Island. The bilao we ordered consists of chicken, tilapia, grilled squid (my favorite), and pork. A filling lunch, and delicious at that! (And as I write I drool at the memory of the squid. YUM!)

At Pandan Island

The last island is Cowrie Island which we didn't bother to visit since our guide told us that it's just a place where people bathe after hopping from one island to the other.

Cowrie Island

After the Honda Bay tour, I took a quick bath at the Tourism Office. On the way to the multi-cab terminal, I took a walk and snapped photos of Saint Andrew's Church and a Buddhist Temple. I went inside the temple and burned some incense. Noting the quietness of the area, I asked the guard where the monks are and he replied that there is only one monk who resides in the temple. He must be awfully lonely, I thought, to live in such a huge place. At the back of my mind, I thought, I probably will choose to live thus, once I tire of the endless chaos in the cities.

Had dinner at Metro Silog in Puerto Princesa. I had squid sisig and it was wonderful. It was my first time to eat sisig and I have to make sure it's not pork!