My Palawan Trip with Papa and Mama (January 13–17, 2011)
I’ve always known Palawan mattered to me because it’s my Father’s hometown. He was born in Cuyo, Palawan, even though he grew up in Manila. I often heard travel stories on my father’s side and about Papa traveling there for few times back then.
This was my second time visiting Palawan. My very first visit was back in 2000 or 2001, and it was also my very first airplane ride. My uncle, Tito Mike (Papa’s older brother) and his family brought me along, and we stayed at their land in Roxas, close to Papa’s land used to be.
♥ I didn’t realize just how close Palawan was to my heart until my second trip. There was something about being there this time, that connection? It just hit me. After this trip, Palawan had me. It captured my heart. It has always been part of who we are♥ it’s in our blood, and in the roots of our family. And I’m proud to say that being Palaweño is part of who I am ♥.
༻*ೃ༄ January 13, 2011 ༻*ೃ༄
✈︎ Manila
At first, my Puerto Prinsesa trip wasn’t even a sure thing. I only bought my ticket on January 11. My mama and papa were already in Puerto Prinsesa for a few days. I had my usual Wednesday night shift at the call center. At 4:00 am, after my work, my brother picked me up and we headed to the airport. We arrived at the airport around 5:15 am We even bumped into some of his old coworkers, because he used to work at the airport back then. My flight was at 7:30 AM via AirPhil Express. Boarding time was 7 am. While waiting, we were just chilling in the waiting area and took some pics He stayed with me until it was time for me to board and waited until the plane took off. Just to make sure that everything was fine. Thanks kuya 🙂 :)!!!
During the flight, the sky was sooo beautiful ♥ an endless blue sky and cute fluffy clouds like cotton candy. I was so fascinated and deeply moved by how wonderfully God created all of this ♥. Being high up there was a perfect time to reflect. I felt closer to God and His presence. I just kept praying, thanking Him for all of the blessings He has given me, for His wonderful and beautiful creations around us and praying for a safe flight.
Puerto Princesa ✈︎
The flight was smooth, I arrived in Puerto Prinsesa safe a sound At 8:50 am. I met Papa, Mama, and my cousins at the airport at a little after 9 am when they came to pick me up. My cousin Kuya Roque and his wife Ate Lolit were very welcoming, hospitable, and accommodating. I was still young (maybe elementary or high school), the last time Kuya Roque and I saw each other. It was also my first time meeting Ate Lolit. She was really nice and kind. We took some pics before leaving the airport.
First, we went to the pension house to drop off my things. Ate Lolit’s shop was really near the pension house, almost just the next block. We had a little snack before Papa, Mama, and I went for a stroll around the city.
We wandered the city proper, sightseeing around the area. We passed by the museum, some establishments, and the court area. Some locals were playing Sepak Takraw. At first, I thought they were playing sipa (native Filipino game I used to play on the street when I was a kid, that’s made of tinga, like a flattened soft scrap aluminum round washer with a small hole in the middle, then we tie some plastic strands pom poms in the hole 🙂 )But Sepak Takraw is like a kick/foot volleyball, ball was made of rattan or plastic, pretty cool to watch.
After watching and walking around for a bit. We rode the tricycle and multicab to visit other places and the supermarket. Multicab is a public transportation in Palawan, like a small utility vehicle, like a boxy mini-truck.
In the afternoon, around 4 pm, we visited my kuya Roque and ate Lolit’s shop. It’s very near where we stay, I also met their daughter, my niece; we had a light snack while chit-chatting.
So around 8 am, we went to Balinsasayaw Restaurant for dinner. We met some relatives, ate Jovy and AJ for the first time, they were very warm and welcoming. It didn’t even feel like it was our first meeting. We had a little kamustahan and chit-chat while having our dinner together. The Balinsasayaw restaurant had a native, traditional Filipino ambiance, nipa huts and soft lighting. I had a hearty meal, I loved their kare-kare and leche flan, and the place had a nice, cozy, homey feeling, and was relaxing. I got to enjoy the food in a true Palawan way with my relatives.
After dinner, I felt a little restored, but not for long. After a long night of work, straight to flight, strolling, and socializing, (❀❛ ֊ ❛„)♡ I eventually got drained. I definitely needed a sleep and rest, also, we had an early trip the next day. We went back to the pension house at 10 pm, took a quick shower, and knocked out (✿˃ᗜ˂). ✩₊˚.⋆ ☁︎ ☾⋆⁺₊✧
༻*ೃ༄ January 14, 2011 ༻*ೃ༄
Puerto Princesa to El Nido ᨒ ོ ☼
The pension room we rented in Puerto Prinsesa was a budget-friendly guest house. Papa and Mama had been staying there for about 3-4 days before I arrived. It was located right in the heart of the town proper, a few meters away from Palawan’s kilometer zero. Across the street, in that area, was the Palawan Provincial Capitol. The pension house was almost fully booked just got lucky with a few available rooms. Very convenient, offered basic but decent and quiet accommodation, and just a 5-10 minute ride from the airport. I think it’s good for travelers and backpackers.
The next day, we had to wake up really early, around 3:00 am. After a quick shower and packing up our things and bags, we left the pension house at 4:30 am. My cousin picked us up and dropped us off at the bus station for a 5:00 am trip. Ate Lolit came along with us to guide us in El Nido. At 7:40 am, we had a short stopover at the bus rest terminal. Had a break, quick breakfast, stretched for a bit, and continued on our trip.
Touchdown El NIdo ⋆.˚ ⋆.˚
It was a 6-7 hour trip. We took naps during the ride. It was a long ride. But honestly, I didn’t get bored. I was just too excited to finally reach El Nido. The view along the way was really nice. It was a very provincial feel, with fresh air, lots of trees, thick green mountains, and nature everywhere. Beautiful scenery!
We arrived around 12 noon and started looking for accommodation. We found a guesthouse. It’s like a native cottage house along Hama St., I forgot the name of the accommodation, but it’s made of a nipa hut and bamboo, with beds and mattresses. It’s native, simple, cozy, and homey. It’s in the town proper, so it’s very convenient, and also has easy access anywhere. On the other side of the road were some establishments, and behind them was the beach, where you could enter an alley and have easy access to the beach.
We stopped by a local carinderia for a quick lunch. They had some local food that I hadn’t tried. From 2 pm to 6 pm, we strolled around El Nido town proper. Walked along the El Nido beach with El Nido Bay view, port area, and checked out some shops and inns nearby. The town was small, peaceful and had a lively vibe, but the electricity was only available from 2:00 pm to 6:00 am. So from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm, there’s no power, and I noticed that there were more foreign tourists and backpackers than local travelers.
We continued strolling around. We looked for an island-hopping tour, but we hadn’t booked anything yet. Around 5 pm, we also dropped by the Bayan ng El Nido, a local supermarket, and bought some food to cook for our dinner. When we got to our inn, we saw a few foreign couples who also rented the place and were having and enjoying some chit-chats with the locals. We also had a few chats about their stay in El Nido. We had our dinner, grilled fish and meat, and ensaladas.
Later that evening, a tour provider came over to our place and confirmed our tour for tomorrow. They also offered scuba diving, I’d like to do that, so I signed up for a Discover Scuba Dive, and snorkeling for Papa. We booked and paid for a private island-hopping Tour A (7 Commando Beach, Shimizu Island, Secret Lagoon, and Big Lagoon), package for 4 people, scuba diving, and snorkeling for tomorrow. It covers the boat ride, tour guide/owner/divemaster, Tour A, a boat crew, a mask and snorkel, scuba diving equipment, orientation and briefing, life vests, lunch, drinks, and snacks. We also paid for an environmental fee. It was a private island-hopping tour, so it was just us on the boat and no other guests.
༻*ೃ༄ January 15, 2011 ༻*ೃ༄
Tour A Island Hopping ᨒ ོ ☼
We woke up early in the morning. It was a beautiful day. The sky was clear and the weather was warm. Since we had more time before the tour, we decided to walk around the area, we passed by the Pamahalaang Lokal ng El Nido (local municipal office), the local post office, and checked out some shops. Then we headed to the tour provider’s office, we had some orientation and briefing about scuba diving, and headed to the beach. I forgot the name of the area and the beach where the boat was docked.
At the jump-off point. We got our life vests. We started to hop on the boat a little past 10:00 am. They also gave a briefing about the island-hopping rules, basic marine etiquette, including the dos and don’ts. It’s a nice time because the weather was fine, it was warm, the sky was quite cloudy, but the sea was calm.
Our first stop was at Seven Commando Island. Scuba Diving ⋆.˚ ⋆.˚ ⋆.˚
We stayed from 10:30 AM to 1 PM. This is where I had my scuba diving and Papa had snorkeling. I was really fascinated. The sand was white and fine. There weren’t many people, just one group of three tourists quite far from us. A few cottages on the beach. It is quite a long beach.
While getting started with scuba diving, I had a little briefing again, reminders how to check my gear like oxygen tank, regulator, signs, breathing, etc. I was quite nervous because it was my first time scuba diving, but I was also very excited. I couldn’t wait to meet Nemo hahahaha.
We were about to go, I was quite nervous, but my divemaster said it’s okay. I trusted him. Under the sea, it was really beautiful. We were lucky because the sea was calm and clear. While submerging, I was like, Really? I’m breathing underwater?! Just like Ariel?! ♡ Hahaha. So fascinating! And I saw a lot of different kinds of fish and corals. It felt different seeing them in their own habitat. I was so spellbound, and I suddenly felt like I was connected with nature. It felt like nature was draining my stress out of me. While under the sea, I felt light and relieved. It was soooo beautiful. It made me ask a lot of questions, like, How vast is the ocean? How far can they reach? Can they swim anywhere and everywhere? Is there a limit? and more questions. Under the sea felt different. The quietness was different. I’m just hearing bubbles. I’m not sure if I was missing something because I was so excited, but I felt like I was inside a room with a little pressure, floating, and it was really colorful. I felt a little cold, too. By the way, I didn’t wear the diving suit because it was a little big for me. But it was manageable.
Under the sea, I realized, it was also like a sea mountain under the ocean. Because when we swam a little more, it was like the other side (right side) of the sea was getting emptier, darker, and deeper blue. Like an underwater cliff or submarine drop-off? So I felt like I was on the edge of a mountain, but like floating? Weightless? Suspended? Flying? Like dreaming, actually.
But to be honest, it was also quite scary, you know, when crazy imaginations attack . Hahaha. Because I suddenly started thinking things like… of course, number one, it’s about a shark!. But I tried to combat that kind of thought so it won’t ruin my diving moment. Hahaha. I diverted my thoughts, looked back again, and got mesmerized, forgot about “shark might be coming” thoughts hahahaha.
When we got to the surface, the dive master asked me how it was. I said it was soooo beautiful and I was a little nervous at first while getting into the water. Breathing through my mouth with the regulator is really something new to me. Not in the pool but under the sea. But he said that he saw it in me and felt that I could do it. So maybe what I felt was just mixed emotions of excitement and not really fear But actually, when I got submerged, I forgot about the doubt because under the water (again!) was sooooo beautiful.
But it was quite sad, I didn’t get to have a picture under the sea because the camera my dive master prepared didn’t work. But it’s fine. I thought maybe it means I have to do scuba diving again. I’m looking forward to it.
Before leaving 7 Commando Beach, we had a laid-back beach lunch meal. Rice, grilled seafood and grilled meat, tropical fruits and drinks. That was a one sumptuous lunch after emerging from under the sea. That was just one of my favorite setups for a meal. The beach, seafood and grilled meals.
Shimizu Island (Miniloc) ᨒ ོ ☼
After eating, we headed to Shimizu Island (Miniloc) at 1:45 PM. At the island-hopping area, I noticed that the rocks were mountain-tall and sharp limestone cliffs. When we reached Shimizu Island. There are not so many people and I really noticed the pristine white sand and when we hop off. I think the sand is more powdery. I’m really amazed. The sand was so fine, the rock mountains were tall and sharp and there were a lot of coconut trees. And this bothers me because there’s a toilet bowl on the island, yes I wrote it right :). But I forgot to ask what it’s for and why it’s there, maybe because I was more intrigued with the island. I wanted to stay more, but we needed to head on our next trip.
The Secret Lagoon ᨒ ོ ☼
We reached the Secret Lagoon around 2:40 pm. We passed through a small hole in the rock mountain while small waves came in. If it had been high tide, maybe we couldn’t have gotten in there. It would be dangerous because the entrance would be blocked with water. It actually felt like I was inside an empty volcano. surrounded and enclosed by tall rocky cliffs. But the top was open and we could see the sky above. The water inside was really low and calm. It was like a hidden pool with a secret entrance and a rocky fortress, naturally made by nature :). It was a fun experience. It was just us in the area. We didn’t stay here for a long time. But before leaving, a group of tourists came over.
Last stop: Big Lagoon ᨒ ོ ☼
It was around 3:30 pm when we reached the Big Lagoon, I was so overwhelmed because I usually see the Big Lagoon of El Nido in a lot of magazines. But when I was there… I was like. I only see this in magazines, but now I’m here! It was like an Emerald water. It was so stunning. When we swam, the water was crystal clear. No wonder it was always featured in a lot of magazines.
We returned to El Nido town proper before 5:00 pm. We were lucky with most of our trip because there weren’t much of tourists (Jan 2011). So we got to enjoy every location without worrying of waiting or overcrowding. We enjoyed the beauty of El Nido, being surrounded by nature and new experiences made us feel better and refreshed, like nature hit the reset button to take away our stress.
༻*ೃ༄ January 16, 2011 ༻*ೃ༄
Back to Puerto Princesa
We traveled back to Puerto Princesa in the afternoon.
We reached the city around 3:30 PM. My cousin picked us up and, together with his family, he brought us to
Baker’s Hill right away. Baker’s Hill is like a private mini-park that’s open to the public for visits and viewing. Inside, they have different kinds of interesting statues of animals, celebrities, cartoon characters, etc. There’s also a mini zoo, aviary, garden, and some resting places nd benches. We walked around the area and took some photos.
Before leaving, of course, we went to the bakery and bought some pasalubong. I really like their Baker’s Hill hopia and some sweet treats. The hopia in the box was still warm when we bought it.
After Baker’s Hill at around 7 PM, we went to the Puerto Prinsesa City Baywalk Park. We also met some of our relatives there. There were food stalls, mini bars, and restaurants around the area. Some people hanging out, chatting, riding bicycles, families taking evening walks, kids playing. Walking and relaxing around the bayside area, was quite refreshing and I can smell the inihaw coming from somewhere, made me really hungry. Hahaha.
But my cousin said that they prepared some dinner for us at their home. At 9 pm, we had dinner at Kuya Roque and family’s home with some of our relatives.
We had a great time. It was like a pa-despedida dinner. They prepared grilled fish, vegetable soup, a side dish, and more. We had our salu-salo together, chit chats, and took pictures together before calling it a night.
༻*ೃ༄ January 17, 2011 ༻*ೃ༄
Going Back to Manila
The next morning. We packed up and got ready in the morning. We still had extra time before going to the airport but we needed to get there at least 2 hrs before our flight. The airport was really near our area. just a 5-10 minute ride. At 3:20 PM, we boarded our flight.
I was thinking after learning and experiencing a lot of things, maybe I could arrange tours like we did for those who would like to visit Palawan.
We had a nice flight, I’m glad everything went well and no hassles. We landed safely in Manila, maybe around 4:45 PM. And thank God for our wonderful and safe trip.
༻*ೃ༄ January 17, 2011, Evening ༻*ೃ༄
Back to Work
I went back to work after the trip. (✿˃ᗜ˂)
My body was tired, but my mind was fresh and relaxed.
♡♡♡♡♡♡
Back to reality, after a short dream in a paradise.(◡‿◡✿)
♡ There’s something about Palawan that made me quietly promise, ♡
“I’ll be back someday”. (ˆᴗˆ✿)
Maybe this trip opened a space for reflection, reason and connection.
Sometimes, the heart makes deeper connections before the mind understands the reason and purpose behind them.
Maybe the meaning will unfold in God’s time.(✿◠‿◠)♡
It’s one of those travel memories I know I’ll never forget.(✿◠‿◠)♡
♡(✿◠‿◠)♡ ,
(ˆᴗˆ✿) (✿˃ᗜ˂) (✿❛‿❛)
♡(◠‿◠✿)
♡♡
