I don't consider myself well-traveled enough within the Philippines. I haven't personally been to any of the remote places I only read about in blogs, or trekked in the famed mountains and volcanoes, or dived into the impressively-diverse marine sanctuaries in our seas. I've only been to the usual tourist spots filled with people, commercial establishments, and other landmarks of modern living – Puerto Galera, Baguio, Boracay, Tagaytay, Laguna, etc. Of course, these places are great and imbibed with its own charm but I wanted to explore a more laidback environment; a place filled with natural wonders that would keep me in awe of its beauty.
That is why I feel blessed to have gone to Palawan in the summer of 2007. We only stayed there for three days and two nights in Puerto Princesa but that short span of time was enough for me to understand what draws people to this place often referred to as "the Philippines' last frontier." I know there are many more places to go to, more people to meet, more local dishes and delicacies to taste, and more experiences to live through in Palawan but for now, I am happy with my "unique" vacation last year.
I measure the uniqueness of that vacation by how much it has affected me; how much it has brought out raw emotions of appreciation for God's hand in shaping the natural wonders of the place and the gentle ways of its residents. Palawan might have been visited, discussed, photographed, videoed, and featured so many times by so many people and I believe each visitor has his/her own stories to tell; his/her own unique connection to Palawan.
I flew to Puerto Princesa with my friend, Q. That was her third time to visit and each visit for her only strengthens her longing to one day live there in her own island. As far as people I personally know are concerned, she is the most persistent in advocating the merits of Palawan. It was love at first sight for her … and she has never been in love then. Palawan is her ultimate high so she was the best person to accompany me in my first trip there.
HONDA BAY
Our first stop was Honda Bay. We took our lunch by the sea shore in Snake Island. A simple but very satisfying home-cooked meal of adobo, grilled eggplant with tomato, and crabs. I'm not fond of these food but for some reason, there's no other way for me to describe that first meal in Palawan other than it was simply delicious. Perhaps it was the island setting, or the freshness of the ingredients, or any other reason I could think of that made it such an unforgettable meal but it was the first time I got to really savor these food.
It was during this meal that we met Jane, a Korean who was part of our tour group. She was traveling by herself and seemed at ease with the set up. She shared that she took a year off from her job, packed her bags, and set out to see the world. She was living her dream. She was 31 then and I couldn't help but remember her now since I'm now 31 myself. Like her, I also want to see the world … better if I get to do it by myself once in while. I remember instantly admiring her drive to live her dream. It was like a providential meeting for me. I have been to many countries in Asia and Europe but these trips were "packaged travels" with family. While I really appreciate and am grateful for these travels, it leaves little time for in-depth immersion into a certain culture. It was always "bitin." Jane does it differently. She stays in one place long enough to live the local culture. That time, she said she just came from Baguio where she stayed for three months. She didn't plan on staying that long but she liked it there so she stayed a while. Then it was time for her to pack her bags again and that time, she was exploring Palawan. Now that's something I want to do!
After walking on the long stretch of white sand and snorkelling in Snake Island, our guide took us to Starfish Island. Mang Boy and Mang Chris, our friendly boatmen, graciously volunteered to get some starfish for us. They went back to shore with five starfishes that we used for picture-taking. I just love that shot! Q, Jane, and I with the starfishes – lovely.
Final stop was Luli Island. That's short for "Lulubog, Lilitaw." Still wearing our life vests, the three of us held hands and floated in the sea. It was surreal. As we floated, I was telling myself and the two of them, in my exact words, "the ocean is my bed and the sky is the ceiling." Yes, it was bliss. I have never felt so light before.
After a few minutes, we rode a small banca. We rowed it ourselves. It was like that first Bench commercial showing Richard Gomez rowing by his lonesome. It was very serene.
Then as we waited for our guide to gather the whole group, I longingly stared at the people who were diving from a dive post in Luli. They all laughed, splashed, went up again, dived again. I wanted so much to dive but I couldn't wear a vest. I pondered on the situation. I have never dived before in an open sea. I wasn't confident enough of my swimming skills either. I left Luli Island staring at the dive post, telling myself that I would dive when I come back.
Q and I invited Jane for dinner at Badjao Restaurant. I like how the restaurant is situated amidst mangroves and the sea. Add to this the native interiors which give the feel of a typical restaurant within an extra large nipa hut. The food was just okay. Since we didn't have reservations, we had to content ourselves on the second floor dining area. We exchanged more stories with Jane. It always feels good to meet new people, someone from a different culture. Times like this make me appreciate the likeness and difference of each individual. It's enriching; good for both the mind and the spirit.
ST. PAUL SUBTERRANEAN RIVER
We had an early start on our second day. We traveled a good two hours on rough roads and about thirty minutes on water to reach the St. Paul Subterranean River Park, which, as of this writing, is one of the nominees for the new Seven Wonders of Nature and currently a Unesco World Heritage Site. During the road trip, our guide Donna, talked about Palawan extensively - she pointed out some local landmarks, gave some info on local tribes, and other interesting tidbits. It was my first time to join a tour group in the Philippines and I must say it hit a more emotional chord because we were home. We were in our own land, with our own people. It was uplifting to personally see a different side of the Philippines. It was rural alright but very, very rich ... in an intangible manner.
As we waited for our turn to enter the underground river, we had more chance to chat with the other people in our tour group aside from Jane. There was this family also from Manila. Although I don't remember their faces now, I still remember "Mother," her daughter who was studying to become a doctor, a nun, and some other family members. "Mother" was very friendly, even giving us a prayer postcard. The prayer is about healing. I gave it to my Dad who until now still reads it everyday.
We donned our life vests and helmets for the underground river tour. Q and I were lucky to sit in front of the banca. Q was assigned to hold the spotlight for the group. It was really dark inside the cave so Q had to focus the spotlight on certain areas, depending on the instructions of the tour guide who was very funny that the group kept laughing the whole time.
Being 8km long, it was the world's longest navigable underground river. It was cold and very dark inside the cave. Bats would occasionally appear from nowhere. The natural rock formations are awesome. All of it were naturally formed. What's amazing is that most of it, with the aid of a creative imagination and the animated description of the tour guide, seemed to take the shape of things like fruits, body organs, even an image of the Holy Family, among others.
We had lunch in the grounds of St. Paul Subterranean River Park. It was still home-cooked but this time, it was buffet-style so there were more variety and more people to share it with. It was literally a big picnic in the forest, with the greenery and all the monkeys and iguanas freely roaming the area.
MANGROVE PADDLE BOAT TOUR
Our next stop was supposed to be the swimming area of Sabang Beach but Q and I decided to take a different route. We requested our guide to take us to another part of the island for the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour. Q has been raving about it; even comparing the "scene" to being on Middle Earth in Lord of the Rings.
On the way to the island, Q and I chatted with the group of girls on the motor boat. Just a little small talk - what's our name, where we work, etc. They seemed interested in the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour but decided against going when, as we neared the island, they saw how isolated it was.
Upon descending on the island, Q and I were exhilirated. It felt like we were on a scene from the movie "Swept Away" or even "Blue Lagoon." There was hardly any trace of any resident, much less any trace of commercial establishments. It was just the sun, sea, sand, and a couple of empty nipa hut-like structures. I just love the feeling of being away from it all ... away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
We walked a little and reached a small house, much like another nipa hut with the signage "Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour." We paid for the tour and donned our life vests and hats. We only brought our camera and left the rest of our belongings (bags, wallets, etc.) in the hut.
Mang Chris, our tour guide, began rowing the banca as he pointed at the different kinds of mangroves and said some info about it. I was in awe at the beauty and novelty of it all -- all those mangroves surrounding us that had been there since the earth began; it gave me a personal definition of the phrase "one with nature." It was like a deep connection with all these wonderful creation of God; the interconnectedness of each creation was very, very real for me that moment.
As he turned around the banca at a dead end, Mang Chris began to sing a lullaby about the mangroves. Somehow it reminded me of our gondola tour in Venice where the gondolier serenaded us but this time the effect on me was personal; there was something about the way he sang which made it really moving. It was soulful. It sounded like a sincere tribute to the mangroves, to nature.
Before the tour ended, we discussed the state of the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour in the island. It was really sad that not too many people who go to Palawan are aware of such a tour. Mang Chris said that it has been removed from the usual itinerary for tourists due to some issues in the tour industry there. And with this, their earnings have been really limited. It was disheartening to learn that not too many people are given the chance to see the mangroves just because they are not aware of it. It's also frustrating to find out that it is these low-profile, simple folks who suffer the consequences of such issues and conflicts in the industry. I told Mang Chris that I want to help promote the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour in my own way. It has been more than a year and it is only now that I wrote about it. It's just a start and I would like to go back and take more pictures and write more about it so that more people would know.
