The Palawan Adventure

Too cut it short, just a glimpse of what we have done for the past week. And we go through it day by day.

DAY 1 - 25th of December

Left Manila at around 2:30pm.


Arrived in Puerto Princesa Airport at about 4:30 in the afternoon (with a bit of a turbulent landing out there), and then straight to De Loro to fix our things in our rooms.

We spent the night at Kinabuchs Restaurant and ate a few servings of live wormwood (tamilok). In spite of the pungent smell ('cause we forgot to add vinegar), it was tasty, and you can feel pure protein rushing through your throat, alongside some stuff that the poor little creature digested inside it.




DAY 2


Woke up and had breakfast pretty early, just in time for our first trip.


We were able to go to three out of seven islands of Honda Bay, stopping by from one to another to swim, snorkel, and find beautiful fish.


Dinner was served at KaLui, and it was then that I was able to get a taste of Experience Entrepreneurship. The theme of the restaurant is so native and local, and we even have to take our shoes off to enter the kubo and take a seat in the very low table. Among all the foods we ordered, we really enjoyed sinigang ni kaka, made up of bangus belly, shrimp, and soup mixed with coconut juice. Everyone went home really really full.

DAY 3

Sunday was the usual rest day for us. However, during the evening we went to mass at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Puerto Princesa, and took the time off to walk around the city proper. I never thought that in the local tiangge almost everything runs cheap. They'd sell pants and shorts for as low as fifty bucks apiece. Because there's no such thing as a fifty-peso curdoroy shorts, I bought a pair for myself before going home to rest.

DAY 4


Underground River time. We took a two-hour trip to Sabang,swam a bit in the bay, and set off for the other side of the island, to get to the Underground River.


Perhaps in my whole life, this has been the greatest miracle of nature that I have witnessed. We were able to witness 1.5 of almost 10 kilometers of the underground cave, and there were a lot of stalactite formations resembling different figures, from the simple bacon to the "cathedral," the cave's highest point. Undortunately, we were not allowed to go any further beyond 1.5Km, so we went back with loads of pictures and video clips of this huge thing.

We went home as we rode with the waves and the rough road back to our Inn.

DAY 5 and 6

This was considered our rest day, for us to work on some school requirements and help mom out with her dissertation. We stayed in our rooms to sleep and fix our things, going out every now and then to take some trips in the city and explore the hidden places of Puerto Princesa, away from the prying eyes of the foreign tourists and the rest who only want to see the main attractions. We ate at almost any place we can see, from the most simple panciteria to the expensive Nicnocs. We also went around and see how city life has gone in Puerto Princesa, and we were more surprised by the fact that the busiest resorts pay for less than a thousand bucks for their water and electricity, and beach land parcels were sold at a hundred per square meter. Hmmm, I'm thinking of buying for my family a small rest house around here.


DAY 7 - December 31, 2009 - the last day of the second-to-the-last year of the MY decade


We strolled around Palawan's very own Baywalk and had photos alongside the giant Christmas tree. Too bad my parents opted not to go out during that night to watch the program and fireworks at the Baywalk, so we would just stay at the Resort and join in their New Year celebration.

Merienda was spent at one of the Vietnamese restaurants alongside the highway. I ate one whole bowl of Vietnamese rice noodle soup (Chaolong). Worth it, but a little heavy on the stomach, I should say.

Though my brothers just wished to have our new year at home, I did not even think of it. Actually, going to a new year party without anything much to worry about back home seems to me a good idea. We've got everything: us being together as a family, the fireworks, the booze, the videoke, the food, and everything's all right. Yes, this was the first time that we celebrated the new year without the comfort of home, but everything was worth it.

DAY 8
Woke up quite late because of all the festivities in the inn. I spent the day preparing for our trip home, and we left at about five in the afternoon.

Trip to Palawan is 9 out of 10. I wonder what the next would be -- What, mom? Kuala Lumpur? After my graduation? Sure!

The Family Holidays

Christmas with the family is relatively spontaneous; however, my mom and I already have things in mind since October, considering everyone's schedule. Sometimes, things turned out as they were planned, and most of the time, they aren't.

But for this year, it's definitely one good planned Christmas: We're leaving for a trip.

Ever since October, my mom and I, together with my dad, already fished for abroad trips where the family might go: Kuala Lumpur, Macau, and other places. However, we found out that almost all of these were fully booked. Finally, we finally saw the 1-week Palawan trip complete with a house and an itinerary of all the places we will go. Oh yes, Christmas at its best for those who travel a lot like me and my mom.


Consider that an equalizer to all the past three years of celebrating Christmas along SLEX, on our road to Batangas after my Christmas Eve service. Since I served for the Cardinal during the holidays,we would stop over at Starbucks, buy some coffee and treats, eat while telling stories, and then go home, rest, and prepare for Christmas food as we wake up.

Now would be a different case. Possibly, we would eat a sumptuous meal and then prepare for our afternoon flight, and we will be back on the 1st of January 2010.

[From this part on, I write after arriving at Palawan and settling down at an inn.]

Setting all the grand Christmas plans aside, I would like to talk about the little things for Christmas, which appeared to be even more expensive than this one.


First off, we have the Valdez Brothers Christmas wish list. I didn't have anything specific to ask for this year, since I just need the moolah from my aguinaldo.However, Allan, my youngest brother, just asked for a pair of Nike SBs, and I promised to buy him in his birthday come February. Aaron, on the other hand, didn't ask for anything specific, but he did suggest that he expects something not just for Christmas, but also for his birthday.

For my parents, it has always been a different case. Though my mom just wanted us to give our efforts in our studies and work as a Christmas present for her, we gave her brand new pink Crocs for women. Even though she didn't quite like the color and the size is half-inch larger, she gladly accepted it (though my thrifty self could have subscribed to what mom wanted initially). For dad, we just bought him loads of stuff from Divisoria (well, sorry we had to refuse his request of branded goods. He already had too much of it).

And food? A lot would suffice. After the Manila Cathedral mass, we just feasted on three-layered choco mousse, pasta, ham, and chicken nuggets, while watching Van Wilder on Studio 23.

Nothing much here but spend the night with food and treats. Next day was more of preparation day for the family trip.

Up next, my Christmas sentiments and my Palawan trip.