The smell of the salty
breeze, the rush of the waves at shore, my flowing Sunday dress and a good
company. The heavens were as happy and as bright as what I felt inside.
Finally, I was in paradise. Better yet, I was in Palawan.
A humungous slab of
land situated on the West Philippine Sea, Palawan is an island that boasts and
without a doubt delivers highly impressive natural attributes. And when I tell
it like this to someone who has been to Palawan as well, it would sound more of
a cliché than something that’s exaggerated. Believe me, I’m not the kind who is
too fond of hyperbolic form of speech. But when I’m in such place that bestows
white sand beaches, glistening waters, jaw-dropping land and rock formations,
friendly locals and a clean environment, I’d be more than happy speak of it in
a colorful manner.
Day -25 (Weeks before
the Trip):
The whole trip started
when my work colleagues found a promotional air fare in Cebu Pacific. In line with Davao’s introductory route to Puerto Princesa, we got a great price for our
plane tickets. This gave our lovely Managing Director, Ms. Rica Gadi, the idea
of bringing all fourteen of us for a ManCom assembly. After a few nudges and slight prodding, it was
set and we were booked! The only thing with promo fares was that the flight
schedule is quite far from the date of the booking. This means we had to go
through a longer time of waiting- more like four weeks- and keep all of our excitement
to ourselves until the time comes (which by the way, some failed to do so.
HAHA). But patience is a virtue, and good things come to those who wait. And
when the day of the trip finally came, it was definitely better than what
everybody has expected.
Day 1:
DVO to PPR
Our flight was scheduled to leave Davao at 830 in the morning and all of us had to be at the airport by 6 AM. I
woke up early and checked the weather forecast in Palawan on the internet for
the nth time. It was a bit gloomy in Davao but I was convinced that the weather
wouldn’t be the same a thousand kilometers away. The weather forecast website
said that there was an 80% chance of precipitation that Sunday. I told myself
since when did the country have accurate forecasts? But anyway, I didn’t let
the thought bring me down and when I reached the airport, I was glad I wasn’t
the earliest bird. Once we were all present, we checked-in, got our tickets and
off to Puerto Princesa we went!
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| Thank you, NOW Outsourcing Service and thank you, Cebu Pacific! We're on our way! |
Touchdown, Puerto
Princesa
It was a bit of a
bumpy ride but I was surprised and more than happy to see that it was bright
and sunny in Puerto Princesa. In fact, the weather was hot and humid for
November. I didn’t mind, it was perfect for a day at the beach anyway.
On our first day, we
decided to act like locals. We rented a house so that all fourteen of us could fit
in and save more on the accommodation. It was a four-bedroom house that’s
equipped with three bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room and a living room as well
as a spacious front yard. Once we got into our designated rooms, we went to the
local markets and see what’s in store.
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| The house where we stayed at. |
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| First stop, the grocery store |
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| At the city's local market |
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| A crowd favorite. Lobsters for sale. |
For a late lunch, we
went to Thalia’s Chaolong. Chaolong is a Vietnamese specialty that’s famous in
Palawan. The island was inhabited by locals from Vietnam in the past during the
war that some of the culture’s remnants are still visible in the area- most
especially its cuisine.
 |
| YUM! |
The noodle soup was
new to me. Compared to the salty and savory taste of Chinese noodles as to which
I’m used to, this was a bit on the sweeter and tangier side. With an added
hotness from the chili sauce and fresh aroma from the Monggo sprouts and basil leaves,
Chaolong was indeed refreshing to the palate and of course, satisfying to the soul. We ended
the day with preparation as the coming days were jam-packed. The house we
rented gave us the convenience to cook our meals, prepare our stuff as well as
create bonds that are rarely seen among us when in the office.
Day 2
Ugong Rock and
Underground River
Puerto Princesa earned
its most prestigious recognition around the world when the Underground River
was acclaimed as one of the 7 Wonders of Nature. After the global announcement,
the city’s tourism went through a drastic increase.
It takes about three
hours to reach Sabang Beach, where the Underground River is located, from
Puerto Princesa’s main area. To get there, tourists need to hire a van for a
price of 3000 PHP. We left the house at 6 in the morning and the whole drive
was scenic, smooth sailing yet a bit challenging on some of the terrain’s bumpy
parts. To sum it up, the entire journey was never a bore.
Before getting to the
main destination, we stopped by Ugong Rock Adventures. Based on its name, it’s a rock but
a gigantic one that has a cave inside. People could go in and spelunk, explore and
zip line down once they reach the top exit. The proceeds of the spelunking and
zip line fees go to the local school in the vicinity as well as nature
preservation projects. I took a pass on this part as I hate enclosed spaces. But
all in all, it was fun as I got to see my colleagues enjoy their experience.
Next stop, the
Underground River at last! After lunch, we had to make sure our permits were OK
and that our booking was on reserved schedule. Due to the demand, it’s advised to book at
least one month ahead of time if ever you’re planning to see UR. Walk-ins rarely
get to go.
From the Sabang port,
a small boat took us to the other side of the coast. Swarmed with tourists, we
followed the path that led to the back portion of the area- where the river
was. As we took our own life jackets and hard hats, we waited for the boat and
the tour guide to take us in the cave. On a side note, the hard hats aren’t
for the possibility of “falling rocks”. They’re actually intended for the “falling guano”
(bat shit). HAHA.
Eight people can fit
the small boat where the one in front is assigned to hold the light. Once
inside, it’s pitch black and the only light was the boat’s. The Underground River
was nothing like anything I’ve ever seen before. I can’t believe I was under a
humungous limestone karst that has developed thousands of rock formations in a
span of millions of years. I couldn’t help myself gasping in amazement but I didn’t
forget to cover my mouth with my hands as I might catch bat poop in. Yuck.
If I have to say
something to convince someone to see the Underground River, I would say “see it
for yourself”. It’s not worth hearing it from me as you can only truly know what the
place is all about once you go. Puerto Princesa is definitely one of a kind and it is something that's beyond worthy of being explored. In unison with the passionate for adventure and nature, this destination shouldn't be missed.
cont.
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