Day 12: Paradise at last

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After days of waiting out the shit storm we finally made it, the promised land, Palawan. Supposedly the jewel of the Philippines, Palawan is trying to paint itself an emerald. Puerta Princessa is stunningly clean and offers tourists a chance at a P2000 fine for littering. It celebrates the punishment of celebrities and politicians alike. (P2000 1st offence, P5000 2nd, prison 3rd)

We landed after a short 1:20 flight and were greeted by Eric(Holmes) and his dad Herb and sister Carla who had been staying in Puerta for the last week. One of Herbs accounting clients owns a retreat and offered them a good deal on paradise. The setup was unreal. Built into the surrounding mangroves, the stilted guest house sits suspended above the rising and falling tide. A bamboo walkway snaked out past the trees to an incredible view of the bay. We enjoyed the comforts for only a night and took off to El Nido in the morning

Herb was kind enough to offer Pearl and I a ride on the van he rented to drive north. The road to El Nido from Puerta is still very much under construction and about 80km are half or wholely unpaved. During the rainy season, passengers are expected to get out and push when vans get stuck in the mud. We were blessed (if you could call it that) by a dry (still crazy humid) and hot El Nino summer. Though no one had to push, we were bumped and jostled for the 6 hour ride in the opulence of air conditioning. and we all managed to sleep some.

From the first glance, we knew we were approaching something remarkable. Limestone cliffs shot skyward out of the sea. Pillars a thousand feet high rose like leviathans from a sapphire so pure and deep. We arrived at the Minnichhofers hotel, put down our bags and ran to the sea. We sat and floated in the bathtub warms for a good hour before Pearl and I searched for a cheaper place of our own. We found a scummy P500/night hotel and grabbed the key. The kids hiked up the beach and played a rousing game of drinking Chutes n Ladders. Herb was keen to hit the club so we followed the blaring house music to one such establishment. Wild dancing ensued, sweat flew and all my fluids were gone in 20 minutes. Herb, Carla, and Pearl went to another but i couldnt take it and went to bed.

We got up early and went on one of the island hopping tours (all the tours in town are organized A B C all the way to G Squid fishing) We chose A. We jumped in the banka and went to Small Lagoon where, through a small crack in the rock, opened a flooded canyon. Then to Big Lagoon, different islands and beaches. The snorkeling was the best I've ever had but much of the coral was dead, most likely result of dynamite and cyanide fishing (the former recently illegal, the latter (still used) shuts certain areas off from swimming for a time). Tons of rainbow colored fish, a puffer, a deep swimming turtle and my new favorite animal, the squid. There was a line of black squid sitting about 25 feet deep. You could dive at them and they would scatter, changing color and swimming patterns to mimic surrounding fish (including extra black spots for eyes).

Pearl left for school the next morning. We did an B/C combo tour the next day and the snorkeling was even better. Even though the weather had been bad overnight, our guide found us crystal clear water and veritable gardens of brightly colored coral. The fish were larger (though less numerous) but the coral was a sight in itself.

Monday morning we got up without an agenda. After ~6 hours of snorkeling the past 2 days we were drained but decided to try some kayaking. Herb and Carla took advantage of a P300 hour massage deal while Eric and I took the yak. As we started out for a closer island across the water, thunder cracked behind us as massive storm clouds rolled over town. We got to an abandoned beach after 45 min of paddling and rested our tired backs. On the beach grew an old and gnarled tree. Its roots strangled a high boulder it had claimed as its own. We naturally went strait for it. Gotta get the shot. It had a mystical energy and something worked to protect it. Eric dove under the boulder (overhang shots most are critical) and almost landed on a sea snake writhing on the rock. We let that little fella go on his way and i went up to the tree for a hanging vine shot (also critical). As soon as i touched the roots a 2 foot monitor lizard dropped to the ground next to me and sprinted away. Eric tryed the same climb for an in-the-tree shot (critical) and was swarmed on by ants who crawled up his legs and started the biting. We left that tree alone after that. We paddled the kayak from empty beach to empty beach until we were hungry and beat. The storm had passed and the sun was blazing as we lay about staring up at the cliffs or into the jungle. On our way back we didn't follow the coast but straitlined it across the channel. Half way we stopped and against every instinct went for a swim in the deep. The water was as clear as glass and we took turns diving down so the other could watch from the boat. At 20 feet the diver was as visible as if he had been in 3 feet of water. The visibility must have been more than 100 feet. Tomorrow im going diving and the Minnichhofer family is off. Hopefully I will see them again in Boracay but my path is uncertain.

AND my Ipod just died. It crashed after 5 days and i couldnt fix it with Itunes. Hooray! 5 months no music.

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Comments

[wes fan]

where to next?
where? how? wow!