El Nido to Boracay

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Ah El Nido...we hired a boat for the day and did some island hopping...they have some spectacular scenery there. My favourite was a beach called secret beach, where you had to find the small small hole in the limestone cliff to swim through (its about big enough for 1 person ) which then takes you to a inland lagoon and a cute little beach. We also saw some reef sharks and a sea snake while snorkeling.

Back on land, we met a Aussie couple and a local lady boy called Olivia and went partying all night at the only bar there....and had a few too many red horse (super strength 7%) beers. Felt rusty the next day!

Our next destination was furthar up the coast of Palawan to Coron, so we took a local cargo boat (to save some cash) up the coast to get there. The boat was delayed 8 hours on leaving , so it wasnt the best night sleep in the ferry terminal! When we got on board we had to laugh to find our selves sharing the boat with live cargo, about 30 cattle and 30 pigs (plus a few roosters for good measure). Was a interesting ride!

Arrived in Coron. Coron is a cute little town , most famous for its wreck diving. IN 1944, the American army sunk about 11 Japanese warships, from aircraft carriers, oil tankers to frieghters, that had invaded the Philippenes. Today you can dive these.

The first day Andrew and I dove on the Akitsushima (aircraft carrier) and Tae Maru (freighter) It was very special to be able to see these boats underwater...the visibility is really low (only about 5m) and when you desend under the murky water, suddenly it comes up on you, almost to your face. It was quite errie to be honest, but very spectacular. I would have been happy enough to swim around outside the boats, but they take you inside to have a look at the different rooms, cargo holds, engine room and corridors. I found this very scary...to enter a black hole in a ship 35m under the water, with visibility so bad and the torch light is the only light that penetrates in some places. My adrenalin was pumping! I Found it unerving to be diving in such low light and with a boat hull over our heads, so could not see the surface (not that you could anyhow with such low vis) Andrew on the other hand, has found his calling, he loved it, bloody adrenilin junkie!

Andrew went diving more wrecks again another day, but i decided to sit out , still quite unerved from my first experience. Andrew wanted to go a 3rd day, so i thought it was time to face my fears or forever be left with a bad memory in my mind. SO this day we dived on the Tanget (freighter) and Olympia Maru (freighter) and I tried to push the scary thoughts out of my mind as I was descending and go with it! And i must say, the more I dove on these wrecks, the more comfortable i felt and the more i could look around and appreciate them and the history you could see inside. I was glad i went back to try again.

Coron is also good for island hopping, and on Coron island there are 2 freshwater lakes. We took a boat to these, and I swear, I have never seen any place so beautiful in all the places I have been. THis lake was huge, the water was a amazing torquise blue colour, the water was about 30 degrees, and fresh water. IT was surrounded by high limestone cliffs, and we were the only people there. It was spectacular and so tranquil. My favourite place ever!

ON the surface of the water, we had some crazy times in Coron. There was our local bar, so we met a lot of characthers here. The one that sticks in memory is the Danish old man called Klaus, who had married a young filipino woman, and no joke, every second word out of his mouth was F!uck, (in his strong danish accent) no matter what subject he was talking about. Very funny charachter! We also had a night dancing out at the bar owned by the local lady boys, very funny.

AFter 10 days in COron, we wanted to move on. And never a dull moment on transport in the Philippenes! The only way to San Jose on the next mainland island was either to take several planes (no direct route and very expensive) or a local Bangka boat that left once a week. SO we took the boat. MY god, we never expected the sea to be so rough , the waves were absolutely HUGE, crashing over the boat. It was very scary, the boat didnt look like it could make it to our destination! They had to close down the hull as we were all getting soaked, so in this closed in room it literally felt like we were in a washing machine, everyone was throwing up outside the windows (Including myself...and i have never been sea sick in my life!) I could even tell Andrew was scared, and I havent ever seen him like that in all the years i have known him! To top it off, the life jackets had a badge in them that said "Titanic Coastguard Approved"...we hoped it wasnt a omen! However, 9 hours later, we made it to land. And we vowed not to go on a local boat again in such a large stretch of water, its not safe. We will use the passenger ferries from now on!

Now we are on the island of Borocay for xmas, it is the most touristy place we have come across in the philippenes so far, which makes it a little tacky (lots of resorts etc) though it is justifiably famouse for its beaufitufl 4km white sand beach , and crystal clear water.

Merry xmas everyone!

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