Foot and Fire

     After my Palawan vacation together with my parents, cousin and friends, I decided that it is indeed the ultimate destination that represents our archipelagic riches, with her string of islands, fine white sand stretches of beaches, giant karsts, cool caves, different corals, colorful fishes, lush mangroves, and infinite series of blue waters. Added to that riches is our signature Filipino smile which can easily be found everywhere in Palawan, from the tour guides, the boatmen and often, the Visayan-speaking pedestrians. Our day started with a meeting at the airport. My cousin Cooky with her two friends Sharon and Marissa emerged in the airport fresh from their respective hectic nursing duty at St. Luke's Medical Center, and two more friends of hers, Jo and Jess, a mother and daughter tandem, came from Iloilo City while I and my parents and family friend Nida, came in the airport in travel lite mode. And the fun began! TWO DAYS IN CORON TOWN AND C...

I ate Tamilok, also known as shipworm, but technically, this is not a worm. It is an elongated mollusk that grows inside the dead trunks of mangrove trees. *** Meditated on top of a Karst in Matinloc Shrine in El Nido! *** I zorbed! I crawled inside a water-filled big ball and allowed myself to be rolled down the hill together with the ball. The experience was actually exciting and fun but also anxiety-filled because one can actually land in the hole as one rolls up and down together with the rolling big ball. *** I ate lato and liked it! This grape-like shaped seaweed has some bumpy crunch in the mouth that goes well with vinegar. A great and instant appetizer as it will just be washed with fresh water and then serve immediately. ***  I flirted with Chao Long but the love affair didn't work out. The Chao Long I tasted must not be an enough representative of the popular Vietnamese-inspired noodle soup in Puerto Princesa City. The sto...

This is the famous photo of Coron Island  since it is the postcard representation of what the loop of islands offers. This is taken after climbing the hilly and rocky side of the karst  and before going down the lake which is situated on the other side. Trek is easy. *** Fyi about Kayangan Lake. *** FYI about the Indigenous peoples called Tagbanuas. ***  The map of coron Islands *** FYI on what they offer. *** The group picture. *** A photo of me just before heading to the mouth of the cave. *** The mouth of the cave facing the rock where we sat for photo... *** A souvenir photo of me.. ***

This is the postcard photo representative of Coron Island... The karst fronting the Kayangan Island can be taken up above the cliff and by the cave on the way to the Kayangan Lake. This is indeed a picturesque beauty of nature.. *** A photo before climbing the cliff via those rocks. ***  Photo taken halfway up. *** Photo taken of the Kayangan lake on my way down. *** The placid lake of Kayangan is worth the dive. *** There are many stick fishes swimming in the lake of Kayangan. *** The postcard photo of karst in the Coron Island loop... *** A photo of me just after the swim to the cave across the lake... ***

The unstoppable nine. Before I ever proceed, Busuanga is the name of the island where the plane lands while the town proper is called Coron Town. It is apart and often mistaken as Coron Island where the Kayangan Lake is located.... We proceeded the day with our DIY tour. We rented a boat for a day at 2,500 and had our lunch prepared at P200/pax but on the next day, we bought our own food and the boatmen cooked it for us. From the Coron town, we left the wharf  called Gateway and headed to Siete Pecados where we had snorkeling and fish feeding, then we went up the cliff where the postcard photo of the Coron Karst can be seen and then down to the Kayangan Lake where we swam towards a small cave and had lunch at Banol beach. We headed to the Twin lagoon after lunch and swam in another white sand beach. We also went snorkeling at the Skeleton Wreck. (Note, Just prepare for the entrance fees for each place of destination since each place is managed by different cooperative/fou...