Enchanting El Nido

I've always thought of El Nido as a destination that is beyond my budget. Whenever I would suggest it to my friends for our next barkada outing, they'd always say, "mahal ang El Nido" (El Nido is expensive). So of course, we'd pick a place that is within our tipid budget.

I've never given up on El Nido, though. It's always been a dream of mine to visit Palawan, but I didn't know that I'd get to see it sooner rather than later.

Last year, AirAsia had a seat sale and without even thinking twice, I booked a round trip Manila-Puerto Princesa flight for me and the Boyfriend (without his knowledge &/or consent LOL).

My friends were making plans for us to go to Hongkong, but I was getting antsy with all the planning and nobody was even buying tickets, so I went ahead and purchased my own, to a different destination. They all went to Hongkong without us, but we didn't really care because, hello... El Nido!

It took me a lot of planning and budgeting, and a ton of research. I read a lot of travel blogs, I searched Google for whatever info I could find, I emailed several travel agencies for price quotations. I was deciding whether to join a tour or DIY our trip when my cousin suggested the freelance tour guide they hired during their visit. So I found him on Facebook, messaged him, and decided to hire him as our tour guide, too.

The initial plan was to join a group tour, since it was just me and the Boyfriend. The Boyfriend and I are not very social people, though, so I took a chance and asked about a private tour. And because the price difference wasn't that much, we took that one instead.

We paid for more than our initial budget for the tour, but it was worth having the bangka all to ourselves. 

Day 1, March 8 - Manila

Our Tac-Mla flight was moved up a day because our original flight was cancelled due to the radar repair. So we had to spend a night at Manila, which we spent visiting with the Boyfriend's college barkada.

Day 2, March 9 - Manila-Puerto Princesa-El Nido

The initial Plan was for Kuya Ryan (our guide) to pick us up at Puerto Princesa airport, but since he was already in El Nido, he had Kuya Ogie (the van driver) pick us up instead. He thoughtfully reserved the seat behind the driver so we'd be comfortable during the 5-hour drive. We picked up passengers along the way, and then we were off to El Nido. We stopped for dinner halfway through the drive, and we arrived at El Nido around 9 PM.

Kuya Ryan checked us in at Ricgem Place. It's a nice little lodge that is a 5-10 minute walk away from resturants and bars. Breakfast is included, and the place is clean. Clothes racks and hangers are provided for guests to hang their wet clothes after swimming. The only downside, if you're like me who only takes hot showers, is that there is no hot water.

Day 3, March 10 - El Nido Island Hopping

We planned an early start, but we got delayed because the breakfast we ordered was served late. A big group staying at the hotel ordered ahead of us, and I guess it took a while for the cook to finish all their orders.

After breakfast, Kuya Ryan met with us and we took a tricycle down to the beach where a lot of pump boats were docked. Then off we go for our tour of the islands.

We had the whole bangka to ourselves. It was just me, the Boyfriend, Kuya Ryan, and two boatmen. We initially picked tour A (Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, & 7 Commandos Beach), but since we opted for a private tour, to maximize our use of the bangka, Kuya Ryan added tour B's Snake Island and Cadugnon Point and Cave.

We went kayaking around the Small Lagoon, went swimming at the Big Lagoon, took pictures at the Secret Lagoon and Cadugnon Cave before heading off to Snake Island. There we hiked up a little hill which provided us an amazing view before heading back to the bangka to eat our lunch. After eating, the Boyfriend and I went walking along the sandbar at Snake Island, all the while taking a lot of pictures before heading back. Our last stop for the day is the 7 Commandos Beach, where we ate mais con hielo, and spent hours swimming and just bumming around.

Later that night, we walked around El Nido, and since we weren't hungry, we just grabbed a couple of burgers at a cafe.

Day 4, March 11 - Inland tour, back to Puerto Princesa

On our fourth day, we woke up early since we only planned to do a half day tour before heading back to Puerto Princesa.

We hired a tricycle to take us to Nacpan Beach, which took about an hour's drive. What's disappointing is that because of a land dispute, we weren't allowed to go up to where we can take a picture of the twin beaches. Nevertheless, Nacpan Beach was by far my favorite spot. There were very few tourists, so it felt like we had the whole beach to ourselves. The water was so clear, and the sand felt so fine.

The Boyfriend spent a lot of time swimming, while I alternated between taking a dip and lying on the sand and getting a tan. We had lunch early, then we decided to head back. But before dropping us off at our hotel, we had one last stop. 

We spent maybe a maximum of 20 minutes at Las Cabanas Beach. This is the only beach we visited where we didn't do any swimming -  we just sat there taking in everything, and appreciating the view. There were lots of tourists around, and it was fun seeing them enjoy in one of our country's most beautiful places. Come to think of it, around 90% of tourists I see in El Nido are foreigners. 

When we had our fill of the view, we went back to our hotel to have a quick shower and pack. Then we met up with Kuya Ryan again at the terminal to catch a ride back to Puerto Princesa. We arrived at around 5 PM, and checked in at Edezer Pension. It's small, but clean, and the staffs are all so nice. And it is conveniently located very near to the airport. There, we parted ways with Kuya Ryan, as he won't be accompanying us to our Underground River tour the following day. 

Since we had time to kill, we took a tricycle and went to MCA Pasalubong Center. We were supposed to buy only a few trinkets to give to our families and friends but we ended with up a box full of goodies - from cashew butter to cashew polvoron to cashew pastillas, we just took a little bit of everything.

Later that night, we had dinner at Kinabuch Grill & Bar, which is located just right across the street from where we're staying. The place was packed, which explained why the service was slow.

Day 5, March 12 - Underground River

Of course, one can't go to Puerto Princesa without seeing the Subterranean River National Park, or more commonly known as the Underground River. The van picked us up at our hotel, and we joined several others for the tour. A two hour van ride going to Sabang, followed by a short boat ride to the entrance beach. The river tour itself lasts for about 45 minutes, followed by a complimentary buffet lunch.

We were back at Puerto Princesa by 3 PM. We were supposed to have the Iwahig Firefly Watching Tour that night, but due AirAsia changing our flight's time the following day (with no prior notice; we only found out because I went to their website to buy additional baggage), we had no chioce but to cancel our tour and fly back to Manila that night, or risk missing our connecting flight back home to Tacloban the following day.

That was such a big disappointment for me, since I was really looking forward to firefly watching. I was a big fan of the teleserye Dolce Amore, and that TV show gave me some serious #alitaptapgoals. Not to mention, I wasn't able to try Puerto Princesa's delicacy, the tamilok. Tamiloks are shipworms, which can be found in rotting mangrove wood, and is served as kinilaw. I was supposed to try it that afternoon, but due to the AirAsia debacle it slipped my mind.

Mind, it was our first time flying AirAsia, and despite a long conversation with their customer service, they were unable to offer any solution other than rebooking our flight to that night. So, left with no choice we forfeited the payment that was settled for our last night's hotel stay along with the Iwahig tour. Needless to say, we are not flying AirAsia again.

After packing up our things, we went to the airport to catch our flight back to Manila. We landed at NAIA at around 9PM, went to the condo to drop off our things, and since we've got nothing better to do, we got a massage. 

We went to Hue House Massage, since it is near our place. I went for the Lavastone Massage Package D (1 hour Swedish Massage, and 1 hour Lava Stone Massage), which I recommend. By the time I got off the massage table, I was feeling so relax that I didn't even care about the AirAsia fiasco anymore.

Day 6, March 13 - Manila-Tacloban

Last day of our vacation, we packed our bags and headed to the airport. I didn't want our trip to end (I mean, seriously, who does?) but the real world is calling. 

This trip ranks up to one of my favorites, though. El Nido did not disappoint. I've been to Coron, and while I was impressed, El Nido is by far more beautiful. Even though we went over our initial budget, it was all worth it. El Nido was everything I ever expected it to be, and more.

Also, Kuya Ryan is an awesome guide. Everything was arranged by him - from our transpo to our accommodation to all the tours - we haven't had a single problem. To contact him, visit his Facebook page or call/text him at 0926-038-7378 or 0947-617-3708.

Kayaking at the Small Lagoon

Cheers to more travels together ♥

Just look at how clear the water is.

Beach bummin' at Nacpan Beach.

Rock formations at the Small Lagoon.

Overlooking Snake Island

Apparently, this monkey is a fixture at Snake Island.

Las Cabanas Beach

Crystal clear waters at Nacpan Beach

Entrance to the Big Lagoon

Nacpan Beach. Feels like we had the whole place to ourselves. 

seeing beijing

So this is a really late post. But as they say, better late than never.

Being on duty 5 days a week is taking a toll on me. That's why I was so excited to be going on vacation. Little did I know, that there won't be any time for relaxation once we stepped foot on Beijing.

In a span of four days, we walked from the Forbidden City to Tour Tian’anmen Square; we climbed a part of the Great Wall of China; we visited the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven; we went to see Ming's Tomb; we took pictures at the Olympic Complex; we went on the Hutong Tour and got to ride rickshaws; we visited the Jade Museum and the Silk Factory; we drank different kinds of tea at the Tea House; we watched the Acrobatic Show; went bargain hunting at the Xiu Shui Bargain Market; went window shopping at Wangfujing Street.

Sounds busy, right? We kept on walking, and every night, my legs would be screaming for mercy. But all in all, it was a great vacation, and Beijing is definitely a place I'd like to see again.

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What I Love Most About Beijing

1. It's a city rich in culture and history. They really preserved artifacts, relics and buildings from their past.
2. It's a very clean city.
3. The wild roses. You should see them in full bloom. Awesome.
4. Great food. We ate like emperors.
5. Pandas! So cute and "luggable" (according to my nephew, that's a mash-up of lovable and huggable).

What I Hate Most About Beijing

1. Their squatting toilets. Come on. Who would enjoy peeing on the floor?
2. The care squat about nudity. The reason doors have locks is so you could lock them. But a lot of them don't even bother to lock or fully close the doors while in the bathroom. And a Chinese woman wiping her ass is not something I'd care to see again.
3. They give you small plates in the restaurants. This is frustrating for a Filipino, and extremely vexing for me. I am a rice eater, and proud of it. So when given a plate that would hold only a small amount of food, it really annoyed me.
4. Rude locals. I mean, really. I could not count the number of times they would bump into me, and never look back and say sorry.
5. Locals can't speak English. I'm not judging, I mean, I am Chinese, but I'm a Filipino through and through so I can't speak decent Mandarin. What I'm trying to point out is that their country is a haven for tourists from all over the world. Learning basic English couldn't hurt.

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Days Inn Joiest Hotel. Where we stayed.


The world famous Great Wall of China.


Chairman Mao.

Inside the Forbidden City.

Imagine preserving places like this.

Captivating Coron

I may be living in a third world country, but we sure as hell have wonders that only the Philippines can offer. We may not have much economy-wise, but we sure can offer things that money can't buy. I've been to a lot of places, but as of now, nothing compares to the beauty offered by Coron, Palawan.

I ain't promoting tourism to the Philippines, but I sure hope you get to visit this place, too. =)

A jellyfish, but it doesn't sting.
A Kalachuchi tree. Kinda like Japan's Cherry Blossoms, isn't it?

The Sleeping Giant.
Sea urchins, baby.
Lotsa sea urchins.
Starfish!
My leg accidentally brushed on that, and I freaked out! It's spongy.
Pretty pink coral =)
Clear blue waters. So inviting.
Joy to the fishes in the deep, blue sea. Joy to you and me. ^^

outlining my whole summer

April

• 24 - Arrived at Manila, ate breakfast at Pancake House, went to my cousin's apartment, slept, ate dinner at Kimono Ken.
• 25 - Went to MoA and watched Shutter Is. We all thought it was a horror movie. LOL Ate dinner at President's.
• 26, 27, 28 - Stayed at home at Cavite, while my cousin and Kuya R both went to work.
• 29 - En route to Busuanga via Zest Air. Damn flight was late for more than 2 hours, and the airline didn't even had the decency to offer us lunch. Arrived at the Coron Village Lodge 3 hours past our schedule. Went trekking at Mt. Tapyas (climbed approximately 700 steps). Relaxed at Maquinit Hot Springs before eating dinner at Kawayanan Grill Station.
• 30 - Rode a pumboat to Siete Pecados to do some snorkeling, then to Blue Lagoon, trekked to see Kayangan Lake, proceeded to see the Skeleton Ship, and then went to Twin Lagoon. Ate dinner at Kawayanan again.

May

• 1 - 2-hour boat ride to Banul Beach, where we ate lunch. Went to Coral Garden to see some amazing corals, then to the Japanese WWII Skeleton Wreck. Back to the lodge for dinner and rest after a long day.
• 2 - Arrived at Manila in the afternoon. Went directly to MoA to watch Iron Man 2. Scarlet Johansson was hot!
• 3-7 - Stayed at Cavite. Spent our days sleeping, eating, surfing the net, playing PS3.
• 8-9 - Went to Laiya, Batangas for the weekend. Joined PHC's NeuroICU staff during their outing. Played games, went swimming and Jetskiing. Lotsa fun. Made new friends, too!
• 10 - Went to Trinoma. Ate at Conti's. Went to my aunt's house to rest awhile, then went to SM Centerpoint for some grocery shopping. Then we ate dinner at Pizza Hut.
• 11 - Went to Robinson's. Ate at Icebergs.
• 12 - Spent the day at Balete. Went to Red Palace for an early birthday celebration for my Aunt, where we had a spat (more on this on another blog).
• 13 - Spent the day at Cavite.
• 14-17 - Went to Kuys R's hometown in Antique. Learned how to play Mahjong. Went swimming, snorkeling, fish feeding.
• 18-19 - Back in Cavite.
• 20 Went to MoA. Supposed to buy clothes for interview, but shopping with 4 males in tow is no help. Watched Robin Hood instead at the Director's Club (where they had La-Z-Boys instead of the normal cinema seats). Awesome.
• 21 - Went to Lung Center, the ANSAP office was located there. Went to Trinoma where Ate M helped me with my shopping. Ate dinner at the Golden Bay.
• 22 - Stayed at Cavite.
• 23 - Went to Festival Mall to get the TV we sent in for repair. Ate at Icebergs at Timog. Then went to PHC, because my cousin did her rounds, while we waited for her at the Neuro ICU. Went to the apartment, then went home to Cavite that night.
• 24 - My exam and interview at PHC's HR Department. Wasn't so bad after all. The HR personnel said I was open, honest and sincere, but I gotta work on my communication skills, though.
• 25 - Clinical exam for the Nursing department at PHC. A bit hard.
• 26 - Saw heart surgeries. A PDA closure on an 8-month old infant. Saw a beating heart from a man on bypass. Saw an AVH for a CABG surgery. Soooo cool
• 27 - Stayed at Cavite.
• 28 - Went to Trinoma to watch Prince of Persia. Hot damn, I love love love Princess Tamina!
• 29 - Back home to Tacloban =)
  

droppin by my blog

It's been a while, and I do miss blogging. But as of now I have to be contented with dropping by once in a while because my nephews and I share 1 PC. I can't use my laptop because SmartBro's signal is so slow, and we don't have WiFi here.

Anyway, quick updates.

I've only seen my Aunt once since we came here, and now she's making noises about how we're not texting, calling or visiting her. We (my nephews and I) should feel guilty, right? But we don't. It's not that we don't like her, but she can be too egoistic and condescending. Plus I'm still bitter over what she did to me. I usually don't hold grudes, but this is too much. I know that while I'm not able to pursue my Med plans, I was still given an awesome opportunity to work at Heart, but still. I hate it when people (aside from my parents) interfere with my life. I used to make excuses for her actions before, like how she's only looking our for me, how she has my best interests at heart, but I got so pissed at hear. Irrevocably, terribly pissed.

God, she infuriates me. Happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts.

So anyway, we went to Palawan, and we all loved it. Definitely way, way better than Boracay. Clear seas, white sands, awesome corals and fishes - what more could I ask? Oh, and great company too. The Heart Center people are just great, as always. That's why I have no qualms about working there (fingers crossed, my exams and interview at their HRD is on May 24-25), because of the people who were once just my cousin's colleagues, but are now my friends. There were 18 of us - an awesome blend of doctors, nurses, with me and my nephews (my nephews and I are always part of their outings, because my cousin - their aunt - always takes us with them).

We took a lot of pictures, and I mean a lot. I already uploaded some on Facebook.

I'll leave you with this sneak preview, though.

Heaven on earth. That's paradise, dude. Top view of the Blue Lagoon =)

on hiatus from blogging

I'm officially on vacation for a month. And I'm taking a break from blogging, because it's hard to get privacy from my nephews, and I do like my private moments when writing a blog.

So.. It'll be a quiet month of May. I might sneak in one or two blogs, but maybe that'll be all.

Have a fun summer guys! =)

you know it's summer if..

1. It's freakin' hot outside. According to Google, it's 29°C here in Tacloban. It rained a while ago, but it didn't last long.The roads are all dried up already due to the blazing heat of the sun. I'm running out of tank tops and shorts to wear everyday because of the heat. Even at night, the aircon in my room doesn't help. Damn, it's so hot.

2. Street halo-halo is sold. It is a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice, milk, and an assortment of fruits. Our house is near the market, and come summer, some would put up stands selling halo-halo. It's not the same as restaurant halo-halo, where some ingredients would be nata de coco, kaong, corn, langka, banana, etc. Street halo-halo costs only 10 pesos, and it's mostly ice and milk with a few different colored sago, monggo, and gulaman. It costs less, and so you get less, but it provides the same goal - a reprieve from the heat.

Typical restaurant halo-halo

My 10-peso halo-halo :)

3. Swimsuits are on display at department stores. Ahhh. Swimsuits. My favorite summer attire. I have tons of swimsuits in my closet, and I keep buying more. Not because I love them (well, I do, but not that much), but because I don't want to be wearing the same swimsuits in my pictures. LOL

My new blue Copacabana tankini :)

Couldn't resist another one
Gigi Amore bikini

4. You have plans for a weekend getaway at the beach. This year, it's Coron, Palawan for us. God, I'm so freaking excited. I love the beach, and Coron is just AWESOME!!!

Located on the map :)

Coron, Palawan :)

Isn't the blue awesome? :)