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Philippines is pretty near paradise· Jan 4, 08:07 AM
Hi Folks!
I’m at home for two more days and trying to use my nice internet connection wisely…catching up on old posts!
Well, I wrote to you before about some of the poverty that I saw in the Philippines… I had just spent a week in Manila…and was really impacted by that. But, shortly after I wrote, I started to head into some more remote areas of the Philippines on the island of Palawan. And I have to say that Palawan had some of the most unspoiled, amazing natural beauty that I’ve ever seen. Too bad it takes a few days to get there from the west.
I spent about two weeks in El Nido and Coron, two small towns on Palawan. In El Nido I snorkeled, hiked, boated, read, and did two coral dives. It was amazingly relaxing! In Coron, I did two Japanese WWII wreck dives and explored the island on motorcycle. It got me thinking that I should take a motorcycle trip somewhere…maybe across India. How cool would that be!
Anyway, hope you enjoy the pics.
Take care,
Nate
Click on article title for more pictures…
Comments [5919]
Puerto Princesa just in time for 'fiesta'!· Dec 9, 01:46 AM
Hey Everyone!
Well, I’m not quite down to 8 deg. north latitude, but I’m somewhere between 9 and 10…so it’s still quite warm! After an enjoyable (with some qualifications) week in Manila, I just got off the ferry on the island of Palawan – a 26 hour ride for Manila. On the trip, I found out that today the week long “fiesta” celebration was starting…and I also got about 5 offers to meet locals for sight seeing, or to stay at their beach, or to be introduced to a relative – everyone’s quite nice! Only bummer – it’s raining – and it seems like the kind of rain that will stick around for a while.
First a bit about Manila: In a few words, it’s the poorest city that I think I’ve ever seen. I’m usually not too affected by seeimg some bad areas of a city…but for the first time, I saw people living in a way that was even worst than I could imagine…and I think was drove it home, was that it wasn’t just a few people…it was the norm.
If someone is rich enough to own some form of transportation…even if it was a bicycle powered cart…that seemed to double as their home. As I walked home at night, someone would be curled up or laying across each cart parked along the side of the road…and in the morning, I’d see them “showering” and shaving in the street.
Then, as I walked, I saw some streets (but couldn’t walk down them) where the whole street was just full of people living…and it stunk in a way that gave me gag reactions.
And for the first time I saw mothers with really thin babies…sitting on the side of the street. And they didn’t even seem to be begging?! Just amazing things. The one thought that I had was that it may seem worse here because of the tropical weather…so that the poverty is outdoors where someone like me can see it. Anyway…whew!
Also in Manila, I had my first little bit of stomach sickness… only a day long, but not that much fun. I think it was because I got a little casual with where I got my drinking water. And on the health topic: I’m not in Malaria territory…so I can start to lighten my pack by taking my daily Malarone pill. Good – wouldn’t want them to go to waste!
Having been in Puerto Princesa, Palawan for only a few hours, there’s not much that I can tell you. One: it’s rated as one of the cleanest cities in the world…like #9 I think. It didn’t really blow me away…but compared to Manila, I guess it’s doing pretty well. So far, I found a room – for $3 – and walked around town a bit. It seems like a very active little place – I like it! (even in the rain). I visited the fishermans pier and they showed me all their biggest squid and cuddle fish and gave me a recommendation for a good seafood place to have dinner tonight: Edwin’s Seafood Palace. I’m stoked!
(Jen and Mom, you can stop reading now…)
Only thing that’s a little wierd is that I feel a little nervous about the Muslim situation. I changed my plans when I got to the Philippines because, in the south, there have been various acts of violence by radical Muslim groups against both Philippinos and westerners over the past 10 years. And, I think about a month ago, US troops dropped in there and are currently fighting radicals up in the mountains. So, even though I’m not near that area, there are Muslims here…and I think I’ve got a bit of paranoia that changes the usual odd looks into unwelcoming looks. But everyone that I actually talk to seems quite friendly. It’s a bit scary…but exactly what I like at the same time…I’m pretty far off the beaten track here and that’s cool. And any concern that I do have is only while I’m in Puerto – where there are enough people and enough anonymity for potential problems :)
(OK, Jen and Mom please resume reading ;)
So, my plans are to be in Puerto for two days, and then head of the coast to Sabang and El Nido doing various cool nature things – an underground river, some awesome SCUBA, a crocodile farm, of course incredible beaches…before heading back to Manila around the 19th.
I’ll try to post some pics soon too…but I’m on another crazy slow connection here.
Take care!
Nate