Récits de voyages autour du monde

(DECEMBER 17, 2019 TO JANUARY 14, 2020)

ITINERARY

Luzon Island: Manila

Cebu Island: City of Cebu, Panagsama Beach (via Moalboal) and White Beach

Mactan Island

Negros Island: Dauin and Dumaguete

Apo Island (tour from Dauin)

Siquijor Island

Bohol Island: Tagbilaran (to panglao)

Panglao Island (Alona Beach)

Palawan Island: Puerto Princesa, Port Barton, El Nido

Exotic Island (Port Barton Tour)

Maxima Island (Port Barton excursion)

Paradise Island (Port Barton excursion)

Entatula Island (el Nido excursion)

PHOTOS OF THE PHILIPPINES (Click on the photo below)

WEDNESDAY, 18 DECEMBER

JAKARTA – MANILA (Luzon Island)

At Jakarta airport, we had to buy our Manila to Rangoon (Myanmar) airfares as proof of exit from the Philippines. On board a large Boeing, we left Indonesia with a little pinch in our hearts. The Indonesians and all my friends who have received us so well are really endearing people and they will definitely be missed! I also found it a pity to leave my Bahasa Indonesia behind me because I was beginning to do well in this language; every day I learned new words and I could put them into practice.

Our plane took off from Jakarta at 12.40am and landed in Manila in the Philippines at 6ham. Before leaving the airport, we had 2 SIM cards installed in our cell phones (each 10G for CAD$20 at Globe) and took out Philippine pesos in an ATM. We travelled to our hotel in a Grab Taxi ($10 CAD for a 30-minute ride). Having slept very little during our night flight, we arrived busing at the Sun Star Grand Hotel. As the check in was at 2pm, we opted to rent a room for six hours while waiting for our room to be ready. We ordered lunch at our room and then sank into a deep sleep. At 2pm, we transferred our luggage to our room booked for 4 nights. I did some washing before I went out to dinner with Claude.

Our hotel is located in the working-class district in the heart of Manila, about 4 km from the historic district. The boulevard is very busy, and traffic is very slow. Jeepneys (former U.S. Army jeeps left behind after the war and used as local buses) are numerous. What a chaotic maelstrom, as soon as you leave the hotel: monster traffic, pollution, engine noise, loud music coming out of the loudspeakers of electronic shops, sidewalks crowded by street vendors and their goods of all kinds, many pedestrians on the move, etc. Phew, it’s dizzying!

We had dinner a few steps from our hotel at Chowking Raon Restaurant. For 60 Canadian cents, we ate vegetable and chicken rice with 4 vegetable egg rolls. Street food is really cheap in the Philippines.

We then walked through the streets filled with small shops, towards Chinatown. I found myself a mini-SD card for my cell phone (126G for as little as $12 CAD). I also bought, in a Chinese pharmacy, a small bottle of balm oil (balm oil) for the relief of migraines.

Continuing our walk, we discovered the imposing historic Binondo church whose interior is quite beautiful! On the way back, we bought two shawarmas in the corner of 999 Shopping Mall and City Place Square (two huge shopping malls). Once we got to our room, we hurried to take a shower. What hellish heat it’s in Manila! We ate our shawarmas for supper and spent an evening relaxing in our room, happy to escape the noise and hustle and bustle of the outside.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19

MANILA

At 7:30am, we got to eat lunch at our room. We then booked our plane ticket from Rangoon (Myanmar) to Colombo (Sri Lanka) on the internet. Starting in Grab Taxi, we passed the gigantic Quiapo church on Quezon Boulevard and crossed the bridge overlooking the skyscrapers of the city center. At Ohayami Bus Terminal, we bought our bus tickets to Banaue. (Horror, the only bus on December 22 was already full. So, we were sold seats on plastic chairs in the aisle of the center of the bus for the nine-hour night trip!)  ☹

From the bus station, we left in Grab Taxi to Manila Cathedral. We went to take a look at its impressive interior décor and went around the park that faces it. A horse-drawn carriage approached us to sell us his guided tour in a 500 pesos horse-drawn carriage. Once mounted in his cariole, he changed his price for 5,000 pesos! We are disembarked, outraged by his dishonesty!

We finally boarded a rickshaw for a mini guided tour of the historic Intramuros district ($8 CAD for 30 minutes). The young man took us to the Palacio del Sana, the Memorare (monument erected in memory of the 100,000 innocent victims of the 1945 liberation battle between Filipinos and Japanese), a former Spanish hotel, the church and the convent of San Augustine and the Postigo del Palacio. Back at the cathedral, we went in search of an ATM. We found several, all out of service, before we could finally make a transaction. We had dinner in the corner of the Spanish Square at Max’s Restaurant.

We went on a motorized tricycle to Rizal Park, also known as Luneta Park. This beautiful park is located in the heart of Manila. The statue of José Rizal, writer and hero of the Philippine revolution, was erected at kilometer 0 of the country, at one end of the huge park. The site also includes: a Chinese garden, an orchid pavilion, a Japanese garden, a tourist center, the National Museum of Natural History, a planetarium, a monument to Lapu-lapu, the first hero of the Philippines, the National Museum of Anthropology, an Open Air Auditorium, fountains, the National Library and a miniature reconstruction of the Philippine archipelago.

We left Rizal Park by horse-drawn carriage to go to the Bay walk in Manila Bay. When he arrived at his destination, he wanted 550 PhP instead of 50 as originally intended. (Before accepting the race, Claude had taken the trouble to write 50 on his calculator to be sure of the amount the stallion was charging us, and he had nodded.) The dishonesty of man angered us. We gave him 60 pesos through a man who had got involved, and we turned our backs on him with a grumbling. Trying to get us twice in the same day was too much!

We walked on the seaside promenade and contemplated the sunset. The place was rather deserted, and we found no place to eat. We crossed the boulevard and discovered homeless families all along the median. Feeling out of place, we tried to bring in a Grab Taxi but, without success. We walked for about ten minutes to get to another thoroughfare from where we were able to board a jeepney (20 cents each). Compressed like sardines, caught in monster traffic, sweating heavily and breathing in the horribly polluted air, we finally arrived at our hotel after an hour’s drive in these difficult conditions. We showered, dined on shawarmas bought by Claude, and spent the evening at our room, our haven.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20

MANILA (32 degrees C)

Breakfast was served to us in our room. We then wasted three hours trying to find another option to get to Banaue, north of Manila. I got help from the three receptionists, but our efforts yielded nothing; we didn’t find anything affordable.

We went to wear some clothes to arrange in one of the underground fashion boutiques on Boulevard Quezon (5 pieces for 100PhP or $2.61 CAD!). We then took a jeepney to the Chinese cemetery (South Gate). This cemetery was founded in the mid-19th century with the aim of facilitating the task of many Chinese who were not allowed to be buried in Spanish cemeteries. The mausoleums are as beautiful and large as houses. It is very impressive to walk in this uninhabited area.

Our return jeepney was as painful as the day before: heat, noise, traffic and pollution. A good shower was required. While having my mid-day coffee, I made our e-visa applications for Myanmar. Claude and I then went to pick up my clothes from the couturier’s and continued our walk on Quezon Boulevard to the famous Quiapo church. A mass was underway, and the church was crowded. In the main square in front of the church, several worshippers followed the ceremony on the giant screen that had been installed for this purpose while selling candles or various religious objects. The surrounding streets make way for the local market where everything is sold: fruits, vegetables, fish, clothing, accessories of all kinds, etc.  A little further on, we returned to a large popular shopping mall overrun by potential customers. The merchandise is cheap, but the clothes are not very interesting.

We dined at our room with the remaining shawarmas bought the day before, happy to save ourselves from the hubbub of the neighborhood. We spent the evening working our travel itinerary. The holiday season makes it very difficult for both transport and accommodation.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21 (Dad’s Funeral Day)

Manila

A good breakfast was served to us in our room. We then made a video call with my sister Marie-Christine at the funeral home. It was with emotion that we were able to see my good love dad one last time and say goodbye to him from a distance. Several came to greet us (via cell phone), which was very comforting.

We then reworked our travel itinerary and made the decision to change course. Instead of starting from the north, we’re going south. The cities are larger, therefore, transport and accommodation less limited during this busy holiday season. We booked our plane tickets and our hotel to Cebu. How misery we had to complete the transaction for our flight! The morning has passed!

Sensing the need to go out and change our minds, we took a jeepney and made a bus transfer to get to Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati, the business district. What a contrast to our working-class neighborhood! In Makati, the arteries are clean and less noisy. There are few jeepneys on the road. The skyscrapers follow one another, imposing. The sidewalks are deserted; we don’t see little merchants or beggars. It’s « the other Manila. »

At Ayala Triangle Gardens, it’s nice to walk through the beautiful landscaping, the jackfruit loaded with their huge fruits and the modern C-shaped fountain upside down and square. We dined on site at one of the small restaurants. We shared an excellent chicken with parmigiana.

We then walked to the Greenbelt Mall and Park. The courtyard of this huge upscale shopping center is beautifully furnished. There are cafes and restaurants with outdoor terraces, a body of water surrounded by beautiful tropical vegetation and a modern circular church.

Further afield, between Legazpi Sunday Market and Legazpi Active Park, is Washington Sycip Park. A short trail in a mini forest of young bamboo leads to a small Chinese garden with a Zen atmosphere. Other shady trails allow you to go around the park. A small lake occupies the center of the park and pedestrians linger on the wooden walkways to watch the comings and goings of the big fish.

Passing by the Union Church of Manila (a circular church with a blue and white dome), we went to take an air-conditioned bus on a large boulevard and then a jeepney to Quiapo, our neighborhood. Before returning to our hotel, we went to check out the two shopping malls next door to our hotel (« Isetan Recto » is the most popular of the two) and shared a mango ice cream. We ordered supper at our room and spent a little relaxing evening waiting for midnight, when our son Samuel was to call us. At 11ham Quebec time, Samuel joined us as planned via WhatsApp and we were able to follow my dear dad’s funeral (mass, cemetery and reception in the basement of the church) by video call. Claude and I really enjoyed being able to attend the funeral remotely. In this way, we were able to share this difficult moment with my family and were able to say our last goodbyes to my good dad. We went to bed at 2ham and took a long time to fall asleep, still upset by the funeral.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22

MANILA – CEBU CITY (Pop: 975,000; East of Cebu Island)

After our breakfast served at our room, we packed up and left with a Grab Taxi to the airport. Our flight from Manila to Cebu in a large Boeing A330-300 lasted 90 minutes. Cebu is the second largest city in the Philippines with a population of 975,000. It was the first capital of the country. Cebu, also known as the queen city of the south, is a highly urbanized1^st class town on Cebu Island in the central Visayas region.

We took the shuttle from the airport to SM City Mall. From there we booked a Grab taxi to our hotel, the Elegant Circle Inn. Night had already fallen when we arrived at 6pm. Our hotel is located in the large roundabout Fuente Osmena Circle. There is a beautiful fountain, a huge illuminated and highly decorated Christmas tree, a stage for the shows of the holiday season, food stalls grilled on charcoal fires and lots of people come to enjoy the place. The roundabout is highly entangled and noisy. Fortunately, our room is quiet as it overlooks the back yard of the hotel.

We ate a delicious lasagna at Robinsons Cybergate, a large shopping center facing the roundabout. In the basement, we bought some groceries for our lunches at the great Robinsons Supermarket. We then went back to rest at the hotel. (It is not very recommended to walk around the area after dark. There are many thieves and homeless people.)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 23

Cebu

We had lunch with our provisions (bread, peanut butter, jam, banana and coffee). We then booked our hotel in Dauin, near Dumaguete.

Ready to go for a walk, we booked a Grab Taxi. We started our tours at the famous Fort San Pedro where a young student offered her services as a guide. This fort is a fortification that was built in 1565 by the Spanish conquistadors commanded by Michel Lopez de Legazpi.

Opposite is Independence Square, themost significant site in the history of Cebu. The park is beautifully landscaped and includes some monuments and statues.

A short walk away is the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino in Cebu (Basilica of the Holy Child). Founded in 1565, it is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the country. The interior is beautiful to see with its huge religious frescoes on the walls and ceiling. The courtyard is beautifully landscaped. There is also a chapel and a convent.

Next to the church is the Christian cross of Magellan planted at the time by Portuguese and Spanish explorers under Ferdinand Magellan when they arrived in Cebu in 1521.

A few streets away, we discovered the beautiful Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral (1595), the ecclesiastical seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu since 1934.

We had dinner at a restaurant on Colon Street, recognized as the smallest national road in the Philippines. This artery runs through the entire city and is very busy.

Google Map in hand, we ended up finding the Heritage of Cebu Monument. The monument was built in 1997 by Eduardo Castrillo. The sculptures represent the symbolic events of Cebu’s history: the conversion to Christianity of Humabon, the local revolution against Spanish law, a Roman Catholic Mass and the 1521 battle on the island of Mactan where the clan leader Lapu-Lapu killed Magellan.

In the small street next to the monument, we discovered the ancestral house San Diego. This magnificent 17th century historic home includes hand-carved furniture, works and a garden.

The Casa Gorordo Museum was unfortunately closed for the holidays. We could still see the exterior and courtyard of this former residence dating from 1850 and having belonged to Juan Gorordo.

We came back to our hotel by taxi. Before we went home, we bought some pastries. Afterwards we snacked and dined at our room. Claude had a flu and went to bed early. For my part, I took the opportunity to advance my writing work.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24

Cebu

We had breakfast in our room: pastries and coffee. We made calls to our family to wish them a merry Christmas. The announcement of a typhoon for the Philippines and for Cebu in particular has put us a little stressed. We had to cancel our mountain trip to Tops Lookout (panoramic view of Cebu and the surrounding area).

We walked on Colon Street to the Crown Regency Hotel. As the Sky Observatory was closed, we turned around and walked up Colon Street to the Cebu Provincial Capitol at the very end. Nearby, a motorcyclist offered to ride behind him on his motorcycle and he drove us to the Cebu Taoist Temple for a few pesos. This temple, built in 1972 by the Chinese community of Cebu, is located in Beverly Hills (sub-division of the city of Cebu), 110 meters above sea level. The entrance to the temple is a replica of the Great Wall of China. The temple includes a chapel, a library, a souvenir shop and a bridge to make a wish. The spacious balconies offer panoramic views of Cebu city center.

From the temple, we took a taxi to the Ayala Center Cebu. This large, upscale 5-storey shopping center is shaped like two half-moons around Cebu Business Park. We had dinner on the terrace of the Brick restaurant. On the menu: spaghetti with pesto and chicken and salad with apple, cranberries, feta and cashews. How good it was!

A light rain began to fall. We watched the cinema programming, but no film really tempted us. So we decided to go back to the hotel. I worked on my blog and in the late afternoon we went out to buy some groceries at Robinsons Supermarket and a bring to bring that we ate to our room for dinner. In the evening, we made a few calls to Quebec for Christmas. We had a quiet New Year’s Eve in our room, all the festivities in the area having been cancelled because of the announced typhoon.

Finally, there was damage north of Cebu Island (alert 2) while our neighborhood was spared (alert 1); we had nothing but rain and no wind.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25

Cebu

After eating pastries and coffee at our room, we drove in Grab Taxi ($12 CAD) to Mactan Newtown Beach located on Lapu-Lapu on Mactan Island, 45 minutes from our hotel. In this area, makeshift shelters reveal great poverty. Just a little further on, you can see the beautiful newer and modern buildings. The small sandy path to the beach is dotted with holes. The beach is public and well-appointed with small huts for rent for families who come to picnic and bathe. The sand is white and the bottom of the water free of rocks. We settled in the shade of a large tree, sitting on a tidal wood. We bathed several times in turn. What a joy to let yourself float on your back as the waves go! From our location, we were able to observe the comings and goings of the Santa Rosa Ferry Express serving the large island opposite Mactan Beach.

On board a tri-engine, we went to see the Mactan Shrine located in Punta Engano, near the shore. There is the Lapu-Lapu Shrine. This 20-metre bronze statue was erected in honor of Lapu-Lapu, the indigenous leader who defeated Spanish soldiers led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan at the 1521 Battle of Mactan. You can also see the monument to Magellan, erected in 1866 to commemorate the Portuguese explorer. The large square is home to the Mactan Shrine Bazaar, whose many small kiosks are full of souvenirs for tourists. At the exit of the site, there are several small fish and seafood restaurants. The cleanness of the place and the high costs discouraged us from eating there. We walked down the street, looking for a suitable restaurant for us. As there were none, we bought sandwiches and lasagna at the 7Eleven convenience store. My lasagna was really disgusting; I threw it away after my first bite. I fell back on my sandwich and my latte.

We returned to our hotel in Grab Taxi. After taking a shower and giving ourselves a rest time, we walked to the Crown Regency Hotel on Colon Street. On the19^th floor of the tower, we purchased our tickets for the 38th floor Sky Deck. Wow! What an incredible view of the city of Cebu and its surroundings! We witnessed the beautiful sunset. For lovers of strong emotions, activities are offered: zipline, climbing wall, etc. A guide offered to climb up to the 45th floor. The metal stairs and floors were finished in places and you could see through, which was not very reassuring, especially at this height! However, the view of the 45th was great!

We went to see the menu at the restaurant on the 37th floor. Unfortunately, the prices were too high for our budget. So, we opted for the 2nd floor restaurant with a small view of Colon Street. Our meal was excellent (grilled chicken plate for me and chicken and vegetable soup for Claude). As Claude had a cold and a sore tooth, we spent a quiet evening at our room.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26

CEBU – MOALBOAL – PANAGSAMA BEACH (West of Cebu Island)

We had lunch with our groceries, completed our calls to our families in Quebec for Christmas and packed our bags. We left in a taxi. At the South Bus Terminal in Cebu, we board an air-conditioned bus to Moalboal (via Barili). The journey took almost 4 hours ($4 CAD per person), including stops at the main villages and towns on our route. As the bus was travelling slowly, we had time to enjoy the scenery. We have also seen how poor people are in general. A few kilometers before arriving on the west side of the big island of Cebu, we crossed a mountain. From the top, the sea has revealed itself to us in all its splendor.

Upon our arrival in Moalboal, we boarded a motorized tricycle with all our luggage. The driver drove us to the Indino Guesthouse located a few meters from Panagsama Beach, in a small alley full of guest houses. Our hostess welcomed us with kindness. We settled in our large family room which includes 3 double beds and 1 single bed! We have direct access to a patio with table and chairs. Our hostess lives right next to « home. » Once settled, the owner showed us the way to get to the beach. We discovered the narrow street that runs along the sea and which is filled with small hostels, restaurants, bars, tourist shops and rental shops of diving equipment. The place is hyper touristy although it feels like a little lost corner of the Philippines.

Back at our accommodation, we rented two snorkeling equipment ($4 CAD each for two days) and quickly put on our swimsuits. Our dive session pleased us despite some drawbacks: too many divers and noise from the boat engines. We swam over huge sardine banks, which was really impressive! We also saw a diverse and colorful marine flora as well as beautiful tropical fish. (Our dive at Gili Air in Indonesia was even more impressive. Here, the place is unfortunately overexploited by tourists. The seabed is damaged and there are fewer fish.)

We ended the afternoon at our room, both weakened by a bad cold. We returned to the main street for dinner at Silveray Resto-Bar. Sitting on the2^nd floor of the property, we were able to enjoy the wonderful sunset over the sea. We shared fish and chips and curry vegetables. Yummy, yum! In the evening, we walked to both ends of the busy street filled with tourists.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27

PANAGSAMA BEACH (and WHITE BEACH)

Our hostess had a hearty breakfast on our patio. We then went on a motorized tricycle to White Beach located 3 km from Panagsama Beach ($5 CAD). The small country road to get there gave us a good overview of the living conditions in the village. The beach is public and mainly frequented by Filipinos. It is a spectacular site for snorkeling. I did two long dive sessions, floating with my life jacket over several schools of tropical fish of various sizes and colors. The corals are huge, and the colors varied and amazing. At about 150 meters from the bank, the bottom suddenly becomes very deep, which is impressive and insecure.

We dined on the terrace of a restaurant overlooking the sea. Our dinner was exquisite (chicken curry and plate of sautéed vegetables; $8 CAD for both of us). In the middle of the afternoon, we returned by motorized tricycle to our accommodation. We relaxed at our room. At 5:30 p.m., I walked to Panagsama beach to watch the sublime sunset over the sea. Claude and I went back to the same restaurant as the day before, the Silver Ray, on the2^nd floor. This time we were disappointed; it was a long wait for us to be served and our plate of seafood penne contained only two prawns and three or four slices of octopus lost in a mountain of pennes. Claude complained to the waiter and he cut our bill in half. In the evening, I went around the bustling neighborhood and went back to sit at the beach for a few moments. Claude, for his part, went to bed early.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28

PANAGSAMA BEACH – DAUIN (On the island of Negros)

We had breakfast on our patio, bid farewell to our lovely hostess and set off in a motorized tricycle to the Moalboal bus station. Our hour-and-a-half bus ride was a bit arduous. Our hyperactive driver kept yelling at his assistant, he was driving crazy, honking his horn every 10 seconds and braking suddenly at every stop. Phew! It wasn’t relaxing! Fortunately, the coastal landscapes of the small winding road were magnificent, making us almost forget the inconveniences associated with our means of transport.

We were made to disembark at the ferry port going to Negros. We had to take a motorized tricycle to get to the South Port of Cebu Island. In a sudden rain, we lined up, sheltered from the roof of the ticket office, to buy our ferry tickets to Dumaguete. Fortunately, our ferry crossing lasted only 20 minutes as it was very hot inside the boat. People had closed the windows because of the heavy rain and the heat was quite unbearable.

Upon arrival at the port of Dumaguete, we shared the cost of a jeepney with a Filipino, a Thai and his parents. Back to the city center, from the seaside promenade, we boarded a motorized tricycle to get to Dauin. I must say that it was not too good an idea; we were brewed over a distance of 20 km and the sound of the motorcycle was hellish! When we finally arrived at the Aivy Maes Divers Paradise Resort, we made the jump when we saw our bamboo hut. The interior is tiny. The double bed with mosquito net takes up all the space. The only piece of furniture is a tiny corner shelf. At the time, we were disappointed. However, the location is awesome. We have direct access to the sea with six sun loungers on our small private beach corner. In front of our hut are the toilets and showers as well as the summer kitchen. On our small gallery, we have two hammocks, a table and two bamboo benches.

We dropped off our luggage at our hut and went looking for a restaurant on the beach. Sarong on the head, we walked under a blazing sun in the burning black sand. We saw several small shelters on the beach where complete families were gathered and dined on their provisions. The only restaurant we found is the one next door to our accommodation. So, we went back and ordered grilled sandwiches.

We spent the afternoon at the beach, alternating swimming and lazing on the sun loungers in the shade of a tree. The Sulu Sea is dark blue, refreshing and on a soft sand background. Dauin beach is large and Filipinos come for a swim. It is a marine protected area with abundant marine flora and fauna.

In the late afternoon, we went to buy supplies for a few meals. Just before arriving on the main street, we discovered the local market. We bought vegetables and two whole fish and cut them into fillets.

Back at our accommodation, we chatted with a friendly Australian familiar from the place. He helped me book our tickets for our next ferry (Ocean Jet on the 12GB app; to Siquior Island on December 31).

Claude prepared an excellent dinner for us in the summer kitchen. A good home-cooked meal, what a joy! We chatted with our hut neighbors (a French couple living in Laos for three years) and finished the evening, comfortably lying in our hammocks.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29

DAUIN – APO ISLAND (tour)

At 5:30am, the Christmas carols of Sunday Mass suddenly woke us up. What a disturbing Filipino tradition for tourists!

Today we did a snorkeling excursion to Apo Island (7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 1550PhP or $40 CAD each, lunch and dinner included). We were 11 tourists from our accommodation: 2 Danes, 2 Spaniards, 1 American from Detroit, 1 New Zealander and 3 from I don’t know where. We were served lunch in front of the summer kitchen (crepes, French toast, eggs and coffee). We are then embarked on a trimaran with our diving equipment. Five Filipinos were with us: the captain, two guides and two sailors. Under a beautiful blue sky and a sea of silver reflections, we sailed to Chapel, the first stop on the west coast of Apo Island. Our group was split in two. A group of six for scuba diving and a group of five for snorkeling. Claude and I were part of the latter group. We put our equipment in, jumped into the water and followed our guide. We swam in the most delighted waters with the bottoms lined with gigantic corals with incredible shapes and colors. We saw beautiful schools of fish but what impressed us the most were the five or six giant turtles that we could see up close. Wow! The well-defined patterns and beautiful colors on the shell, legs and head are extraordinary!

Back on board, we all had a snack (coffee and soda cookies). We then sailed to Largahan, the second dive site. As the sky had darkened and the wind had lifted, Claude and I, frozen and still a little cold, opted to skip this second dive session. The rain then began.

We made our third stop at Rock Point West. We had dinner on the trimaran. Our buffet was excellent (vegetable pork, rice, garden salad, noodles and sautéed vegetables).

The rain gradually gave way to a beautiful blue sky. With the sun back, Claude and I took part in the last snorkeling session. We were very lucky; in addition to the splendid giant corals, we saw a dozen large turtles. (The scuba diving group only saw one!)  

We sailed in rough seas on our return. The waves hit the trimaran and came to water us. I protected myself from the water and the cold with my sarong and I glued Claude, in search of warmth.

When we arrived at our hut, I hurried to take a nice hot shower and get dry. I then wrote on my blog, comfortably installed in the hammock on our gallery.

Claude had a chat with our new hut neighbour, a young Frenchman who worked for six weeks as an engineer for the Leclerc biscuit company in Quebec City. He then went to buy a grilled chicken and vegetables that he prepared on his return. What beautiful plates he had prepared for us! We finished the evening relaxing in our hammocks: the dolce vita!

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30

DAUIN

I made some good French toast for lunch. Claude spent his morning at the beach while I worked on our itinerary for the rest of our trip to the Philippines. Around 11ham, I rented snorkeling equipment ($4 CAD for the day) and did an amazing dive session just a few meters from our accommodation. The site is full of tropical fish all more beautiful than the other and the corals are large, of various shapes and colors. The blue corals really impressed me. I then lay in the shade on our beach while Claude went to explore the seabed in turn.

We had dinner with three Frenchmen approaching retirement age, enjoying being able to converse easily in our native language. We then went up to the main street to pick up a jeepney to downtown Dumaguete. From there we took a « pedicab » (motorized tricycle) to the port to make sure we could take the ferry the next day to Go to Siquijor Island. We then stumbled upon a travel agency. We were advised to go to Palawan and took the opportunity to buy our ferry and plane tickets.

To get back to Dauin, we took a pedicab and then a jeepney. We’ve come to the dark. We bought a small grilled chicken, rice and eggs before walking down the dark street leading to our beachfront accommodation. We had dinner in the summer kitchen and spent the evening relaxing on our gallery, electronic devices in hand. We took a long time to fall asleep: barking dogs, shouting cocks, police alarms for the curfew of minors, karaoke at nearby hotels and voices of other campers. Phew! It was pretty trying!

THE PHILIPPINES (2nd PART)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31

DAUIN – DUMAGUETE – SIQUIJOR ISLAND

We had lunch, greeted our French friends and went to pedicab. The driver drove us to the Port of Dumaguete. We bought our tickets for the lunch ferry there. The sea was rough, but the crossing was well still (duration: 1 hour 20 minutes). Upon arrival at the port of Siquijor Island, we purchased our tickets for our next ferry (Siquijor – Tagbilaran on January 3rd) before boarding a pedicab to get to our accommodation, Villa Alta, located in Larena in the northwest of the island. The small road along the coast gave us a good view of the island. We had a crush on this beautiful island with lush vegetation. What a beautiful environment! We have seen several beautiful little houses, sign that the standard of living is decent in general on this island. The land is clean and collected.

The Villa Alta where we are staying is made up of six small houses with galleries and a restaurant. The site is 30 minutes from the port of Siquijor and a bit far from the main road to Larena. Upon arrival we were a little disappointed with the location, but we quickly got used to the idea. On the face of it, it will be perfect because we will be forced to slow down and rest. We are in nature and have direct access to the sea by a cement staircase.

We dropped off our luggage and went to see the beach. This one is not very large and bears the traces of the typhoon that hit the island a few years ago. We see the devastation wrought by erosion; some palm trees are completely uprooted, and the land has been eaten by strong waves.

We had dinner at the family restaurant. We shared an excellent curry chicken served with rice and vegetable salad. We met two German families travelling together. They had just arrived here, just like us.

In the afternoon, while Claude was washing his laundry, I went to take some pictures of the beach. I ventured to the end, discovering the neighboring grounds, accompanied by two stray dogs. Back at the villa, I met the daughter of the owners and I chatted a good time with her. The sky darkened and a light rain began. I joined Claude at our hut, and we took care of it until supper.

As the three tables in the small restaurant were already occupied, we were served our fish meal under the shelter overlooking the cliff. In the darkness of the night, we could not see the sea, but we could hear the outpouring of its waves. The temperature had dropped, and we had to wear a warm vest to warm us up.

We went to bed early with the idea of getting up for New Year’s Eve. I woke up startled when I heard a fireworks display. It was 12:30. Heck! We went straight through. I kissed Claude and wished him a happy new year, but he didn’t wake up. I went out on tiptoe and went to join the Germans and a couple of Italians on the terrace of the restaurant. Our hosts had prepared a nice buffet for us for the occasion. I ate a small bowl of fruit salad served with coconut milk while chatting with my hut neighbors. So began my year 2020, in a small lost corner of Siquijor Island in the Philippines, in the middle of nature and surrounded by people passionate about travel just like me. I miss all my family, of course, but Claude is there, by my side, and the video calls to our loved ones come to soothe my little fits of boredom.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1st

SIQUIJOR ISLAND (28 DEGREES)

I made the fat morning; I got up at 8:30am! Claude and I had breakfast over the cliff. What a joy to sip my coffee while contemplating the sea! While Claude went down to the beach to relax and walk, I took the opportunity to advance in the selection of photos for my blog. As the internet service had crashed, I could not publish them; I’ll have to wait for service to be restored.

I put on my bathing suit and went for a walk with Claude on the southbound beach. The sun was blazing. We had to walk with our sandals because the beach is full of small corals and strangely spongy black « rocks ». Past the tip, we discovered a deserted beach, large and beautiful. We met a young couple from Quebec, which has not happened to us often since we left Canada four months ago! We shared our travel experiences with each other. The couple found us « inspiring. » For us, this type of meeting is very stimulating and reinforces our motivation to continue our great journey around the world.

After greeting them, we bathed in the shallow waters of the sea, lying on our stomachs or back to move around to avoid having to walk on the coral bottoms. How good the water was!

Looking back, we took the short trail behind the Kiwi Resort to Ayan’s Local Food and Massage. Claude ate pumpkin soup, and I ate an Ayans Chicken Sangkutsa (chicken and young green papaya in coconut milk served with rice). It was good but a little bland. I think I miss the strong spices of China and Indonesia sometimes! We returned by the small street to our hut, a little frozen by the strong wind and rain that suddenly arrived. The rain did not last very long but the morning heat gave way to a more moderate temperature. Claude did the siesta and I worked on my laptop. I took a break for our open-air dinner at the small shelter at the top of the cliff. I spent the evening working on my blog, taking advantage of the fact that the internet service of our accommodation was restored.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 2

SIQUIJOR ISLAND

After our excellent continental breakfast, we completed our New Year’s Day calls to our loved ones. We then rented a scooter for the modest sum of $9 CAD for the day. Leaving Sandugan Beach where we are staying, we set off for the small town center of Larena. We stopped by Prince Hypermart to buy fruit. The Tourist Centre, the port of Larena and the local market are adjacent to this department store.

A little further on, we turned to the left to take the Layang road leading to the summit of Mount Bandilaan located in the center of Siquijor Island. When we got to the top, we looked for the observation deck that our hostess had told us about, but to no avail. We could still see the sea below, but the view was limited. We enjoyed passing through the mountain, crossing the small villages with traditional wooden houses surrounded by a lush rainforest. Let the road be pleasant until we make a puncture! Fortunately, we were almost in Lazi, a municipality 1.5 km away. We drove carefully to the first small garage on our way.

While Claude was in the garage, curious, I went to explore the surroundings on foot. I discovered the Lazi Municipal Hall, the Post Office, the Fire Station, the magnificent San Isidro Labrador Parish Church (an imposing historical monument) and the Lazi Convent (50 cents to visit this convent which contains a beautiful collection of clothing and religious objects).

I went back to the garage. We paid our mechanic (160PhP or $4 CAD for the piece – tip for the labor) and continued our route in a straight line to the sea where the small-town center of Lazi is located. We dined at The El Monte Café and Restaurant (On the menu: Vegetables with curry and rice for me, hamburger and fries for Claude).

Satisfied, we turned back to the beautiful Cambugahay Falls. The price of admission is paltry: 10 PhP or 25 cents per person. At the bottom of the long cement staircase, the waterfalls with turquoise waters reveal themselves to us in all their splendor. We went to the third pool to cool off. There were a lot of people everywhere, especially tourists. Some had fun jumping from the rocks, hanging from a rope to give themselves a swing. Others were photographed on bamboo rafts. We met a French family. We stayed with them for a while, interested among other things in the girl’s travel itinerary around the world just like us.

We left the site to go up the east coast of the island. We crossed beautiful beaches and rice paddies on our way. We made a stop at Salagdoong Beach in the municipality of Maria. The two small public beaches are separated by a bridge and a huge rock. The first beach is accessed by a staircase wall made of cement. The turquoise waters and the big waves were very attractive but a red flag indicating danger had the effect of slowing down the ardor of the swimmers. The long slide was closed due to strong currents. The waters of the second beach were quieter and more favorable to swimming. As the sky had covered and we were still in our wet clothes, we didn’t want to swim. We had a snack while looking at the sea.

On the way back, we discovered a beautiful large white sand beach but, looking at it more closely, we found that it was not clean (plastic waste). What a pity! We passed through Talingting in the municipality of Enrique Villanueva and crossed some farms.

Arriving at La Villa Alta, installed on our gallery, I wrote my account of the day while Claude went to do some commissions by scooter in downtown Larena. On his return, we ate outdoors and went to bed early.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3

SIQUIJOR ISLAND – TAGBILARAN (BOHOL ISLAND) – PANGLAO ISLAND

We had lunch on the edge of the cliff under a beautiful blue sky. We packed our bags and went down to the seaside to relax while waiting for our departure time. How well I was, lying in the hammock facing the sea and the high wind. I watched the long form leaves of the coconut trees waltz; it looked like ballerina dance steps!

Our guests took us to the port of Larena. We warmly thanked them and said goodbye. Then, with ferry tickets already in hand, we had to queue to pay the port fees, line up to get our seat numbers, line up to check in our luggage and line up to board the boat. What an inefficient management!

We sailed on the fast boat Ocean Jet in rough waters. Nevertheless, the boat was surprisingly stable. We have seen several islands in our path, but we could not have named them; The geography of the 7,641 islands in the Philippines is rather complex! After two hours of sailing, the boat docked at the port of Tagbilaran on the island of Bohol. From there, we set off by pedicab to the island of Panglao, accessible by a bridge. We had an 18 km of brewing to get to our final destination: the Walkerz Inn. (We regretted not taking a taxi for a $5 difference; the ride would have been less arduous!) Upon arrival at our accommodation, we were very disappointed. The site, accessible by a narrow bumpy path, looks like a courtyard background. The five roosters of the neighboring land greeted us loudly with their cockroaches. (Ah, no! Not yet roosters to break our ears in the wee hours of the morning!) Our hut is tiny, dark and unattractive. The common toilet doesn’t look good. In short, we would have left on the spot if the room had not been paid in advance. We resigned ourselves to spending at least one night there, even if we had to change accommodation for the other two nights.

We dropped off our luggage at our hut and went looking for a restaurant. We made it to the beach, curious to see the famous Alona Beach. It was with disappointment that we discovered a beach literally overrun by tourists. The beach is beautiful for swimming but far too touristy for our taste. Along the riverbank is a succession of high-priced restaurants and bars. We turned around and went back to the hustle and bustle of the main street, which was just as touristy. Hungry, we ate a pizza. This one was very ordinary. (In Asia, it’s very difficult to get back to the taste of our good North American pizzas!) Leaving the restaurant, we looked for a hotel for two nights but found nothing available in our prices. We bought a few snacks and a bottle of water at 7Eleven and went back to our backyard at nightfall. I spent the evening in front of my cell phone at the large common room of our accommodation. The place was quiet. I chatted a little with the other tourists: two Israelis and a Chinese woman. Claude, for his part, read to our hut.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 4

PANGLAO ISLAND (ALONA BEACH)

I didn’t sleep well last night. It’s probably because of my late afternoon iced tea and the time I spent in front of my cell phone before going to bed. The singing of the roosters did not help me. So, I got up tired.

A good breakfast was served in the large common room. I then moved to the large gallery of the main building and worked on my blog while Claude and the gardener went by motorcycle to the local market to get fish and vegetables for dinner.

Finally, we decided to stay here. Our hostess kindly offered to settle in a room in the big building. The cement walls will decrease the intensity of the roosters’ singing. This accommodation in the middle of nature is quiet and we like it. We are far from the hustle and bustle of the city and at the same time we are a short walk to the beach (15 minutes).

We ate a chickenburger in a small snack at the entrance to the beach. Under a temperature of 30 degrees and a humidity of 99%, we spent the afternoon bathing, relaxing and walking on Alona beach. We had a beer on a beachfront terrace before returning to our accommodation. Comfortably installed on the large gallery, I worked on my blog while Claude assisted Chona and Arnold, the two employees of the Walkerz Inn, in the preparation of our joint dinner. Chona took care of the vegetables while Arnold cooked the two fish over a coal fire. We dined all four sets on the gallery in a friendly atmosphere. Beer helped, so we had a good laugh.

Before going to bed, I had a good scare. I went to the toilet and as there was no toilet paper to wipe me, I used tap water to wash myself. Oops! The faucet stayed in my hands! The water was flowing through the hole in the wall. I tried to put the faucet back in place, but the water pressure was too high, and the water was squirting on my clothes. I tried to get out of the toilet to get help, but the lock was running in the void. I was stuck there, with all this water coming up on the floor. I suddenly had a flash; I imagined myself drowned in the bathroom! After several attempts, I finally managed to clear the door and Chona ran to cut off the water. We laughed at the situation after the fact.

Upon returning to my room, I saw a lizard about 25cm in the top of the wall. I asked Claude to get him out of the room. He tried to send it with a vest, but it didn’t work. Chona came to see and, frightened, she taught us that this type of lizard bites. She went to get a broom with a big handle and Claude bravely managed to drive the unwanted reptile out of our room. We were able to go to bed with peace of mind. My night was interspersed with several periods of awakening because of the heat that reigned in our room. The fan did not provide, and we did not dare to open our windows without mosquito nets and without protection against unwanted visitors in this remote corner in nature.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5

PANGLAO ISLAND

Chona made us good eggs and toast for lunch. We then set off to explore part of Panglao Island by scooter (500PhP or $13 CAD for the day). Our hostess had suggested five places to visit. Using Google Map, we made a first stop at the Bee Farm Hotel. This former bee farm was converted into a hotel eight years ago. The restaurant on stilts offers a magnificent view of the sea. We took a bite and a mango juice before continuing on our way.

The indications on our GPS being a bit blurry, we arrived by chance at the Sun Island Picnic Huts. On this beautiful sunny and warm Sunday, the huts were all occupied by families who came to picnic at the public beach of Barancay. The atmosphere was at the party. It was really nice to see whole families together.

We ended up finding the Dumaluan beach that had been recommended to us. Wow! What a great and beautiful white and soft sand beach! This public beach is popular with Filipinos and less touristy than Alona Beach. I sat in the shade of a tree to watch Claude bathe.

We crossed the island from south to north by a small road in the center of the island. We saw beautiful houses surrounded by beautiful nature. We drove about 10km to reach Hinandanan Cave. We paid the entrance fee ($3.50 CAD each) to be able to swim in this beautiful cave with salty and crystal-clear waters. What a strange and pleasant feeling to float below the stalactites! Two skylights provide natural subdued lighting in this site with amazing rock shapes.

We had dinner at Momo Beach, our favorite of the day. At one end of this beautiful public beach is the Beach Momo House (a magnificent luxury hotel at $140 CAD a night) with its beachfront Beach Tree Café. We shared an excellent plate of Fish and Chips and made the siesta curled up in the two hammocks hanging a few meters from the sea. The dolce vita!!! 

3km away, we searched the entrance to Doljo Beach. Chona had forgotten to mention us to go through the Bellevue Resort. We reached the beach via a small, unattractive alley in the middle of a disadvantaged area. At the sight of the beach stained with garbage and occupied by small traditional fishing boats, we immediately turned back, abandoning the idea of bathing at this beach.

On the way back to the Walkerz Inn, we made a brief stop at the Panglao Public Market on this Sunday, market day. I took some pictures of the attractive colorful floors of fruits and vegetables.

I worked on my blog, installed on the gallery, inspired by the beautiful nature that surrounded me. Claude and I had dinner with the two Israeli tourists, Chona and Arnold. We shared a large 3kg tuna in a pleasant atmosphere of camaraderie. At 9pm, Claude and I were already in bed for our short night as we had to get up at 3ham to go and take the boat.

MONDAY, JANUARY 6

PANGLAO – TAGBILARAN – CEBU – PUERTO PRINCESA (PALAWAN ISLAND)

We got up at 3ham as planned and drove off by taxi to the port of Tagbilaran (800PhP or $20 CAD). We sailed on an Ocean Jet fast boat to the port of Cebu. During the two hours of crossing, I managed to sleep a little. When we got off the boat, a man immediately approached us to offer us a shuttle service to the airport. We joined six other tourists and arrived in time for our 9.20am flight. We even had time to have lunch before boarding. The journey from Cebu to Puerto Princesa, the main city on Palawan Island, took 55 minutes.

We boarded a motorized tricycle to get from the airport to our accommodation, Master’s Pension House. This beautiful little hotel with swimming pool is located a short walk from the city center. I moved to the gallery on the2^nd floor to write until our room was ready and we could settle in. Meanwhile, Claude bathed and went to get something for dinner. He came back with McDonald’s, the only interesting option in the area.

At 12.30pm, we took possession of our room, clean, lit and with a small work desk overlooking the pool and beautiful big trees including a beautiful coconut tree filled with big coconuts. As the internet was not working upstairs, I settled on a small table adjoining the pool and, while Claude was relaxing on a lounge chair, I uploaded photos to my travel blog.

We booked a tour of the city for the next day with the young receptionist. She also advised us to go for a walk on Baywalk. We left on foot and got there in about ten minutes. This wide promenade is beautifully landscaped and offers stunning views of Puerto Princesa Bay with its boats and surrounding mountains. It is the city’s perfect meeting place. People come to go for a walk, eat, train or dance in groups. A huge Christmas tree laden with colorful decorations stands proudly in the main square. A little further on, we can see a giant nativity scene framed by two spiral-shaped firs. A long row of palm trees runs along the promenade and a Christmas tree has been placed between each palm tree. In the evening, all these Christmas decorations are illuminated, making the places magical. In addition to the fish and seafood restaurants, there are many small food stalls and souvenir shops. We chose Isha’s Sukukil for dinner. For a total of $10 CAD, our meal was exquisite: octopus, shrimp, mussels, ceviche, seaweed salad and a mountain of rice.

We returned to our hotel in the dark but the small town center is not dangerous and you can walk there with confidence at night. We did a bit of shopping for Claude. In Malvar Street’s second department store, he bought two Bermudas and a bathing suit (Total: 700PhP or $18 CAD). When he arrived at the hotel, Claude bathed. For my part, I changed my mind, finding the water a little too cold! We ended the evening listening to an excellent BBC documentary about felines.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7

PUERTO PRINCESA

We had an early lunch. At 7ham, we boarded a van. In the company of five other tourists (4 Filipinos and 1 Manitoban), our driver and guide first took us to the Baywalk. Claude and I already knew this beautiful place. We still took the opportunity to have our picture taken together in front of the giant letters « PUERTO PRINCESA ».

A little further on, we visited the PLAZA CUARTEL where the 1944 Palawan massacre took place. Japanese soldiers burned 150 American prisoners of war to death in the underground shelter. Only 11 survived the massacre, managing to escape by sea. Two monuments have been erected in memory of the dead soldiers and signs with texts and photos bear witness to the events.

Just across the street from Plaza Cuartel, on Rizal Avenue, is the beautiful Immaculate Cathedral Conception. We quickly took a look inside where a few worshippers were praying.

We then went to the MCA Market Mall at the Pasalubang Center. The main shop specializes in the sale of pearl jewelry but there are all kinds of local handicrafts that tourists love. I was tempted by a light scarf, a long camisole to sleep, a key ring around my neck and a pair of earrings (Total: $8 CAD).

We drove 30 minutes to the suburbs at Crocodile Farm and Nature, also known as the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center. A 15-minute guided tour was waiting for us. The young employee showed us around the huge room where we can see the baby crocodiles in partially screened pools. In the next section, one must climb a metal staircase and from the top of the platform, one can observe the gigantic and impressive crocodiles isolated each in their basin. 

Tourists are then invited to walk along the nature trail. You can see some caged animals (raccoons, parrots, eagles, snakes, lizards, etc.). I was lucky enough to hug a young crocodile (As a precaution, his mouth was tied) and to flatter a white and yellow piton.

When I left the farm, I took some pictures of the beautiful countryside landscape: a field of cows with a few houses and a beautiful mountain in the background.

The next stop was at Mitra’s Ranch. The ranch belonged to Senator Ramon Mitra. Today, it is his children who take care of it. On the scene, you can take a horseback ride and see some birds in cages. The large gallery of the house offers stunning views of Palawan and Honda Bay. For a few pesos, you can take pictures on the gallery and visit the large main room of the property. Further down the field, thrill seekers can enjoy the facilities of Rancho Zipline Adventure.

Our last stop was at Baker’s Hill. There are bakeries and a gift shop. The place is highly decorated with statues of cartoon characters, Christmas accessories, etc. Most decorations are made from recycled plastic. We had a snack of banana and sweet potato fries before strolling through the beautiful botanical garden.

On the way back, we saw in passing, the SM Mall. It is the great modern shopping center of Puerto Princesa. There are some good restaurants.

Back at our hotel, we bathed. We dined and spent the afternoon going to our usual hobbies (reading, writing and music) in the hotel courtyard, waiting for the sun to drop to go for a walk around.

Around 4pm, we went to check out the local market in the heart of the city center. The area is very lively, and traffic is heavy. It’s impossible to take a quiet walk. It reminded me of the streets of Manila! Out of curiosity, we went to the SM Mall. We quickly toured, not attracted to the American luxury boutiques.

We went back to dinner at the same restaurant as the day before at Baywalk. Our excellent seafood has been served in the Philippine way: on a large palm leaf with rice in the centre and other dishes around. The seaside walk charmed us once again.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8

PUERTO PRINCESA – PORT BARTON

We had lunch and packed our bags to be ready to leave at 10.30am, when the « shuttle » picked us up to drive us to Port Barton. We made stops at different hotels to pick up the other passengers. It was noon when we finally left the city of Puerto Princesa. We were 17 passengers in the van. I chatted with an Argentinian and a Spaniard, happy to practice my Spanish. Then a fat Filipino lady came to sit between me and the Argentinian. Stuck between Claude and this corpulent lady, I didn’t have to stand in the steep curves of the small winding road in the mountains! This road crosses the island from west to east. The virgin forest is lush. We saw some houses and beautiful soft green rice paddies.

At 2:30 p.m., we arrived at Port Barton. All tourists must register, and we are given a free ecotourism card. Once the card was in hand, Claude and I went on a motorized tricycle for the modest sum of 40 pesos, or $1 CAD, to the Hashtag Tourist Inn. The small village has remained typical and poor although it has become quite touristy in recent years.

As soon as we arrived, we liked our accommodation. Our small room is clean, and we have a nice patio overlooking the garden. The owner is friendly and accommodating. A communal kitchen is available to us, which allows us to take time off from restaurants and to get some home-cooked food!

We dropped off our luggage, put on our swimsuits and went to the sea. This one is only a five-minute walk away. We discovered the beach, beautiful and not too busy. Its soft sand makes swimming very pleasant. The mountainous landscape in the background is splendid.

We purchased groceries at two small local grocery stores located around the corner from our accommodation. Back at the Hashtag Tourist Inn, we made tuna sandwiches that we ate on our patio. Claude went back to bathe in the sea while I was taking my shower. Night fell at 6:00 p.m. We went to dinner in a restaurant by the water. We had a plate of fish for two. What a delight! 

In the evening, seeing that the internet service was far too slow at our accommodation, I went in search of an internet café. I discovered an amazing night life; the main street, so quiet during the day, was crowded with tourists in restaurants, bars and the night market that stretches over several small streets. I had a mango shake at a recently opened Italian café with supposedly the best internet service in town. I was disappointed that this was not the case. Forgetting the idea of working on my blog, I went to get Claude to come and see the impressive nocturnal life of Port Barton. We toured the night market and watched a lively baseball game in the heart of the village for a few minutes.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9

PORT BARTON

We prepared a good Mexican omelet with summer food. We also made spaghetti sauce in preparation for dinner. I then worked on my blog a good part of the morning, taking advantage of the fact that the internet was less in demand and therefore faster to download photos.

At the end of the morning, I joined Claude at the sea. I bathed in the calm and lukewarm waters, letting myself float on my back as the gentle waves. What a joy! Then I walked on the beach to discover its western end, occupied by other restaurants and original accommodations.

We returned to the Hashtag Inn to make sandwiches for dinner (cheap, good and protein meals). I reworked a little on my blog while Claude listened to music in the hammock in a corner of the garden. We then went for a walk in the less touristy street of the village. The traditional houses with bamboo walls bear witness to the poverty of many of the village’s inhabitants. Returning to the main street, I went shopping a bit while Claude headed to the beach for a beer. I joined him and we stayed together at the restaurant, while enjoying the view and the light breeze from the seaside. We returned to our accommodation to eat our excellent homemade spaghetti. In the evening, we went back for a walk on the main street. Claude bought himself a pair of Bermudas with tropical motifs and I, a black rush to replace the one I lost I do not know when. We watched the open-air baseball game in the center of the village, sitting in the stands behind the young commentator and the DJ. As there was atmosphere! Just like the day before, the party was the center of attraction of the whole village.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10

PORT BARTON

We had lunch on our patio under a beautiful blue sky and a cool temperature at the beginning of the day. A guide picked us up at 8:45am. We followed him to the beach where other tourists joined us for a day trip in trimaran. There were 15 of us in the boat: the captain, the assistant captain, our guide, 4 Spaniards, 1 Frenchman, 5 English speakers, Claude and me. We made six stops on our beautiful day.

1st stop: Sandbank with big starfish. We’ve seen dozens of them in shallow water. They were beige with brown pegs and purple undersides. I was amazed by their size and pattern. I met Morgan and Sandy, the young couple from France who is on a World Tour and we met at the falls at Siquijor Island. What a coincidence to see them here again! We exchanged a few words while being sure to see each other again during the day.

2^nd stop: Turtle Spot. We snorkeled, looking for turtles through the large brown algae. We have not seen any. As the site was becoming too busy with other trimarans full of tourists, our guide told us that we would return later in the day.

3rd stop: Maxima Island and Exotic Island. About 150 meters separate these two beautiful islands. Swimming in the turquoise waters, we crossed to Maxima Island. I picked a few seashells while walking to both ends of the beach. The landscapes were sublime and unfortunately, I couldn’t take pictures because I had left my cell phone in the trimaran.

We dined at Exotic Island, the 12 tourists sitting around the same table under a straw roof. Our tuna steak and accompaniments were exquisite.

4th stop: Back to Turtle Spot. We saw only one medium-sized turtle. I followed her for long minutes. A few meters away, we jumped into the water, equipped with our masks and snorkels, to see the beautiful coral reefs.

5th stop: Aquarium Reef. The guide gave us pieces of meat to feed the fish. What an extraordinary experience! Dozens of beautiful tropical fish of medium size came to peck on the pieces of chickens that I held firmly between my fingers. I could see them up close. It was very impressive! We then swam through huge corals of various shapes and colors, sometimes crossing schools of fish.

6th stop: Paradise Island. Wow! What a beautiful beach with soft white sand but, beware of jellyfish! Our guide had advised us not to swim there in order to avoid burns from this sea beast. At the beach, you could see dozens of small starfish through the crystal-clear waters. Our recent friends Morgan and Sandy were lying on the beach. Under a blazing sun, we gleefully chatted about Canada and our travels, coffee in hand. Before we bid farewell, Sandy added me to her Facebook group so I could follow them under the name « Sunday Raiders. »

We returned to the beach of Port Barton, happy with our superb excursion. We went straight to our accommodation. After a good shower, I did a writing session while Claude went to buy some vegetables to make a spaghetti sauce like the day before. We devoured our meal, hungry by our many dives of the day. In the evening, we relaxed at our accommodation.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 11

PORT BARTON – EL NIDO

I made a good cheese omelet that we ate on our patio. We bid farewell to our lovely guests and set off on a pedicab towards the bus terminal.

At 8:45 a.m., our 14-passenger van was ready to leave for El Nido. We were brewed all along the way, that is, for 3 and a half hours, because of the excessive speed of our driver (not to say « driver ») on the narrow winding road. Can’t sleep or take pictures! We saw, at lightning speed, small country villages, dense tropical forests and beautiful rice paddies. I managed to take only one photo, that of a lake.

We stopped halfway to the El Fredos restaurant. The place is beautifully laid out. Nous sommes arrivés à 12h30 à El Nido, petit village fort touristique du nord de l’île de Palawan. Nous avons été éblouis à la vue des formations karstiques dans la mer. Wow! Les paysages sont sublimes! Nous avons transféré nos bagages dans un tricycle motorisé pour nous rendre à notre auberge, la Wilnag’s Guest House sur la Calle Hama en plein cœur du vieux quartier. Notre petite hutte et notre galerie sont entièrement faites en bambou. Nous y sommes un peu à l’étroit mais c’est vraiment mignon.

Curious, we went to see the beach located right opposite and accessible by a very narrow alley. How beautiful she is! Unfortunately, you can’t swim there. There are apparently too many boats sailing in its waters. We had dinner on the2^nd floor of a restaurant with views of the beautiful bay. We shared a plate of Fish and Chips. Yummy, yum!

We walked to the Municipal Tourism Center where we were given a map of the city of El Nido and information on boat trips. We took the opportunity to buy our mandatory eco-tourism card ($5 CAD per person). On the same street is the beautiful Church of St Francis of Assisi Parish and around the corner, The Town Hall of El Nido.

We returned to our hostel, bought an excursion for the next day, and set off in a motorized tricycle to Las Cabanas Beach or Vanilla Beach. To get to the beach, we have to walk down an alley lined with upscale shops designed for tourists, which we did not enchant. However, at the end of the aisle, we were quickly captivated by the extraordinary landscape that was revealed to us. The soft white sandy beach is ideal for swimming. The beach is mainly frequented by foreign tourists.

We spent the afternoon bathing and relaxing on the warm sand. Claude took a big walk while I was dozing, trying to get my migraine through. We stayed until sunset, like most tourists, for that matter. We were not disappointed! How beautiful it was!

We took a tricycle ($4 CAD) to return to our hostel. I took a nap and Claude read. Around 8:00 p.m., we went out to dinner. Opening the door to the street, we discovered a crowded night market. (Our street is closed to vehicles in the evening.) Small shops are overflowing with items that appeal to tourists (jewelry, accessories and beachwear, etc.). The bars and restaurants are lively and attractive.

We ate an excellent chicken pita ($4 each) in a small snack open 24 hours around the corner. We then wandered through the illuminated and teeming streets of life before returning wisely to our hostel.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12

EL NIDO

We started the day with a good latte accompanied by buns, sitting in the shade on our small bamboo gallery. We then went on an excursion for the day. A woman from the agency picked us up from the hostel. Claude and I each rented a pair of beach shoes ($2.50CAD a pair). Our group was formed on the beach: 13 tourists (2 Japanese, 1 South African, 1 Chinese, 4 Filipinos, 3 Belgians, Claude and I), 1 guide, 1 captain and 2 sailors. We walked in the water, through the rocks, to go to the trimaran. I had to carry my backpack over my head so I wouldn’t wet it. Five stops were planned for the day.

1st stop: Big Lagoon. The optional kayak rental to get to the lagoon (250PhP or $6.50 CAD). Claude and I preferred to go swimming with our snorkeling equipment. We saw some fish and corals but nothing exceptional. What was beautiful was swimming in the blue waters of the lagoon, surrounded by the high and impressive karst formations. Wow!

2^nd stop: Secret Lagoon or Hidden Lagoon at Miniloc Island. We went back to two open-air caves. The corals in pink hues and red wine are sublime! We swam to the small beach of the island to discover other karst formations directly on the beach but also on the horizon.

3rd stop: Small beach on the island of Entatula. From the trimaran bridge, we jumped into the water and swam through the big corals and rocks to get to the beach. We waited for our guide’s signal to get back on board the trimaran. A delicious dinner was waiting for us. On the menu: grilled fish, pork, chicken, mussels, shrimp, rice, two vegetable salads and tropical fruits for dessert. This meal was among our best meals in the Philippines.

4th stop: Snorkeling at another location on the island of Entatula. There were few fish until we came across a school of big fish. How impressive it was to see them so grouped together! There must have been a hundred of them: beiges, blacks and multicolored. We followed the bench for about 15 minutes before almost reluctantly returning to our boat. We saw some beautiful big corals, but they weren’t as amazing as at Apo Island and Dauin on Negros Island.

5th stop: Seven Commando Island. The beach is great! We had a coffee, sitting in a small shelter designed for picnicking, chatting with the two Japanese women and then with the Chinese and her South African boyfriend. I walked to one end of the beach, swung and watched the beach volleyball players with Claude.

At 4pm we were back at our hostel. We relaxed before going out to dinner. We opted for a cheeseburger, sitting at the beach restaurant at the Marygold Beachfront Inn. We arrived in time to see the dusk. After our meal, we walked the streets just as busy as the day before. We stopped at the bakery in anticipation of our next day’s lunch and, a little further on, we took a look at the tables of the popular gambling.

MONDAY, JANUARY 13

EL NIDO

We had lunch of buns and coffee and left for the day on a scooter ($10 CAD). We took the road north to see Lia Beach. We had a crush on this beautiful beach with soft white sand. The place is quiet. It is frequented mainly by tourists from the few luxury hotels in the area. Access to the beach is free. There are a few restaurants and shops, but prices are very high. We walked to the end of the long pier to better appreciate the karst formations in the background. We bathed in the beautiful waves under a radiant sun.

We left on the scooter to go to Nacpan beach, renowned as the most beautiful in El Nido. The sign indicating the path is not obvious to see from the main road and you have to be careful not to pass straight. (That’s what happened to us! We had to turn around, lengthening by 6 km.) The last 3.5km are on a small, dusty sandy road. You also have to cross a large puddle of muddy water and pass through a small village very poor. One wonders if this is the right way and suddenly, we see the parking lot of the beach, filled with scooters. What was not our surprise to discover a large and beautiful beach with turquoise waters and golden and soft sand! It was amazing how this beach is frequented by a large number of tourists but the road to get there is pretty bad!

We dined at one of the restaurants on the beach. I ordered a chop suey with rice. How tasty my vegetables were!

We bathed a lot in the big waves. What a pleasure we had! This beach was our favorite of the day! We lay directly in the sand, but it would have been possible to rent chairs and umbrellas for 400PhP for the day ($10 CAD).

A beach bartender told us how to get to Duli Beach, ideal for surfers. Curious to discover this other beach, we left by scooter. We could see beautiful country landscapes with green rice paddies and buffaloes lodging in the marshes. After a few kilometers, the cement road gave way to a soft, bumpy sandy road. We arrived in a fishing village where people live very poorly in their houses on stilts. We went through elementary and secondary schools to the fishermen’s wharf. We then realized that we had not taken the right path. So, we crossed the village again and, at the fork, took the other path. This one was steep and on soft sand. Up the coast, you would have had to go down to the sea to get to the famous Duli beach. As the rear brakes were not working well, we decided not to venture into this daredevil path. So, we turned around. To give Claude a chance, I got off the scooter and walked down the coast. Claude was following me from behind with the scooter but, despite his extreme caution during his descent, the machine skidded, and my poor Claude got stuck under it. I ran to take him out of his unfortunate position. A young man came to help me straighten the scooter. Claude was bloodied, covered in dust and with the shirt torn in two places. He sheared his right elbow, right leg and both ankles. The man took us to his house. He invited Claude to wash and disinfect his wounds. Five other men came to assist us. One of them went to get some string to temporarily secure the plastic plate that had detached under the engine. What a beautiful spirit of mutual aid!

Back at our hut, Claude showered to remove the blood and dust embedded in his open wounds. For the first time on the trip, we used our first aid kit. I helped my good friend heal his wounds. I went to get some pitas for dinner. In the evening, I went out for the first time to go and buy big bandages at the pharmacy and I went out to pick up lunch at a small grocery store. I took the opportunity to shop a little at the night market. I fell for bermuda pants and a multicolored headband.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14

EL NIDO – PUERTO PRINCESA – MANILLE

Claude managed to sleep despite the sharp pain of his open wounds. In the early morning, we changed his dressings before greeting our lovely guests and going on a motorized tricycle to the transport terminal. While waiting for our van to arrive, I went to buy some oranges and bananas at the local market around the corner. The el Nido to Puerto Princesa journey lasted six long hours. Claude was comfortably seated to the right of the driver, the privilege of an injured man! But what a torment for me! I suffered from the heat, sitting next to the window in the center of the vehicle. The air conditioning didn’t turn itself in to me and the sun was shining on my poor, sweaty body, triggering repeated hot flashes. I couldn’t toughen myself! I would have screamed my discomfort, but a little embarrassment held me to do so. (I’m barely exaggerating!)

The halfway stop gave us a little respite. Sitting at the restaurant with a beautiful view of the sea, Claude and I shared chicken, rice and sautéed vegetables.

We were 14 passengers brewing like maracas on the winding road all the way through the kilometers. How trying this trip has been! I arrived at the airport in Puerto Princesa with an unpleasant migraine. (Ah no, not yet a damn migraine!) Our plane was three hours late. So, we had a long wait. I took the opportunity to get a massage (250PhP or $6.50 CAD for 30 minutes). The little masseuse was strong and energetic. She massaged my back, buttocks, neck, head, arms and hands. The pressure of her elbow in the shoulder area was particularly painful but she seemed to know what she was doing. She looked mysterious and impenetrable with her mask on her mouth and nose and her opaque dark glasses. I wish she had told me about my points in the back, but she was very little voluble! So, I left with my little happiness.

My migraine had subsided, so I went to dinner with Claude upstairs. My pasta carbonara was delicious. I then rusted, lying on the metal benches and head on Claude’s thigh. This little nap really did me good; When I woke up, I noticed with relief that my migraine had gone away! On board the Boeing, I slept again. Our plane landed in Manila at 11:30pm. We left in Grab Taxi for our hotel, the Lourdes Inn in the chic and secure Paranaque area, 2km from the airport. We quickly changed Claude’s dressings before falling into a deep sleep. We only had five short hours to sleep and refuel.

Here ends our wonderful month of adventures in the Philippines, country of a thousand islands and sun and kind and helpful people. Our world tour continues! See more in the next article: « Myanmar 2020. »