Palawan, Palawan, Palawan – what a respite from Manila. Here one can relax and enjoy life at a more leisurely pace. The hostel we are staying at is by no means a resort, but it is comfortable, clean and fits the bill for a place to go to after a long day. And today was a long exciting day. After breakfast we went to the Rotary project of RC Puerta Princesa Central. The have established a program for young children, especially those who are not the at the correct size and weight for their age. They are feeding them and making sure that their basic medical needs are met. Medical needs include vaccinations and believe it or not, worming.
After seeing the kids and listening to them sing a song for us we went to Honda Bay. Our Rotarian guide, Edith, arranged for a boat and we rented snorkeling equipment, put on lots of sunblock and prepared for another great adventure. Our itinerary was to be some island hopping in Honda Bay. Our boat was of the same type we used in Lake Taal, a double outrigger motorboat with a crew of three. Unlike in Lake Taal, this crew had to work. At times they even jumped into the water to make sure our boat didn’t hit another boat. Our first stop was Starfish Island. We pulled up on to the beach where we found some Nipa Huts, basically an open bamboo hut with a thatch roof, that would protect us from the sun. Then down the beach and into the water to swim out to the coral reef and watch the fish. There were some interesting sights and fish and we had a good time. Back on the beach lunch was ready. A typical Filipino lunch with rice, chicken, fish and beef along with some other goodies. After lunch some rest and then back into the boat to another area and what amounted to a floating Nipa Hut. After tying up there we swam over to another reef which was magnificent. This reef was very health compared to the first one. It was teaming with fish and an amazing array of corals. I saw an Angel fish that had to have been at least 12 inches across. There were anemones and all sorts of fish. For little while I was swimming with a school of blue and yellow fish. Unfortunately, it was a very windy day and the bay was rough, so the water was not as clear as it could have been. Nonetheless it was great.
For dinner we went to a restaurant called KaLui. They served only fish and our dinner consisted of seven different fishes. There was clear soup with clams, cooked tuna, inked squid, cuttlefish, eel in coconut milk, lobster, and raw tuna with a soy-wasabi sauce. After dinner we were off to a local bar for some more beers and pool. Then in the middle of the pool game all of the lights in the place and the whole town went out. Not to worry, in Palawan they were participating in the Earth Hour observance where everyone in the world is supposed to turn off their lights for 1 hour at 8:30 PM on March 27. And so we continued playing pool by candlelight. Another very different experience here in the Philippines.
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