Prelude to the Palawan

It is our second day here in El Nido. I am still in awe at the scenery, but then again, I may forever be in awe. The first two days were spent in the non-place, otherwise known as the airport. I never like to be in a non-place for too long of a time. A place apart from the rest of the world, the normality, a place that can land you backwards or forwards in time, a place with no religion, no nationality. Can we really call it a place?  Our travel to Taipei, Taiwan took 18 hours and I think I slept almost the whole time, waking up when the food cart came by. We had noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Thank you, China Air.

From Taipei we flew to Manila where we acquired our visas (my first stamp!)  This allows us to stay in the Philippines until April. In April we will have to make a visa run to Puerto Princessa where we will extend our stay until June. From Manila we flew to Puerto Princessa. It was such an accomplished feeling to be so close to our end place. The clouds looked like soft, cottony icebergs. Nothing like I had seen before. The sky almost looked like it could have been inhabited by a polar bear or two, maybe stuffed ones though.

Our night in Puerto Princessa was the first time in our trip where we said to ourselves we are living the dream . The hotel was just beautiful! Our room was spacious with a nice bathroom, comparatively speaking. (We actually had an enclosed shower rather than one room where a toilet and shower our adjacent to each other and there is no separation. It is a different way to go about cleaning yourself but it wasn't difficult to get used to. I still wish there could be hot water. I'm a sucker for the steam). The young lady managing Flora Villarosa was very hospitable. She greeted us with delicious teas that Tyler managed to have sucked down before I took my second sip. After a much (emphasis on much) needed shower, we called for a tuk-tuk (here they call it tri-see) and headed to town where we had dinner at a local bar&grill. We ate a kilo of garlic chili crab, a good portion of garlic rice, a pina colada, two beers and a shot of Jim Beam for 1100 peso or 23 bucks.

 

The next morning the jet lag woke us up at 6:30 a.m. so we got up and ready, chatted with our families, and ate a Filipino breakfast which consisted of two fried eggs, fried fish (sodium overload), rice and coffee. Around 9:30 a van came and picked us up and we started making our way to El Nido which was a 6 hour van ride including a stop for lunch in a city north of the island but south of El Nido called Tay Tay. Where we ate had very ethnic food. Ethnic like an entire cooked fish, head, eyes, skin, the whole shebang, ready for you to purchase from the buffet and chow down on. I stuck to a banana and Gatorade for that little stop. 

The children and women in that central location shone jewlery at us, held it up to us after we had told them no countless times, the point to where it began to make me a little uncomfortable. They begged us for money, something to drink, anything. Tyler gave a little girl a couple of pesos and I shared my drink and banana with a young boy. No matter how many times you see it, it will always crush your spirit.

When we were settling back in the van, the kids climbed up on the van, knocking on the windows and such. There was a little girl on my end who peeked through the window and just looked at me. I looked back at her as so many thoughts traveled through my head. Where is her mother? Her father? Is she in school? Is she happy? Does she dream about who she wants to become and a family she someday might have? How hungry is she?
 

As the van started to move again and her and I began gaining distance I blew her a quick kiss and she smiled at me, waving.

 

We came to Ricgem place, where we reserved a place in El Nido, and checked in around four, leaving soon after we set our belongings in the room. As I mentioned, this place was much more efficient. Electricity runs from 6 a.m. till 2 p.m., the bathroom is one in the same, etc.

 

We walked into town and started to get a feel for the place. The streets do not have street names but one road always leads to another and we soon found our footing. We have three nights in our hotel and knew we needed to ensure a permanent living so we hit the ground running with that. Neither of us thought we would have so much difficulty. It was explained to us that since we are in the high season and tourism is at it's prime, places are wanting to charge a nightly rate rather than a monthly rate in order to maximize their profits. We stopped for some Chilean empanada from a Latino lady who was selling them on the streets, ate them in a matter of seconds, and bought a round two before leaving the bay and heading to Calaan which is about a fifteen-twenty minute walk from the city. We were told we may find some luck with permanent housing out there. We stopped at every place that did not have "no vacancy" sign posted on the fence. We were turned down again and again but were extended some advice along the way. After doing this for a while, we gave up for the night and started to head back. On our way home, Tyler noticed a place he thought we had missed the first time around. I figured it was worth a shot so we headed down the dirt road only to stumble upon a group of Filipino men having beers. There have been several times in our travel so far where I have noticed the way Tyler and I compliment each other because we do things differently. I smile often, come in softly, move fluidly, take my time with the movements of the conversation. Tyler comes in hot. "Do you have vacancy," he asks the others while I am behind him with prayer-like hands pleading to them politely. The owner of the place, Amil, told Tyler he did have a room but the rent was 15,000 pesos or $315.00 a month, well out of our price range. We attempted to talk down the price but realized quickly they had already been drinking for quite some time so instead I asked if we could sit. They welcomed us with an empty glass to fill with beer. And the night began.
 

 Their names were Neil, Mark, Amil, and Papa. They greeted us warmly with laughter and conversation, asking us what we were doing here and where we had come from. About ten minutes into our talking Tyler through out Simon's name, the guy we came here for Tyler to learn from and work for. Amil perked up at the name saying "NOOOO SHIIIIITTTTTTT!!!! He is my frieeeeennnddd!!" Something like that. Our reaction was "wait what???"

It turns out that Simon and Pauline lived in the same bungalow we are staying in now when they first came to El Nido.

It's crazy how things work out, the coincidences that often times are not coincidence but maybe more purposeful, more astounding than we care to acknowledge at the time.
 

 

 
 
It has been a few days since I have been able to write. We are still in hot pursuit of a permanent home. We rented a motor bike for two days to cover more ground. I was rather upset when we had to return it; I loved being on the back of the bike, taking in the scenery, squeezing Tyler until it annoyed him. We found a few possibilities but have not committed to any, hoping we can still work out a sweeter deal with Amil's mother. In the meantime I have conquered my first battle with dehydration. Or did it conquer me? It's hard to say with something like that but to say in the least it is a miserable feeling and I am now drinking my water till my belly sticks out.