Palawan is largely undeveloped and still has a very strong cultural identity. From the traditional life styles of the peoples, to the expanses of untouched flora & fauna, the island guards its natural beauty & history from the corruption and complications of western life. This was apparent to me the moment I stepped off the plane. I stepped into a wall of warm and humid sunshine, and I squinted out at the ocean, which was blinding in the afternoon sun. Then I wondered why the hell I chose to wear jeans in island paradise. (Later, when I put on shorts, I remembered why: mosquitoes.)My hotel was lovely. I walked to the reception desk to a chorus of, "Hello Mam!", "How are you Mam?", "Can I help you Mam?" and other such variations. I always associate "Mam" with lady cops (I have no idea why) and I'm really not accustomed to so much fawning attention. It was... weird? Unnerving? Later, it got to the point where I'd actually race to my room to avoid hearing any greetings or questions of assistance followed by Mam. Silly I know, but it's weird.
Anyway, unlike the gorgeous & lovely Sunday, I was a not-gorgeous and not-lovely zombie. I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and was paying the price. But I sucked it up, downed two cups of coffee, which for my caffeine-sensitive system is enough for a month of wakefulness for your average person, and went exploring. I walked along the main road and then wandered in the smaller side streets seeking shade (Nerd alert: alliteration!). I was walking in a ghost town, which was initially a bit alarming but then I remembered that 1. it was Sunday and 2. it was the Philippines. Sure enough, when I walked to the main church, I found most of the city crammed into its pews and overflowing into the surrounding yard area. I like church in the Philippines. It's more of a happy celebration than a solemn, sullen ceremony. I also walked along the ocean. As a non-swimmer, it really doesn't make sense that I love the ocean so much, but I do and always have. The water was so clear and I could see through it to the bottom. It being a Sunday afternoon, I didn't expect to see any fishing boats out at work and sure enough they were all anchored at the pier down the way, swaying and creaking peacefully. As the day turned to night, the pier and the bay started to awake from it's religious quietness, and people started filling the area- shy grade school couples awkwardly holding hands, moms gossiping under umbrellas, families eating packed dinners on rock ledges. I like the life here. It's energetic and lively, but not overly so. It's a peaceful energy, calm and simple and content.
The next day I went with a tour group to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, near the small town of Sabang. The underground river is Palawan's pride and joy. It's currently one of 28 finalists for the "New Seven Wonders of Nature" competition. And for good reason. To get there, we took a 2 hour van ride, which was lovely. I've always loved long car rides, especially on open roads and through country sides. We passed through rice fields and I thought fondly of Vietnam. The houses were quaint and traditionally built of bamboo, elevated on bamboo stilts and windowless, with woven walls and thatched roofs. Laundry lines decorated the front lawns, but with not a lot of drying action, as it had started to rain during the later morning.We arrived in Sabang at a beach front. Looking through coconut tree trunks & past the many boats resting on the sand, I spied more of that beautiful ocean winking at me. In the distance I could see the outlines of lush, nearby islands, as well as a stormy curtain of rain creeping slowly but surely in our direction. We hopped onto motorboats (literally in my case) and sped off to the National Park. En route, the storm caught up with us. I watched the droplets on the ocean surface and thought it looked like the rain was tickling the ocean, and that the waves and currents were the ocean's ticklish squirms. It got a bit violent at one point and, well, let's just say it was pretty terrifying. But! We finally made it ashore in one piece. I was soaked through and a bit shaken up, but in one piece.
After a brief walk through beach-jungle (I geekily thought of Lost. I can see you shamefully shaking your head at me) we came to the entrance of the underground river. In small rowboats and equipped with a blindingly bright flashlight, hard hats and life vests, we looked pretty sexy. It was pitch black save for our beam of light, which reflected off the water, the limestone formations and the occasional bat. The guide kept cracking jokes about Batman and Robin, averaging about one a minute. I was impressed. I was most impressed, though, by a section of the cave nicknamed The Cathedral. All of a sudden, the low hanging rocks and stalactites gave way to a high dome. Shining the light at the highest peak, the top looked like a rose window or a grand chandelier filling the ceiling, with rock structures and formations reaching up towards it like statues of angels. I'd never seen anything like it (and neither have the bats! Geddit? Geddit??) Visually, it was obvious as to why this area was nicknamed as such, but there was a certain holy and sacred quality to it as well. We lunched and leisure-ed afterward back on the shores of Sabang. I ate with two very friendly Japanese girls and a Canadian boy who were traveling together. (And this was after being asked to join a group of Filipinos who were also on our tour. I felt like the new girl at school in the lunch cafeteria!) It was amazing though- already, just a day into my visit, I had met more nice people in Palawan than I had during my entire trip in China. Filipinos and people who visit the Philippines, at least the ones that I've met, have all, without exception, been super nice, the nicest, always smiling and laughing and eager to meet you. They're all lovely, lovely people. So lunch was a fun and chatty affair. I spent the rest of our time there walking along the beach. The water was delightfully warm after getting soaked in the freezing rain. Looking south I could see patches of rain once again tickling the ocean. Looking north I could see the sun peeking through gaps in the clouds. I stood at some strange point in between and I admired the transitional gradient of weather and colors.
And I'm getting sleepy. To be continued tomorrow!
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