Off To Palawan

The weather couldn’t be more inclement, and its timing sucks.  But come hell or high water, me and some folks would be hauling our behinds for some much needed R&R to the country’s last frontier– if you can believe that press release the guys from WOW! Philippines bombard wannabe tourists.  I am inclined to believe that it is despite my utter disgust for these bureaucrats who promote these tourist spots and yet leave the locals to fend for themselves or if they do a little something to help they’re not gonna let anyone forget about their contribution.  And how could anyone fail to notice, what with their names plastered all over whatever ‘improvement’ they’ve done to a place.

But now’s not the time to be thinking about nasty things, I’m sure in the grand scheme of things these folks would have a very special place in that not so very touristy spot in the great beyond.  One that smells of sulphur and brimstone.

This trip has burned enough holes in my pocket willingly and unwillingly.  I wouldn’t elaborate on the involuntary part as it would be a sob story that you can’t sell to the most diehard of Judy Ann Santos fans.  What’s done is done and I could just imagine that those bills fell out and some crocodile gobbled it up.  Still I’m glad that this is happening.  The last time I was there, I was confined to the scanty pleasures of Puerto Princesa.  Not that you would call the natural wonder of the underground river as flimsy but for a guy with serious claustrophobic tendencies, it’s a bloody deathtrap.  All the time I was inside that cave, I couldn’t stop thinking that it would indeed be a watery grave had we not come out of it sooner.  I couldn’t breath in there!  That’s why I couldn’t share my companions’ excitement about the prospect of seeing this much ballyhooed natural wonder.  I am not going back into that hell hole, thank you very much.

The thought about island hopping in the El Nido area however makes me dizzy from excitement.  I have already spent precious company hours searching each mentioned mini-island we will be visiting and by gosh they look perfect! I’ll be bringing my camera and shoot the hell out of those spots.

Oh well, this has gone long enough and I’m bloody late.