Surviving the Trip to Caramoan

Going to Bicol, we took the Philtranco bus at the Pasay Station. Our trip was scheduled at 8:00pm of the 4th day of April. Since there were some road improvements going on in some provinces like Quezon, we arrived at Naga City bus terminal station at exactly 7:00 am. (3 hours late, super sakit sa p*et!) After having our breakfast and booked a trip to Manila, we headed to the Filcab terminal which can be found accross SM Naga. The bus terminal is located behind the mall. So going to Filcab terminal from the bus terminal was a just a few steps away.:)

Naga City Bus Terminal

There were many passengers going to Sabang that time but there were only a few vans. MIL decided that we take a taxi instead so that we would be able to catch the last trip at 1pm. The taxi driver of a Revo we found in front of SM City, charged us P1500 for the trip. But if we would base on his meter, it should have only cost us P750. 😀 We reached Sabang at around 11:30am, that was just an an hour and a half of travel.

Sabang Port

Hubby and I looked for the registration area but what we only found was a long queue of people at the back of the Filcab terminal. There was a man who was manning the registration. The schedule of trips to Guijalo Port had been changed due to the big number of passengers at that time. But the regular schedules are as follows: 5:30 am, 7 am, 9am, 11 am and 2pm. I never thought that many people would also spend their Holy Week in Caramoan. 😀 After spending around 20 minutes of queueing, we were able to list our names and got the paper tickets. FINALLY! All we have to do was to wait for the boat “HARRY IV”. For how long, no one knew….

Hubby queueing for the registration

Passengers queueing for boarding ;D

Manong Porter; the man in black

If you want to have a good seat on the boat, let Manong Porter take your bags to the boat. The porters save seats for passengers too. It’s up to you how much tip would you give him. 🙂 All of them were nice and accommodating.

The floating boat

On 2010, passengers were being carried by the porters on their shoulders during low tide. But since last year, there were some men who made a floating boat (I am not that sure if that’s how they call it) that could transport the passengers to the boat. Each passenger needs to pay P10 for that service, to those men in red. Out of curiosity, I asked them why there’s only one. According to them, making that thing had cost them P60,000. Yep, because those pvc drums used as floaters were kinda expensive.

Men in red

The place is secured and safe: Soldiers nearby

Now ready for boarding

life jackets on boat

We left Sabang Port at around past one. Another 2 hour trip on the boat to Guijalo Port. Gosh! Pudpod na wetlocks ko! Imagine, going to Caramoan was like a “penitensya” already. 🙂 Manila to Naga by bus: 11 hours, Naga  to Sabang: 1 1/2 hours, Sabang  to Guijalo Port: 2 hours, Guijalo Port to Caramoan town proper: 20-30 minutes. Should this be considered as Visita Iglesia?! 😀

On our way to Guijalo Port from Sabang Port

Who wouldn’t get sleepy in a two hour boat ride?! Parang duyan lang eh. 😉 There’s nothing much to see aside from the grassy mountains on the left side (looks like NZ right?) and endless body of water on the right side. We were so thankful that the waves were kinda good to us. The ocean was calm on our way to Guijalo Port.

Docking at Guijalo Port

at the Guijalo Port

Upon reaching the place, you have to pay P5/pax environmental fee to the staff that can be found at the Caramoan Feeder Port Area. We were picked up by Kuya Allan, the owner of Caramoan Bed & Dine, by his non airconditoned old toyota fx. He charged us P300. But you can rent a trike to the town proper for a P150. It took us around 20-30 minutes of reaching the town proper. Finally, after a very loooong trip, we can now relax and have some rest!

Caramoan Town Proper

Caramoan Bed & Dine

We checked in at Caramoan Bed & Dine’s Pension House. Aside from the Pension House, rooms are also available here which are quite affordable. After we had our late lunch, we took a short walk and bought some stuff. MIL and SIL bought fruits at the nearby market while hubby and I bought fried isaw along the street and some ice cramble… 🙂 Super solved. We also went to the Caramoan church, the Parish Church of St. Michael the Archangel. This church was put up by the Franciscan missionaries who wanted to spread the good news in the late 16th century. The church has a mezanine where in the public can go to and see the wonderful view of Caramoan Peninsula, which we were not able to do. Next time, we’ll give it a try… 😀

St. Michael The Archangel Parish

Camsur Escapade on Holy Week

Since SIL will be home this Holy Week and decided that Camsur would be our next destination, I made a research about it. None of us has been there yet, meaning… no tour guides. 🙂 So I thought that reading would at least help us in some ways. Our initial plan was to go there by plane, actually we already booked last year, but Zestair cancelled all of their flights to Naga for an unknown reason at all. Maybe you already know how it feels like huh… 😦

Of course, Caramoan shouldn’t be missed! 🙂 After having some research, I made a tentative itinerary for 6 days. Mahaba ba? 😉 Well, I am not sure if it could be strictly followed… but I guess having this on hand would be a great help to all of us to keep track our schedule. So far, this is what I had showed to SIL and MIL:

Day 1 :

Arrival in Naga
Hotel Check in

Day 2:

(am) Donsol, Sorsogon: Whale Shark Watching/Interaction
(pm) Legazpi: Embarcadero Lighthouse Viewdeck + Daraga: Cagsawa Ruins

Day 3:

Going to Caramoan
Island Hopping Tour

Day 4:

Caramoan Island Hopping/
Shrine of our Lady of Peace
Hardcore Caving at Culapnit Cave

Day 5:

Going Back to Naga
Wakeboarding/ Daytour at CWC
Buy Pasalubong

Day 6:

Departure to Manila

I already checked for the rates of the activities included in our itinerary. It’s all based on the blogs I had read which were posted on 2010. Well, there might have been some changes now but at least it would serve as a guide right?

Whale Shark Interaction:
Admission – P100/pax
Boat – P3500/group (max of

Caramoan Island Hopping:
4 islands – P1500 (magkakalayo daw ang mga islands)
additional island – P500
8 islands – P3500

Hardcore Caving:
Fee – P20/person
tricycle fare to the cave & back – P200
tour guide fee – P200
use of gas lamp – P250
tip to cave exploring assistants – P40/person

MIL had our reservation at Caramoan Bed & Dine. I haven’t found any reviews about this place though. But if you’re looking for other accommodations in Caramoan, check this site.

And what awaits us this Holy Week? Oh my…. these photos were like talking to me! XD

whale shark watching

Embarcadero Lighthouse Viewdeck

Cagsawa Ruins

Caramoan Islands

Grotto of Mother of Peace

Kulapnit Cave

Wakeboarding at CWC

Based on what I had read, most of the beaches near Gota beach will be closed for the shooting of Survivor. So, do you think we would be able to see the true beauty of Caramoan if it is prohibited to the Filipinos? Strange isn’t it? Filipinos are prohibited to set foot on his own land. Tsk tsk tsk…. It’s not only for a year but for so many years. 😦 Should we need a dialogue to the Camsur government?

off limits??

Cebu City Tour in One Day

Oh, it’s been a while since my last post…. Quite busy with so many things. But hey, got another one about our last trip. :))

Since I wanted to surprise hubby with a different way of celebrating his birthday, I booked a flight several months ago without him knowing. A few days before his birthday, I decided to let the cat out of the bag so that he can file a leave of absence before our flight. He was kinda “surprised” and “speechless” when he learned about that. YES! 🙂

We headed to Cebu with no hotel in mind to go. That was the first time we went out of town and did not bother to book a hotel. I was too confident that we can find one. So upon reaching Mactan, we decided to drop by Mactan Shrine. I cannot remember how many rides we had taken. From the airport, we took the blue cab with the “Merkado” signboard. Then took another jeepney with the “Punta Engano” signboard. Going to Mactan Shrine was a very long ride. Tip: Ask the driver to drop you off at the Mactan Shrine. It’s before Shangrila Mactan resort.

From the shrine, we rode another jeepney with the “Highway” signboard. Then we asked the driver to drop us off where we could take a jeepney to Cebu. We were instructed then to take a jeepney with “Colon J’ signboard. Wrong jeepney… I thought any COLON signboard would take us to Colon Street. Of course, I was wrong. 😦 Their jeepney routes were quite confusing, most especially to first timers like us. Tsk tsk tsk…

We were able to reach Colon Street. As we were trying to look for Ms Sherry Pension House, the hostel where I was planning to book for, we found Mercedes Hotel. Because of the creepy look of the Pension House, we opted to stay at Mercedes Hotel though it was quite pricey compared to the other one. No regrets! :)) Soon after getting enough rest, we started our walking tour through the help of the map I copied from google map. 🙂

Mactan Shrine

Lapu Lapu Monument

Mactan Shrine Tablet

Heritage of Cebu

Lapu Lapu and his men (Heritage of Cebu)

Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House (P100 entrance fee)

The pricey entrance fee stopped us from getting in. 🙂 Nothing much to see aside from old furniture and stuff that can be seen from the opened door. We opted to take a peek at the Casa Gorordo Museum. Oh boy, no photography allowed. The house was great, old stuff used from the past was preserved with care, from the dining wares to the wooden beds. One of the things I learned: Guests of the family were not allowed to get inside the house, they can only stay at the living room near the house entrance.

Casa Gorordo Museum facade

Casa Gorordo Museum (P40 Entrance Fee)

Entrance of Fort San Pedro (P40 Entrance Fee)

Fort San Pedro

Inside Fort San Pedro

Magellan’s Cross

This was where I had fun the most. Colorful candles have meanings according to their color. And manangs wearing yellow blouse and red skirt will dance as they pray for you. You have the choice not to leave the candles. It can be brought inside the Basilica or can be brought at home. Take your pick! Candles were not being lighted here because all of the candles here are being offered in the church, where these candles will all be lighted. 🙂 Manangs here were also approachable. For a souvenir pic, we approached the manang who danced for me to take a picture of us. She’s so kind to do so. :))

Colorful Candles (with meaning) at P10 each.

Basilica of Sto. Nino

The Original Sto. Nino Image

Pilgrim Center (P10 Entrance Fee; No Photography)

Mambukal Resort in Murcia

On the third day of our stay in Bacolod, we went to Murcia hoping to have an enjoyable day at Mambukal Resort. From Lacson Street, we toook a Mandalagan – Libertad jeepney in going to the public market where we can take the bus heading to Mambukal Resort. We were told to wait at the bus terminal but not a single bus to Mambukal had come. Buses to Murcia were just passing by the public market. Upon seeing one, we hurriedly hopped in at the small mini bus. Fare was P35/head. It took us two long hours in reaching the resort. But on our way to Murcia, we had seen big sugarcane fields. For fear of losing my camera, I did not mind taking snapshots of the magnificent views. Murcia also has beautiful churches… People were simple as well as their way of life.

Mambukal Resort

The bus stopped at the entrance of the resort. They have a terminal outside the resort that’s why going back to Bacolod won’t be a problem at all. As we entered the resort, an entrance fee of P50/adult and P40/kid was paid at the booth near the gate. Going to the pool as well as to the other amenities of the resort was quite a long walk from the entrance. But the view won’t make you feel tired.

our group pic 🙂

two pathways… taking the left side was better.

Mambukal Resort Rates

river

There were only a few people we had seen at the resort at around half past eight in the morning.  After our breakfast, we headed to the swimming pools. There were only three swimming pools in the resort, one of them was a sulfur pool. A pool which I think is best for the oldies for they can relax in the pool. I would like to try dipping in that pool but my hubby as well as the kids love to dip in the regular pool. 😥 Not that bad because the regular pool was the biggest among the three and it is divided into two parts, one for the kiddos and the other side for the adults. Wearing of swimming attire should be strictly followed. Even putting on see through blouses are not allowed. We had enjoyed swimming in the pool with no other people. During our stay, the pool was all ours! 😀 Soon after we got tired, we left the resort and did not bother to climb and see the popular falls of the resort. We were not sure how long the weather would be nice to us and we didn’t like to encounter any problem at all. It was drizzling that time and the steps to the top might be slippery. My sister would like to try the zipline before we leave but according to one of the staff of the resort, using other amenities of the resort during weekdays needs appointment. Boooo!

kainan sa Mambukal

one of the rooms at Mambukal Resort

vendors selling ornamental and flowering plants

Spa at Mambukal Resort

sulfur pool

shower room and covered area

river

big swimming pool

The Ruins in Talisay City

We wanted to explore other places in Silay but decided to leave the soonest because it rained as we started to leave Balay Negrense. Since The Ruins is in Talisay, we hoped that it was not raining there. Along Rizal Street, we took a jeepney to Bacolod and got off at Pepsi Plant. The fare was P15/pax. After crossing the street, we then again took another jeepney across Pepsi Plant and asked the driver to drop us of at Rose Lawn Memorial Garden where the terminal of tricycles to The Ruins can be found. If only we had known that it was not that far, we would walk our way to the terminal…. seriously speaking! 🙂 Then we took a tricycle where Manong asked us to pay P70 for one way. I was trying to haggle but hubby insisted not to. We were eight, 4 adults and 4 kids. Instead of picking us up after two hours, he just waited for us outside. So we paid P140 for the round trip. Don’t dare t walk your way to The Ruins because it was so far from the terminal. Around 15-20 minutes by taking the trike.

The Ruins, Talisay City (c% hubby)

the tower (c% hubby)

After paying the entrance fee of P40 for adults and P20 for kids, we found ourselves enchanted by the fountain in the pond. The kids enjoyed watching the koi fish swimming back and forth to them as the kids tried to feed them with some barquillos. From there, the whole view of the area can be seen where you would truly begin to appreciate its beauty even if you haven’t seen the interior.

koi fish in the pond

the fountain and the pond

Inside the Ruins, we can’t help not to admire its beauty though it was been burnt thrice by the USAFFE and Filipino guerillas during the Japanese regime. According to Mars, the guide who took all of our group shots, The Ruins was built by Don Mariano Ledesma, a sugar baron, (look alike of JP Rizal) for his first wife, Maria Braga Lacson. The mansion was the largest residential structure ever built at that time and had in it one of the finest furniture, chinaware, and decorative items from Europe and Asia. Being the largest structure, it was said that the Japanese soldiers were planning to make Don Mariano’s mansion into their headquarters that’s why it was burnt down by the guerillas and USAFFE. It took three days before the roof and the 2 inch wooden floor got burned completely.

inside The Ruins

dining area near the main entrance

dining area near the kitchen

house entrance exclusively for Don Mariano’s children

It was abandoned for so many years until one of the great grandchildren of Don Mariano inherited the land where The Ruins sits. He then developed it, fixed the surroundings and put up a cafe where different kinds of food are being to served to the guests. They even cater to wedding events too only at The Ruins. It is great to be at The Ruins during sunset for it changes colors as the sun hits the walls. Too bad we can’t stay there for so long…. Below are some of the shots taken by Mars, our guide. Since he had taken wonderful shots, we handed him a tip. 😉

the mini-museum 🙂

edited?! ~nope~ the coolest effect ever! 🙂

just peeking!

The Ruins opened its doors to locals and tourists on 2008. In 4 years, it became the top destination in Negros and became popular to many. The owner is continuously developing the area. In fact, a mini-golf area has been added to the site. And I know, a few months from now, new stuff will soon be added to attract tourists. This was the best place that I have ever been in Bacolod.

a magnificent view from afar

Walking Tour in Silay, Negros Occidental

I was awakened early in the morning by the heavy downpour outside. How can we go to Silay on a rainy day? I was so happy when we woke up at 6am with no rain shower at all. 🙂 After breakfast, which was provided by the pension house: coffee and bread, we went to Lacson Street and took a Liberatad-Bata jeepney in going to Robsinson’s Mall. From there, we took another jeepney with “Silay” signboard and paid P15/pax. Upon seeing the church in Silay, we got off the jeepney and went inside to whisper some prayers.

San Diego Pro-Cathedral Signage

             San Diego Pro-Cathedral (side view)

San Diego Pro-Cathedral (front view)

Inside the Cathedral

San Diego Pro-Cathedral has an amazing structure that continually makes every visitor amazed and appreciates the beauty of the church. It’s interior would make you think of churches in Rome. Why? Pulpits can still be seen inside the church, the place where Spanish priests used to give sermon in the past.

Kapehang Silay

Across the church is the Kapehan of Silay. It is a small coffee and bread shop with a television but no aircon. According to some blogs that I read, you can taste Silay’s brewed coffee here for P10/cup only. If you are a coffee lover and ready to mingle with different kinds of people, you can try Silay’s brewed coffee here. When we got hungry, we tried to see if we can have our snacks there but when we got inside, most of the tables were fully occupied by smokers. How can we enjoy sipping our coffee in a place where our health would be at risk? But without those smokers, we would surely taste Silay’s coffee.

Green gate ~ entrance to Emma Lacson‘s kitchen

From there, we crossed the street and headed to look for Emma Lacson’s shop. We asked around but it seemed that not all of Negrense knew Emma Lacson until we found one trike driver who showed us the way to the place. He even followed us when we go past it just to show us the right place. It’s situated at corner Pitong Ledesma street and across BPI. After knocking at the green gate, an old lady opened it and led us to the second floor where the kitchen was located. Orders were only for take out. Emma Lacson is popular to it’s lumpiang sariwa and empanada. The lumpiang sariwa tasted good even the sauce was already included with the fillings while the empanada was so crunchy and delicious too. No need for vinegar. 🙂

Lumpiang Sariwa of Emma Lacson

My nephew with his crunchy empanada of Emma Lacson

El Ideal along Rizal Street

Since we need to dine in a place with tables and chairs, we decided to go to El Ideal which was a few minutes away from Emma Lacson’s kitchen. The place was airconditioned and quiet. El Ideal is not only a bakeshop, it is also a souvenir shop and cafeteria at the same time. You can buy different delicacies and pastries from El Ideal. Some of the goodies were baked by the shop itself while some of the goodies came from other pasalubong shops like Bongbong’s, Virgie’s and Sugarlandia. But according to the guide we met at The Ruins, Mars, you can buy non-commercialized goods at an affordable price at the public market of Silay. Too bad for it was too late for us to know. 😦

Delicacies being sold at El Ideal

Baked goodies of El Ideal

Since we were starving to death that time, we tried the foods listed on El Ideal’s menu. Nice to look at but not that good. 😦 My sissy and mom ordered for Wanton Noodle Soup ~ quite good; hubby ordered for Pansit Palabok ~ bland; I ordered for Pansit Guisado ~ bland; and my pamangkins ordered for Spaghetti ~ kinda sour, puede na but not a hit for the kids.

Wanton Noodle Soup @ P65

Pansit Guisado @ P65

Pansit Palabok @ P65

We also bought some pasalubong here. After our El Ideal experience, we continued our walking tour and headed to Pitong Ledesma Street. We had seen a few old houses as well as Cafe 1925. A small and airconditioned coffee shop that sells baked goodies too. The mugs hanging on it’s ceiling were kinda cool where names of the store owners were written. Too bad.. not for sale. 🙂

Cafe 1925

an old house which was newly restored

Jose “Pitong” Ledesma Ancestral House

Pitong Ledesma Street corner Cinco de Noviembre Street

The marker of Cinco de Noviembre Street is the place where Farmacia Locsin was situated during Spanish Era. Negrense revolutionaries made the pharmacy their secret meeting place where they helped in planning for the successful revolution against the Spanish Colonial forces on November 5, 1898. To commemorate the freedom against the Spaniards, Negrense celebrates their Independence every 5th of November.

Cinco de Noviembre marker

Our group shot, taken by my nephew ~ Jose

After our photo-shoot at the marker, we then headed to Balay Negrense Museum. According to the caretaker, the Balay Negrense was the ancestral house of Mr. Victor F. Gaston, who was the son of Yves Leopold Germain Gaston and Prudencia Fernandez.  This was the house where Victor Gaston, his wife and his twelve children lived from 1901 until his death in 1927. Since it was left unused by the family, the structure was abandoned in the mid-1970s and fell into disrepair until a group of concerned Negrenses. They finally acquired the house from the heirs of Gaston through a donation. With donations from prominent individuals and later the Department of Tourism, the structure was repaired and furnished with period furniture and fixtures. The museum was officially inaugurated on October 6, 1990.

Balay Negrense

Entrance is P40 for adults and P20 for kids. You have to use the doorbell (not the electronic one) to inform the people in-charge of your presence. Well, I can say that the Gaston family was really rich and famous in the past. The second floor contains two big living rooms as well as spacious bedrooms where the antiques owned by Gaston’s can be found.

Rain or Shine, Bacolod.. Here We Come!

For two consecutive weeks, Manila was always having rainfall. We were not even sure if our Bacolod trip would be postponed and re-scheduled due to LPA. But a few days before our flight, the weather has become better and it seemed that Mr. Sunny wanted us to be happy and explore Bacolod! Yey! Hubby and I left the house at half past two in the morning and took a cab to Terminal 3. The total amount we spent for the ride was P190. We got at the airport at three quarter and waited for my mom, sister and pamangkins. As soon as they came, hubby and I queued at the Express Counter of Cebu Pacific. Little did we know that tripod and umbrella should be checked in. If not, we had to pay P495/way for check in baggage. Oh boy, making a decision that time was not so hard for I decided to throw my tripod instead but kept my umbrella hoping that the scanner would not notice it. Whew, we were able to go to the boarding area with our umbrellas! Teehee! Thanks Fibrella! 😉

Nyala Tours at Silay Airport

A heavy rain welcomed us as we reached Silay airport. We were planning to take a trike to Silay before going straight to Bacolod but since we were too lucky to catch a glimpse of Nyala Tours table, we immediately took the van to Bacolod. It only cost us P35/pax compared to P100-150 vans. The airconditioned  jeepney (that’s how they call it ~ an L300) was too small for people with big bags and heavy pieces of baggage. But with its very cheap fare, we don’t have any reason to complain. 😀 Taking the airconditioned vans of Nyala Tours is the most affordable way in going to Bacolod from Silay airport and vice versa.

airconditioned jeepney with silay airport to bacolod and vice versa route

Since we asked the driver to drop us to the pension house we booked, which is 11th Bed & Breakfast, we were asked to add P15. So we paid P50/pax. Nyala Vans can be seen at Robinson’s Mall along Lacson Street. If you need to go to Silay Airport and catch a flight, go to the mall entrance/exit where KFC is and you would find these vans picking up passengers.

Pension House on 11th Street, near Lacson Street

It was still raining hard when we reached the Pension House. After payment of 1 night deposit, we headed to our room at the second floor. I booked two rooms, a family (P600/night) and a double room (P500/night), both fan rooms. Since I requested to have the rooms on the same floor, we got two adjacent rooms. That was great! 🙂 We all stayed the whole morning in the family room because the double room was not yet available. The kids watched the television and started to munch some cookies and candies while me, hubby and sissy rest our tired bodies. There was nothing else that we can do for it was raining cats and dogs outside. 😥

the first timer kiddos ~ first time to ride a plane 🙂

As soon as the rain stopped, we immediately left the pension house and headed to Manokan Country to have lunch since it was already past twelve then. Chicken Inasal, here we come! 🙂 We took a Liberatad – Bata jeepney and asked the driver to drop us off at the Manokan Country. The place was just across SM Bacolod. There were row of eateries where “ihawan” or grill can be found outside with some chicken and pork barbeque on display. We decided to go to Aida’s since there was a good number of customers that time. We ordered pa-a, which was bigger than what I expected for it has the leg and the thigh unlike here in Manila. And it was soo good ~ tastier and juicer! The best! 🙂 We ate with our bare hands… but you can ask for the utensils if you want.

sissy and mom

Pa-a Chicken Inasal at P65 (rice not included) and Pork bbq at P25

After lunch, we just walked our way to the Public Plaza. The place where Masskara Festival ceremony is being held. The gazebo got my attention because the names of popular artists could be seen there. Aside from that, it was a great place for the photo op. 🙂 Then, we went to the cathedral which can be found just across the plaza. San Sebastian Cathedral is the biggest church in the province of Negros. The materials used for building the church was taken from Palawan while the coral stones were cut from the deposits of Guimaras. It was Fr. Ferrero’s idea to build a bigger church with that kind of structure.

The Gazebo at the Public Plaza

Centennial Bellfry

The large bell of the Cathedral

From the Cathedral, we took a Libertad-Bata jeepney again in going to the Capitol City Park & Lagoon, where the Provincial Capitol of Negros Occidental can be found. It is along Lacson Street and across the 6th Street where Dunkin Donuts can be seen. Upon seeing the see-saw, slide, monkey bars and swing, the kids excitedly ran over the wet ground and started to play and had fun. The presence of some rugby kiddos in the area made us moved to the lagoon where we had seen countless of tilapia which is being raised by the provincial government of Bacolod. If we only had some pieces of bread that time, we could have feed them. Of course, the kids enjoyed watching the tilapia as they swim in the lagoon.

Capitol Lagoon

Provincial Capitol of Negros Occidental ©Maia

Paghimud-os monument

From the Capitol Park & Lagoon, we went to ANP Showroom which is also situated along Lacson Street and a few meters away from the lagoon. At the ANP Showroom, you can find different kinds of souvenirs and delicacies that can be brought home. Picture taking was not allowed. Bakit kaya? Hubby bought a baller ID, a key chain and a coffee mug while sissy and mom bought ref magnets, bracelets and meringue. After shopping, we took Libertad-Bata jeepney again in going to Robinsons Mall to have merienda. From there, we went to Bascon Cafe to try the cakes and coffee but we ended up ordering rice, dinuguan and adobo flakes for our dinner.I was so lazy to take some pictures of the food for they were so simple and plain. No presentation. The dinuguan was okay but the adobo flakes was kinda dry and rubbery. And the drinks? Freshly taken from the cans and bottles. 😦

at Bascon Cafe

cakes of Bascon Cafe

cakes and cakes and cakes….. so sweet! 😉

other pastries that can be tried at Bascon Cafe

The iced tea (P30) and Pineapple Juice (P35)

Underground River Tour

Last year, hubby and I were not able to go to the Underground River because we were not able to get a permit. Since we didn’t like it to happen for the second time, hubby and I decided not to waste any single second to get the permit as soon as we arrived to Puerto Princesa together with his family. The new office is now loacated along Rizal Avenue, beside Kinabuch Restaurant and sharing the same building with Badjao Inn. Riding a tricycle would only cost you P8/head.

Underground River Booking Office (right side)

Since it was already four in the afternoon, there were no more slots available for the next day and no more morning slots for the day after next. We had no choice but to take the last tour, at 5:30pm. But the staff advised us to go there early, around 2pm, so that we could have the chance to have the tour earlier than the one we got.

On the day of our tour (3rd day), we started our trip to Sabang at 9:00 in the morning, in that way we can have side trips before our UR Tour. Buenavista Viewdeck was the first stop then we headed to Ugong Rock for the Spelunking & Zipline. At around 1pm, we were already in Sabang, time to have our late lunch. 😀 We ate at Roberts and availed their P200/pax buffet lunch thinking that the food would be better than the one we had at Hunda Bay. But to our disappointment, the food was really not that good. Boooh! I think it would have been better if we ate at the carinderia across the pier. 😉

While we were having our lunch, Kuya Manny, our driver, went to the UR Booking Office in Sabang to make sure that we’ll able to have our tour earlier than 5:30pm. I had no idea how he did it but we were able to take the tour before  4pm. 😀

boat terminal and booking area

Underground River’s Entrance

way to the river

get your life jacket and hard hat here 😀

cave’s entrance

We waited for the next boat and then proceeded in the tour. As usual, the tour guide started his spiel about the cave and everything that can be found inside. Let the pictures speak for the beauty of the cave.

thank God it’s low tide 😉

chandelier

banana blossom?!

another formation

bat’s poop

colony of bats ^-^

amazing stalactites

tourists with the bangkero at the back 😀

the light and the battery 😉

The tour was indeed fun but I was not that satisfied with the cave’s beauty… That’s the reason why I am not daring to vote for this cave to be included in the New Seven Wonders of the World. It’s nothing compared to Sagada…. If Sagada was the one on the list, I would definitely vote for it. 😀

DISCLAIMER: All photos (except for the first two) used in this blog post was taken by my hubby. 😀 Thanks Hon!

24/7 Van Rental in Palawan

We were already on our way to the airport when I remembered that we haven’t booked yet any van rental for our tour in Palawan. Due to my super busy schedule for the past week, it didn’t even cross my mind. Well, thank God I have saved five contact numbers on my phone of those people who own van for rent. However, out of five people I had texted… only one of them has an available van to offer. And that was Kuya Gerald….

Since our flight was delayed, my inlaws decided not to push through the city tour and scheduled it the next day, together with the Hunda Bay tour. Kuya Gerald won’t be driving us to Hunda & Underground River for he has another tour with other guests but he assured me that he would definitely send a driver for the said tours. We’ll be having Hunda Bay Tour as well as City Tour on our second day and Underground River Tour on the third day.

Leo was our driver for Hunda Bay, while Kuya Danny drove us to Underground River. Both of them are nice and easy to talk with. Thank you guys for the patience and assistance. 😉 Hope to see you soon! Of course, a big THANK YOU to Kuya Gerald for the help and my apology for the inconvenience I caused you on the first day. I am so sorry! Thanks for being sooo nice and understanding. 😉

24/7 Transport Van Rental

to any part of Palawan

GERALD T. MOSQUERA

+63-909-596-7779

+63-917-562-2339

043-434-8649

takuyaki7273@yahoo.com

Palawan: Sabang Beach

Going to Sabang means 2 hour “biyahilo” ride on a private van or 3 hour “siksikan” ride on a public bus/jeepney. If you would be in a big group (like us – 6 pax), it would be much better taking the private van for P3500. Now, if you would be traveling with your partner, taking the bus or jeepney for P150 would do.

Sabang beach

Sabang beach is indeed a beautiful beach where you can enjoy its clear water and very fine sand. When we reached the place, only a few tourists were swimming on the beach maybe because it was scorching hot then. If you would plan to stay for a day or two in Sabang, there are quite a lot of accommodations (from the cheapest-most expensive) to choose from. But keep in mind that most of the rooms are not airconditioned. This place has no electricity and just depends on the generator that is being used from 6pm – 1am.

Van to El Nido, P1000

When it comes to food, you won’t get hungry for there are some restaurants and carinderias to choose from. We had lunch at Robert’s Beach Resort in Sabang which offers lunch buffet (P200/head) to it’s guests and to other tourists as well. A small bottle of soda costs P20. Too pricey! Even the P200/head lunch buffet! I didn’t even enjoy the food. 😦 It was too dry and too bland.

Buffet Station

grilled liempo and chicken adobo

grilled tuna and adobong kangkong

local eatery across the pier