The Legend Hotel Puerto Princesa

Easy 90-minute flight from Cebu City on Cebu Pacific to Puerto Princesa, provincial capitol of Palawan. Puerto is called the "cleanest city of the Philippines" but that is like saying the "tallest mountain in Iowa".

Palawan was a major (and very positive) surprise. It is stunningly beautiful, lush green, mountainous but with long, white sandy beaches. The House of Rose is minutes from the airport yet still very peaceful and quiet and a short walk from the beach ...

Sun 25th October

Today we went to the church in Puerto Princesa. We took a tricycle there. The man who took us to the meeting had a daughter who sat at the back of his motorcycle. We arrived there and were just in time. We took some toys to give to the children there. There were many boys.

After Lord's table I played with the kids. They liked the toys. We ...

... from Bambua. You need to walk through the village of Sabang to reach the coast.

We had no idea quite how isolated Sabang was going to be. Nor how small. The village is exceptionally poor. The inhabitants literally live in thatch roof huts hoisted up on wooden stakes. Unlike our hut, which had a tin roof covered by thatch, walls made of cement with an interior of woven bamboo set up like wallpaper, and screen windows to prevent mosquito visitors, the villagers ...

... no woman no cry, what about The woman, quelques pleurs, de crainte d'absence ou de trop de presence, de silences et d'abstinences, puis de confiance, de choses intenses, de grosses joies... Bon je delire, j'ai du trop penser aujourd'hui. Dans une galerie marchande, a la recherche de TShirts hypothetique, ca fuse de partout : "Yes sir, you buy... Buy a tshirt... Look for a girlfriend ?..." Je m'esquive... Bizatous ERic Retour

... harceler par des plus gros, etc) Nous avons veiller sur la plage a quelques pieds des vagues. C'est tres jolie tout ca. Nous repartons demain pour Coron. Une journee entiere sur un bateau. Je ne sais pas encore une fois si nous aurons le temps de vous ecrire mais des que l,on peut, on vous fait signe. Bisouxxxxxxx France et Rejean

... hrs on a bus and nearly had a head on collision with an articulated lorry which was going to overtake a tricycle, decided not to, hit the brakes, jack-knifed and ended up in a ditch. Nobody was hurt. Chilled at the hostel and went out for a meal. Not much else really.

... we made our way back to the pensionne house, chatted with Mark and Tess from Sweden, then made our way to KaLui for a sumptuous dinner in the prettiest restaurant I've eaten at to date. I love easy going days like that! Cebu Pacific changed the initial flight I booked which was suppose to only leave Puerto to Manila at 4pm to 8 am that morning. BOOO. My flight from Manila to Bangkok would only be leaving at 10pm (which got delayed to 11pm...) BOOOOOOOO. I was ...

... get lost so we were glad to find it after about an hour. It was pretty speccy and beautiful to cool off in. There was a note advising that a local man was employed as caretaker to keep it clean and the path clear but (sadly) noting they didn't have any money to pay him and donations are therefore welcome. We felt bad we didn't take any money (we were just expecting to walk to a waterfall) - it would be nice if the guesthouse ...

... cheap option. We shell out a grand 100 pesos (2$) to travel with one of the local 'busses', that is a converted American army jeep. As the poor car is overloaded we enjoy a 3 hour ride over unpaved roads on the roof! At this point I can really start feeling the backpacking vibe! Sabang is a very small place with one main attraction - the 'Puerto Princesa Subterrenean River National Park', according to the guidebook ...

... of the game, i didnt want to find out how deep it really was, and if the bike was amphibious or not...reluctantly i turned around and headed back to the main road thru the village, and past all the villagers again, who were probably laffing inside, knowing what i had encountered... just outside the village, i stopped at a little roadside shop to buy some water, and ended up hanging out and talking with the old couple running the store,,,it was the little ...