From Pollution to Paradise

Ahhhhhhhh, I have completely fallen in love with the Philippines!!!!!!!!! Wish I could stay here longer to explore more of this amazing country!

But before that moment occurred, I got really sick. Remember that 48 hour commute with the ferry? Well, it did its number on my body. I developed a gum infection from not being able to brush my teeth during that time, and once I arrived in Puerto Princesa, I came down with a headache-inducing fever for 2-3 days, the WORST post-nasal drip of my life (it was like a leaky faucet every 10 minutes), and then, due to the different type of terrible exhaust pipe fumes from the tricycles in Puerto Princesa, I developed a very intense bronchitis that eventually went away.

SO I won't even need to talk about Puerto Princesa, because this was just 2-3 days of pure rest and recuperating from the ferry and flight nightmare. I took care of my fever, my nose, my lungs, I rested, drank water, and really didn't do anything else. Once I got better, I headed straight to El Nido, which is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been to.

El Nido

When I think of jaw-dropping paradise full of amazement, wonder and romance and adventure and peace, El Nido is perfectly it. El Nido is the true gem of the Philippines. I also stayed at the most amazing hostel ever, Spin Hostel, which truly felt more like a resort. But let's just get to it - the Tours are what attract people to this amazing place. There are 4 types offered, Tour A, B, C, or D. I did A and C, which take you to hidden and secret lagoons and beaches that make up the Bacuit Archipelago. We swam, we snorkeled, we kayaked, and ate the freshest seafood and befriended some very cool islanders, with our feet dipped in perfect turquoise waters. I will just let the photographs speak for themselves...

the color of the lagoon water!!

our lunch!!!

I couldn't believe my time in El Nido - the Bacuit Archipelago that everyone comes here to see HAS to be seen when it is sunny out, and I knew that my chances were slim given it is typhoon season. Well, on the day that I arrived, it was a perfect day - so I thought my chances were even slimmer that the following day would be just as good. "No, I think you will be ok. Last week it rained, so this week is better," was what one local said. I didn't really believe them for some reason, because it is such a tropical climate here that anything can happen, like 3 different showers in one day. I went ahead and booked tour A anyway... It wound up being another perfect, sunny day. I counted my blessings with this luck. Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Secret Lagoon, Seven Commando Beach were the stops.

we all got free kayaks

snorkeling

In addition to this incredible paradise, I made a group of really awesome friends - a couple from the UK, an Australian photographer and a Korean guy from LA. They were my buddies the whole trip, and we motorbiked our way together through incredibly muddy terrain to get to beaches, we did the tours together, went out at night together, it was a solid group of good company and people. AND, After we all enjoyed tour A together, we decided to take the next day "off" to rest and explore other parts of El Nido instead, which doesn't really require perfect weather at all. And guess what? Our day off was the day it decided to rain. Thank goodness for this timing - had it rained during one of our tours, it would not have been nearly as beautiful or enjoyable.

the gang

even on our rainy "day off", the clouds still broke out at the end of the day :)

out after the long day

Could we really be that lucky that the following day, where we were to book tour C, that the weather would get back to perfect again? I thought there was no way we could get that lucky. It's supposed to rain more than the sun shines in all of the Philippines during this rainy and humid month of August. NOPE, on our third day, the day we booked tour C, the weather was once again on our side. I kept shaking my head in total disbelief, and gratitude. Star Beach, Secret Beach, Talisay Beach, Hidden Beach, Helicopter Island were the stops.

oh my GODDDDDDD!!!!!

Tour C was the best snorkeling I've actually ever done, ever. Amazing sites

It is truly rare where a tropical destination really gets to me, beyond the color of the water - these were prehistoric, Jurassic-style surroundings, with gravity-defying rocks that all look like they're frozen in a pose of mid-eruption, from millions of years ago. The adventure of swimming or crawling through little openings to find a secret or hidden beach or lagoon was truly amazing. I was in awe the entire time. And still thanked my lucky stars that each day we headed out by boat, the blue sky was there with us.

The Last Night

The last story deserves its own category... On this night, Yohan and another girl we met earlier, also from LA, joined me at Lio Beach while our other friends went elsewhere for the day. We knew it was our last day in El Nido before we all parted ways for our next separate destinations. The beach was empty, but locals were in the water and began to talk to us. It was also an absolutely gorgeous sunset...

We get a feel for their trust, and they offer us beers. They are construction workers here, all on a job to create a new hotel nearby. We got here by a free shuttle but  realized we had missed the last one. To our surprise, one of the locals says, "tonight we are having a big fish for dinner, you are welcome to our bachelor pad."
One of them in particular, he may have been in his 50s - he reminded me of someone. Someone kind, someone close, someone trustworthy, paternal, gentle. He told me not to go to a certain place in the Philippines because of all the rebel groups there, and it wasn't until I heard his tone of voice and the look in his eyes that I realized who he had reminded me so much of. My dad. "Don't go there, it's too dangerous. Do not go." I heard, saw, and felt my dad. And you know what? I canceled my ticket there right away.
Waves of uncertainty still flowed through us as to whether we should join these 8 locals in their home for dinner. But we said yes to the adventure.

It was a short truck ride away to their bachelor pad, and we met the rest of their crew, also made up of a few 18 year olds. What ensued was a night of endless beer refills, so much food, fish, squid, chicken, small fish, rice, all for us as their special, spontaneous guests, plus acoustic guitar sing alongs (watch my insta story for a small snippet). The whole night was full of song and singing and being so merry with beers, and a trust so pure among us.

"you are always welcome here. Please, please come back."

And the one who reminded me of my dad, was the guitar player, the musician, the one who spread the joy of song, just like my dad used to. And he turned to me and put his hand on his heart after a moment of musical pause to say, "I am so happy to have met you and have you as our guest. I am very, very happy tonight."

I almost started to cry because he just felt like a father figure to me, even in his mustache - reminiscent of my own dad. And we all continued to sing, share food and drinks and tell jokes, and the stars were out and I looked to them and said "papa, look, I'm having fun papa," and I couldn't help but feel my eyes water with the bittersweet joy of it all, of that moment and this night. And I could feel his smile, and I could sense a strange connection through the man that reminded me so much of him.

Amazing fresh fish, squid and chicken!!

Then one of them talked about heart break, and me too about my most recent breakup, and we bonded over how it is sad, how we are sad, but life goes on... life always goes on, and they sang Filipino acoustic songs about love, heart break, our emotions and our capacity to feel, to break, and to push.

"Please come back, I hope you come back to the Philippines. This is now your home too. We are family now."

I told them all I had to leave early but my friends stayed out with them, but the father said goodbye to me with a paternal kiss on the cheek and asked his 18 year old son to drive me back by motorbike. "Please don't forget us, add me on Facebook and come back," the son said.
The wind on our faces, his motorbike driving slightly wobbly and dangerous from perhaps having one beer too many, I told him to drive slowly and said, "I will definitely see you all again one day." A cheek kiss farewell, and off he drove.

This was one of those once in a lifetime moments. The types of experiences we remember. It's the people, the emotions, the associations, the trust. And in sharing our stories, in looking out for one another when hours ago we were strangers, when we trust so openly, so honestly and freely in the vulnerable emotions we share and the universal language of music that we speak, that we become bonded and effortlessly united in our humanity...

Where I am Now

I've also made a stop in Coron since my time in El Nido, but I feel like that place also deserves its own post. Now I am in Bohol, after spending a few days in Cebu as well - there's been lots of hopping around! And I've made some new friends and linked up with old ones. What a country this is, the people are so honest, gracious, kind, happy. The sites are beyond words. This was the right choice, instead of heading to India for my final stop.