Palawan Before the Year Ends

Almost seven months have passed since the last time I came here to Puerto Princesa. The first thing I've noticed when I got off the plane was the welcoming band. Yes, there was a marching band (but they weren't marching) at the tarmac to greet the deplaning folks. That included me. On my way to my destination, I noticed very little changes to the largest city (in terms of land area) of the Philippines; almost none. The weather was fine; it wasn't too hot, nor cold, nor humid. But the sun's rays were stinging my skin.

I stayed in the same hotel, RAQ (may be considered an ad), but this time, not in one of their cottages. Instead, I had a room on the top floor of the main building, third floor. The buildings here to go over five floors (at least I haven't seen one over five). I'm wishing I should have taken one of their cottages. They were fully booked so I couldn't.

I had lunch at a restaurant that serves local-specialty noodles that the locals call 'Chowlong.' It's homemade noodles in soup (I have no idea what kind of soup) with your choice of beef, chicken, or pork. Some calamansi, and bean sprouts are served separately in case you would like to add them to the bunch. The noodles are think and a bit transparent like 'udon.' This is usually paired with toasted garlic bread. One serving fills you up real good.

Night time. On my way to the hotel, there was a bit of a traffic jam. I thought there was no such thing in Palawan but I guess traffic jams are everywhere.

Hotel room. Tired. But there's no rest for the wicked. I still have some cable TV watching to do. One of the few things I enjoy when I go out of town.

This is just one day. Next time I come here I'm extending my stay and go places.

Now for the low down:

Where to sleep: Puerto Princesa has a lot of hotels to choose from. Just be sure to book in advance so that you're sure to have a room. Plus, your hotel of choice picks you up from the airport free of charge. You even get a complimentary drink. At least I did.

What to eat: Seafood! Unfortunately for me, I'm allergic to most type of seafood but not fish.

Where to go: Being a tourist destination, Palawan offers a number of places where a you could go; El Nido, Dos Palmas (Rico Yan's 'death room' is quite famous), the underground rivers. You can also go dolphin watching, firefly watching, tour the city and a lot more. Be sure to check out your travel agent's or hotel's travel package to get discounts.

Mode of transport: Tricycles are the most common mode of transport; the next one would be multicabs. A multicab is a smaller type of jeepney.