El Nido, Philippines
So right now I am in a town called El Nido. It is in Palawan which is the Philippine Island above Borneo. It is absolutely stunning here. I have some fantastic pictures that I will try to post later, but the electricity is only on for a couple of hours everyday.
Getting here was quite interesting to say the least. I was on one of the local buses, which is not exactly the most luxurious option, but it is one of the only options of getting from Puerto Princesa to El Nido. The bus has bench seats with backs that are upright, and there is no glass where the windows should be. So for 8 hours, which is how long the bus ride was, you’re alternating between sitting straight up and then kind of slouching, and the wind is blowing in your face the whole time. We also had a flat tire which set us back a bit, and the little boy sitting next to me threw up all over himself and the aisle. He was traveling alone which was strange since he was about 8 years old, and none of the people on the bus did anything so I ended up cleaning all his vomit up with the tissues I had in my bag. Not to mention I had stayed out drinking Tanduay Rhum (spelled with an ‘h’) Until 3 in the morning and had to wake up at 5 to catch the bus. By the way, bottle of rum here is about 75 cents, and a beer is anywhere from 40-80 cents. Anyway, I can honestly say it was the best day of traveling I have had so far. It is exactly how traveling should be—difficult and a new adventure.
I have met so many cool people here too. A lot of travelers, but a lot of really great locals too, whom I hang out with every night, and my friend from Puerto is going to come up tomorrow too. He knew some people here and texted them that I was coming to El Nido and that they should take care of me, so the first night I arrived and went to eat, the guy that works there came up to the table and said is someone here named Alex? And I said yes, and he said he was told that I was coming, so everyone has been extremely friendly to me. It is nice here because Tourism here hasn’t exactly boomed, so none of the people try to scam you left and right, and they treat you as friends and not as a customer. Unlike Thailand where you can’t really trust anyone if you’re in a tourist town.
I don’t know how long it will stay like this though, because this place is awesome. Everyone is saying, travelers and Filipinos alike, that El Nido and Palawan will be very different in 5 years. El Nido is right next to the Bacuit Archipelago, which is where Alex Garland, author of The Beach got his idea for the secluded island community, but they decided to film it in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand. And now, Koh Phi Phi is one of the most expensive destinations in Thailand and it is overrun run with Germans and Swedes and every other nationality. Lonely Planet describes the Bacuit Archipelago as similar to Halong Bay, Vietnam and Krabi Province of Thailand (which is where Koh Phi Phi is) but “dare [they] say it—more beautiful”. And it truely is breathtaking, which will be evident when I post my pictures.
Anyhow, we found this secluded beach yesterday that just oozes all the qualities of Paradise, so I think I will put on my bathing suit and head there now.
