Coron: Boulders at Banol Beach

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WALK FLY PINOY:
Travel, Photography, Asia
www.walkflypinoy.com

On our third day in Coron, Palawan, we visited an amazing white-sand beach. On our way there, I asked our local guide/slash/tour arranger/slash/lunch provider if it was a private beach. He answered yes. Bummer. He then continued that it was owned by indigenous Mangyan tribes. I was relieved.


We arrived at Banol Beach (that's its name) just in time for lunch. We settled on a hut and had our hearty lunch there. We were lucky we had arrived before a number of other boats and tourists got there. We were able to have the beach to ourselves for at least an hour.


The place had these huge rock boulders sprawled around. The beach is not that vast, really. The place, in fact, is in a cove, bordered by huge rock mountains. It didn't stop the local Mangyans, though, from calling it home. I guess the huts and the tables are theirs. When we got there, some of them were also preparing their lunch. I even overheard some chatting with tourists, teaching them some local words and expressions.


It's really obvious what charms the place has: powdery white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water. There's plenty of that in Coron, I noticed. The places are the kind you see in travel magazines. the kind you look at and say, I want to go there.


After lunch, we explored the beach more. On the other side are more huts, which by the time we discovered them, were already occupied by tourists. It didn't matter really, because on this side of the island are these flower-bearing trees. I am not really sure what kind were they, but obviously they are a beautiful compliment to the gorgeous beach.



For other Coron-related posts, please see:
Coron: Sights and Sunsets at Kayangan
Coron: Waddling around CYC Beach
Coron: Lusong at Sangat
Coron: Exploring the Town

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Coron: Waddling at CYC Beach

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WALK FLY PINOY:
Travel, Photography, Asia
www.walkflypinoy.com

The Coron Youth Club (CYC) beach can be found in a very small islet, still a part of the larger Coron Island. We went here on our second day in Coron. It was our first stop and it did not disappoint.


As we approached the island, it surprised me that there was this woman already far from the beach, and yet, the water reached only up to her waist. I realized, as we got nearer, that most of the beach is actually under shallow water. Which was amazing.


The water is so shallow that our boat, in fact, could not get near the island. The area was not deep enough for it. So, they dropped us off a few meters a way and we just waddled our way to the beach.


We were fortunate enough that only one small group of tourists was there when we arrived. And the place is large enough to contain us all. We had a one side of the island all to ourselves.


There is quite a number of trees on the island, some of which lay dead on the shallow beach. They are quite beautiful fixtures to the place. Plus, they make for good photos.



For other Coron-related posts and photos, please see:
Coron: Sights and Sunsets at Kayangan
Coron: Boulders at Banol
Coron: Lusong at Sangat
Coron: Exploring the Town

See the rest of the post here...

Baguio: The Secret Garden

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WALK FLY PINOY:
Travel, Photography, Asia
www.walkflypinoy.com

It was only the second time I went to Baguio. The first time I went I was still in high school. Literally, my high school sent me to Baguio to participate in some inter-school event. No, we were not able to explore much that first time. We did explore but as expected, we followed the tourist trail. This time was different. We had a local among us.


One of the places she took us to was the Secret Garden. It's a small garden adjacent to the Bell Amphitheater, just behind the Bell House, in Camp John Hay. Two trails on either side of the house will lead you to the garden. The entrace to the trails are hidden and nondescript enough that on a good day, you'll have the garden all to yourself, like we did.


The garden is on top of a hill, hidden from the rest of the world by pine trees. It's very quiet there. Even though Camp John Hay is littered with tourists, somehow, the garden is isolated from all of it. It was so quiet there that some of us took a nap on the soft garden ground.


In the middle of the garden is this beautiful gazebo. It's the centerpiece of the garden, I guess. I really liked the whole place, mostly because it's really quiet and peaceful there. Plus, you have Baguio's cool climate. It's just perfect. I think it'll be a stop I'll drop by to every single time I visit the city.


 

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Coron: Lusong and Sangat

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WALK FLY PINOY:
Travel, Photography, Asia
www.walkflypinoy.com

We were in Coron, Palawan for four days and three nights. As I mentioned in my previous post, the town has a bay, not a beach. You have to arrange for an island-hopping tour of the whole archipelago to get to these beaches, and to all other snorkel sites, lakes, etc. that Coron island also offers tourists.


On our second day, we went to Lusong. There they have a coral garden and a wreck of a WWII Japanese vessel. It's underwater, of course. It was the first time I or any of my travel companions ever saw a shipwreck. It was scary and creepy, yet exciting. Unfortunately, nobody had an underwater camera. So boo to us. I, though, was able to take a photo of the coral garden, from above the water, of course. It still amazes me how crystal clear the waters are there. Amazing.


The tour we paid for also includes a very hearty lunch. Pinoy-style fish steak, grilled porkchops, some greens, some fruits for dessert. Yeah, family style lunch. What's even better is that we had it on a secluded tropical paradise--the Sangat Island Reserve.


There is a resort in the island, which, it seemed to me, catered only to foreigners. I think there were less locals than foreigners in that resort, and I'm including the resort staff here. It isn't odd, really. The island seemed like the place you'd find in James Bond movies, where expat criminals would hide and lie low.


The resort is so secluded, so quiet, so peaceful. It was already noon and save for this little girl and her dad, we were the only ones standing in that long stretch of white-sand beach. So I thought, why didn't we choose to stay here? Ah, yes. Accomodations in the island is rather steep for our yuppie budgets. See for yourself here in their website: Sangat Island Reserve.


Exhausted from the hearty lunch we just had, we rested in the hammocks by the beach. We had our "ah...this is the life" moment. I wanted to take more pictures but damn, the camera's battery was running out of power. When that happens, it automatically shuts down the shutter. So, no more picture-taking!


We spent the rest of the early afternoon exploring the reserve. At the end of the beach, we found a rock cliff. What's neat is that they've built a wooden footbridge along the face of that cliff. Below the footbridge are rocks, pretty sharp ones, and the blue-green waters of that cove.

At one point along the bridge, you get a 180-degree view of the pristine waters of the island. It's one of the most amazing views I've ever had. I need to go back there to take a photo of it. I want to take it back with me to Manila to remind myself of that breathtaking natural beauty.

For other Coron-related posts and photos, please see:
Coron: Sights and Sunsets at Kayangan
Coron: Boulders at Banol
Coron: Waddling around CYC Beach
Coron: Exploring the Town

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Coron: Exploring the Town

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WALK FLY PINOY:
Travel, Photography, Asia
www.walkflypinoy.com

Coron is a municipality located in an island north of Palawan. I first heard of it when I was working for (would you believe it) the town's congressman who was based in Manila. I didn't know much about it then. I just knew it was a popular tourist spot, mostly to foreigners, which to me meant big bucks for you to get there. I was wrong.


From the airport at Busuanga, an adjacent municipality, we took a van transfer to get there. It's a 40-minute ride through unfinished roads from the airport to the town, costing 100 to 150 pesos, depending on how good you bargain. There are many vans waiting for tourists right outside the small airport. If you've arranged to be picked up by your resort/hotel/lodge/tour agency, however, then this won't be a problem.


Upon arriving, we went on to exploring the town by ourselves (which is free, by the way). The most fascinating thing about the town is that while you will see many tourists, most of whom are foreigners, the town still retains its provincial quality. None of the touristy-tacky hallmarks you see in places like Bohol or Puerto Galera. Case and point, we were not able to find the one souvenir shop in town.


It's quite peaceful there. Maybe we're just so used to big-city noise that poblasyon-noise just pales in comparison. I am not sure. You have to take note, though, that the town has a bay, not a beach. No, the beaches are located elsewhere (which is why arranging for island hopping is necessary, but more on that in my next posts).


We had lunch at Sea Dive Resto and Lodge. The food was okay (just okay, not great). The view at the restaurant, though, is definitely more than okay, a million-fold okay. The restaurant sits on the bay itself. It was constructed on stilts. So, from the restaurant, you have a 180-degree view of the bay and the surrounding islands. Breathtaking, I must say.


Sea Dive Resto and Lodge is located near the town market. To get there, you have to walk this long pathway, this long foot bridge. The entrance to this pathway is by the main road, the same road that passes through the town market. It's easy to find. Just look for the resto's signs.


After lunch, we had some rest before deciding to go up Mt. Tapyas. It's the highest peak in the town. The stairs leading to the peak would not be that hard to find. Mt. Tapyas is a popular spot. So, there are many signs on how to get there. If all else fails, ask the locals.


Brace yourself for the climb. We got tired of counting the steps to get to the peak. We probably lost count. Anyway, there are benches along the way where people can catch their breath and enjoy the sights. It's a pretty exhausting and leg-shaking climb. Catching the sunset there, however, is definitely worth every drop of sweat you will make.



For other Coron-related posts and photos, please see:
Coron: Sights and Sunsets at Kayangan
Coron: Boulders at Banol
Coron: Waddling around CYC Beach
Coron: Lusong at Sangat

See the rest of the post here...

What Traveler?

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WALK FLY PINOY:
Travel, Photography, Asia
www.walkflypinoy.com

And I call myself a traveler. Blech. See below my Lakbayan grade. It. Is. Pathetic!


My Lakbayan grade is C-!
Cutting myself some slack, though, I think my map would've been more pathetic two or three years ago.

Most of my family is from Southern Luzon and our vacation options would include just Laguna, Batangas and maybe even Zambales. It got even slimmer when two of our uncles bought land in Silang, Cavite. No longer did my family considered going some place else. Every year it was Silang, Cavite.

I was only able to really travel when I started earning for myself. Every summer, some friends and I would go out of town. Our training wheels were the different "resorts" in Antipolo. (Hey! We all had to start somewhere.) Then, we progressed to Puerto Galera (getting better, getting better).

Last year was very successful (11 participants). We visited the different sites (mostly the touristy ones) of Bohol, including the very attractive Panglao island. And although this year there were only six of us, we were still able to get to Northern Palawan and see serene Coron.

My point is, I am most definitely planning to get my Lakbayan grade up. I was in Baguio last December 2008, celebrating my birthday. A week after I came back from Coron, I beached myself in the very unique Anawangin cove in Zambales.

Three weeks from now, I will be in Bantayan island in Northern Cebu. We plan to explore Cebu City, too, on the way back. In June, I will revisit my beloved UP Los Baños and maybe even road trip to Pagsanjan. Later this year, I plan to bag my first summit. I am crossing my fingers it will be Mt. Pulag, the highest peak in Luzon, located in southern Cordillera.

So yeah, I am most definitely on my way to seeing more of my country, my beautiful Pinas.

(P.S. To get your own Lakbayan grade and map, please visit this website, created by one Eugene Villar. Really great site.)

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Books to Pour at 2009 International Book Day

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WALK FLY PINOY:
Travel, Photography, Asia
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How many books have you read?

JUST AS LOTS of rain fall during this time of the year in Spain, so too will lots of books pour at the International Book Day celebrations at the Instituto Cervantes de Manila, to be held April 23 to 25.

This event is fast becoming part of Manila's cultural calendar. Every April, people are invited to refresh from Manila's summer heat with this pouring of books accompanied by, as per tradition, red roses.

Since the medieval era, men have been giving roses to their lovers and since 1925, women have given a book in exchange. Today, book buyers are given a rose for every purchase they make.

The Spanish cultural organization, compelled by the success of book days past, will be expanding this year's activities. Running for three days, the celebrations will open with a poetry reading by Juan Gelman, acclaimed Argentinian poet.

The second day will see artists from the UST Conservatory of Music performing Filipino folk music in Spanish. Finally, on the third day will be the Instituto Cervantes open house and the book fair itself.

Aside from the main events, activities lined-up include film showings, a book signing, a round table discussion on copyright in the digital environment, a photography contest and a Latin party.

A copy of the complete program and a location map of the Instituto Cervantes de Manila can be found here: Día de Libro in Facebook.

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