Puerto Princesa: Sabang and the Underground River

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WALK FLY PINOY:
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Sabang Town, on the outskirts of Puerto Princesa around two hours drive from the city, looks like the usual small fishing village I have seen a number of times throughout the country. It has one teeny tiny difference, though. It has a UNESCO World Heritage Site under its belt.


The entrance to Palawan's Underground River National Park is located in a cove about 30 minutes by boat from Sabang Beach. The beach is on the side of Palawan facing the South China Sea, definitely a much bigger body of water than the Sulu Sea. Naturally, this is the part of the province that gets the gloomy weather.


We arrived at Sabang Beach around lunch time. Restaurants line the beach, so this is where most, if not all, visitors to the river would have their midday meal. It was around this time, though, when our luck in the weather department run out. It had been cloudy earlier but we were still counting on sunny weather, obviously a little foolish, looking back. It did not stop people from swimming on the wide beautiful beach, though.


Most locals tell us that their rains usually last for just about one to two hours a day. Some part of me did not believe them. But impeccably so, the rains did stop after about an hour, allowing some of us to get out our cameras and try to capture Palawan's rainy day charm.






It started raining again when we arrived at the registration desk of the Underground River National Park, forcing me to keep my non-waterproof camera inside its waterproof bag and then wrapping that with plastic bags. I knew I was pushing it still hoping I was going to take pictures of the site.

No, I did not take the risk. Which is okay really. I doubt I would have been able to capture the enormity of what I was experiencing under that limestone mountain anyway.

In fact, I don't think I have seen a travel show capture the sights in and around that river. The caverns you would be passing through while on the 45-minute boat ride were just too grand to be photographed or filmed by any ordinary equipment. It is a sight to behold. And it is a must-do activity, touristy as it is, not just in Palawan but in the country.

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Puerto Princesa: Ugong Rock

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Summer was clearly over and we completely knew it. The weather has been gloomy all over the country and rains have been happening almost everyday. We, however, still went on with it. Puerto Princesa on a rainy August. And the answer is yes. Palawan is a rewarding place, rain or shine.


The first activity I went on was the day trip to the very famous Subterranean River National Park. The park is actually a two-hour drive from the city center. Naturaly, there are stops along the way. One of them is the Ugong Rock Cave, named so due to the sound the rock produces when you knock onto it.


Ugong Rock is actually a limestone cliff, caves and burrows inside of it, located smack in the middle of rice fields and plantations. The limestone is similar to those I've seen jutting out the water in the bays of Coron, also in Palawan. Our guides explain that, geologically speaking, that whole area used to be submerged in water.


Our guides, by the way, are part of the local cooperative managing the site. They say its sustainable tourism. It aims to preserve the environment and local culture, while still providing employment and a source of income for the local community. And you'll see lots of that in Puerto Princesa, which is highly inspiring, to say the least.


The fee for the cave exploration is 200 pesos per head. It includes rent for the helmets and gloves you'll be needing once inside. It's inclusive of the guides' fees, too. And you'll need them more than you realize. The cave starts off easy enough, until you get to some treacherous climbs (just ropes, no carabiners and support around your body) as well as to some stone creaks and holes. Challenging? Yes. Quite an experience? Absolutely.


After about 45 minutes to an hour, you will reach the top of the cliff. A viewing deck has been constructed there and it provides respite for the climbers after their most harrowing experience. That is, before they make their way back down, through the same creaks and holes they passed through. Bummer, I know. Our guides say that soon, a zip line will be constructed from the viewing deck to the ground below. And I would very much appreciate that.


Still, despite the cuts on the elbows and the muscles pulled, I would still recommend that people visit the site. It's support for the local community, for one. It is also a very rewarding experience, much like Palawan is, as I would further discover.

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Cambodia: Siem Reap, Night Life

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Siem Reap in central Cambodia is the gateway to the ancient city of Angkor. If you plan to visit Angkor, you will need to book a hotel in Siem Reap, stay in Siem Reap, eat in Siem Reap, buy souvenirs in Siem Reap, etc. Over the years, it has become a tourist hub, a fast-developing piece of land in the heart of Cambodia.


Being a fast-developing tourist hub, you can imagine that night life would be very exciting and alive as well. And it is. On our first night, after having had a very happy dinner, we went straight to the famous Pub Street.



Pub Street is a literally a street lined with pubs, restaurants and all sorts of night haunts one can imagine. All types of food from all four corners of the globe can be had here. From Mexican to Italian to French to Chinese to Khmer, whatever your appetite desires and your pockets can afford.


Both tourists and locals come here, I noticed. Which is good. Though, you would clearly notice that the more expensive-looking pubs on the one side are frequented more by tourists, the wooden street-side stalls more by locals.


One popular activity is the fish-therapy aquariums. Tourists would sit by the aquarium, feet in the water, and the fish would start eating on their feet's dead skin cells. A little disgusting but hey, these things are everywhere. Maybe for westerners, they are things of novelty. And hand them a bottle of beer while the fish are doing their thing, then you got business.


We chose the very famous Angkor What? pub on our first night. Their beer selection is diverse, to say the least. Each Southeast Asian country is represented, including the Philippines. SMB represent! For that night, though, I chose Tiger Beer, only because we found it everywhere. It's popular in Saigon and now here. I gotta say, though, patriotism aside, SMB's still better.


On our second night, after having dinner in Dead Fish Restaurant, we walked further along Sivatha Road to get to the Angkor Night Market. One has to note that in Siem Reap. The night scene is quite concentrated in a little district. On the one side of Sivatha Road is Pub Street, on the other is Angkor Night Market.



Angkor Night Market is worth the visit. All kinds of things, from souvenirs to the practical, are sold here. Trinkets and dust-gatherers, candles, bags, paintings, everything. I guess we were too tired that day, having climbed up and down Angkor's temples, so really our night shopping just became night window shopping.



Still, to cap off the night, our last night in Siem Reap at that, we thought we ought to try Cambodia's local beer. Angkor Beer, it's called. At first, we thought its price was a little steep. It was around 4 to 5 USD, if I remember correctly. Then we thought, it's our last night. What the hey. Then we saw how big the bottle was. We were not even able to finish the whole thing.


Siem Reap and, on the whole, Cambodia, can be like that, I noticed. At first, it will seem small and with prices sometimes a little too steep. But if you're willing to experience it, you can get a lot. A lot of history and a lot of culture. And just like a big bottle of beer you can't finish in one sitting, you won't be able to take in all of Cambodia in one visit. There is just too much to see and learn. You will find yourself promising to come back. Just like I did.


* More photos from Cambodia: Siem Reap, Night Life set can be found in my Flickr account: click here.

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Cambodia: Siem Reap, the Heart of Angkor

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It is a little bittersweet to be writing this post. It will be my last about the temples of Angkor. Nevertheless, I find it appropriate that this set is the last one. As imposing and grand as Angkor Wat was, it was not the largest nor the most enduring of all ancient Angkor's structures. A much bigger territory was built just north of Angkor by a later Khmer king. He called it Angkor Thom, "the Great City."



After having driven out the Chams, an empire from a territory that is now central and southern Vietnam, Jayavarman VII, the last of the great Khmer kings, unified his people and built a new capital city, the great city of Angkor Thom.



Angkor Thom runs an area of nine square kilometers. Angkor Wat only occupied two. At its height, this new capital city attracted some one million people. It housed the court, the palace, the priests and other high officials of Khmer society. Everyday life in this great city as well as the defeat of the Chams by the Khmer are depicted in the walls of Angkor Thom's central temple, the Bayon.




Bayon



As beautiful as Bayon's carvings are, it will not be the first thing that you will notice about this temple. Walking up to it, you will see that it is remarkably different from all the other temples of Angkor. Its most distinctive feature are the many stone pillars jutting out from its higher levels, each pillar decorated with the face of Buddha on each of the four sides.


I was asked a few days after I got back from this trip which of the many temples I visited left the clearest mark on me. Without thinking, I instinctively said Bayon. Then, when I tried to explain why, I couldn't.


There was something about its being different from all other temples, from its being a digression from the classical Khmer style, that made it very enigmatic. Apparently, even modern day scholars have a hard time explaining this temple. It did not help that there was a rainbow halo over the sun on the day we came here. It made the place more mystical really.



The Royal Palace

Just outside the Bayon's northern gates, you will come upon a very open field. On one side, you will find a number of prasats, or towers, standing out on the wide open space. On the other side, you will find a wide and long platform, the sides of which contain beautiful Khmer carvings.



The Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King form part of the Royal Palace. The Terrace of the Elephants is where the king would stand and look out onto his subjects during parades and ceremonies.


The Terrace of the Leper King, meanwhile, had a lesser celebratory purpose. One of the more known theories is that it was used as some sort of a platform where the bodies of the members of the royal family were cremated after their death. As for the name, and this is according to local stories, the king who commissioned this structure actually suffered from leprosy.



Behind the terraces are the actual walls of the palace complex. We found the eastern gate to the palace right behind the terraces. It is enclosed by its own walls, as understandably, the king and his servants lived within them.


Walk inside the gates and head straight into Phimeanakas, a pyramid-like sanctuary built around a small moat. Our guide says that on rainy days, when the moat fills with water, Phimeanakas transforms into a floating temple. I would have loved to see that.


On a good day (like the one we had, obviously), it would be nice to walk around the palace grounds. Right beside Phimeanakas are two large bodies of water. They were actually baths, one for men, the other for women.


We headed north and took an exit towards the northern gate. Leaving the palace, I actually understood how the place could have been comfortable for Khmer royalty. The palace had everything really.


The Royal Palace was one of the last places we visited. That morning was actually the last morning we were spending in Cambodia. Our flight back to Vietnam leaves that afternoon. I kind of felt sad to be leaving. This was my first major travel abroad and I did not really want to say goodbye yet. But I knew I had to. All I could really do at that point was to make a promise to come back. And I will. I definitely will.


* More photos from Cambodia: Siem Reap, the Heart of Angkor set can be found in my Flickr account: click here.

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Cambodia: Siem Reap, the Royal Foundations

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Then we go to the grandest of all the temples of Siem Reap, the most well-known, the most visited, the best preserved, the mere sound of which is synonymous with the country Cambodia itself. They have it on their national flag and on their bank notes. It is the source of their national pride. It is Angkor Wat.



Dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu god of protection, the temple was originally built under the name Vrah Vishnuloka or "the sacred abode of Vishnu." It is this god's image you will see upon entering the first of the three levels of the temple.


The two temples in this group, Angkor Wat and later, Preah Khan, exemplifies the ancient Khmer's veneration for their kings and their king's dedication to them. He is their provider and guardian, which is what made him construct these grand temple complexes they each considered paradise on earth.



Walking around, you will still see remnants of what life was back then. The ancient Khmer people came to Angkor Wat to pray, I suppose, on the third and highest level. Then, on the second level, our guide explains, the king provided them four huge pools of water where they could drink from.


What I was most amazed about, really, are the intricate, elaborate and extensive carvings on the walls, found on the hallways of the temple's first level. They are the most well-preserved in all of Angkor and the most beautiful. They depict, not the ancient Khmer's daily life, as with most temples, but rather the battle between good and evil, as told in the Hindu epic Ramayana.


I was first told of the story of King Rama and Queen Sita when I was in high school. Among the carvings, our guide showed us the reliefs of King Rama and his ally, ape-king Hanuman, battling demon-king Ravana. Seeing all of them depicted on ancient art was an experience for me. I knew it made my trip to Cambodia.


We visited the temple in the afternoon. As this was the most famous of all the temples, we knew it was going to be full of people. And it is. All kinds of people from all nations of the world come here, even Buddhist monks themselves come here to visit.



I would recommend an early morning visit though. Yes, tourists come here for the sunrise. And they should. The sun rising from the back of Angkor Wat is a sight to behold. But after the sunrise, most of them leave to visit other temples. You will find a more solemn and maybe even spiritual exploration of Angkor Wat, walking around the temple all by yourself.




Preah Khan

One of the last temples we visited was Preah Khan, "the Sacred Sword." One of the temples left unrestored, Preah Khan can be found in the middle of the jungle. From the temple entrance, we had to walk for around five to 10 minutes on this tree-lined path before we got to the temple gates.



We did not enter the temple from its main entrance though. From the gate, we followed the path on the left and got to a wide platform leading us to, I think, the temple's northern gates.


Once inside, you cannot help but notice how much of it is in ruins. I think this is the most unrestored temple we visited. In some parts, you will have to crouch down to get to the next hallway. The fact that it is in ruins, however, does not in any way diminish the temple's beauty.



The temple is mainly Buddhist but, from what I read, there are quite a number of Hindu deities depicted in the temple. Our guide even showed us sort of an altar dedicated to the queen of the apsaras, the ancient Khmer dancers, to whom women come to pray for fertility.


One of the last things we saw walking around in the temple is this young local artist making sketches of the images he sees in the temple. I see all these paintings around town and I am impressed by the workmanship and artistry involved in creating them. It would not be easy to depict the temples of Angkor with all their details and intricacies. But somehow, the local artists manage to do it. I guess the Khmer talent for art has passed on over the years, from generation to generation. And that's good.


* More photos from Cambodia: Siem Reap, the Royal Foundations set can be found in my Flickr account: click here.

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