A Glimpse to the City in the Forest

SEX!

Yey! Finally I got your attention.To clarify things on your mind, this article is not about what the word above says. This is all about my journey to the place where I left the other piece of my heart. As in Super Experience! :)

                Have you ever experienced going to the place you’ve never been before? How  did it feel? Well, let me share to you my most unforgettable travel outside Region VII. Fasten your seatbelt as  we are about to take off.

                I could still remember my reaction when my Mom told me that I would be going with them  to Palawan. She is our School paper Adviser and my  co-campus writer made it to the National  Schools Press Conference after winning Second Place in the Regional Level. I shouted and jumped as high as I could, and I rolled on the floor. I could already imagine myself riding on an airplane for the very first time. I marked the date on the calendar and counted each single day  before the scheduled date.

                How swiftly time flew, I just found myself in Mactan International Airport with Mom and my close friend Vea. We went inside the plane with huge smiles on our faces. I was amazed how big a plane in nearer  view  compared to those planes flying in the sky. As we were in the top.I couldn’t help myself  taking pictures of the view from above. I seemed to be in heaven touching the clouds and peeping into the   islands that seemed to be dots at the middle of the water.

                That was the best onehour and thirty minutes of my life. Finally, we arrived at our destination. I took a big leap to the City in the Forest—Puerto Princessa, Palawan for the first time.

Arrival at Puerto Princessa Airport.

                We were all first timers that time, and we didn’t know what to do and where to go. Good thing Palaweños are friendly people. A tricycle driver took us to a lodging house where we could have a rest after a long journey from home.

                The place is really different from Cebu City. Wherever you go, you couldn’t see tall buildings, you couldn’t hear noisy vehicles, and you couldn’t smell garbage. All you could see were friendly and smiling people who welcomed you to their paradise.

                

The Baywalk at night.

The following days, we explored the beauty of PuertoPrincessa. First on our list was the famous Baywalk. It was located along the Puerto Princessa shore where you could rent bicycle to go around the place. From a silent and relaxing place during daytime, Baywalk transformed into a big party place at night. You could see tourists, families, friends, and lovers having their picnic under the moonlight. The different colors of lights around the place added  beauty to it.

At Baker's Hill.

Next on the list was the Baker’s Hill. I know you’re thinking about breads now. Yes, you’re right. Baker’s Hill is a bakeshop slash park. You could see different life-sized statues of cartoon characters. There was  a mini zoo where you could find different kinds of birds. Playground for the children could also be found there. There were  also restaurants for your starving tummies. Of course, when you go there, don’t forget to visit their bakeshop and buy some of their delicious delicacies.

The famous Chaolong.

Food trip will never be absent when you travel to a place. In Puerto Princesa, wherever yougo, you could see restaurants serving “Chaolong”. “Chaolong” is a Vietnamese food  famous for its different ingredients like egg, tawge and different spices. It was  good but you could appreciate it more if you were  a Vietnamese of maybe a Palaweño.

The rock formation of Jesus' image.

Next stop is the holy and sacred Kuyba Almoneca. This is considered a holy place because inside the cave was a rock formation of Jesus’ image. For only forty pesos, you can already explore the cave. As you enter inside, you will really feel the holiness of the place upon seeing the statues of the saints in every corner. You can also find the statue of Virgin Mary which shed oil according to the town’s folks. 

Oppss! Who can forget the famous 7^th Wonder of the World, the Puerto Princessa Underground River ? Your Palawan adventure will never be completed if you haven’t gone to PPUR. Unfortunately, we were not able to go there. *insert sad face here*. We were not able to book for our reservation earlier and we need to pay  two thousand  pesos each. I guess that’s how strict Palawan government is when it comes to the preservation of its natural resources.

                Well, I promised to myself that I will go back to Palawan and I’ll make sure I won’t miss the Puerto Princessa Underground River anymore. *feeling hopeful*

                My friend didn’t win in her contest. *insert another sad face here*. But our Puerto Princessa adventure was more than a trophy and it was enough for us to say that we were winners. Yehey!

                We went home to the place where we belong. I may leave Palawan for now, but it doesn’t mean that I will leave Palawan forever. Someday, I will go back to that place and explore its beauty again. I will be forever grateful for that experience. Adios Puerto Princessa! ‘Till we meet again.