palAAAWWWan: City Tour

If you're thinking "What a jejemon post title!", judgmental ka, aj3j3j3!  ;p 

More than 2 months ago, my HS barkada and I went to Puerto Princesa.  Even if it was already my second time in Palawan (last 2011, we went to Coron), its charm again left me so amazed and with no unintelligible word to say aside from "Aaaawwww".  Hence, the title of this post hihi.  Darn, I really had to explain that huh. 

GOING AROUND THE CITY

As we were travelling in a big group, I felt like it was pretty safe and much cheaper if we do not avail of the tour packages that tour companies offer.  We just rented a van to get us around the city.  It was more fun this way as we're pretty much left to our own devices, being able to stay long or leave a certain place as we brats, wish. 

Baywalk - where the statue of Princess Eulalia of Spain is located.  PP was named after her.

Plaza Cuartel - this is where more than a hundred American prisoners of war were burned inside a tunnel by Japanese soldiers during WW2.  JuskoLord, i know!

Puerto Princesa Cathedral 

Mitra's Ranch - a property owned by Ramon Mitra.  sarap mag-moment!

Baker's Hill - famous for its hopia and other sweet treats :)  

Butterfly Garden & Tribal Village 

Crocodile Farm and Nature Park

Iwahig Penal Colony Farm - more of a rehab center-turned-community where those detained are free to walk around and earn a living.

For the van, we contacted Topstar Travels (0908-899-5002)


photo credits: Keps & Michy

making dalaw Davao DAY 2 (White Water Rafting)

We had tried White Water Rafting in CDO last year and according to reviews I have read, rapids there are more harot than those in Davao. But rafting is so much fun, we had to do it again.  :)

We were asked to be at Crocodile Farm at 8AM.  After signing waivers and wachevers, we were briefed along with other rafters.  Medyo pa-cool na kami since we already know the basics of it - paddle paddle pose, high five and what elese nga? ;p

We had to travel an hour to get to the river.  I realized how we were so pampered in CDO where we were picked up and brought back to our hotel, helped put on our life jackets and chika-ed nonstop by our guides.  In Davao, we were asked and taught to strap ourselves on our own, which is fine.  What I particularly liked was how we were given some training on how to save a co-rafter if he/she gets thrown out of the boat, before we start the actual rafting experience.  Kanya-kanyang style lang. 

  

 

And it began!  It was 11AM already when we started so nagmomoment ang sun.  On the boat with me was Ace, Nani, Carla, Gorgeous Ala who was gonna experience rafting the first time, and our guide Kuya JR.

I still enjoyed it wagas!  Even if the rapids were more tamed nga here, I thought the guides in Davao made it more exciting because they were more playful, may sindak effect pa.  Eh nagpapasindak ba kami? Nah ah.  :D

There was this one time when we were allowed to stay out of the boat while getting past a rapid, that we actually panicked feeling the rocks hit our backs and behinds a little.  That's a first!

We couldn't help but snigger and repeat after Kuya JR when he'd say 'Paddool'.  As expected, we had him shaking his head in defeat when we'd intentionally backpaddle when he said forward paddle.  We just thought backpaddle was so sexy.  We felt fierce arching our backs habang sumasagwan kagaya ng Philippine Dragon Rowing Team.  

We stopped for lunch after an hour of rafting yata.  Nakakaantok after mabusog.  We carried on with our adventure.  At some points we would stop paddling and just left the guide to maneuver our boat while we sat comfortably and bulabog-ed the river with our lumalagitik na tawanan.  Braaaats!

Another first!  After some hesitancy, we said okay when we were asked if we'd want him flipping our boat.  At first, it was just Carla and I who were willing to do it.  I can't remember how the others agreed on doing it!  So our boat was flipped and we got to experience what they said na there's room for someone to breathe underneath the toppled boat, so no reason to panic.  Saya lang! :)

 

 

So I got more scratches and bruises from this adventure, but that was part of the fun!  I'd do white water rafting again and again.  :)

We went back to Crocodile Farm, waited for the photos and the souvenir shirt.  Later that night after washing up at the hotel, we went to search for Barbecue Boss which our guide recommended we visit for dinner and drinks.  Everyone was so happy to find this place where barbecue is only Php6 per stick.  Wala na kaming pakundangan sa pag-order.  Everything was so tasty! :)