Backpacks and Flipflops

Heading to El Nido, Palawan.

...with time growing shorter in the Philippines, we decide to leave the beautiful, other worldly islands of Busuanga and region and push south.....

....we book seats on a heftier version of the smaller bangka boats that are everywhere in this part of the world....

....told our ferry is not full, we look forward to some space to stretch out for the 7hr ride over the open ocean. ...however, we think truth was lost in the translation, somewhere.....

...on board we are greeted to the human version of the cattle boat.......seems this bangka has managed to take at least 100 people, just a bit over the legal limit of 70.....

... sitting in these plastic deck chairs for the duration will not be fun....it is hot, stinky, sweaty and crowded..those that arrived late onboard are sentenced to sitting sideways for the trip...throw me overboard rather than endure that punishment...

....and the toilet on board...well, while the view from the poopdeck to the open ocean below is dramatic... the back splash can be a bit messy...

....a few of us head up top to the open deck, thinking fresh air, sea views might be a better alternative...

...the lucky few score whatever shaded deck space they can find....no one wants to sit under the open sun for the entire trip..... many would be grilled deeper than a shrimp on the barbie..

....the boat plows on through the day, rolling and pitching in the heavy seas......

....hard to imagine doing this trip on some 'wet and stormy' day..

.....land ahoy.....we near El Nido...the main boom-boom town on the northern tip of main island Palawan...

....we dock (some may call it that?)...or, as usual....some wonky footbridge is tossed to some equally precarious point on land... not afraid of dieing on the Open Sea...it's getting on/off these bangka's that'll kill you...

....we walk through El Nido looking for a room

El Nido beach....backdrop and rock outcroppings are fantastic, and the water inviting....but, with nearly a 100 bangka boats for hire anchored in the bay, along with bars, hotels that push right up to the water's edge and some suspect plumbing....very few swim here.....

Filipinos' national drink/dish....take a read of the ingredients.. yes, indeed....somehow it all works....

.....chop, chop...whack, whack...nothing like buying a machete on the way home....

....most head to other beaches or any number of islands within a bangka or kayak reach.....

....beaches in, on and around El Nido all share some other worldly scenery....

.....these islands are way more dramatic than the Greek/Croatian isles....they would fit in Hawaii or as center stage in another Jurassic Park movie...

.....the sunset views from Las Cabanas beach (near Corong Corong) are equally impressive...

.....not hard to grab a beer and reflect on another great day coming to an end....

....we sign up for a tour to some of the offshore sites....

.....again, like Coron in the north...the bays hold spectacular scenery....

...we swim, snorkel and eat...

..what the bangka boat boys can do on a tiny, open, charcoal grill....amazing, tasty...

....my new friend....Stegosaurus?

.....at this tiny beach bar we come across...we find cold beers, great beach chairs....

....and these 2 great people....share drinks, laughs with this wonderful Portuguese couple traveling the world during the off season from their hotel/resort jobs...

.....we are tired, though.....the beach scenery, tours, crowds of tourists make us look to leave El Nido, rather than endure crowded and long van rides further south in Palawan....

.....but before we leave this postcard setting....we grab a trike and head to do some ziplining.... Why not?

Shayne's birthday present.....

...launch ourselves off towards this other island 750 metres away and 80 metres off the ground!

...and fly like Superman and Superwoman or Superpopsie and Supermomsie....

....everything ends well....

...now for the walk down the bamboo steps back to the beach....

...later that night we party at the beach side reggae Puka Bar....dance....and watch the bongo drummer swing his firepots...they only flew away 2x...only landed under someone's chair, while another flaming bomb landed on a chair....no harm....no burns....no fire....