Puerto Princesa - El Nido by Roro bus.

Woke up at 8am. Took the tricycle to the Bus Terminal in San Jose. As did not know where Mark stayed needed to wait for him 3 hrs... We came together, we go together. Hot, noise, tired. Want to be on The Island already...

Finally we've got the Roro bus to El Nido. Paid 350 pesos.

Driver is really crazy or too confident. Called him Michael Schumacher :) No asphalt sometimes and he doesn't change his driving style. Bags from the shelves above our heads falling down. Oh My God, want to be in El Nido asap... Dust, heat, want to pee, no chance he will stop just because of one person. Yes! Break, so I can pee. Stopped because of mango. There is some areas in the South of Palawan where mangoes are with some parasites or something and you cannot bring them to the North for health & safety reasons. Good. Did not eat any mango in Puerto.

Really nice views on the way. Rice terraces, virgin jungle and native houses in the middle of nowhere...

 

6,5 hours and finally we are in El Nido. It's dark already. Funny thing, wherever we arrive is dark- Manila and Puerto, now El Nido... Ripped off by tricycle driver. 200 metres for 50 pesos. Later on we paid 10 pesos to get to anywhere in the town. Well, we are only guests, and 50 pesos is not even 1 British pound.

Found nice beach huts in Corong Corong, just south of El Nido for 500 pesos / night. Forgot the name but if you will go right from the bus station and walk not even 5 minutes there are first beach huts on the right.

Sleep. We need to sleep. We will sleep well. It was long journey...

Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Closer to Paradise

After around one hour flight from Manila we are in Puerto Princesa's airport and heading to our first contact in Palawan, who I met on Couchsurfing.com. Australian guy, Richard, Reggae Pulse Bar owner.
It is dark already. After almost one hour walking we are here. Really nice place which Richard opened just 2 months ago. Native bamboo style bar. I like it. Have a chat with Richard, his girlfriend, Claire and the bar staff. We decided to catch the first bus to El Nido tomorrow morning.
Few beers and we need to find some accommodation.

(Photo below is actually taken after we came back from The Island as I don't have more with Richard in Reggae Pulse Bar)

As per Richard's advice I've chosen the Bangwa Pension. Also native style and good atmosphere. Mark chosen some other hotel as in Bangwa there is no rooms available. I wanted to stay here as don't want to travel more and finding any more thing tonight, I am too tired.

At the Bangwa Pension they told me that there is no rooms available but I can sleep downstairs on the staff's bed. Paid 200 pesos. I see that there is no customers in the Bangwa's bar and decided to sleep on the bench in the open air.

Really hot. No mosquitoes so far... Closer to paradise...