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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Feb 21, 2008 07:00 PM Subterranean River - the longest in the world?
It is 2,5 hours drive from Puerto Princessa. Half on the good road and the second part on bumpy road full of holes - through the lush jungle... But this National Park is a must if you are on Palawan - nice beaches are in many tropical countries but such a marvel of the nature you can see only here...
Once you will reach the other side of the island they will take you from Sabang by little boat (20 min ride) to the beach where is 5 min walk to the entry to the cave. Watch brave monkeys - the makaks and monitor lizards hunting for food...
Then another, 8-pax paddle boat will take you to the river meandering the cave. They say it is 8-km long but let you know that in fact they will sail with you in the darkness 1,5 km and back. For me it was still impressive: stalactites and stalagmites nnd 50-m high cathedral with a huge stalagmite "candle" in the middle. The Subterranean River of Palawan is on the Unesco World Heritage list.
Excursion from Puerto Princessa took me full day - but it was great day - now it is the time for the meal. Papayas are not ripe yet here but they have delicious pomelos...
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Feb 20, 2008 07:00 PM To Palawan - the outback of the Philippines
They call it in the guide books: the outback of the Philippines. More and more tourists are coming here but it is still destination off the beaten track, the long island famous for the unspoiled nature, great beaches and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
To get there from Cebu I had a choice to take a ferry from Iloilo (like 36 hours, 770 peso, twice a week - I had to wait) or to fly to Puerto Princessa for 2000. Domestic flights are inexpensive in this country - I can recommend Cebu Pacific Air selling ticket in internet... Sorry, no free drinks or snacks on board.
An hour over the blue sea and I landed on Palawan. The airport is only 2 km from the city so I took junky tricycle pyk-pyk-pyk to Banwa Pension. This backpacker accommodation has a lot of atmosphere - many people sleep here. For single room with fan and shared bath they charge 350 peso.
Puerto Princessa is like main town on Palawan. You will find here nice blue cathedral. But for me the main attraction was the kampong on the shore - hundreds of wooden houses on the stilts. It has shops, eateries, laundries... I was wondering there alone accompanied by local kids only, looking the real life. Fantastic experience!
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Feb 19, 2008 07:00 PM Did you hear about Lapu Lapu?
Philippines. I am already in hot and dusty Cebu City. Ladies are charming here...
Do you remember my sailing through the Magellan's Strait from Porvenir to Punta Arenas on the old ferry boat "Malinka"?
Today I visited another Magellan's place: Mactan Island where, during the fight with the local chief Lapu Lapu he was wounded to death by spear and poisoned arrow. Now there is obelisk on this place and the statue of the chief Lapu Lapu. Lapu Lapu (the capital city of the Mactan island has his name now) is a national hero, Ferdinand Magellan is described as invader.
For us he was one of the greatest explorers... I think that for the serious traveler the monument on Mactan Island is one of this important "cult" places like Ujiji in Africa where Stanley found Livingstone or the grave of Ernest Shackelton on South Georgia. This a place to be...
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Feb 18, 2008 07:00 PM Jeepney - sorry - not my size...
Philippines. Can you imagine a million-people city without city any buses? Joke? No! It is like that here. Almost whole city transport is taken here by jeepneys - converted and refurbished old american jeeps and new versions of such a vehicles. Jeepney ride is cheap: 7-10 peso - like 20 US cents. But you travel in the dust and smog, in the heat and the wind. For me there is another problem: those funny vehicles are very low - definitely not my size (182 cm) - so watch your head Mr Wojtek and ride the Philippino jeepneys - the alternetive is the taxi - 6 times more expensive...
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Feb 17, 2008 07:00 PM Landed! Philippines- different world...
In the hotel in Manado they will probably tell you (like in my case) that airport tax is 30000 INR. Do nat trust them - it is 100000 if you fly abroad...
At 5.30 I took motocycle taxi (ojek) to the Manado airport. 30000 INR for 11 km distance. On the km 7 we got flat tyre, but I reached the airport on time anyway. 28 passengers only in 737 plane (lucky me - a week ago flight was cancelled as not feasible).
After 1,5 hour flight over the blue Sulu Sea we landed in Davao on the Mindanao Island. I got 21-days tourist visa on arrival for free. Taxi to the town after bargaining cost me just 100 peso (they pay here 40 peso per USD). Then I got a dark but cheap fan room at Royal Downtown Homestay for 350 peso - Lonely Planet guide book is accurate.
Davao is big, smoky town. Here are the cathedral and two temples to see - just for one day of stay. But I am already in the different world: after weeks of rice diet in provincial Indonesia here I have a bakery at almost every corner and almost everybody speak some english. People are nice but not as cheerful like in Indonesia. I was a curio there - I saw (in average) one white tourist per 3 days. Here I saw 5 tourists in one day! Much better score...
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Feb 16, 2008 07:00 PM Secret flight to Davao... I have the ticket!
I am in Manado - provincial town in the northern tip of Celebes.
Lucky me! In my pocket I have already an air ticket to Davao in the Philippines!
Thanks to all of you who were searching in the net for the best solution to cross the Sulu Sea. Some of you sent me via Singapore, some via Taipei, Australia, others via Jakarta and Manila.
But in Manado I find out that on Monday there will be (I believe) the charter flight to the Mindanao. Here is my gold-worth info for the fellow travelers:
The charter is not by Merpati or by Sriwijaya Air - at present it is organized by the travel agent from Manado: PT Pilman, Jalan Tikala Ares 1, ph: 62 431 86 21 25 e-mail: pilmantt@yahoo.com It is charter flight - not visible in the reservation systems...
It is departing on Mondays at 7 am (if they have sufficient number of passengers). They charge hefty 180 USD each way but it is still less then round way via SIN or other airports.
It seems to be my last day in charming but corrupted Indonesia. Did I learn some local language? I hope so...
So tomorrow before boarding I can make the announcement:
-The plane is ready for boarding. So lets MASIH_MASIH (everybody) take all his BARANG-BARANG (stuff) and let him go HATI-HATI (carefully) to the plane! Terima kasih SAMA-SAMA (thank you very much!)
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Feb 15, 2008 07:00 PM Bunaken - another paradise island...
World divers know well this little island on the north shore of Indonesian Sulavesi. It is famous for the coral gardens and plenty of tropical fish. Thanks to the nearby Manado airport with direct flights to Singapore, Jakarta and Bali many foreigners are coming the beauty of the underwater world. I am the backpacker, diving was always too expensive to me. I went to the Bunaken Island to snorkel. It is 45 min by junky motorboat from the little Manado harbor. Coral gardens of Bunaken are worth to see - local resorts charge hefty 50000 INR for the rental of mask and snorkel! Pay or bring gear with you and just swim through the grassy area to the edge of the big blue hole. Enjoy the beauty of the nature.
Most package tourists go from airport to the boat and onward to the resort to dive. They are missing something: lovely, sleepy fishing village on the Bunaken Island full of nice people, jackfruit trees and wooden boats. I got there in the private house a big plate of nasi (rice) with fish for just 5000 INR - like 50 cents...
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Feb 14, 2008 07:00 PM How to cross Sulu Sea?
"Sinabung" reached port of Bitung on the North Celebes. Once again I was surprised how inaccurate is the last edition of "Lonely Planet - Indonesia". In the recommended by them Nalendra Hotel prices raised by 100 percent! They charge 230000 INR per standard room.
I went to the Harbor Master asking for the ships sailing to the Philippines. No ships expected in the coming week - sometimes there are ones but they are freighters - not for the passenger's traffic...
Well, thanks God I am few days ahead of my schedule (I was lucky to catch few ships one by one) and I have the time to ask and to shop around for the best solution. Also to know more about this secret flight to Davao which is not seen in the computer reservation systems...
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Feb 13, 2008 07:00 PM The tale of the South Seas...
Far away from the noisy Europe on the warm and blue Maluku Sea there were two beautiful volcanic islands laying one by one - divided only by the 1-mile wide strait. The islands were ruled by two sultans. They were rich - on the islands they had plantations of the valuable and rare cloves. But they hate each other and wasted much of their wealth fighting each other.
When whites came to the Maluku Sea they invited two European kingdoms to protect them against enemy. Europeans built on the islands their castles and... took the monopoly on cloves trade. Then the third European kingdom smuggled out precious spice-tree seedings to the colonies in the other parts of the world. Cloves became less valuable, sultans less rich. But their descendends still live on the beautiful volcanic islands and still have some power...
The tale only? No, the islands: Ternate and Tidore exists. I saw them today on the Maluku Sea.
(for the St Valentine's Day to all the girls I loved...)
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Feb 12, 2008 07:00 PM Sailing to Biak I met two Europeans!
The lowest=economy class on the PELNI ships is for the loner travel like a hell. Can you imagine a cabin for 150 people - with littlre light, a lot of smoke, garbage and the noise... Crowd of people laying one by one - like in the war transporter...
A lot of locals escape fron those huge cabins to the deck (but limited shade there and wet if rains) or to the staircases and corridors of the 2nd and 1st class on the upper decks... They lay on the floor everywhere.
This is the voyage well off the beaten track... Finally I met two travellers from Europe: Maria and David are going to Biak Island - I had a chance to speak english and to share experiences. We were sailing along the chain of little, picturesque islands to Serui - the weather were nice, the ocean blue - just a pleasant day at sea...
I do not like this captain - he was ashamed when I went to the bridge and in the presence of other crew he was speaking very poor english. The captain does not speak basic english... This is Indonesia...
Tomorrow I'll cross the equator again...
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