Places: Palawan, a must visit island

One of the perks of my profession is that I get to see places for free. With my first employer, I was all over NCR, North Luzon and South Luzon. Then, I got to travel to Cebu, Bohol, Iloilo and Bacolod. At one point, pwede na nga akong maging botante ng Laguna sa sobrang tagal namin dun. Hehe. Right after Laguna, I was sent to Palawan for almost 4 months. And mind you, I got to explore Palawan from shore to shore. I went island hopping literally. I appreciated not only the tourist destinations but everything in between. I was able to experience how it was to live and breathe Palawan. Ok, too much introductions na. :)

Alam nyo bang hindi lang sand and sea ang must see sa isla na ito? Ang dami daming masasarap na makakainan sa Puerto Prinsesa.

Isa na yung Balinsasayaw Grill and Restaurant na meron na rin naman sa Cavite.

(from WikiPilipinas)

Bird's nest soup, or nido soup, is a Chinese delicacy that is popular in the Philippines. The bird's nest ingredient comes from select species of cave swiftlets, one of which is found in the Philippines.

The most heavily harvested nests are from the edible-nest swiflet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) and the black-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus maximus). TheAerodramus fuciphagus is found in the Philippines, with the local name of balinsasayaw. The birds are found in El Nido, a region in Palawan whose name literally translates to “the nest.” Even before the Spanish occupation, Chinese travelers and herbalists were documented as having explored the area just to harvest the rare delicacy that the balinsasayaw produces.

For centuries, El Nido residents have looked at the harvesting the nests as their livelihood. The nests are highly prized, such that one kilogram can fetch prices of up to 1,000 USD.

Ewan ko ba kung bakit hindi 'ata ako nakatikim ng nido soup while I was there. Hmm.. (?)

On my first day, we ate at this restaurant. The experience was unforgettable (at least for me). It's not a Japanese resto but you have to remove your shoes before coming inside. Yung ambiance ng restaurant is very relax and laid back pero with class. Hindi mura dito mga mare. You can choose from the standard dining table or you can squeeze yourselves together and eat on the floor, Japanese style lang. I love green mango shake, so yun ang inorder ko as my refreshment. Malay ko ba naman na may ginger pala yung version nila. Mygawd, eh hindi talaga ako kumakain ng kahit na anong may luya. So imagine my dismay when I first sipped the shake. Yung tipong uhaw na uhaw ka na at init na init na tapos malalasahan mo yung pinaka ayaw mo. Huwaatt? At dahil sa may kamahalan nga ang presyo (para sakin), napilitan akong ubusin bawasan man lang yung shake. Tsk tsk!

If you want naman to buy pasalubongs or have the feel of a park, Baker's Hill na 'yan. You can spend the whole afternoon there and have merienda at the restaurant. And before going back to the town proper, you can eat dinner at Leslie's tutal madadaanan na sya palabas. Actually, the list of good restaurants in Puerto Prinsesa goes on and on. But I must end here to give way to sand and sea.

*Next post please! :)