Palawan Travel Adventures: Day 2 - El Nido Island Hopping (Tour A)

Entrance to the Big Lagoon

The highlight of our Palawan trip: island-hopping in El Nido!

I was most excited to engage in this activity. After all, the limestone islands of El Nido are world-famous. And we get to snorkel, too. So, what more can I ask?  Well, another day of island-hopping, probably. 

We sailed on a motorized banca around 9am last Wednesday.  According to our guide, our first stop would either be the small or the big lagoon, depending on the tide.  And from our resort, it would be a 40 minute or so ride.

I guess, we were blessed that day.  The sea was as calm as it could be.  We were literally cutting through crystal-clear, glass-like sea.  There was not even a small wave or a ripple in sight.  The sea was so still that it perfectly mirrored the skies and the islands.  It was so serene and beautiful that I had to utter a prayer of thanks to the Lord for letting me witness the marvel of his creation.  I was glad to be alive.

The islands of El Nido are scattered quite a distance from one another unlike in Caramoan.  No wonder there are 4 types of island-hopping tours, tours a, b, c and d.  And each tour takes up a whole day which I think is perfectly fine.  It is better to enjoy and savor what the islands have to offer than rush from one point to another.

For Tour A, we went to the Big Lagoon, the Small Lagoon, Shimizu Island, the Seven Commandos Beach and the Secret Lagoon.

The Big Lagoon is located somewhere in Miniloc Island, the famed Ayala resort.  The Small Lagoon and the Secret Lagoon are located somewhere there, too. We were quite lucky since there were few tourists.  It was a Wednesday, after all, and the peak season for El Nido had ended in March.  

Limestone formation, Miniloc

Miniloc Resort

As with all the islands we visited, the Big Lagoon is breathtaking.  Achingly beautiful.  The waters in and surrounding the island were a myriad of colors: emerald green, turquoise, aquamarine, deep blue and the prettiest and stunningly vivid azure I have ever seen in my life.  

Anyway, we had a photo ops at the entrance of the lagoon, between two limestone cliffs, or island or whatever it may have been.  We just happily traversed the water on the safety of our boat.

View from inside the Big Lagoon

From the Big Lagoon, we went to the Secret Lagoon, a short distance away.  One by one, we entered a small, sort of triangular crevice.  To safely reach the Secret Lagoon, one must sit on top of the rock-opening, then slide the lower body towards the other side slowly, making sure that your head does not hit the edge of the opening. 

The docking site for the Secret Lagoon.
There is a small beach as shown in the photo.
And yes, the water is crazy clear.

View from inside the Secret Lagoon
Can you see the small triangular crevice?  That is the entrance.

Afterwards, we headed to Shimizu Island for a swim while we wait for our lunch to be cooked.  The boatmen and our tour guide took care of the cooking.

Shimizu Island
The beach is small but perfect for a swim.

The view  from Shimizu Island

Bring your goggles or snorkeling gear.  There are many fishes of various sort even in shallow waters at the Shimizu Island.  Apparently, the island was named after a Japanese scuba diver who died while diving in an underwater tunnel off some sorts per the request of the diver's mother.  If I have to die before an island is named after me, I'd gladly pass.

Fishes abound at the Shimizu Island.
The same is true in every island we visited.

To reach the Small Lagoon, on the other hand, we had to pass through another small rock opening.  For added fun, the tour guides would assist the tour groups in making a sea train.  The first person would be hanging onto a life buoy, with the next person holding onto the feet of the first person and so on and so forth.  The tour guide would then pull the life buoy and the train into the narrow passageway which is just enough for a one or two persons to fit in at a time.  Corny, but it was fun nonetheless.

Inside the Small Lagoon

Our final stop was the Seven Commandos Beach.  A resort is currently being constructed but the bar is open and fully operational.  They sell drinks at tourist prices.  The beach, though, is beautiful, the shoreline is wide, and the water, shallow.  Plus, the view is just so picturesque.

Seven Commandos

Still at the Seven Commandos

The skies turned slightly gray and the waves became bigger.  The fair weather was turning into a cloudy one.  Hence, the dark horizon as pictured above.  But the view remained beautiful.

I told you...the water on this beach is  shallow.
Crystal-clear.  The sandy shoreline, wide.

My office mates, who grew tired from island-hopping, wanted to return to the resort even though it was only past 2pm.  Oh well.  I just vowed to myself that I shall return to El Nido.

Post script:  Going to the Seven Commandos beach, I saw a pawikan swimming in the sea.  I thought it was a huge piece of plastic bag, colored green.  But when we got closer, it was a sea turtle.  Like a child, I squealed in delight.  To see one means you're lucky.  And I was the only  one who saw it in our group.  Yay!

     

Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011 - Day 3: NTU Education Tour, Part 2, and the Gongguan Night Market

View of the Taipei 101 from the NTUgrounds.

     As I have said a couple of posts back, I had an impromptu snacks tour during my trip to NTU.  And rightly so, my guides ushered me to where the locals buy two (2) of the most popular snacks/treats inside NTU before leading me to the Gongguan Night Market.

     Me and my tour guides, Ms. Annick and Alice, walked towards the right side of the Main Library until we came to a small, cottage-like store packed with people.  The guides told me that NTU sells some produce from the NTU Farm and their by-products, including NTU's very own ice cream!  And they're selling like hotcakes!  When we got into the NTU store, the ice cream wafer/sandwich was sold-out and there were no more ice cream on cups left in the freezer.  Good thing we waited for a while because the staff restocked the ice cream on cups, about half a pint each, and they wiped out in mere minutes!

The NTU store.  

See how the locals spend their Sunday afternoons: outdoors!

     After buying the ice creams, we faced a little challenge finding an empty table where we could eat and chill.  There were tables and chairs outside, al fresco style, and a couple of picnic tables.  We found a vacant picnic table, and I had the opportunity to hang out as the locals do.  Not long thereafter, I met the cutest and the smartest Taiwanese I've ever met, pictured here:

      This boy's parents shared our table and the kid and I hit it off immediately.  All he did at first was to glare at me but after some time, he relaxed and even played with me.  He's just 2 years old but he can recite the English alphabet and can count in English.  So cute! And smart!

     While playing peek-a-boo with the toddler, I ate my ice cream, which was vanilla, and it was creamy and delish.  Then after an hour, I quickly forgot about the waffle my guides volunteered to buy.  Apparently, you buy it from a nearby store, if I remember correctly, or is it at the same store?  I forgot because I was buying the ice cream when the guides bought the waffle.  Anyway, our number was in the hundreds and it had a time for pick-up.  Yes, you buy the waffle then wait for an eternity because there are about a hundred people ahead of you.  It was worth the wait, though.  The waffle was perfectly done:  it was crisp outside and soft inside.  It almost melts in the mouth. 

     After we finished off our ice cream and waffles, my guides brought me food tripping at the Gongguan Night Market!  Yay!  

     Ms. Alice asked me if I have ever eaten any of the famous Taiwanese snacks.  I told her no, with the exception of the Hot Star Chicken and the waffle that we just had.  She was so shocked!  So, she and Ms. Annick dragged me to what they tell me is a very famous stall at the Gongguan Night Market selling a thick misua soup of some sorts and stinky tofu.  They swore to make me eat stinky tofu, which I did, and I even ordered the misua soup.  The stinky tofu was not so bad.  It was delicious but the odor is mildly off-putting.  I say mildly because apparently, the stinky tofu served at the stall was not as stinky as the ones I smelled at Jiufen.  I was not able to consume the soup because it was so heavy and the stinky tofu was filling by itself.

The popular stall selling stinky tofu.

The delightfully delicious stinky tofu and soup.

     After eating, for the second time in about two hours, we rounded up the streets of Gongguan Night Market and a lot of snacks along the way, including roasted duck heads:

     As the day went darker, the throng of people and cars got thicker.  And yes, there are a lot of young people at the market since it's so near NTU.

     Finally, we reached our ultimate destination, to a hugely popular bubble tea shop.  It's easy to spot.  Just look for rows of some more than 50 people and that'll be it.  There's even chalk marks on the ground to let people know where to line up.  Yes, if you see people lining up in Taipei, it's probably for some famous snacks.

     The guides told me that it's arguably the best bubble milk tea, and the secret? Brown sugar for the tapioca.  I was like, we've been doing that back home since like, forever.  So, the taste was way too familiar for my buds.  And the shop sign has a crazy long explanation why the written logo is long or something.. It's also on the plastic cups, like a logo. The guides told me that it's a strategy to deter copycats to copy the store's logo. Anyway, the bubble tea was yummy and worth the 30-minute wait.

My order being prepared.

My bubble tea.

    

     After finishing off our bubble teas, we went back to the Gongguan MRT station.  I had to board down a stop ahead since it's nearer my hostel.  And after saying my goodbyes and gratitude to Ms. Annick and Ms. Alice, I got off my station.  Sigh.  That officially ends my free Taipei city tours.


   

Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011 - Day 3: NTU Education Tour, Part 1

   

     After our Danshui Joyful Life Tour, my tour guides and I rushed to the Beitou MRT station to meet a French male tourist.  But alas!  We ran in late and when we arrived, the French guy apparently joined another tour.  We were just ten minutes late and the French guy thought that the guides bailed out on him.   So, I was the only tourist, too, for the afternoon tour.

     The guides were supposed to bring me to Yangmingshan and to the Calla Lily Festival.  However, another guide told us that she just got out from the mountain and it was really, really traffic.  After all, it was a Sunday, the last weekend before the Flora Festival ends and the last day for the Calla Lily Festival.  So, after much pondering, and not wanting to be stuck in traffic without actually seeing anything, I decided to pick an alternative tour, and I chose the NTU Education tour.  My guides were not really knowledgeable about the tour since their specialty lies with the National Museum and Yangmingshan tours, but what the heck.  I've been to most of the places on the free tours program and really, I have not been to anywhere along the MRT green line where the NTU is located.  So, to NTU we go!

     For most people, National Taiwan University is known as one of Taiwan's best universities.  But for fans of Meteor Garden, NTU provides one of the most recognizable places of the series, the palm-tree lined path leading to the fictional Yingde University, aptly known as the Royal Palm Boulevard.   So, I was more than happy to see the campus.  Teehee.

     The National Taiwan University has sprawling grounds.  You really need to use a bicycle, or a car, to go around the campus.  You can, of course, just walk from the gate to that huge building in the horizon and beyond.  But if you're a student, you might run late getting to your classes.

Multi-level bicycle parkingoutside NTU's gates.

     As to places of interest, the NTU has a lot to offer.  Just to the right from the gates near the MRT exit, you could see a Parthenon-like architecture, or something, which seems unusual, amidst a classical garden. It's really pretty in it's white, marbled glory, at least I think it's made of marble.  But, it's also creepy, too, considering that the structure houses the grave of NTU's First President, Mr. Fu Si-Nian. In short, it's a mausoleum. Anyway, the garden itself is named after Fu Si Nian.

Entrance to the Fu Si-Nian Memorial Garden

     We saw a group of cosplayers having a photoshoot at the grave.  Hehe.  Who can blame them?  The structure provides a perfect backdrop to their costumes.

     When we exited the garden, we saw a new bunch of cosplayers headed down the garden.

     We rounded up a part of the campus grounds from the gates near the MRT exit and I've found out that NTU is a favorite  location for photo shoots.  We've seen a couple having their prenup pictorial, which is hugely popular in Taiwan, there.

     Other places of interest includes the Fu Bell and the Main Library, among others.  Definitely, architecture buffs will be delighted to tour the campus.  And what do you know?  There's a farm on campus and an ecological pond (Liugongjun Pool)!  Although I wasn't able too see it, there's another pond called the Drunken Moon Lake, which despite its crazy name, is reputedly a very lovely and romantic lake, especially at night.

Fu Bell

 Main Library

 Inside the library.  Reminds me of UST Main Library.

I love libraries.  I can live inside one.

 Red bricks and archways of the Main Library.

View of the Royal Palm Blvd. from the Main Library.

The NTU has some sort of a farm, I think, in the campus.  

And this is a fountain a la water system.

Ecological pond.

     Here's a map of NTU for your reference (click on the photo for full resolution):

   

     In part 2 of my NTU tour, I'd show you where to buy two of the most famous treats on campus as well as how to spend a weekend afternoon like a local.

Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011 - Day 3: Danshui Joyful Life Tour

  

     This is the first tour lined up for the day.  I was supposed to meet my guide, Ms. Alice, at the Danshui MRT station at 8:00 a.m. and I just made it in time though I thought I was going to be late.  When I got there, Ms. Alice introduced me to another guide, Ms. Annick.  I was surprised to have two guides for the day.  I guess I was just lucky!

Taiwan Travel Adventures 2011: Day 3 - Travel in Taipei, Follow Me Free Tours

    

    I stumbled upon this program a few days before my flight to Taiwan.  It's a free volunteer guide services by the good people of Taipei.  It was a program for the Taipei Flora Expo and the city tour services started from sometime in June and ended the same time with the Flora Expo.  The program offered ten tours, in several languages including English, French, Korean, Japanese and Italian.

     Getting free tours was easy.  I just signed up in their website, chose my preferred tours (2 tours maximum per person) and tour guides.  Immediately thereafter, I received an email from one of the program staff and he helped with my my itinerary and made some very good suggestions.  When he learned that I was travelling alone, he took the liberty to change my tour guides from male to female.  Well, when I chose my guides, the male guide for the Danshui tour was the only one available for my preferred time, so I just went ahead and chose him.  The program staff was able to find me a female guide available and so, all's well.  I mean, while the idea of having a male tour guide is acceptable, I was still alone and touring the city with a male stranger would kinda look like we're going on a date.  Hahaha!

     So for my Danshui tour and Yangminshan tours, I have two female guides, Ms. Annick and Ms.Alice.  And I was the only one in the tour but I had two great guides!  Lucky!

     Unfortunately, though, we were not able to go up to Yangmingshan.  My guides were supposed to take me to the Calla Lily Festival, a tour on special request, but since it was the last day of the festival and it was a weekend, too, the traffic up and down Yangmingshan was terrible, a disaster.  That was what another guide told us when we were about to ride the bus to Yangminshan.  So, we decided to go to National Taiwan University instead for the education tour.

     And, my tour adventures will be featured in separate posts.  So till then!