Tour C and move to Manila

kitten sleeping on umbrella

The next morning I went to Lovelyn Tours at 9 to await my tour. While I waited I got the see the cute kitten and puppy again. Lovelyn could not get a Tour C together so they transferred me to town so I could go with Spider Tours. They had several small groups of people on the tour: a couple from Vancouver (Grace and photographer hubby), another couple and their daughter (Cathy), a couple from France, and a grandma with 4 of her granddaughters. This tour had one guide, a captain and assistant captain and a cook. I liked Spider Tours but still preferred Lovelyn as they had more of a “small business” feel to them. They also did better pictures from the bow!

Puppy snoozing

Lovelyn Tours

Taking a tricycle to Spider Tours

Using a scooter to transport a scooter

The shole group Tour C

Looking up at secret beach

Tour C was more active and had more snorkeling. First was a secret beach where we swam to a hole, then through the hole into an enclosed area with small lagoon and beach. We also saw a few fish here. Then we went to another nice beach and docked for lunch for an hour. Lunch was good especially the fish, pork, and fruit. After lunch we went to “hidden beach” which the guide said had only average snorkeling and not a lot of coral, but I spotted a stingray, several nemos, and a long round thing (eel, snake, long cucumber?). It’s amazing what is down there when you just put on a mask and look! Most of the others were just wading around, kayaking, or enjoying the beach unaware of all the cool things down there.
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The opening to secret beach

Secret Beach from the beach

The secret beach

me sitting on the side of the boat

Lunch Spread Tour C

Lunch off the side of the boat

blue spotted stingray

stingray tail

ambon damselfish

pretty bright blue fish

Next up was the Matinloc shrine where the biggest attraction was not the shrine but climbing a path up the rocks to an amazing overlook where we all took pictures. Last was helicopter island (looks a bit like a helicopter though I think it looks more like a dolphin). This place had truly amazing snorkeling. There were so many corals (4 different kinds including a bunch that looked like flat mushrooms) and tons and tons of fish. It was just like the area where Nemo lived in the movie only bigger. Exhausted but happy, we headed home.

green damselfish

threadfin butterfly fish

Posing with new friends

Cool view from the top through a hole

me at the top

Shrine

pork adobo

That evening I got my wonderful pork adobo for 75 pesos ($1.50) and got to play “hit the blown up plastic bag” with Angelica again. I brought her and the other 3 kids some pens, pencils, and Ghirardelli chocolate, which they really liked.

me and Angelica and sister

Angelica and her balloon

terrific chicken adobo

The next morning I walked down to the local market and bought cashews. As I discovered by trial and error, the prices are fluid. Bottom line, the “real” price they charge locals is about 50-60% of the displayed price, but I didn’t figure that out until much later. For future reference the 250gram bags of plain or salted should cost 150 pesos and the 140gram bags of candied should cost 100 pesos. I’m not sure why it bothers me when there are two prices: the local price and the dumb tourist price. Maybe because the food vendors charge just one price. I got some fabulous chicken adobo at a stall in the market for 75 pesos. I had to convince her to take a 25 peso tip. What I should have said was thank you for not overcharging me just because I’m a tourist.

cashew vendors

food stall at market

cute dog

On the walk back I found a stall that only overcharged a little so I bought some more. Now I have 5 pounds of cashews I have to cart around! Guess I’ll just have to eat some. My driver took me to the airport. El Nido airport is a small airport privately owned by Swift Air, similar to how Bangkok Air owns Samui airport. It is tiny with dirt roads just like Samui was 28 years ago. And the security checkpoint has no x-rays machines. Instead they have you open up each of your bags and glance through them! One of the tings I liked best was how all of the 6 ground crew including the guys at the end of the runway all waved to us as we taxied off! I can’t help but wonder how it will grow in the next 25 years as more people find out about El Nido.

stall selling reasonably priced cashews

El Nido airport security just opens your bags instead of x-raying

industrial sized fans, yay!

the gate

the terminal

the plane

guard waving

Mega meal A

On the plane were some tv stars from a Filippino show that everyone was going crazy over. I took a picture in case anyone recognizes them. From the airport I started walking to get my PCR test which was supposed to be “right across the street from Terminal 4” but was actually ½ mile down the road. I got distracted on the way by a Jolli Bee where I stopped to stuff my face.

famous tv show cast

Jolli Bee!

New Coast bathroom 1

I love and miss the remote islands but it is always so nice to come back to a real 5 star hotel with full AC and toilets where you can flush the tp. I did not expect my hotel, New Coast Hotel, to be so nice. I got it for only $82 (regularly around $120 I think). It’s amazing that I can get this place for $82 when I only get a fleabag hotel in Tucson with spots peeling off the tub for that price. It also has a casino so I was able to pick up souvenir chips for me and my poker buddy Jana who collects them.

My posh hotel New Coast Hotel

New Coast room 1

New Coast room 2

New Coast bathroom 2

Even the elevator area is classy

New Coast attached casino