Our stay in Culion, Palawan was a product of several months of teasing Tita May Aromin.  She is the one who is from Culion, but she have not visited her hometown for several years already.  Her family showed us the warmth and friendliness of Culioneros.

Culion Palawan is small town composed of 14 baranggays.  According to wikipedia, it is a 4th class municipality is the province of Palawan.  This island have it’s own share of history in the country.  It is once a leprosy segragation camp.

On our first day in the island, my friends and I strolled around and had our own taste of Culion’s history at their Museum.  The entrance fee to the museum varies according to the type of visitor.

Foreigners - 200 pesos

Locals- 100 pesos

Culion residents- 50 pesos

The start of the Culion museum itenerary is a film showing of the history of the Island.  According to the video,  the vast tract of land once owned by the Sandoval in Culion was donated to be utilized as a leprosarium.  It was an isolated island then but in the early 1900’s Asuncion Shipping Company (now San Nicholas Shipping) started a missionary trip going to Culion from Coron to serve the community.

A remnant of the fort in San Pedro located somewhere in Burabud is a testimony of a rich history of Culion. In the early 1990’s, it was thought that this fort was already envaded by the roots of balete trees. This was built by the spanish friars (Agustinian Recollects)and is older than the one we now see in Culion proper, the Immaculate Conception Church built by the Jesuits. This fort in San Pedro was more or less built on the same span of date as that in Agutaya, Taytay and Cuyo which forts found in these towns still stand today preserved by the Palawan government. It is about time for the Palawan government to discover this lost fort in San Pedro, Culion to complete the history.

Most of the structures built in the early 1900’s in Culion Proper especially “inside” the once leprosarium which are still sturdily existing were the fruits of the labor of Leonard Wood, a physician and an American Governor General in 1902. In fact, the Culion Museum is one of these memorabilia of Dr. Wood.

Some of my friends did not like the idea of spending 100 pesos for a museum but me and Ana did not want to waste our opportunity of going inside for we do not know if we can go back there again.  We do not want to say “sayang….dapat” .  So I grabbed my ever handy dandy canon 1000d and paid 100 pesos and started to go back to Culion’s history.

My pictures will show you how we enjoyed our visit to the museum.  As we go out to the gates, our friends are already there and picked us to go our next itinerary…. to a place they call as pulang lupa.  I do not know why they called it as such but it is an uphill travel.  The road was rough but it is a good thing that we took the service coming from the Culion’s tourism office for simple cars will not survive the rough road.  As we ended our road trip our eyes was pleased with the views that we saw.  Pulang lupa is one of the highest point of the island and it will give you a magnificent view of the Calamianes group of island.  The sparkling blue water and pristine environment will make you say wow.

just arrived

All has been set.  We had our ticket,  packed our bags and bought things for our long planned trip.  My colleagues and I did not sleep the whole night of November 6 for we do not want to miss our travel.  I just spent my time harveting, planting, cooking using the different applications of facebook.  As early as 4 am of November 7, my papa helped me with my things and we rushed to the gates of Super Ferry.  Our supposed to be departure to Coron is at 5:15 am so I need to rush.  As I enter the gates of the pier I was greeted by the faces of my friends, all without sleep but managed to smile and laugh on our baggages.

We were so lucky that day. The weather is good after several weeks of heavy rains and devastating typhoons that visited our country.  As I put my luggage (as in) to my space, i rolled myself to sleep.  I had a good sleep despite the fact that we stayed in a mega economy accommodation in the ship.  As I wake up,  I went over to the cafeteria and had my brunch.  Then, I prowled around and found a nice place in the tourist area of the ship.  The double decks are empty so I did not waste time.  I grabbed my Lightning McQueen bolster pillow and my uber ube and pink malong and found another place to sleep. All in all I can say that the Super Ferry ships are great.  It’s so clean and staff are very accomodating. Another lucky streak hit us when we meet a former student who gave us a better accomodation.  (I will not mention his name anymore but thanks a lot to you).  Finally after 12 hours of travel we arrived the pier of Coron.  As we went out at the gates we were greeted by a lot of tricycle drivers and we talked and agreed that they have to bring us to the Coron Public Market for we will meet Mang Fred and his boat to take us to Culion.

The boat ride was great.  Most of my friends are worried to travel late at night (we arrived at Coron pier at around 10 pm) but another God given blessing is that the water is so calm and peaceful.  After an hour and half boat ride we finally arrived to Culion, Palawan.  It’s just sad that we missed the nice view because we arrived to Culion at around 12:30 am.  The island is too peaceful and we are the only one who is making noise.  The wheels of our luggages is the prevailing sound in the streets of Baranggay Balala.

On my next post, I will tell you more of my wonderful travel to this paradise.  By the way to help you in your plans of visiting the place, here is the prices of fare.  We were able to get the triple tripid sale of Super Ferry and got a ticket to Coron at an amazing price of 664.  Very cheap right.  We agreed to  take the ship because most of my colleagues have not tried travelling in a ship and the experience was great.

May 19, I received a miscall.  I did’nt know the person so I did not call back but I sent a message asking who called.  There was no reply.  Then when I was on my way home a message coming from the same number appeared on my phone and it goes like this….. jill when will i see you today?  Armin.  Oh my! My good friend from Germany is here.  It has been 12 years since his last visit here in the Philippines so I am very much eager to see him again.  So I have told my mama,  papa and zaldy about the news and all together we went to the place where he is staying.  It was a wonderful  to see a friend again.  Specially when it is  quite a long time that you haven’t seen each other.  It always give a good feeling to see somebody and to hear news about each other.  I have learned that he is here to check some of his friends and look at the possibilities of sending some to school.  It was a good luck for both of us that my summer class is about to end so I insisted that I will be coming with him during his stay here.  So we went to Angeles, Manila, Cavite and back again in Manila. We checked schools, visited some of his friends, and enjoyed.

We spent several days in a hotel/resort in Cavite.  We are with his students, my friend with her child, and in some days my brother together with his family joins us.  During our stay, I was moved on how my friend looks at life.  He doesn’t think bad or doubt anybody.  For him helping is something that makes him feel good.  How I wish I can have this kind of thinking too.

He went back home to Germany last Wednesday and until now, I am thinking over and over again about the lessons that I have learned from him.  For sure,  it will change me and how I look at the challenges of this so called life.

I am already missing you my friend,  see you again.

This is a little bit  late post.  I don’t why I was not able to write and post my thoughts nowadays.  I am having a hard time putting what’s on my mind into words.  Now I have a lot of catching up to do…….

Last month, our college went on a team building in one of the pioneer recreation center in our country.  I have been hearing a lot about the place since high school but I did not have the chance to go there.  Caliraya Recreation Center is located on a 15 Km-long man made lake owned by the National Power Corporation and used for hydroelectric power generation.  The lake is about 290 m above the sea leavel and the Caliraya Re-creation center property rises with a gradual slope of 30 m higher and commands a spectacular view of the lake and sorrounding mountains such as Mr. Banahaw and Mt. Cristobal and Mt. Makiling

Our tour was organized by NC Tours and we feel comfortable during the travel because the tourist bus was awesome.  It was a convenient leg room and the aircon is at it’s best for we did not feel any headache during and after the travel.

I was amazed on how they were able to create a recreation center on top of a mountain and to create a lake to give such ambiance.  To reach the resort everybody must ride a motor boat and that is just the start of the adventure that is waiting for us inside Caliraya.  As we reach the hotel, we are given a sumptuous meal (buffet) and after we are brought to our rooms to relax a bit.  After some rest and shower, my colleagues and I are too excited to wander around and to try all activities that the center can offer.

I am afraid of heights but I have conquered it when I tried the “fly pinoy” Caliraya’s version of the Zipline, slide pinoy, and the exciting earth slide.  In the morning, my friends enjoyed the pool and spent hours in taking pictures.  Indeed it is a recreation center. So if you want to relax and or spend quality time with your family and friends, check out the Caliraya Resort and Recreation Center

Name:

Nick Gavin L. Dalisay

Born: 

November 24, 2004

Occupation:  None

Hobby:  to smile at the camera

Favorite:  Pokemon stuff

Fav Food: 

None (afraid sa food)

Strong Points:

Fav Apo and Pamangkin!!!

photographer:  Tita Jill

Bday mo ngayon it’s time to parteeh!!! YES! My mom’s bday and we suprised her. She always wanted to visit tagaytay but for no reason at all she was not able to visit the place yet. So on her bday, my bro and I planned to bring her in Tagaytay.

We had lunch at Leslie’s and enjoyed their famous bulalo (sarap).  The resto i think got the best view of the legendary taal volcano. After the sumptous lunch we went to picnic grove. My lil nephews wandered around the park and plans of visiting the place again were made. We watched people trying the zipline and cable car but we’re afraid to try it.  We also went to the mahogany market to buy some stuff.   Mama was speechless for there are no words to express her happiness.  Happy bday mom, more bdays to come!!!!

more photos click this

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