Puerto Princesa, Palawan: Last Day
Starfish Island, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
The last day, beach day, was when our group will be island-hopping at Puerto Princesa’s Honda Bay. Our tour guide suggested we should go to the wet market first, and buy food for our designated bangkero to cook.
I’m not an avid palengke-goer as I should be, but I was confident enough re one thing: we shouldn’t buy things we’d easily get in Manila. I didn’t lead the purchasing, but I think I got enough of what was offered there. Two noteworthy things: the fish were incredibly fresh, and huge compared to what is offered anywhere else. No red eyes spotted on any of them, too. And I did find lamayo, semi-dried marinated fish, which was a must to bring back home, I was told. I was advised though to pick it up when we get back, since it was kept in the freezer, and they’d pack it for me, plane-ready, too.
Puerto Princesa, Palawan: Day 2
Sabang Beach, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
No, the day didn’t start at the beach, and it wasn’t really part of the itinerary. Moreso are the beauty pageant contestants in their bikinis that you see above, the same ones that boarded the same plane as our group did, though yes, I did take the photo, and no, I wasn’t friends with the official photographer. I was just there, and they were there, too.
So I’ll start now from where I left from the first post: I woke up at 3AM in the morning, with no dinner digesting inside me. I was hungry, but by then, well-rested. I only got to leave Lola Itang’s when the sun was peeking out, and even if I intended to go to the Puerto Princesa baywalk, as Jeck was already there shooting the area, my appetite got the best of me. I hailed a tricycle, and asked the driver where I could eat. He noted that there weren’t a lot of places open at that time, but he did leave me at a just-opened eatery, and I was happy-enough to gouge on some streetside chaolong.
Roots Rock Reggae
Cocojam
Two names sold me to this gig: Jun Lopito, and Cocojam. I haven’t seen either of them, and as a 90s kid, I find it imperative that I take the chance to watch them weave magic on stage.
Thanks again to my Facebook network, I found out about this event. This is an event. I’m not a reggae-head by any stretch, but I don’t see these names come up on gigs often. Moreso, not in today’s de-facto rock club: Saguijo.
Puerto Princesa, Palawan: Day 1
Traditional weaving at Binuatan Creations at Puerto Princesa, Palawan
It all started with an IM from Tif, an invite to a group outing to Puerto Princesa with some of her officemates, and Jeck, a common friend we have from Rangefinder Filipinas. There was a promo over at PAL, and they had already booked their tickets. The hesitation was instant: Tif and Jeck were good friends, and Madel and Catz were people I’m familiar with already, but there’s also the being with other people I’m not sure I could get along with. There’s also the question of cost: my out-of-town trips have always been funded, from not-so-recent Baguio and Batangas, to out-of-Luzon trips to Batanes and Camiguin.
This was Palawan, though, and long before these airline promos came into existence, its always been known that its cheaper to fly off to Singapore than Palawan.
So I gave in. I wasn’t with a non-existent sweetheart, and all expenses will come from my wallet (got it from blog revenue!), but hell, why not?
Almost There
Up Dharma Down
If you’ve read the previous entries, all you get is incessant whining about not getting the photos I want, when I shoot. This is different. This is me, crossing my fingers, since I think I’m getting over the creative slump.
First gig shoot happened last Thursday at Route196, when two bands interested me, since I haven’t seen them yet: Techy Romantics, and Gorgoro. The Techy Romantics had Ryan, songwriter/drummer from the now defunct Narda, and Camille, who, if I got my Narda history right, was originally considered to front the band. Now they’re married, and now they do electronic music, the sort that would easily get tagged as chillout-with-vocals.