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Travel Tuesdays | El Nido, Philippines

PuertoPrincesa_Philippines_0014Our trip to the Philippines in January 2010 started off with the best weather-related problem we’ve ever had. It was snowing in Seoul, and thank goodness we left for the airport three hours early, because we just made our flight. Only the flight itself was then delayed because of the lineup at the de-icing bay, and we missed our connection in Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific put us up in a 5-star hotel for the night, and allowed us entry into the hotel’s 5-star buffet. AH-MAZING. Best start to a trip ever.

We spent one month in the Philippines. We got our diving certification, went Island hopping, rented scooters, chased the whale sharks (never caught them), survived atrocious sunburns, met up with friends in Boracay, and overall had a wonderful vacation. This blog post is on the couple days we spent in El Nido. We took a break from diving and instead soaked up the rays and went on a boat tour.

Here’s the beach in front of our hostel:
PuertoPrincesa_Philippines_0020Our transportation for the day. They looked a little shaky, but we soon learned that these boats have incredible powers to not capsize in less than favourable conditions. Plus, they look really cool.

Our first stop in a cove.

PuertoPrincesa_Philippines_0023Snorkel time!PuertoPrincesa_Philippines_0015PuertoPrincesa_Philippines_0016One of our two guides, and my coral cut. I had a scar there for over a year.PuertoPrincesa_Philippines_0024Lunch was caught before we left in the morning. To keep it fresh, the fish were dragged along in the water behind the boat. The two guides brought rice and side dishes and prepared us a great lunch on a beach along the way.PuertoPrincesa_Philippines_0021PuertoPrincesa_Philippines_0022PuertoPrincesa_Philippines_0019There were caves everywhere, and if the waves allowed for safe exit, we got off the boat to explore.PuertoPrincesa_Philippines_0018Beautiful interior of a cave, and Rob swimming.
PuertoPrincesa_Philippines_0017Out of all our travels, the Philippines was the country we spent the most time in. We saw poverty and beauty, and through it all the hospitality of residents was unflagging. It was a great place to spend out winter vacation!

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Ottawa, Ontario