The Rocks of El Nido | Travel Chronicles 1

About to board the pump boat for our first day of island hopping

It's hard to wade through chest deep waters with almost two-foot waves working ceaselessly to sweep you back to shore. I am laughing at my fate but, at the same time, quite scared. I'm not a good swimmer. Of course, I have a life jacket on, and we are only twenty meters from the shore. I walk back to knee-deep waters and request a kayak. But the kayak is even more dangerous in these waves, so I'm doing the walk and swim to the pump boat that will take us island hopping in El Nido. We are booked for four islands out of forty-five. Yes, the locals said the town of El Nido has forty-five islands. I'm okay with four or five.

I realize, as we board the pump boat, that I am really happy. This is one of the rare moments when I take a real vacation and not just an hour of browsing through books in my favorite mall bookstore. And I am with my wife, together with my brother, my brother's wife, and their two teenage sons. But most of all my brother is paying for all of that. My wife can easily get embarrassed with such generous gestures that she wouldn't take it. We chip in. Peace of mind makes enjoyment much sweeter.

I am not a good tourist. I see only what I want. The rock formations and cliffs of the islands impress me. Dark brown rocks with rust-colored stains and sharp edges look uninviting, giving them a sense of mystery. I stare in awe at the sheer size of the rocks up close. The waves almost disappear as small fishes swim below the surface of a perfectly clear still water between two islands. It is as if the colorful fishes are flying below. We swim and dive and get on shore to appreciate the sites. Clearly, nature knows best.

A glorious overhanging cliff in one of our stopovers

The lunch is a buffet of meat, seafood, fruits, and vegetables. The generous, tasty treat is, of course, included in the tour package. Totally satisfying for me, and I hope to the foreigners who are with us too.

Day one is done, and we have our dinner in a seaside restaurant. Fresh seafood hot soup. The sea breeze gently coaxing the sleepy dark water to kiss the shore one more time. We are back at the hotel tired but happy and sleeping late from the excitement.

The second day is even more exciting. We sink our feet in soft white sands of Seven Commando beach. I can't believe how fine the sand is and how soft it is to the feet that it makes it difficult to walk even in knee-deep water. There is also this hidden lagoon where you have to go through a hole in the rock in order to get to the lagoon itself, which is surrounded by vertical rocks, like an inch of water in a tall glass. Simply wonderful.

On the sands of Seven Commando beach

Besides the islands, there is this Lio Beach in El Nido, which is really a kind of beach side commercial area. It is probably made for people who want to get out and commune with nature but with all the conveniences of the city within reach.

A vendor carrying his merchandise to pump boats in anchor

Getting to El Nido from Cebu is a total of about eight hours, including stops for meals and rest rooms. It's a little more than an hour flight from Cebu to Puerto Princesa, and a six-hour trip by van to El Nido. On the way back to Cebu, we have more time to explore Puerto Princesa. The trip to Baker's Hill is so much fun with its retro-American theme. I think it's cute. A lot of people are taking selfies and just enjoying the fairy tale surrounding. Of course, the bread and pastries are the best.

Relaxing in the garden of Baker's Hill

Buying hopia and other sweet treats in Baker's Hill

Waiting for our turn at the Kalui Restaurant

Dinner is a mix of delicious native food and art gallery. And you can only enter Kalui restaurant by going barefoot. Something new to me but maybe not for most people who go to these restaurants. I enjoy the paintings on exhibit. I suppose all of them are done by Filipino artists. The architecture of the restaurant itself reminds me of the house of my great grandmother in Camotes island before it was demolished and replaced by a late-sixties kind of bungalow made of concrete blocks. A slice of ginger wakes me up from my reverie.

Some of the paintings on display at the Kalui restaurant

The flight back to Cebu on the next day is like hiking uphill. I feel satisfied. Even happy. But I'm just physically tired. My nephew Joey has to carry my backpack to the plane.

There's something about El Nido. If I could, I would probably go back, with Inday, of course. And this time we will skip the six-hour road trip.