TBK Travels- arriving in Paradise- Puerto Princessa , Palawan

 

      Breakfast by the pool- Microtel Puerto Princessa, Palawan, Philippines, 4.4.22

I do not know what possessed me , looking back. After the last 14 months waiting to get a visa to travel to Palawan why did I think I would just walk onto the plane and fly off, on time , to Puerto Princessa. I booked my flight for the last leg of my journey to Paradise through Expedia with Air Asia. Their timekeeping makes Gulf Air look like a punctual airline! They cancelled my first flight and delayed the second. 

The queues at NAIA4 were unbelievable - 90 mins to get to the front!

I flew from Ninoy Aquino International Airport ( NAIA) Terminal 4 , which is for Domestic flights. NAIA 4 makes Kuwait airport look Gold star. Someone described it as a school canteen to me with long queues for food. The queues start outside, then continue inside with 100 people queueing for each of 40 check in desks. I had coloured my hair grey and followed Zaid's acting in Amsterdam and limped in pushing my heavy case and was directed to lane 13 for Seniors and People with Disability ( PWD). The problem is Pinoys have big families so for every PWD were 8 family members assisting them so it took 90 mins to reach check in desk 13. Then, unlucky 13 , she told me my bag was overweight and asked me to remove 5 kg. For once I had packed myself and so removed the 5 kg of coffee , tea, shampoo, bubble bath, conditioner, shampoo, body lotion, coasters, combs , slippers and so on that I had taken form the Heritage Hotel in Manila to advertise their services in Palawan! 

Idiots like this should not be allowed to fly- people with disabilities standing for 4 hours while he has 4 seats! So I stood at the security desk next to him glaring at him for 30 mins while sipping my coffee and Cinnabon until his flight departed and his family returned!

As there were no seats I took over the SMART sim card desk as my temporary office, which was next to the Globe desk. The nice man there added extra load to my phone and took a screen print of my new number and I set up a what's app group to circulate my new details. After partaking of some excellent pepperoni Pizza from the adjoing stall ( 100 peso a slice), some coke and coffee from the next but one stall, and when I was still there 3 hrs. later, a cinnamon pastry and coffee. ( losing my desk and having to relocate to the security desk by teh x ray machine!).

Finally we boarded ( more queues to climb the steps) and I will admit that the tears were rolling down my face at this point. I was finally flying to Puerto Princessa City ( PPC) after a 14 month wait!

Finally we boarded and I was shoehorned in between the old lady who tried to push in ahead of me in queue 13 ( karma) and a young Indian guy. Thanks to my friend who told me there was no need to check in on line ( and reserve a window seat) the night before!

Microtel Puerto Princessa, beautiful location and staff but in need of a makeover

The flight itself was very fast and pleasant and we landed in Puerto at 6 pm where the Microtel van was patiently waiting. I was quickly checked into my suite but they told me the restaurant was closed. They offered to order me a Jollibee delivery ( I declined) and I fell into an exhausted sleep on top of the bed. When I woke in the early hours I found someone had stolen the kettle from my suite ( although , bizarrely I had a microwave) so I had to wait until 7 am to get my breakfast in the adjoining restaurant. As you can see from the picture at the top of the blog, breakfasts do not get much better than the one here!

   The Sunrise was beautiful and it was low tide, with just the sound of the birds

One of the reasons I like the peace and quiet at the Microtel is it is outside the city by the sea with it's own pool. The restaurant is independently operated by Chef Arnel ( a friend of Mama Jam) and is next to the pool and overlooks the sea. It is the perfect setting, and the room I always stay in ( Bizarrely Room 101) has one door to the pool and restaurant and another door to the beach ( it used to slide but now it has to be pushed and pulled and one has to be careful not to break your hand). It reminds me of El Nido Cove, and The Heritage hotel. Once a grand old lady and now in need of refurbishment or Euthanasia. 

  I felt my hire car needed some decoration as VP Leni was electioneering in PPC

The next day my Hire car arrived, 25,000 peso for the month but no fuel in the tank and no water in the water jets! After learning that VP Leni and her entourage were staying at the Microtel after a big rally in PPC on 6th April I donned my pink Leni 4 Leader wristband and facemask and put Leni stickers on the car. After filling the car with petrol and water I had lunch at Gerry's in Robinson's mall ( where two years ago I first had lunch with Jhoanna and Danica, her room mate in her boarding house in PPC. I even sat at the same table and half expected her to walk in and join me! I also managed to buy another 2 pairs of my favourite shoes there for 600 peso each ( 4.4.bd or £8).

             My new shoes- I bought blue and red and the black is on order!

Once back at the hotel I had chicken dumplings for dinner, cooked by my friend Gracie at Poochie's kitchen and delivered to the hotel. After another early nights sleep I woke up to a beautiful sunny morning and was asked to take some photos of a Palaweno OFW who had returned from USA to catch up with her batch mates. We had breakfast together and then I went shopping at SM Mall and Bakers Hill to get gifts for the staff who looked after me so well this week in Puerto, and for my friends in Port Barton and El Nido.

You can see my Vlog from Paradise by clicking on the picture below:

CHESTER PLEAS INSERT THE PPC VLOG HERE

Bakers hill, like so many other places was in a very bad state of repair and all the restaurants were closed. Cov 19 and Typhoon Odette have take a huge toll on the Philippines, and Palawan in particular.

         The advertising posters for the big event in Puerto Princessa City Baywalk

By Wednesday the excitement in PPC had reached Fever Pitch with a huge rally organised on the Boardwalk for the ROBREDO/ PANGILINAN roadshow, with food stalls, a stage, dancers, singers etc. and people travelled from all over Palawan for the event, and then disaster struck- it poured with rain again. My anak TJ had spent hours making head dresses which she had hoped to sell for 130 pesos each, and had been trying to get sponsorship for refreshments for the LGBTQ and other groups that attended the event. I was so sad for her after all that effort. 

                        TJ in her head dress and her Rainbow flag.

In the evening the restaurant at the Microtel was supposed to reopen but failed to do so and I was forced to have the Jollibee delivery, a disappointing end to my stay there. I hope they open again by 27 April when I have invited Kit, TJ, Jhoanna and Ariel for Grecil's 21st Birthday dinner! I packed my case and left a box of goodies for my new house at the Microtel and on Thursday set off early for Port Barton to belatedly celebrate April's 17th Birthday, Surprise Adam and Bailey, and catch up with the hardest working single mum I know- Rosemarie Roque and her son JJ and her other daughter. 

You can find out all about my week in Port Barton in the next blog and Vlog combo.

Until then - Ingat Palagi