TBK Travels- Tatay goes to Taytay for a haircut

 
 

                                     My new haircut in Taytay

I have learnt that in the Philippines you have to be flexible so when Marz the Manger told me the Marz Enterprises ( Sibaltan) hairdresser had closed I decided to travel to Taytay to get a sharp new haircut as the temperature and humidity rose in Lio beach. Getting there was easy, 1 hr. 47 mins along the National Highway. According to Google Maps it was 72 km from the West coast, south and then over the mountains to the East coast.

When I arrived in Taytay I remembered my way to the castle ( I was last there in 2018 with Ran, Erwin and Kuya Vin) and then drove around the corner, past the sea which was splashing onto the road as it was high tide , and there was a strong wind, and parked outside the Barber shop. The young lad did a great job with the shaver as everyone looked on and I happily gave him a tip. It was still much cheaper than my Pinoy Barber Mike in Bahrain!

                                 Not bad looking for a 61 year old!

Next I walked through the market and got some fruit. It was very busy with people buying fruit and fresh fish. On an island like Palawan everything is caught or harvested locally on the day you buy it. When they see my big camera and furry microphone they all want a "shout out" and turn to smile for the camera.

                              I bought mangoes, apples and satsumas

          My doctor has told me to give seafood a miss until my arm heals

Next stop was an electronics shop to top up my phone. I thought I was being very Pinoy asking for the two girls in the shop to "give me load, for Globe" but they were confused by my accent! I also tried to get a new card for my camera but the one they sold me for 1800 pesos did not work- luckily they took it back and refunded my money. Sadly no one had the right card ( mine is full with video clips and the Wi-Fi is so slow uploading them for Chester to make into vlogs that I cannot clear it) nor an external hard drive to replace the one damaged in the storm in Alimanguan. I will have to wait until I get back to the capital , Puerto to do some more electronics shopping ( Drone, Go Pro, Cannon lenses, External hard drives, memory cards etc.)

I walked around the sleepy little town and was delighted the Jeepneys were properly silenced, unlike the ones in Manila! I bought some Coca cola as I was hot and some sweets for the journey back to El Nido. By then I was hungry so I went to Pems Pension and had some grilled chicken with salad and rice and a pitcher of very sour calamansi juice, while a cat and  cute kitten watched my every move! As soon as I got up to pay the elder makulit cat was up on the table to finish what I had left behind. 

With lunch finished I headed to the Fort but as it did not open until 1 pm I had no other choice but to go for Halo Halo at a restaurant opposite the castle called Shinabuch ( Like Kinabuch where Alvin and I went in Puerto on our first date)

                         The first of many Halo Halo in Palawan

I had a long chat to the owner who was busy making new signs with the menu items on - it was an interesting mix of traditional Pinoy dishes, so "I shall return!"

Then a very strange thing, a Magenda baget asked me to take her pic on the castle wall by the sea- I thought she meant on her camera but she said she liked the look of my "big one " and so I used my Cannon Camera and gave her my business card to email me so I can send it to her. She never emailed so I have put it at the bottom of this blog. I hope we meet again in El Nido so you can show me around the town where you grew up.

                                                 For my Kabayan

Finally at 1 pm the Fort opened and I paid my admission. The lady asked me to fill in the visitors form and when I got to the box that  said "Age" I asked her to guess. When she said 45 I kissed her- that's the third time this month people thought I was only 45. The sun and the rest and finally being in the Philippines is obviously suiting me!

   The lovely lady at Fort Santa Isabel who thought I was only 45- God Bless you!

For those who don't speak Tagalog here is a brief history of the Fort from our friends at Wikipedia:

"Fort Santa Isabel was originally built in 1667 as a wooden palisade under the Augustinian Recollect priests. It was named in honor of Isabella II of Spain.^[2]

Through the efforts of Governor General Fernando Manuel de Bustillo,^[1] the structure was replaced in 1738 by a coral limestone fort and was primarily used by the Spanish as a defensive structure where they fire cannons from against Muslim raiders riding on war boats.^[2]

The municipal government of Taytay with help from the National Historical Commission commenced renovation works on the fort in 2018 as part of its Estrella Del Norte Heritage Development Project. The project led by heritage architect Joel Rico is set to be finished by May 1, 2019.^[2]"

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Santa_Isabel   Accessed 20.4.22

The thing I like most about the fort is the view from the top, the pretty gardens and the beautiful chapel. I wandered around , took a few photos, made a vlog and watched the Pinoys set up their mobile phone holder and take the usual group jumping photos!

Chester will add the Vlog here once he clears the backlog of videos I have sent him in my month travelling around the Philippines.

                   The iconic Taytay photo from the top of Fort Santa Isabel

                    The beautiful Church- Taytay also has a Mosque!

Eventually I walked back to the car and headed back to El Nido. However I took a wrong turn and nearly ended up in Roxas before I realised my mistake so , after filing with Petrol ( 1,800 pesos, how I miss Bapco's free fuel) I had to do a you turn, drive back to Taytay and then on to El Nido!

So here is the photo I was asked to take- enjoy, whoever you are. Next stop , Nacpan Beach!