While the opposite of friendly is unfriendly, the opposite of Ujung Pandang (Makassar) is Puerto Princesa – what a pleasurable change only a few hundred miles north of Indonesia! Wonderful people!
As a youngster, I often watched Fantasy Island – remember…”De Plane, De plane!!” Puerto Princesa is by far much more picturesque than Tahiti or the surrounding islands and for that matter, any of the other isles we’ve visited in the South Pacific. Its closest rival, I believe, would be the northern-most landmass of the Hawaiian Islands with the towering cliffs along the Napoli Coastline. Palawan Province represents one of the Philippines’ most spectacular wilderness areas. Its 1,700 islands are gateways to thick rainforest, dramatic mountains, caves, and enchanting beaches. A protective coral shelf supports a variety of colorful fish and marine plants, and several indigenous land species (mouse deer and the scaly anteater, for example) are found nowhere else on the planet. The nation’s largest province, its elongated main island (263 miles) is also known as Palawan, and Puerto Princesa is the capital city – roughly 250,000 residents.
Thursday morning, 6:00am – one would expect the usual crew of security agents & dock workers to secure the ship. As the early morning fog began lifting, we could see in the distance many more than a handful of helpers but instead, a massive crowd waving white flags! As we drew closer, we could see people of all ages who got up before dawn to come and welcome the ship. There were singers, dancers, and drill teams – kids of every size & age – performing their well-rehearsed songs and routines. You’d think we were all long-lost relatives who’d been at sea for several months! As Cheryl and I left the ship at 6:30 to begin our tour, there were lines of ladies on both sides of the gangway hanging shell necklaces over the heads of each disembarking guest, all with broad smiles and hearty, very sincere hellos! What a stark contrast from two days ago!! These people were genuinely glad to see us!
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, we’ve tried to avoid ship-sponsored tours as much as possible this year, but today was an exception. We wanted to visit the Subterranean River – the world’s longest navigable underground river and now one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature that winds through a spectacular cave (over 8 miles) before emerging and emptying out into the West Philippine Sea. To get there requires well-coordinated transportation and river passes well in advance – there’s a 2-month waiting list should one spontaneously decide they want to cruise this particular river!
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| Grade School Band |
We were grouped into ‘sixes’ and placed into mini-vans, each with a guide. The vans were all air-conditioned and quite comfortable – we didn’t expect that. There were twenty-three vans with six passengers in each, for a total of 138 ship tourists. To our surprise, the city provided a police escort throughout the entire 2-hour trip north to reach the river! Earlier, I mentioned the impressive beauty of Puerto Princesa but along with that, is the pure, underdeveloped state of roadways & infrastructure. This is a growing, emerging community and the adolescent state of any sophistication is what gives it so much charm. The neighborhoods & dwellings are of grass huts, many on stilts, most without conventional plumbing. Bathing is frequently conducted in public waterways along with the washing of cloths. It's all good - the people are friendly and trying their best to modernize - love it! The roadway north to the Subterranean River is partially paved and somewhat smooth – there are numerous potholes and several stretches of gravel – but overall, it was a very enjoyable ride given the opportunity to venture deep into the countryside with a knowledgeable guide. Once we arrived at the park entrance (about 9:30) our convoy was again greeted by marching bands – unbelievable! We later learned the entire city was notified of our arrival as they only get TWO cruise ships each year.
...Our Journey Begins
...To The Underground River
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| Quite a Journey to get to the Underground River |
Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park, established in 1971, encompasses one of the world’s most impressive cave systems, featuring spectacular, awesome limestone landscapes, pristine natural beauty, and intact “old-growth” forests and distinctive wildlife. It is located in the southwestern part of the Philippine Archipelago on the mid-western coast of Palawan, approximately 76 miles northwest of Puerto Princesa, and 360 miles southwest of Manila. It was declared as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature on November 11, 2011. The river shares this honor & distinction with Jeju Island in Korea; the Amazon in South America; Halong Bay in Vietnam; Iguazu Falls in Brazil; Komodo Island in Indonesia; and Table Mountain in South Africa.
The property, comprising an area of approximately 5,700 acres, contains an 8-mile long underground river. The highlight of this subterranean river system is that it flows directly into the sea, with its brackish lower half subjected to tidal influence, distinguishing it as a significant natural global phenomenon. The river’s cavern has remarkable, eye-catching rock formations. The property contains a full mountain-to-sea ecosystem which provides significant habitat for biodiversity conservation and protects the most intact and noteworthy forests within the Palawan biogeographic province. Holding the distinction of being the first national park devolved and successfully managed by a local government unit, the park’s effective management system is a symbol of commitment by the Filipino people to the protection and conservation of their natural heritage.
As we learned, the river represents one of the largest and most important underground estuaries in the world with one of the most complex cave systems. It consists of a large main gallery through which the river flows, and which branches out into several inlets and small tributaries. Though it is a well explored cave, many minor branches have yet to be investigated. The PPUR is naturally sustainable. It has the natural capacity to offset the effects of high-impact tourism because of its high amount of energy resulting from its unique location, marine climate, and combination of wind, humidity and strong variable air fluxes. Cave formations and the relationship of tides with the speed of fresh water flow within the PPUR allow scientists to conduct studies in understanding the Earth’s evolution. The fossilized remains of a sea cow or Sirenia, estimated to be at least 20 million years old, have also been found embedded in perfect condition in the cave’s walls. It is the first to be found in the country and in this part of the world.
Our tour lasted just under an hour, and the guide said at our farthest point we were about 2-miles in. After my fear of earthquakes subsided, I was like a kid in a candy store. There were places where the ceiling was so low you had to duck to protect your head, and other areas where the ceiling was so high a strong flashlight wasn’t enough to see the top...the guide said several hundred feet. Definitely one of the sightseeing highlights of this world voyage, though we will visit Table Mountain in South Africa a few weeks from now.
Switch Now to Canoe...
Bats on The Ceilings
Bats on The Walls
As part of the tour package and after leaving the park, we stopped at a beautiful resort for a buffet lunch. The Sheridan (not Sheraton) is one of Puerto Princesa’s finest – situated on the beach with beautiful views, we both agree that if we ever return here, this will be our vacation venue. You can check out their website at: www.sheridanbeachresort.com
The trip back to the ship was much the same as the trip up – 2 hours long - rough, windy roads yet very enjoyable – many unique sights & sounds of the city & residents at both work & play.
We arrived at the port at approximately 3:30 only to find that the crowds of well-wishers had grown in size. We now had even more singers & dancers, plus a radio station doing a remote broadcast – they were all there to bid farewell as we set sail at 4:30. As Cheryl and I approached the ship, the gangway itself was bordered on both sides with local residents thanking each passenger for visiting the city – such gracious and heartwarming people! Most all passengers were clinging to the side rails on every deck watching & cheering the performances. As the Captain blasted the ships horn 3 times indicating departure, two local military planes gave us a low altitude flyover – AMAZING – no one was expecting this kind of sendoff!!
Puerto Princesa – put this one on your bucket list. You won’t be impressed with the overall levels of sanitation but like I said, this place is very primitive in many respects – somewhat untouched by common urban standards, but yet acceptable because of its unsophistication and naivety. The strongest selling points here are the beauty of its wonderful people and stunning panorama.
Next stop, Manila – another 450 miles north, and our first visit. We’re expecting a mixed bag. We’ve been warned already that tourists are often targets of various commotion, so we’ve scheduled one of those ship-sponsored tours for the morning. We have several hours of free time after lunch, so depending on how our morning goes will dictate how we spend the afternoon and whether we venture out on our own.
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