Puerto Princesa : A City of Relaxing Beauty

This is the last part of a three post series about my recent trip to Palawan. See here for the first part : Palawan : One of the Best Places on Earth. And the second part : Palawan : The Dos Palmas Experience.

January 3, 2009.

That day was pretty much the busiest of all. We had a city tour where our cranky van driver stepped on the gas pedal like there was no tomorrow. But that aside, the city tour gave us a glimpse of how Palawan is very rich with scenic places and very proud of its tourism. I wont be including texts anymore since I’m woozy with the details already. Instead, I’ll be posting some photos from that day.

Above is a photo of me when we were at the Mitra Ranch. It has the best view of the Hunda Bay. From where I stood, I can easily spot the three island we visited the previous days. This Mitra family really knows how to pick a nice spot eh? Also, I know I’m such a douche for doing the obligatory “jumping pic”. LOL.

 Yet another seemingly gay pic. Me holding a pretty butterfly at the Butterfly Garden. My sisters had a grand time chasing and taking photos of the butterflies and other creepy insects. 

Plaza Cuartel. Said to be a where scores of American soldiers were burned alive by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Some Americans escaped by throwing themselves to the hazards of the sea and swam to the safety of the nearby islands. It’s a depressing place and I didn’t even bother going inside.

 Here is where they cage the crocs. The tour around the facility is very amusing. It’s like being in Jurrasic Park. Seriously, it had that same vibe. Also, I get to hold a live crocodile. Courage, I haz it!

Baker’s Hill. This place is has a bakery, a large house with several dogs, a fantasy playground, an Italian restaurant and a mini zoo. Second favorite place in Palawan. Its the hug with Marilyn Monroe that clinched it.

Puerto Princesa itself is big. (2nd biggest city in the Philippines next to Davao.) But it’s hard to get lost since the street layout is very simple. Think of a Twisted Metal map. One thing you’d notice though is that there aren’t any tall buildings. The maximum I saw was only up to 5 storeys. I wonder why…

Anyway, around 5 PM, we’re already on our way back to Manila. It was a tiring yet awesome adventure to the nth power. If given the chance, I’d come back for more. Puerto Prinsesa is one of my favorite cities in the country and Palawan has to be one of the best places on Earth.

Haven’t been to Palawan yet? Make it a mission. I tell you, every second there is worth it.