While everyone seemed bored, I’m probably the only one who enjoyed the scenery and the view of the open sea during the boat ride from El Nido to Coron. I had probably gotten used to the long hours of boat travel that I could probably endure living in it. The long journey is an escape from all the other elements, and staring at the vast sea really purifies my mind. It might be an unbearable monotonous setting for most, but for me there’s just this inexplicable stillness out there in the ocean. This is what makes it different from overland travel, and so for the whole 9 hours, I held this silent joy.
I was told that Coron is no match for El Nido’s charm. But travel is really subjective, what’s beautiful for some might not be for the others. Though I was totally mesmerized with the beauty of El Nido, I’m still curious of Coron and I would like to see it through my eyes.
Coron might not make a first good impression. Sure it’s not like El Nido where you get to see a beautiful shore and some nice surrounding cliffs right away. I know there’s more to Coron than meets the eye. The islands are quite far from each other as I’ve heard. It’s like you have to delve deeper and make an effort to see Coron’s own hidden paradise. This was making me even more curious.
The town is big and not quite inviting. It’s like a big marketplace. Nevertheless there’s a whole Coronian energy going on around. And so for my first activity, I just explored the town, looking for a place to have my first meal of the day. Yeah, I was really hungry. Seafood is of course abundant here and I'm totally ok with that. However I didn't quite see a lot of eateries that will favor my vegetarian appetite. They don't serve that much vegetable around here.
I stayed in Seadive for my first night. And for P400 a night, I got a big room complete with toiletries and stuff. You can get a free coffee too from the restaurant/lounge which has this nice ocean view. The food is delicious but with a high tourist price. Not far from the tourist-infested Seadive resort is this tribal bar called “Kweba” that caught my interest, with a nice shop selling some unique handmade stuff . I hung out here while listening to this band playing some cool African drum music. The Kweba guys are cool and friendly, they gave me a warm welcome. There is also this Swedish guy who retired from Sweden and now considered himself a certified “Coronian”, having been around the town for 4 years. He definitely knows the ins and outs. I got some tips from them as to where to go, what to see and where to stay. And so for my first night in Coron, I just relaxed and excitedly looked forward to a whole new adventure in Palawan.
0 comments :