Day 347 - Van from Puerto Princesa to Port Barton
Wednesday, June 19th, 2019
Today we set up the alarm for 7:30am because the van to Port Barton was picking us up at 9:00am. We left our suitcases in the Hotel and only took our backpacks to Port Barton, our next destination. Gregory and Sunshine voted for this place mostly because the coral reefs are undamaged and you get to see more sea life compared to El Nido. It is also less known and therefore less touristy.
It only took two and a half hours to get here. I cannot say that the ride was smooth because the driver drove very fast and seemed to be in a competition. He didn’t like to have a car in front of him and every time he did, he would pass, even if it was forbidden. There are no driving rules in the Philippines, or if they are, no one pays attention. The van only made one stop for food/bathrooms but since it was only 10:00am, only the driver ate.
I didn’t know what to expect and I hadn’t read anything about Port Barton but Gregory had warned us that it was a village. Well, let me tell you that the bus station had one building and a roof for all the vans. They don’t even have buses that come here. [Gregory's note: yes they do. The buses park outside the station.] There was a table with two ladies who sold us the ecology permits for Port Barton. They cost 50 pesos per person (about $1). They had signs about respecting sea life and not throwing trash or touching the sea animals. I was happy about that.
This was the first time we have come to a place without having booked a hotel, but I wasn't worried since we had found several on Booking.com and since we don’t trust pictures anymore, we decided to explore in person. I wanted to take a trike but Gregory said that we were very close to the hotels. I never know what close means for Gregory but I didn’t say anything. He was right, the beach was only 3 minutes away from the station. The roads were dirt and it reminded me of a little bit of Ngwe Saung Beach in Myanmar, although this tiny town seems smaller and with fewer businesses.
We were looking for a specific hotel but Gregory suggested lunch first. We were thrilled to find a vegetarian restaurant that looked decent. We even got excited when we saw quesadillas, burritos, and other Mexican dishes on the menu! We were thrilled, but the enthusiasm didn’t last long because the food was flavorless. The black beans were so dry, the salsa was not spicy at all, and the black rice didn’t taste like anything. It wasn’t cheap either but at least, it filled up our tummies and we were ready to start the search for hotels!
We spent two hours looking for hotels. It didn’t seem that long but when I looked at my watch and realized that, I just wanted to find one good hotel and stay there. We liked the first one that we found on the beach. It was a hut with bamboo floors, which was really cool but I realized all the mosquitoes would fly right through the floor, so we change our minds. Also, it didn’t have AC.
All the hotels by the beach are very basic and only a few offer AC. It is good to read that they have electricity 24/7 as well. We ended up in a hotel that I had rejected at first because there is construction going on but the floors are paved, they have AC and hot water!!! Super basic room but on the beach. I was thrilled except for all the mosquitoes that devoured us when we went out at night for snacks. There is a convenience store next door that sells cold beer [Gregory's note: ice cold bottles!] and Coke Zero, I love it but other than that, they only sell junk food. It is hard to find healthy snacks and even fruit on Palawan.
Today we set up the alarm for 7:30am because the van to Port Barton was picking us up at 9:00am. We left our suitcases in the Hotel and only took our backpacks to Port Barton, our next destination. Gregory and Sunshine voted for this place mostly because the coral reefs are undamaged and you get to see more sea life compared to El Nido. It is also less known and therefore less touristy.
It only took two and a half hours to get here. I cannot say that the ride was smooth because the driver drove very fast and seemed to be in a competition. He didn’t like to have a car in front of him and every time he did, he would pass, even if it was forbidden. There are no driving rules in the Philippines, or if they are, no one pays attention. The van only made one stop for food/bathrooms but since it was only 10:00am, only the driver ate.
I didn’t know what to expect and I hadn’t read anything about Port Barton but Gregory had warned us that it was a village. Well, let me tell you that the bus station had one building and a roof for all the vans. They don’t even have buses that come here. [Gregory's note: yes they do. The buses park outside the station.] There was a table with two ladies who sold us the ecology permits for Port Barton. They cost 50 pesos per person (about $1). They had signs about respecting sea life and not throwing trash or touching the sea animals. I was happy about that.
This was the first time we have come to a place without having booked a hotel, but I wasn't worried since we had found several on Booking.com and since we don’t trust pictures anymore, we decided to explore in person. I wanted to take a trike but Gregory said that we were very close to the hotels. I never know what close means for Gregory but I didn’t say anything. He was right, the beach was only 3 minutes away from the station. The roads were dirt and it reminded me of a little bit of Ngwe Saung Beach in Myanmar, although this tiny town seems smaller and with fewer businesses.
We were looking for a specific hotel but Gregory suggested lunch first. We were thrilled to find a vegetarian restaurant that looked decent. We even got excited when we saw quesadillas, burritos, and other Mexican dishes on the menu! We were thrilled, but the enthusiasm didn’t last long because the food was flavorless. The black beans were so dry, the salsa was not spicy at all, and the black rice didn’t taste like anything. It wasn’t cheap either but at least, it filled up our tummies and we were ready to start the search for hotels!
We spent two hours looking for hotels. It didn’t seem that long but when I looked at my watch and realized that, I just wanted to find one good hotel and stay there. We liked the first one that we found on the beach. It was a hut with bamboo floors, which was really cool but I realized all the mosquitoes would fly right through the floor, so we change our minds. Also, it didn’t have AC.
All the hotels by the beach are very basic and only a few offer AC. It is good to read that they have electricity 24/7 as well. We ended up in a hotel that I had rejected at first because there is construction going on but the floors are paved, they have AC and hot water!!! Super basic room but on the beach. I was thrilled except for all the mosquitoes that devoured us when we went out at night for snacks. There is a convenience store next door that sells cold beer [Gregory's note: ice cold bottles!] and Coke Zero, I love it but other than that, they only sell junk food. It is hard to find healthy snacks and even fruit on Palawan.
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