FIRST STOP: THE CROCODILE FARM!The Crocodile Farm Institute has since been renamed The Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center . With Palawan being so bio-diverse, smugglers are pretty persistent about trying to sneak exotic wildlife out of Palawan. In addition to breeding two almost-extinct species of crocodiles, the center now houses all the animals that have been confiscated from these stupid smugglers.
The tour started with a briefing in front of the skeletal remains of the largest crocodile ever caught in Philippine marshlands. I was soooooooooooooo fascinated by its size, I totally forgot to listen to the tour guide as to how big it really was. Did she say 60 feet
? Ngyaaaaahhhh....Maybe. (You be the judge! All I know is that if I had run into that crocodile, I'd be dead instantly! Notice how small the people are next to the hide on the wall? Yikes! =))
? Ngyaaaaahhhh....Maybe. (You be the judge! All I know is that if I had run into that crocodile, I'd be dead instantly! Notice how small the people are next to the hide on the wall? Yikes! =))There was a short AVP prior to the walking tour. G-Genius, Sister Pusjing and Patita sat in the front row. Dooders and MJ sat in the middle. Hubby Sweet and I ended up sitting in the last row. We had to laugh at our choices because it became so obvious who were the intellectuals and who were the bulakbols back in school. (For the record, Toyang & Tweety used to sit on the front row. Hahaha!)
You learn something new everyday though:
You learn something new everyday though:
1. The saltwater crocodile is more aggressive than the freshwater crocodile. (Or is it the other way around?)
2. The crocodile has a triangular snout; the alligator has a squarish snout.
3. The brain of a crocodile is the size of a thumb so when it attacks, it has absolutely no idea that it is attacking a human being or an animal. It is simply attacking.....sorry, my mind trailed off by that time. (Man! That darn crocodile is huge!)
After walking through crocodile shelters--in different lifestages--we took a sidetrip to the nature park where all the confiscated wildlife are housed. It was "woodsy" and seemed natural enough, but the animals were, quite ironically, still kept in cages. After inspecting the bear cats, I decided to move on, le
aving everyone else in the group to take pictures. Niece Patita hurried after me, eager to see the other animals. "In this section, we house the birds popular among the smugglers," our tour guide, Echo, volunteered. "They usually sell these in Manila for P5,000 - P15,000," he said, pointing to the rows of cockatoos and parakeets, until we came to a huge cage filled with mynahs. "The penalty for smuggling these is P50,000 in addition to jail time..." at which point, niece Patita had finally caught up, and declared as she pointed to the cage of mynahs, "Look, Nangnang! They look just like Madonna!" referring to my parent's talking bird. QUE HORROR! Hahaha! I tried to continue conversing with Echo, trying my best to pretend Patita said something else--until hubby Sweet caught up with us, and oblivious to what had just transpired also proudly declared, "Uy, Pare! Meron kami nyan. Dalawa nga yun dati. Namatay na yung isa. Nagsasalita din ba sila?" Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!! Buti na lang Echo was a paid tour guide and not an honest-to-goodness park ranger! Ngyaaaaahhh....
aving everyone else in the group to take pictures. Niece Patita hurried after me, eager to see the other animals. "In this section, we house the birds popular among the smugglers," our tour guide, Echo, volunteered. "They usually sell these in Manila for P5,000 - P15,000," he said, pointing to the rows of cockatoos and parakeets, until we came to a huge cage filled with mynahs. "The penalty for smuggling these is P50,000 in addition to jail time..." at which point, niece Patita had finally caught up, and declared as she pointed to the cage of mynahs, "Look, Nangnang! They look just like Madonna!" referring to my parent's talking bird. QUE HORROR! Hahaha! I tried to continue conversing with Echo, trying my best to pretend Patita said something else--until hubby Sweet caught up with us, and oblivious to what had just transpired also proudly declared, "Uy, Pare! Meron kami nyan. Dalawa nga yun dati. Namatay na yung isa. Nagsasalita din ba sila?" Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!! Buti na lang Echo was a paid tour guide and not an honest-to-goodness park ranger! Ngyaaaaahhh....At one point within the reservation, you may have your picture taken while holding a "baby croc" in exchange for a P30.00 donation. The guides told us the donations go to feeding the animals. I suppose this is just one more irony within what should have 
been a "wildlife rescue and conservation center". In the spirit of experiencing new things, I was quite honestly intrigued by how a crocodile will feel like, and willingly plunked down my P30.00 in exchange for the chance to hold one. I felt weird though about holding this baby croc up, its snout snapped shut by some sort of rubber band. It surprisingly felt like a very smooth, very cold, class A leather handbag. I had expected it to be rough and coarse. Even as I posed for the camera--and yes, even as I smiled for posterity--I actually felt sorry for the poor animal. Truth be told, even as I write this, a lump still lodges in my throat, my mind still violently objecting to the idea. Can't do anything about it now, but I've learned my lesson. That's the absolute last time I will be holding an animal up for posterity. Hay.... =(
been a "wildlife rescue and conservation center". In the spirit of experiencing new things, I was quite honestly intrigued by how a crocodile will feel like, and willingly plunked down my P30.00 in exchange for the chance to hold one. I felt weird though about holding this baby croc up, its snout snapped shut by some sort of rubber band. It surprisingly felt like a very smooth, very cold, class A leather handbag. I had expected it to be rough and coarse. Even as I posed for the camera--and yes, even as I smiled for posterity--I actually felt sorry for the poor animal. Truth be told, even as I write this, a lump still lodges in my throat, my mind still violently objecting to the idea. Can't do anything about it now, but I've learned my lesson. That's the absolute last time I will be holding an animal up for posterity. Hay.... =(Soon enough, it was time to move on.
SECOND STOP: THE IWAHIG PENITENTIARY!
The Iwahig Penitentiary sits on 28,000+ hectares of open fields. Ironically, it was first built by the Americans to house incorrigibles with little hope of rehabilitation. That's why it was supposedly built away from the mainland (which, I suppose, was Manila). Our very
own Alcatraz! Hahaha. Today, while the facility still has a maximum security area (where the matitigas pa rin ang ulo who committed capital crimes are still housed), most of the Iwahig Penitentiary is made up of open fields where prisoners roam relatively free within certain borders. After registering the van and the number of visitors inside it, we were waved through.
own Alcatraz! Hahaha. Today, while the facility still has a maximum security area (where the matitigas pa rin ang ulo who committed capital crimes are still housed), most of the Iwahig Penitentiary is made up of open fields where prisoners roam relatively free within certain borders. After registering the van and the number of visitors inside it, we were waved through.The prisoners are color-coded according to Echo, our guide. Those wearing brown shirts are minimum-security prisoners who are scheduled to be released in a few months. They are the ones who assist the guards in manning the registration desks. The ones in blue shirts are in medium-security. They are also relatively free, but I suppose they are still in for the long haul. The orange shirts are reserved for either the hardened criminals who refuse to change or those who have just been committed. They are the only ones who seem to live behind bars. Even so, their "bars" are only meant to contain them within a certain compound. If there were any actual jail cells, I did not see them.
The tour inside Iwahig was done inside a van. Except for the souvenir shop (which we decided to pass up on), there were no other places where visitors are allowed to step out. Sister Pusjing wondered aloud why the prisoners who roamed free have never attempted to escape. It's probably weird, but most aren't really in any hurry to leave, if Guide Echo were to be believed. He volunteered that it was probably because: (1) most of them will be freed in a few months anyway so why bother, and (2) most of them have been provided with modest houses and livelihood, with their immediate families living within the vicinity. I thought back to the bunch of keychains that one of the brown-shirted prisoners sold us at the gate. For an entire bunch of keychains (there were at least 10), cousin Dooders paid only P200.00. I marveled at the "intricacy" of the key chains, initially thinking they were mini-sculptures of crocodiles with the word Palawan painted on them. "Sobrang pulido ng pagkakagawa nito ah! Sila gumawa?" I asked. "Yes, ma'am," guide Echo explained, "but they're not wood sculptures. Mga tinunaw po yan na mga Jollibee plastic cups that they molded into crocodiles. They do their bit for the environment." There was a certain pride in his voice when he said it. A certain lilt, I suppose, that naturally comes with the knowledge that something good is being done. =)
THIRD STOP: RANCHO MITRA! 
Legend has it that Ramon Mitra was born poor. Today, the Mitras own 1/3 of Palawan and is one of the most powerful (if not the most powerful) political clan in the province. Among all the sites included in the city tour, I had been most excited about visiting the Mitra Ranch. I had visions of fighting cocks, horses and other wild animals roaming free, and was quite surprised to find out that they're OK with having people visit the ranch. (I had seen an episode in the now-defunct Magandang Gabi, Bayan once and remember thinking then how beautiful it must be to live in a place like that.)
Legend has it that Ramon Mitra was born poor. Today, the Mitras own 1/3 of Palawan and is one of the most powerful (if not the most powerful) political clan in the province. Among all the sites included in the city tour, I had been most excited about visiting the Mitra Ranch. I had visions of fighting cocks, horses and other wild animals roaming free, and was quite surprised to find out that they're OK with having people visit the ranch. (I had seen an episode in the now-defunct Magandang Gabi, Bayan once and remember thinking then how beautiful it must be to live in a place like that.)
Stepping onto the veranda overlooking the vast lands and the rolling hills, I suddenly felt like I had stepped into one of those Filipino tele-novelas.
"Pero, Papa, mahal ko siya!" I launched into a mock dialogue.
"Magtigil ka! Lahat ng lupaing ito, ibibigay ko sayo, iwan mo lamang ang hampas-lupang iyan! Ano ang ipapakain niyan sa iyo?!" cousin Dooders (or was it guide Echo) answered, adding to the mock telenovela script. HAHAHA!
"Hindi kailanman, Papa!" accent on the second syllable para cono, "Hindi ako mabubuhay nang wala siya!" HAHAHAHAHA!
Standing on the veranda, one can see land as far as the eyes can see. WOW! The animals were nowhere to be seen though. The family apparently sold th
em off one by one after "the old man" (as Ramon Mitra is still reverently referred to) died. Sayang! =( The veranda was as far as we got though. I suppose, if there were no longer any animals, what's the point in going around the ranch? Hehe. Still, I wondered if in olden days, they did allow people to roam freely within the hacienda. Hmmmmnnnnn.....
em off one by one after "the old man" (as Ramon Mitra is still reverently referred to) died. Sayang! =( The veranda was as far as we got though. I suppose, if there were no longer any animals, what's the point in going around the ranch? Hehe. Still, I wondered if in olden days, they did allow people to roam freely within the hacienda. Hmmmmnnnnn....."Tiburcio!" sabay palakpak, "Ang kabayo!" HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Sya! Time to move on. =)
I thought Baker's Hill would be some quaint, old-fashioned hut where the smell of wood-fired, oven-baked Palawan pastries would be wafting through the air the entire day. After all, everything in Palawan that I had seen so far has been "authentic" and true to the place. Imagine my surprise when we arrived at a modern cake-colored house with figurines of Marilyn Monroe, dinosaurs, Snow White & the Seven Dwarves and countless slides and swings littering the garden. NGYAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! "This is our mini-Disneyland," Echo explained. Uh.....yeah....hahaha! 'P
The Palawan pastries that I had imagined (visions of cashew tart, etc.) dissipated in an instant. In its place, I saw....HOPIA. Hahaha! Hopia as in hopiang monggo. As in hopiang Hapon. Ngek. =) Still, Baker's Hill proved to be a good stop. There were mini-huts set
up among the figurines where one can laze around and have merienda. The afternoon heat was starting to get to all of us (Palawan temperature can reach up to the high 30s), and the halo-halo beckoned. I was still on the beach then (South Beach Diet for the less informed), but I rationalized that I was on vacation and should probably allow myself this little luxury. Besides, whatever I ate would automatically be sweated out. Man, it was HOT! MUST HAVE HALO-HALO!!!! Hahaha!!! =)
LAST STOP: GALERI KAMARIKUTAN!
The other stop I was looking forward to was Galeri Kamarikutan. I had READ about it, but none of the blogs, articles and posts that I encountered had any pictures. They just talked a lot about it being a cafe and gallery in one. They talked a lot about the serenity that comes with enjoying one's coffee or pandan tea amidst a lush garden, surrounded by great pieces of artworks. The Galeri Kamar
ikutan did not dissapoint. After being on the road for the most part of the tour and after a slight detour to the weaving looms, we turned on a narrow dirt road lined with trees until we arrived at a wooden & nipa structure. It was open on all sides. Beautiful. Inviting. The lack of pictures in any of the features was apparently due to the fact that picture-taking was not allowed. Too in awe of the place, I was, initially, blissfully unaware of such rule so I started clicking away! Hahaha! The server politely pointed to the no-picture taking sign (it was a camera artwork with an X on it). NGYAAAAAAHHHHHH. Thankfully, she did not ask me to delete any of the pictures I had already taken. =) Not to worry, Guide Echo, told me. Picture-taking is allowed, just not in the areas where the artworks are. They're very protective of the artists and would rather not have the artworks photographed on the off-chance that some loony might copy them. The artworks, BTW, were all for sale.
ikutan did not dissapoint. After being on the road for the most part of the tour and after a slight detour to the weaving looms, we turned on a narrow dirt road lined with trees until we arrived at a wooden & nipa structure. It was open on all sides. Beautiful. Inviting. The lack of pictures in any of the features was apparently due to the fact that picture-taking was not allowed. Too in awe of the place, I was, initially, blissfully unaware of such rule so I started clicking away! Hahaha! The server politely pointed to the no-picture taking sign (it was a camera artwork with an X on it). NGYAAAAAAHHHHHH. Thankfully, she did not ask me to delete any of the pictures I had already taken. =) Not to worry, Guide Echo, told me. Picture-taking is allowed, just not in the areas where the artworks are. They're very protective of the artists and would rather not have the artworks photographed on the off-chance that some loony might copy them. The artworks, BTW, were all for sale. The only downer during this visit was the fact that I was sooooooooooooooooo looking forward to the tea and the coffee that had been written sooooooooooo much about. Instead, we were served pineapple juice and chicken sandwich as part of the tour package. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!! Still full from the halo-halo at Baker'
s Hill, I was actually not that hungry, but I had really wanted to savor the full Galeri experience. I toyed with the idea of ordering coffee for a while, but decided against it eventually. It was literally getting HOT, HOT, HOT! I suppose the Palawan folks thought that for tourists, the pineapple juice would be better as a temporary respite from the heat. So not, but oh, well. =)
s Hill, I was actually not that hungry, but I had really wanted to savor the full Galeri experience. I toyed with the idea of ordering coffee for a while, but decided against it eventually. It was literally getting HOT, HOT, HOT! I suppose the Palawan folks thought that for tourists, the pineapple juice would be better as a temporary respite from the heat. So not, but oh, well. =) (ADDITIONAL TIP: If you want a rainmaker as your Palawan souvenir, we found the best ones @ the Galeri. They're a bit pricier than the other rainmakers that may be found in all the souvenir shops, but their rainmakers are special, replicating the sound of a drizzle transitioning to a soft pattering of rain before it transforms into an absolute torrent, eventually softening to the sound of a light drizzle again. I am actually sorry I did not get one, thinking at that time,"What on earth would I do with a rainmaker?!" Hahaha! At P250.00, the Galeri rainmakers are pricier than most in Puerto Princesa, but still infinitely cheaper than the ones sold in Manila. If any of you plan to make a trip to Puerto Princesa, and manage to find yourselves at the Galeri, please get me one! =))
BACK @ THE LEGEND!
By the time we got back to The Legend, we all felt hot, sticky and grimy. Tired from the early morning flight and the tour, but still raring to make the most out of our stay in Palawan, we all agreed to change into our swimsuits and meet up @ the pool. Tired feet + cold water seemed like a sure-fire recipe for disaster, but I didn't care. Hahaha!
Hubby Sweet and Dooders upped it a bit by ordering ice-cold beer and peanuts for themselves. Sister Pusjing, Patita, MJ and myself were quite content just floating around. The cold water enveloping my tired body was pure zen. Bro-in-law G-Genius saw the bed and decided to crash instead.
We lounged around in the pool, determined to stay there until it was time to go for dinner. A little over an hour later, our quiet reverie was pierced by the arrival of a precocious 7-year old named Cacai. Having gone to the pool alone (where are her parents?!), she started chatting it up with Dooders, MJ and Hubby Sweet. (By that time, Pusjing, Patita and I were already "cooling down" in the lounge chairs.) Cacai animatedly regaled them with stories about her visit to the underground river that day and how the bats pooped on one of her titas and how it peed on one of the people in her banca.
"Yuck!" she cried.
"Cacai, pwede bang umihi sa pool?" Hubby Sweet asked, kidding her.
She turned to Hubby Sweet, and smiling, quite innocently declared, "Oo naman 'no! Kakaihi ko nga lang, eh!".
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I have never seen three grown people jump as high and as fast out of the pool! HAHAHAHAHA!!! To this day, I still laugh at the memory. 'P
With Cacai's declaration, we realized it was time to call it a day. Time to get ready for dinner.
Ka Lui awaits. =)
