An unputdownable one… if this trip was a book. You know that feeling on Christmas eve when you receive those pair of sneaks you always wanted and picturing yourself out wearing it and what clothes would match with it, and finally having it handed to you? That is what I felt when I went to El Nido. I have imagined this place for so long, even just as a kid. The place known for its pure shores and stunning ecosystems. The perfect redolence of intrepidity and recalibration!
I was so giddy about another adventure! I booked a cheap flight in September 2015. Through Cebu Pacific, I purchased a round trip ticket for Iloilo to Puerto Princesa for only 1,100 PHP or about 20 USD! And boy was I… smiling from ear-to-ear, walking side to side LOL.
Words cannot express how amazingly beautiful El Nido is. Such a sweet escape with its serene lagoons, jurrasic-park-esque limestone rock formations, secret cave beaches and beaches with dive spots for colorful fish and corals! I was in utter awe – another dream come true for that year.
Looking back, I would always remember a convo from a couple we met during the island tours – it was Mike, a German businessman, who was taking a photo of Darling, her wife. “Why do you, Filipinos, love taking a lot of pictures?” He laughed. “We all have our own natural set of cameras!” He pointed to his eyes thinking that not only our generation but our people has sensationalized the art of selfies and unlimited camera clicks.
“It is the kind of memory that no one can take away,” he said. Then he did another one of his deep dives in the bluest blue waters.
If you ask me, the point of having the ease of camera phone/digital photography and, adding to that, underwater photography is such a big quote-and-quote breakthrough that I have to utilize especially in this digital-first age. Some say, you lose being “in the moment” and “the magic” if you take a lot of photos. I have to be honest that I am not done with that phase of taking a lot of photographs with me in them. I just cannot. I know I have this experience imprinted in my God-given memory and my Instagram, but, took years for me to finally reach such places, so… I had to be certain I froze time in each memory, be it in stills or in motion.
Now, let me share a photo dump of my El Nido Go Pro photos! I am going to write separate posts of Puerto Princesa and El Nido Island tours next time. For now, since I am out of words and photos, at least, just scroll through!
destinations : beautiful 