It was past midnight when we arrived in El Nido, Palawan. The crashing of the waves broke the silence and dissolved fatigue from traveling and waiting almost all day to get there. It was a twelve-LONG-hour journey, starting from our arrival at the domestic airport in Manila at 1 pm, then waiting for a couple of hours to pass after our 3:30 pm flight was delayed by bad weather, boarding the plane at past 6 pm and arriving in Puerto Princesa more than an hour later, and continuing to travel 270 kms for 5 hours in a hired van. Though rough and travel-lagged, we smiled in relief that the long-awaited beach and island-hopping getaway we planned more than 3 months ago finally happened.
After settling in, we found a food place that was still open at this unholy hour. Over a meal of 'tapsilog' (it would be morning in a few hours, anyway) we planned our activities over the next 2 days of our stay.
Drifting off to much-needed sleep, we were well on our way to getting acquainted with El Nido by morning.
Day 2: Amidst the Tempest
Perhaps Nature thought of playing a joke on us by bringing the rains to our piece of paradise. The next day the sky was overcast, and I had to wrap my camera to protect it from the drizzle as I was taking pictures. The idea of the photo shoot was blown away along with the rain clouds that zoomed in the sky. I resorted to meandering along the damp beach to look for anything that caught my interest.
And that was where I discovered the peaceful beauty of El Nido. The limestone cliffs were thinly veiled by a fabric of clouds. The waters of Bacuit Bay were still, reflecting the dull gray sky. Without the wandering tourists and peddlers, the deserted beach became a curious place to explore. There was a quietness that wove through every fiber in my being, as the sound of gentle waves and the patter of rain hushed my thoughts and melted my temporary frustration into exhilaration.
The hours of seemingly aimless roaming passed, but I was reveling in simple joy of watching the so-called ‘UNevent’ unfold. The satisfaction of doing practically nothing started to grow as a new realization set in: even when bad weather thwarts your plans, there may be priceless discoveries waiting if you are willing to enjoy nature on its own terms.
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