Slowing down at the Underground River

I had been told to slow down - but, as I said to someone - what does that mean?  Does it mean stop?  Does it mean I should ride my bike more, sleep in, speak more slowly, do more, do less - what does it mean?  Is it a dichotomy to be "determined to slow down"?  Kind of like setting an afternoon a week aside to be spontaneous?  But, I am trying to slow down...and getting better at it!

I have been advised to "play the game" - and I'm thinking that I've never played games of facade well - although I do love charades and pictionary...but I've always thought of games as fun time rather than in the workplace.  Yet, that is the kind of game that I'm being advised to play, sigh.  I will have to work on that - the most I've ever been able to do is to smile and say nothing.  While I do see that culture dictates "right" and "wrong", I'm not sure that I'm willing to adopt a different facade and say things that I don't really believe, which is rather the custom here...I guess to be hospitable and agreeable.  Maybe I can just be silent and not agree???

In any case, a fellow PCV arrived last week and I basically helped her all week - negating any need to slow down or make any decisions - for three presentations on Art and Play Therapy as well as two days at my center composing an Art curriculum specifically for the SPED children there. And then the weekend arrived!

Five of us PCVs hired a banka (for Php 1500 - about $30) and sailed first to the reef and then to Snake Island for a day of sun, snorkeling and eating.  The boats are hired in Santa Lourdes and you have the boat and crew for the entire day and can decide on any destination within Honda Bay.  I love to go to just one island and swim and snorkel for the entire day.  We purchased a large lapu-lapu which they grilled for us, and we ate the succulent fish with our hands.  I must admit that most of the day I was submerged with the fish - swimming up and back, watching my favorite three clown fish on my favorite huge anemone, and counting the vibrant blue sea stars and the incredible iridescent blue clams.  And, I emerge with a smile on my face every time. 

We inaugurated all of the kitchenware of Matt and Krystal and warmed their new house - called the Peace Corps house in Santa Monica, since at least two such couples have lived there during their 2 year stint here on Palawan. 

And, on Sunday morning at 5:30am, I walked to the San Jose bus terminal where Sam and I boarded the D'Christ jeepney to Sabang and the Underground River - a finalist in the running for the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.   Sam arrived in the nick of time - I had been hard pressed saving a space for her on the packed back section of the jeepney which quickly filled with a 50 kilo bag of rice, 10 children, 10 adults and a rooster, which pecked my butt and Sam's arm before he was repositioned.

The trip to Sabang is about 2.5 hours through beautiful rolling hills filled with forests and jungles.  There is one stop for snacks where vendors come to the windows with pancit, hard boiled eggs, peanuts and drinks.  The peanuts were delicious, but some children drank too much orange soda and while his mother held him out the window, one boy urped it up....unfortunately, I was the next seat, downwind.   We arrived on time in Sabang and went immediately to register for the river tour so that we could take the last bus back to Puerto at 2pm....oops - most folks were with tour guides and the earliest we could go was 3:30pm.

I was secretely pleased (since I was trying to exercise my slowing down muscles) that we would stay.  We found Mary's - a bahay kubo room, with "bathroom" for only Php 300 each - perfect!  Right on the beach.  So, we went for a swim before lunching (chicken pineapple curry - yum) and setting off for the River, a 15 minute boat trip exposing the gorgeous shoreline of Sabang.

Many boats litter the small beach abutting the River entrance and the turquoise water is incredible.

Incredible too, are the inhabitants of this part of Palawan - the monitor lizard, with flicking blue tongue 

(and wide eyed American standing next to him/her);



and a troop of macaque monkeys walking through on their way to nowhere., or somewhere.

We returned after a memorable row through the pitch black caverns - we were the ones in front holding the powerful light to shine on formations. 

The boat holds 12 people but looks tiny in the caverns

The Mushroom (in the Fruits and Vegetables section)

        

The Candle - 20 meters high

 
 
We returned and watched as men carted a load down the beach with their carabaw.

Had another swim and read in our hammocks

until the stunning sunset faded and darkness closed in.



We awoke the next morning to board our jeepney back to Puerto - yes, that is a motor-tricycle at the top of the jeepney.

After this picture was taken, about 30 people boarded the already full jeepney - an amazing feat - people hanging on the sides as we barreled down the hills toward home.

Yep, I'm slowing down and loving it!!