We had two boat men responsible for Greenviews Resort Tour Boat.  Ariel, who's originally from Port Barton moved to El Nido to get married, and Edwin, a newbie boat man. 

Contrary to my initial impression, they were not fishermen.  They took a training in Puerto Princesa, Palawan's capital to obtain a license in operating tour boats.

Do you remember the last scene from the film Bourne Legacy? The one where Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) and Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) sail away in an old ferry boat to escape and disappear. That was filmed here, in El Nido.

Beach overdose is guaranteed after spending days indulging in a huge buffet of island hopping. Here's the menu...choose one or better yet, choose all!

If you have a lot of days in El Nido, do try them all. I highly recommend Tour A and C because they're very scenic. Please note that there are other tour companies offering combination tours. We got to see Tour A during a Fun Full Day Scuba Dive . 

I will take a break from the beach posts for today and will resume after the weekend. I know I have bombarded you with lots of stories about Palawan and the sea.  It's sometimes difficult to compress every subject in a single post and most of the time they end up really long. Let me know if you find the posts too lengthy to read, perhaps I can do something about that.

April is almost over. The first quarter of 2013 just disappeared in a snap. Gone. Today, I'm going to write about simple happenings this weekend.  

This was a result of recycling scooped potato insides. For the recipe, click here

Tiptoe, my cat turns 10 in May. I love this sweet fella to bits. We adopted him when he was only three years old. He's quite a gregarious cat. We invited friends over yesterday and he made sure he was  part of the whole thing.

In Dubai, like other parts of the world, it is mandatory to register  both cats and dogs. So yes, Tiptoe is a UAE resident. :) Each pet has a collar tag from the municipality that is renewed every year. This can be obtained after getting their yearly vaccinations and vet check ups completed. They also have an implanted microchip with encrypted owner's details.

This week, I found myself having fun, kidding around reconnecting with the piano. Music has always been my refuge since  my teenage years. Music helped me cope up with angst and confusion (There was no blogging back then),  including the stresses of corporate life.  Here's an old video of Tiptoe and myself at the piano click here after a bad day at the office, hence the song. (I can't believe I'm posting this here -lol).  

More things I'm grateful for:

1. Great friends online and in real life.  Enjoying music played by friends. Making a new friend.

2. Hart of Dixie. - Watching this series makes me want to live in that world.

3. Creating a Dream Picture Book - it's like a vision board with cut images from magazines but in an old notebook. (Still in the works)

4. Lightning and cold weather in Dubai

5. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee and Dark Chocolate

6. Fresh Fruit Smoothies!

7. On the spot belly dancing with friends after dinner at home. Lots of laughter from that.

8. Candy Crush game (I'm addicted and I'm a candidate for the nearest Candy Crush rehab)

That's it for now.

What are you grateful for this week? 
I would love to hear yours.

Have a great weekend!

Love & light,

Arni

A visit to the underwater world.  I went with my husband, Yohann for his full day scuba dive in the Bacuit Archipelago via Adventure Scuba.  I basically tagged along with no intention of diving at all. In an earlier post, he completed an advanced open water diving course in Dubai, IDEA certified.  He seized the opportunity to explore the hidden gems underwater while diving deep under the sea remains my biggest fear yet. 

It was a sunny morning, aboard the boat of Adventure Scuba, we sailed out to the azure waters of North Rock. A boat captain, a boat helper, a dive master, a fellow diver from Italy who just earned his PADI certification in El Nido and Yohann were quiet. I was happy to visit the other side of the archipelago that we have never been to yet. Oxygen tanks lined up at the end of the boat while the rest of them were already suited up waiting for the boat to reach its destination.  

El Nido Town is for nightlife enthusiasts. It's not a crazy party place. It's still laid-back but it has the most pulsating vibe in comparison to its neighboring towns on the northern tip of Palawan. Staying within the town center or "bayan" is a practical choice.  The accommodations are cheaper. The beach side restaurant and bars will lure you. Time will melt away unnoticed. Everything in walking distance will guarantee savings from tricycle fares when eating out. The amazing number of tourists will make your travel a fun one. 

We were lucky to have arrived during  the season of "Fiesta."  15th  to 16th of March marks the peak of the week-long Balinsasayaw Festival in El Nido. It's a  yearly tradition where the entire community celebrates. Boat races, pageants, dances, colorful parades, games, and feasts will guarantee unusual entertainment. Streamers were everywhere.  In most provinces, fiesta means locals opening their homes to friends, neighbors, strangers and tourists.  Each home prepares a gigantic feast and everyone is invited!