Lady of the Lake

Kayangan Lake, Coron, Palawan (c) Ivan Nebres, May 8 2013

Last year, in Camiguin, I fell in love with waterfalls. Last week, in Coron, I fell in love with lakes.

The best Php150 I spent on entrance fee, even better than a ride-all-you-can pass at any amusement park in the Philippines. If only I could bring this lake into our backyard (kahit wala kaming backyard?). I can't help but think of Desiderata when looking at this picture.

Exactly a week ago, I was in an eatery at the Coron public market having dinner with friends; we were sipping Bulalo soup when the power resumed...and then it went out again. Funny how one side of the town was lighted while the other side (unfortunately, the side where we were eating) was submerged into temporary darkness. That was our first night in Coron. Our activity that day was surmounting the 720 steps up Mount Tapyas, dragging our feet back down, all the while wishing there was a zip line we could ride back down, and then passing out as soon as we reached our air-conditioned hotel room. We stayed at Amor Pension House which is about twenty minutes away from Coron town proper.

I liked the place where we stayed, mainly because there was a videoke machine. Haha! We watched cable TV in the morning until we hear our tour guide knock on our door. The pillows and bed sheets were clean. I'm not anal about this stuff but the pillows were so huggable I slept soundly each night. 

On day 2, we went to Kayangan Lake. Day 3 was for Barracuda Lake (Where we saw a Barracuda! Surprise, surprise!) and the Twin Lagoon. Aside from the lakes, we also went snorkeling. Although, for me, Balicasag in Bohol still remains to be the best snorkeling site EVER. An army of tube-like  jelly fishes served as welcoming committee as we visited the shipwreck and other snorkeling sites. The beaches were not much different from the pristine waters of Camiguin, the sand as fine as polvoron. On our third day, a jelly fish the size of a hamburger bun interfered with our beach bumming activities. We chose to stay away from the water, however inviting and refreshing it seemed. Instead we had fun making 'graceful' jump shot attempts until we were sunburnt. After that, we purchased a 1.5L of Coke to rehydrate and laughed at the most stupid knock knock jokes we can think of. 

All in all, the lakes stood out. You can just close your eyes, float effortlessly (since you're wearing a lifevest) and say out loud: This is the life! Or in my case, I felt like the lady of the lake suffering from a bad case of bedhead and wearing an orange lifevest to keep me from drowning. No, I don't even know how to swim. Walang pakialamanan.

Lastly, the food! I enjoyed eating in Coron. Kahit sa mga simpleng carinderia lang kami kumain, ang saaaaraaaap ng pagkain! My favorites are Coron Central's Kare Kare, the overflowing Alimasag and ripe mangoes during the island hopping days, and the roast chicken at the public market. Oh, and try their danggit! I'm not sure if there is a distinct delicacy inherent to the town though.

And now, here's us giving Coron our seal of approval :)

At Barracuda Lake :)