Landing in El Nido, on the Philippine island of Palawan, a sense of relief poured over, as never in my life have I experience such a stark contrast in environment after just an hour on a plane. Goodbye forever, Manila and road work, hello glorious sands and panoramas.
The first order of business after hopping in a makeshift side car motorbike taxi from the airport into town was to head straight for the sand, where limestone cliffs dot the horizon, as the longtail boats await their passengers for the day. At this point, I wasn’t concerned with boats, but rather, beer. I paid the equivalent of $1 for an icy cold beer, lawn chair included, and planted that bad boy right in the sand, just far enough on the beach not to be washed away, but close enough to hear and feel the smoothness of the crashing tide on my feet. Perhaps the most refreshing beer(s) I’ve ever had, the whole scene pulled straight from a Zac Brown Band song. My only interruption was the longboat that pulled onto the beach right in front of me. That boat just so happened to be transporting a previous co-worker of mine along with a few friends. Just how I drew it up. Introductions were made and the usual, “What are you up to right now?” conversation began. The best answer I could come up with was a simple, “You’re looking at it!”
The next couple days involved some island hopping tours around the striking cliffs and formations, hidden lagoons, and magazine cover worthy beaches, fresh coconuts providing a constant source of refreshment and aloe vera massages the necessary pain relief and relaxation after long days in the sand and sun. I even got in on a game of basketball with some local boaters. The rubber ball didn’t bounce so well in the sand, and the hoop was nowhere near regulation size, but the game remained the same, and I thoroughly enjoyed the local experience. Being the tallest guy on the court for once was just an added bonus.
I spent my final afternoon sipping on a coconut, lounging in a hammock, blinded by the white sand of a nearly empty beach, wondering if there was any real point of going to the airport. My only conflict was whether or not I wanted to remain in my hammock or get up to sit at the table nestled at the end of a sand jetty, surrounded on 3 sides by crystal clear water.
I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand, not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand…
Life is GOOD today.