because once is not enough with Coron

my first Barracuda encounter

not even twice. after this second trip to Coron, still, i just can't get enough. needless to say, it will always be enchanting no matter how "super" a typhoon it has to endure. notwithstanding the damages brought about by Yolanda over the island, tourism was still as lively as before when Ate Mye and i arrived there last month.

especially in Kayangan Lake, we saw a lot of trees uprooted. fortunately enough, that's the worst the extent of the casualties got to be with the tourist attractions there and it was comforting to know that the townspeople have recovered rather easily despite the evidences, e.g. a humongous tree that fell over a house, of an obviously traumatic experience.

so just like my first trip there, it was warm and homey. Ate Mye, like me, was officially "Coronized".

it's amazing that hiding behind this long stretch of limestone formation are some of nature's most wonderful sights. i took this shot on our boat trip back to the town proper from Malcapuya Island.

the limestones of Palawan will always amaze me. the first time i laid my eyes on them, they were actually teary. i couldn't believe that moment. i remember my jaws always just dropping every time the Living Asia Channel featured Coron way before.



one of my favorite views there has got to be this one in Banol Beach. the shallow waters reflecting the lovely blue sky, it's always made me speechless.

and then the rock i sat on before was still there (see here). it was such a delight to have sat on it once more exactly two years after! hehe.

it was a nice move that our boat drivers made Kayangan Lake our last stop on our first day as we had time to have it only to ourselves. to me, this body of water is second to none still. savoring its serenity was such a beautiful thing to experience. even if Yolanda struck her hard, not one bit of her charm was taken away from her.

our stop at the Twin Lagoons was really exciting because it was the first one we had gone to and from there i was the one acting as tour guide for Ate Mye.

like with Barracuda Lake, it was also my first time in Malcapuya Island and i'd have to say it is the best beach i have ever seen to date. our boat docked at the back of the island and that bemused us because we assumed that's already the beach right there and it would have been a total disappointment.

of course, we were wrong. i would have to write another post just about it. we were just about to leave the island in this photo and that was such a painful thing to do.

one of the things i wanted Ate Mye to also experience is the sunrise in Maquinit Hot Spring. very unfortunately, we didn't have the chance to go there due to time constraints. instead, we climbed Mt. Tapyas and still witnessed Coron's stunning daybreak. it made me say, having this sight at hand, any wounded spirit could easily heal and move on.

Coron always has a huge place in my heart. i was already traveling but only after i first visited it that i began to travel habitually and it's a little momentous that when i planned to slacken this year, it's Coron that had to be that final destination. it ended just where it started and i couldn't be any happier about the coincidence.

this place is really special. to me, in Coron, there is a place like home.