Palawan: El Nido2

Careful with your outriggers sir...
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I gots my PADI license. Am now qualified to dive the deep depths though I feel no more advanced than 2 weeks ago in Acocks Green pool. No dramas today - although the heart attack/bends/lung inflations injury I thought I was having yesterday turned out to be gas. People, never bolt your food! Today's big fish news: a shoal of a hundred or so barracuda to my right (brain trying to work out are these the ones in the Bond movie that dig on human flesh...) and a few hundred yellow-fin snapper above me. Then a whole garden of giant cabbage corals, a giant wrasse under one of them and a cute little nudibranch. Oh and a couple of lion fish, black coral, and allegedly a guitarfish - which sounds like my kinda fish. The final dive did my navigation by compass underwater - which was nearly a controlled emergency ascent (PADI peeps will understand) - must hold the compass level. Then did somersaults and vertical holds at around 6m just to, you know, like, kill the safety stop time.

Justy demands acknowledgement of his barefoot rock-climbing skills. Despite the fact that everyone else climbed higher than him.
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Justie got major kudos from the dive instructor for skin-diving so deep - at points he was below us. Tania Streeter, watch out.

Strum that guitarfish!

We spent the afternoon recovering on a pod of cushions mounted on a tree overlooking the beach, drinking fresh juice shakes and eating homemade cinnamon rolls. Now tucking into our San Miguels and pondering life. As you do.

El Nido gets a bad rap in the Lonely Plonker but we have loved it. Great vibes, friendly peeps, hilarious karaoke and a verandah with a view of the sunset. There ain't been much complaining, put it that way.

Off on a jungly type trip tomorrow we think, then moving ever onwards, who knows where as we circle back to Puerto Princesa airport.

xxx