Archive for July, 2010
Life in the Water
By Thomas on July 19, 2010 | No Comments »
Image by Olof Larsson
I have never spent so much time in the water as I have here in Palawan – and I’m loving every second of it! Our friend Olof, who we mentioned was a great photographer, snapped these pictures of Tony, Elin and me while we were goofing around in the beautiful waters off of Shimizu Island.
Image by Olof Larsson
100 Ways to Kill Coral
By Tony on July 17, 2010 | 22 Comments »
Above water, the Bacuit Archipelago is one of the most stunning places on the planet. Below the surface of its perfectly turquoise waters, it’s a different story. A story of neglect, corruption, mismanagement and ignorance.
It is estimated that only 1% of the Philippines’ coral is still in pristine condition. Sewage run-off, anchor damage, shore erosion, a crown-of-thorns starfish infestation, and overfishing are some of the more typical culprits. And, of course, coral bleaching due to global warming is a huge problem. But to kill that much coral, you need to employ some of the more destructive practices such as » Continue reading this post »
Island Hopping
By Tony on July 15, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Island hopping is THE reason to come to El Nido. For days, we’ve been exploring the stunning scenery of the Bacuit Archipelago, which, like Coron Island, certainly qualifies as one of the world’s most beautiful locations. More insane karst geology, endless turquoise and emerald waters, and perfect beaches everywhere. Does scenery get any better than Palawan? If it does, let us know where.
Olof and Elin
By Tony on July 13, 2010 | No Comments »
We’ve joined forces with Swedish travelers Olof and Elin to explore the beautiful islands of the Bacuit Archipelago. Luckily, these two enjoy the same relaxed pace of island hopping as we do with time to photograph and explore below the surface as well as above. The four of us also appreciate a good » Continue reading this post »
Cargo Boat to El Nido
By Thomas on July 11, 2010 | 10 Comments »
After a fantastic time in Coron, we were ready to move on to El Nido, a small coastal village on the neighboring island of Palawan. Our search for transportation, however, left us in a foul mood. Everyone in town was pushing us to make the 6-hour trip in a small wooden bangka, and it was obvious why. The boat ride came with a hefty $50 price tag. This may not sound like much, but fifty bucks is more than a month’s wages for many Filipinos. It’s complete extortion.
Needless to say, we were pissed. But rather than giving into the Mafia-like behavior of the bangka owners, we » Continue reading this post »
