Puerto Princessa

Puerto Princessa is one of the two towns with an airport in the island-beach destination of Palawan. The city is said to be the cleanest city in the Philippines and I thought it had nice roads and little traffic jam (especially compared to more famous beach destination like Bali). In the three days we were there, we didn't go very far and just explored the beaches nearby and took guided tours to the "must see" destinations. It's nice that the place is not too famously beautiful that it becomes overcrowded with tourists. There's space, and there's quiet.
My favorite moments there were of standing ankle deep in the water, toes wriggling gently in the sand, soaking in the expansive view of the sea and the sky...

Alabang

An hour or two from Manilla is Anna's home in Alabang, which is the place where I rested on my first night in the Philippines. We stayed at home on the day after before traveling in the evening. The home is so spacey and cosy to the point that it lulls me to sleep whenever Shelina or anyone leaves me on my own. The gentle wind and after-rain smell also helps. I took a great liking to this traditional rocking chair - the hand rest is so long that it becomes the foot rest!



We spent some time chatting at the terrace. I feel that this house certainly invokes a lot of nostalgia for those who have lived and stayed in it. The air of the place somehow reminds me of my grandmother's home which has been long gone. The Spanish influenced architecture and walled courtyard garden makes me think of photographs of Casa Luis Barragán - I never thought that a garden that is walled up with plain concrete can lend such a 'soft' feeling to the place!