A boy doing backflips off a banca.
The trail we took back and forth from town to Taiyo Resort. No cars beyond this point. 
A glimpse of the Bacuit Archipeligo at sunset.
Day 2 - View from the balcony.
Taiyo Resort-The word taiyo in Japanese means "the sun". The lady who owned the resort was a Japenese lady named Naoko, who at 65, had more energy than the two of us put together. She was an "ace" areobics instructor and photographer in her previous life. Her co-hort, Albert, who at 75 was a rather willy cat, quite witty and jokey, was a civil engineer and inventor. "Taiyo" was their idea of a working retirement.
Traditional rattan hammock.
Entry into Taiyo Village and their lush gardens.
A "banca" anchored out at high tide. Cadlao Island and Helicopter Island seen in the distance.
El Nido is assessable by road, but many of the small outlying villages could only be reached on foot, via dirt bike, or boat. So building a resort like Taiyo Village was a pain staking process, taken up by groups of young men and boys humping supplies on to shore from boats like this one. Due to the strict environmental laws set in place to protect the coral reefs and the local fishing economy, only smaller boats are able to access much of the coast lines. The government recognized the value of a pristine ecosystem, like the Bacuit Archipeligo, as a source of revenue from tourists. Although there is a military presence on the island, rouge conveys of "dynamite" fishermen still sneak into various inlets along Palawan's shoreline to make a score.
No comments:
Post a Comment