By Alvin Bulaong CruzThe whole time I found myself on this enchanting island, either I was caught between two worlds or I was in two worlds at the same time.
To kick off the Year of the Water Snake, I joined a three-day backpacking tour of Coron Island in Palawan organized by travel blogger James Betia. I'm not the superstitious type, nor do I practice Chinese astrology, but call it serendipity, or a fortuitous circumstance, that my first major tour of the year took place in Palawan's pristine waters off the coastal town of Coron.
A Tale of Two Worlds
This being my first time to explore Coron, I was puzzled at first with names and geography of this northernmost part of Palawan. And why not, Coron is both the name of Busuanga Island's largest town and the name of a smaller island just a short distance from the shores. But the similarity ends there, because the moment I set foot on Coron Island, I knew that these two namesakes are virtually worlds apart.
In fact, the whole time I was here, either I was caught between two worlds or I was in two worlds at once.
Upon arriving at Busuanga airport, I had the feeling I might have boarded the wrong plane as there was not a single trace of any body of water in sight. Instead, I saw hills and valleys, ranches with cattle and orchards with mango trees all the way from the airport to Coron town. Some time later, I discovered that it was a scenic 30-minute ride to the gateway to paradise.
A Cold Night at the Hot Springs
I arrived at Coron town at sunset and late for the day's first itinerary which was climbing Mt. Tapyas, where a big cross stands on its peak. I was told that the group I was supposed to tour with was already on Mt. Tapyas, most likely watching the sunset. When I arrived at the foot of the mountain, I caught only the last vestiges of the vanished sun.
But my first day in Coron was far from over. As soon as I met the tour leader and my four other travel companions on Mt. Tapyas, we boarded a tricycle and headed for Maquinit Hot Springs, about a kilometer away from the town proper. With two pools of hot and natural spring water in which we soaked our exhausted bodies, Maquinit Hot Springs is the perfect ending to an almost perfect first day of my Coron adventure.
Open Sea, Hidden Lake
Early the next day, I woke up to a lovely sunrise seen from the wharf where our lodging was located. After a breakfast of fried danggit, fried eggs and rice, we boarded a boat for the much-awaited Coron Island tour.
The Coron Island Loop usually consists of a tour around smaller islands which include Kayangan Lake, The Twin Peaks Reef, Siete Pecados, the Twin Lagoons, and a number of white sandy beaches.
But since we were backpackers (a.k.a. budget travelers), we concentrated on two of the most awesome spots on Coron Island: the Kayangan Lake and the Skeleton Shipwreck. This way, we saved not only money but also time to savor every moment on the island.
Dubbed the cleanest lake in the country, Kayangan Lake is enclosed by rocky mountain walls that look like fortresses of old. To get there, you have to climb up a steep trail, then climb down until a view of the crystal-clear lake emerges out of the blue. Upon reaching the peak of the trail, hold your breath as you find yourself caught between the open sea and the hidden lake. This is also one of the most-photographed spots in Coron island, with a bird's eye view of a magnificent rock that seems to embody and capture the spirit of the island.
“Stranded” on Shipwreck Island
After swimming and snorkelling at Kayangan Lake, our group headed for an island known as the Skeleton Wreck, so called because it was on these shores where a number of Japanese ships were sunk by American warplanes during World War II.
By the time we reached the island, dark clouds had veiled the sky and torrential rains had begun to pour, adding an eerie mood to our shipwreck-viewing experience. It was as if we were stranded on an island after a shipwreck.
Before sailing back to town, we stopped at Coron Youth Club Beach to chill out with cold beers and chips, and do our jump shot on the fine white sand. As I stood there gazing at the sea and sky, I noticed that the beach offered a 180-degree view of endless mountain range surrounding the beach. In countless moments during this journey, I couldn't help but be in awe of the unique diversity of Coron's natural wonders.
An Island's Refuge
Just like the day before, we split our last day's itinerary on Coron Island into morning and afternoon island getaways. First, we decided to enjoy the morning sun swimming at another major Coron attraction — the Twin Lagoons, which are separated by a thin rock wall through which you can swim to reach the other lagoon.
To enter the smaller lagoon is to enter a refuge made of towering and age-old limestone cliffs. The turquoise waters are clear but deep, and at the far end of the lagoon one can see a small house on stilts, apparently owned by the Tagbanuas, the indigenous tribe and original settlers of the island. Above, swiftlets, or balinsasayaw, flew back and forth, watching over this peaceful sanctuary.
Finally, the group ended the Coron quest as they began--climbing the 720 steps of Mt. Tapyas to catch the evanescent sunset over Coron Island. Yes, I made it through the sunset this time, and oh what glorious sunset it was! Indeed, to view the sunset on the summit of Mt. Tapyas is to reach this journey's crowning glory.
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