A Solo Travellers Mind

Port Barton is a cute town in Central Palawan. On arrival, I headed to the beach to watch the sunset and have some dinner. I met two locals, Rio and Eli, after eating, and we finished the night watching the basketball at the local court. The teams were the local police force and group of young adults from the school. The police lost… After the match, everyone headed home, with an open invite to go surf tomorrow with Eli and Rio!

The start of the day involved a one hour journey on rather poor quality roads/paths. Luckily, Eli has been riding since aged 13 and thus, I was in safe hands. Our first stop was Long Beach, the longest beach in palawan, and a true sight to ride along. Then we headed to another beach to surf and have lunch. Magically, I remembered my skills from my Bali surf school and could actually get up on the board. The waves were absolutely huge, though, and I did take a minor beating at times. The next stop was a famous viewpoint, one of the most spectacular I’ve seen to during my time travelling! And finally, a stop off at Secret Beach where we went and got absolutely initiated by waves, one of the funniest things I’ve seen. The ride home was kept interesting by Rio nearly falling off twice and rain, making the roads even more difficult. The evening involved drinking at the bar, Roberto giving me rides on his motor bike, and him and Eli showing off how the locals moved their hips. The night ended on the  beach, plankton spotting, and talking about the world. Again, it was another wholesome, wholesome day and truly a wonderful end.

My final day was a sad one, lots of hugs with friends and reflection of my time in the Philippines and just how much I’ve fallen in love with its people. I’ve promised to return, hopefully in a year! We shall see.

The Philippines, it’s given me a sense of belonging, that feeling of “home.” Something I don’t truly think I’ve felt properly. There’s a sense of happiness in this country, a calm, content, and simple happiness. I’m so sad to be leaving. Leaving the friends I’ve made here, the love we’ve shared, the laughs, and the memories. It’s all things I’ll hold dear to my heart for a long time.