Countless times have I been to El Nido because of work. And I am very grateful to get to go to paradise every once in a while to coordinate weddings. Around June last year, I went to El Nido with my friend Irish for nothing but leisure. No work. No deadlines. Pure bliss.
It was also the first time I stayed at
El Nido Cove Resort. It is one of the resorts under the umbrella of
El Nido Resorts. The unique thing is that it is the only one that is located within mainland Palawan. Convenient to get there too, since it is only 15 minutes away from Lio Airport by van and airport service is already provided by the resort. El Nido Cove has one of the best views of sunset overlooking Bacuit Bay and Cadlao Island.
Before heading to the resort from the airport, Irish and I got to explore the town a bit. We bargained for about 4 kilograms of cashew nuts for each of us in the market and shopped for shades. We also visited the Central Office where I got to meet Sir Bernard, my contact for weddings, whom I only used to talk to over the phone.
As we came to explore more of El Nido Town, which is really different from the posh island resorts I have been used to, we found that there exists a certain charm on this side of paradise. On the other side of paradise we know as El Nido, there is a thriving village, a school, a church, a market. At El Nido Cove, there is a even greenhouse where the resort grows its own produce. Awhile back, I have heard of stories about Inigtan Farm where they raise organic "happy"pigs and poultry to be supplied to the island resorts. Sadly we were not able to visit the farm, but perhaps we will be able to do so next time.
After a whole day of island hopping on our second day, the resort treated Irish and I on a private dinner although we did not really asked for it, mainly because we were not a couple. Kidding aside, it is one of the gestures of the resort staff that made us appreciate them all the more. I ordered sweet and spicy crab for dinner. It was the biggest single crab with the fattiest roe I had ever devoured. I. Can't. Even.
Anyway it was kind of a mellow night and Irish and I talked about the activities we had done so far, and we came to talk about the places we wanted to visit someday with the rest of our girl squad. And about how we are slowly but surely fulfilling our dreams and reaching for the stars and all that cheese spread over the loaf of our lives. In case you didn't know, Irish and I are buddies way way back at the university. She is now working for an international airline. So she gets to travel a lot as well, but mostly for work but it doesn't feel like work. Perks. Of. Working. In. The. Industry. But the thing is, all that most people see in the work that we do is the "leisure" part of it, and not the sacrifices and challenges that come with working in hospitality industry. But it's okay I guess because people only see what they want to see.
Ultimately, what I took home from this trip is that there is always another side to paradise, to the places we visit, to the work we do, to the lives we lead, which we need to see and acknowledge and accept. And if maybe we learn to accept the not so pretty side of paradise, then maybe we get to appreciate the pretty side of paradise even more. And maybe by accepting the ugly aspects of our lives, we get to transcend them, as we continue to work on the best versions of ourselves and towards our dreams. So here's to more adventures and mellow nights that bring forth the philosophers in us.
Vi går från askan och rätt in i elden,
vi två kommer alltid bestå
For at the end of the day, du skulle dö för mig
som jag dör för dig
Photos by myself and
Irish Lara Lubi.
