PART 2
Dinner beckoned us after a brief rest. The city tour famished us and we were looking forward for a treat. Chingbee recommended KaLui restaurant as she had been here before. Reservations were arranged before we left for the city tour as this was necessary because KaLui is one of the more popular restaurants in Puerto Princesa.
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Puerto Princesa
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KaLui, located along Rizal street is a visual and culinary treat. It is an art gallery by day and a restaurant by night. It's interiors are mainly made of bamboo, hardwood floors and other native materials. The ambiance of the place is exhilirating and their food were tasty and well presented. Service was good and quick and the prices were definitely affordable. You need to be barefooted to enter the resto with your footwear conveniently placed in a basket. All the waiters and staff in this place were also barefooted.
Entrance signage
Performance area
Gallery section
More paintings at this corner
After dinner, we headed to Casa Nieves. Casa Nieves used to be a commercial building but has been repurposed and transformed by its owner into a collection of galleries, ateliers, an art shop, a multimedia room and a bar among others. It's a work in progress which is why it is still unknown to the locals. Outdoor film screenings are sometimes held in the front area.
Casa Nieves has since attracted and also supports local artists.
Front part of the facade with musicians performing
Karisse's friend and Casa Nieves owner - Dante Nico Garcia playfully poses inside a telephone booth which serves as an entrance to the IsDa gallery. An advocate for local artists, Dante is an indie film director and worked as a production designer for film and theatre.
Installation art involving PET bottles with colored liquids on the ceiling at the LemonGrass room - an artisan shop.
Karisse and Dante check out the items inside the LemonGrass room
The waitress and bartender of the Salapo Bar at the ground floor.
Looking at the reflection of the tables and chairs of the ceiling on the mirror-top table of the Ciweeti, an all-purpose room.
Karisse and Dante out on the bamboo bleachers at the front side of the building.
We returned home around midnight to Puerto Pension after an enjoyable stay at Casa Nieves. The following morning, May ,Karisse and Chingbee held their scheduled brainstorming session while I watched Pacquiao fight Rios at the Cafe Tribu together with other guests. The girls' meeting ended at around 3 PM and we were all hungry. We therefore headed to another of Chingbee's recommended restaurant - La Terrasse.
A spectacle themselves, the tricycles of Palawan have their own distinct designs. As one tourist said, they look like ferraris with their streamlined design. Add mini car grills and you'll have something to smile about. Another tourist claimed he saw 7 Caucasians jampacked into one! That would be something to see but cramming passengers into it would present a traffic safety hazard. Nevertheless, these trikes are the most convenient and fun mode of transportation here..
La Terrrase restaurant and cafe received the 2013 Certificate of Excllence from Tripadvisor so we were expecting something special from them. And they did not dissappoint. The restaurant is partly open surrounded by bamboo and other plants making for an airy ambiance. Interior design is clean and minimalist for a Zen-like feel. The staff was friendly and accomodating and the service was just right. Their food were delicious and well presented although they were a bit pricey. All in all, a fine treat for anyone looking for fine dining.
Adobo overload!
Grilled vegetable sandwich
Spicy tofu with eggplant
Pasta Pomodoro
Restaurant interior
Entrance signage
After finishing our late lunch, we decided to rent a tricycle to ferry us around. The 3 girls wanted to see a weaving workshop and store. But before proceeding there, we passed by the local palengke to buy some cashew nuts as pasalubong.
Searching for that stall that sells the cheapest cashew nuts.
Fresh fish for sale
May tries out the loom
A close up of the sample weave
Road signage
Workers which are mostly women and students are the main weavers in this place.
It was already dark when we arrived at Binuatan Creations which is located in Pajara, Santa Monica. It is a handicraft store which features a work area full of manually controlled weaving looms. You get to see the weavers (both women and men) transform locally sourced materials like abaca fibers or buri into colorful masterpieces such as placemats, table runners, bags, blinds, and other products. You can observe and interact with the weavers and they will even let you try your hand at it.
They have also a showroom here. Products are reasonably priced and make great pasalubongs. Now if only we had the money... hehehe!
Starting them young.
Having sampled their skills at weaving, we went next to the Iwahig firefly watching. Our previous attempt to book a van for this trip failed as the van needed a minimum of 6 passengers. Since we were 2 persons shy, we contracted the trike driver instead who was more than willing to accommodate us. Booking in advance for this firefly tour is also a must which we did earlier that day. Travel time to get there was around 45 minutes.
Firefly watching takes place along the mangroves of the Iwahig river which is a part of the well known penal colony. The tour itself will only cover around a kilometer before turning back. Bangkas with an accompanying boatman/tour guide serves as the mode of transportation. Passengers are asked to wear life vests and wait for their turn at the waiting area. No flashlight or flash photography allowed.
Entrance sign
Waiting area
The tour itself is done in total darkness with only the multitude of stars above as main source of illumination. Fireflies are a sign of a healthy eco-system and this place has lots of them. The fireflies are clustered on some trees and when given a friendly nudge of red lght by the boatman's flashlight will the tree suddenly burst into life - almost like a Christmas tree. The experience will definitely astound you which is why this tour is a must for every visitor here in Puerto Princesa. The boatman was very informative with the fireflies and also of the stars and constellations of the night sky.
I didn't bother to take photos of the fireflies as it was impossible to do given the dim light condition and my aging camera to boot. I tried taking videos instead and all I got was a black screen. Anyway , the most important images were the ones in our head.
As the tour ended, we headed back to the city and ate dinner at another famed restaurant and watering hole named Kinabuch Bar and Grill. It was already late when we arrived there and I didn't have the knack anymore to take some photos. The establishment was spacious but seemed ordinary to me. Food was just okay but the one thing that impressed me was the size of the servings. When they say its good for 3, it's really good for around 5 persons. Burp!
