Last Night in Palawan ...

I found a tricycle to take me to a hotel that boasted hot showers and TVs. I asked the driver how much and his response was whatever you want. I gave him 100 pesos only to find out later that it should have cost 20 ... 80 pesos doesn't make much of a difference to me, so I didn't mind so much.

I arrived to the hotel with a hat on my head, my pack on my back and dust all over from the 7 hour bus ride. The two behind the desk looked at me as if I was in the wrong place. I asked them about a room and they told me they were booked. It wasn't what I was expecting as it's a fairly big hotel. I asked them if there were any similar hotels in the area. They preceded to tell me that the price of their hotel was 3000 pesos a night. I responded with a yes, I'm aware of that, thanks and a big grin to go along with.

The hotel they sent me to was called Dolce Vita. (It's not letting me link it for some strange reason ... http://www.hotels-palawan.com/) It was fantastic and much nicer than the first hotel. The rooms were cheaper as well, only running me 2200 pesos ($53 CAD) per night. A waiter greeted me at the door with an iced tea and whisked my bags away to my room ... already luxurious and I wasn't even out of the front foyer.


That's my room on the upper floor. This isn't my photo ... I stole it from the website. Talk about sweet! My room had double French doors and this huge bed and bathroom and even a small loft. First thing I did was climb to the top, throw myself on the mat and giggle out loud. After that, it was a hot shower. I was starting to feel a bit more normal. The only other plan of the day was to hit the tiny mall for some clean clothes to wear home the following day.

Upon entering the mall, my bag was checked, I was frisked and scanned with a metal detector. I bought a few things and at each cash counter there was a person to ring in the product and accept your money. Then you had to wait for another person who was standing beside her to check your receipt and the items. The items were then put into a bag and the bag was pressed shut with a hot iron type thingy ... not even sure what they'd be called, perhaps a bag sealer? The receipt was then stapled on top. On the way out it was checked by the security, of course, to make sure it wasn't tampered with.?! Yikes.

The food at the hotel was nothing special, although I did have this fantastic salad with hard boiled eggs and veggies and ham and the works. Breakfast was served on my balcony table outside my door. It was a great way to wind down from a (sort of) rugged trip in the Philippines.