Arrival in Puerto Princesa City

After spending five fun filled days in Manila acclimatizing to the humidity, and the crowds, I made my way to the domestic airport and caught my flight to Palawan. The taxi driver overcharged me but was extremely friendly, and once and a while I don't mind (considering its only a few dollars for me). After two security check points and having to cough up for airport tax and excess baggage, I was quickly on the plane and on may way to Puerto Princesa City. The flight took about an hour and was very comfortable, and cost roughly $35 Canadian dollars, althought it depends what time of week you go. Why can't you get deals like that to Calgary.

Coming into land in Puerto looked a little like one of those movies where cargo planes land on remote airstrips in the jungle, simply because of all the palm and banana trees. Upon exiting the plane there was a marching band playing internationally recognized pop tunes, and I had to register my passport as I waited for my luggage. There is no customs per se, but if your a tall white guy, someone comes over and asks you to check in with a guy at a small wooden table.

I met Czarina Lim, my contact, whose home I am staying at, and she took me to meet the city mayor, Edward Hagedorn as he was at the airport, waiting for a flight to Manila himself. Hagedorn is a character, and had found himself in his current position off and on since 1992. There is barely a square inch of city that doesn't have some large banner or poster with candid publicity photos of the mayor promoting one initiative or the other. He gave me his business card and remarked that it could be used in any bank machine. Under his leadership the city has taken on many green initiatives to the point of fining those who litter or smoke in public places. Puerto Princesa thus has a reputation for being a "green city" which also allows no mining within the city boundaries. If only they could regulate the pollution created by all of the vehicles.

Czarina took me to the Rurungan Sa Tubod foundation, her compound adjacent her home, which houses a hand made fabric weaving center, and an animation touch up studio. We met for a traditional Filipino lunch with members of the City Agriculture Department and the Department of Trade and Industry, who spearheads the local OTOP program. I had the opportunity to show them my portfolio and discuss briefly what they were doing. I was assigned to George, a young man from the City Planning Department, who would be taking me around for the next couple of days.

Luckily I have been to tropical regions with high humidity before, so I knew what to expect, but when you're from a temperate climate, you start to sweat the second you step outside, and always feel like you need a shower.