Day 43

We got up a little later today and breakfasted on ibos (sticky rice wrapped in coconut leaves), pineapple juice, and some bread and plantain bananas. We then went to the market area to get some more food and check out the early jeepney and the boat to Port Barton and El Nido. We watched a group of tourists leave for Port Barton in the pump boat. Then we watched sacks of copra (dried coconut) being unloaded from a boat with the men carrying the sacks on their shoulders.

Then we walked to the other end of the beach for our 2-hour tour of the mangrove swamp with Aida (see photos) as our guide and paddler. She is a 56-year-old teacher who decided to change career and become a volunteer to help preserve the mangrove forest. It was raining when we started out but it stopped on our way back. It was a 45-minute tour, 1.5 km into the 8.5 km river. We saw some birds and indications of fishes as they splashed onto the surface of the brackish water. Aida told us and pointed 3 different species of mangrove trees. We stopped at one point and Ole got off the boat and stepped onto the roots of the mangrove trees. He found them to be very sturdy. Aida got off also and started looking for woodworms by breaking dead branches lying on the swampy ground. She found one and showed it to us. She proceeded to cut open the 2-foot long worm and cleaned the inside of the worm by swooshing the thing in the water. (Poor thing!) She said she’s going to eat it later raw! Yikes! It’s considered an aphrodisiac.

Towards the end of our boat ride, she started to sing a song which she composed herself about how grateful she is for friends who come and visit the mangrove forest and how nutritious all the creatures that live in the forest. She let us choose a mangrove sapling and let us plant it as part of the restoration project. The tour cost a little over a dollar per person.

That took us to lunch where we had fried rice, French fries, and bihon rice noodles with ve-Gs at the same place we ate yesterday. Afterwards I worked on my EKG book. Maitri had a nap, played solitaire with Philippine Airlines cards, and took a dip in the ocean. The water was really nice and warm.

Today is our last full day here in Sabang. We will take the 7 am jeepney back to Puerto Princesa. We really enjoyed this place and plan to take the children here.

We noted today to our chagrin that the laptop is having battery disfunction again. It shows 80% charge but is only transiently recognized by the laptop and will only appear in charge mode for a few seconds. Also, it appears to have been colonized by hundreds of tiny ants that stream out of the inside whenever it is turned on and heats up. Ole tried all his tricks to get things going again but to no avail. He figures it may need some internal work that can be done back in the city where technicians who can solder are available.