Frontier Sky Diving

Eden Revisited

It was one of the smoothest flights my wife and I ever experienced. Our propeller driven plane was specifically designed as a day-night all-weather short take-off and landing aircraft. It was the jewel of the Asian Spirit air fleet.

Our plane made the Manila to Palawan run in a little over an hour. The flight was smooth as was the landing. Coron's tiny runway consisted of a small grassy field just outside the city. On Buswanga Island we disembarked, retrieved our luggage, and waited for transportation to our resort. Unlike the flight, the short ride from the airport to the city center was anything but smooth. It was my first jeepney ride. With all 330 pounds of pure me packed in a tiny half-jeep half-bus I was truly a 'giant among men.' I never felt so large sitting stuffed in something so small.

The jeepney, a Filipino contraption of half-jeep half-bus drove us to town. En route to the town center, my wife and I struck up a lively conversation with a young British couple from Manchester in the United Kingdom. A large part of our conversation centered on their world-class football (soccer) team the Manchester United. The couple was immigrating to Australia once their Philippine holiday ended. Our conversation was a strange one; East End Cockney and Southside Chicago Ebonics for the duration of our short trip. The other passengers were amazed at how well we got on having conversation in two largely unintelligible dialects.

About thirty-five torturous minutes later we arrived in Coron. After leaving that tomb-on- wheels our situation improved. We took a short walk to the pier through the Coron Town Market. There we boarded a banca the Philippine version of the outrigger. Minutes later we were gliding across the beautiful blue waters towards the small family owned and operated mini-resort of Kubo sa Dogat (House on the Beach). This resort is built on stilts and is located in Malbaton, Coron near Coron Bay northwest off Uson Island on Kayangan Lake. We would be sea gypsies for the next five days.

The resort consisted of several wooden buildings designed and built to resemble the homes of the original Tagbanna tribes people who once inhabited the area. The resort was equipped with most of the comforts of home. The place was situated directly on top of an islet. The islet (a very tiny island) was so small that the entire complex covered most of it. A rogue wave hit could make it a heap of kindling as easy as dousing a small candle with a fire hose.

After my wife and I settled in, a shower and nap were the next order of business. About two hours later my wife and I went for a short walk around the sliver of land that was to be our home away from home for the next four days. What a 'home' it was! The four large glassless windows acted as picture frames displaying the majestic handiwork of the Divine Artist. The vast blue sea that surrounded the small cluster of wooden houses, high emerald green peaks of hills and mountains that lined the horizon, tiny fishing boats, an occasional yacht in the distance, and a sky so azure as to redefine the color blue. The tranquil peace gave new vitality and definition to serenity. Seeing the big Palawan sky made me forget the bumpy ride that brought us to this earthly paradise.

Later that night after a festive dinner of broiled lobster, prawns, local delicacies, mineral water, and bottles of icy cold delicious San Miguel Beer, though I prefer the more potent Red Horse Beer, my wife and I sat outside our door watching the sun silently settle over the horizon. Once the sun retreated behind the mountains it was the fisher folk who played with light as tiny dots of light flickered from their torches as they begin another nightly round of fishing.

By Fred C. Wilson III - Fred C. Wilson III is 64 years old, a former State of Illinois highway designer-drafter, retired public school teacher of 32 years, retired income tax professional with H & R Block, ceramicist, artist, forme...

Skydiving at Frontier Skydivers!

13 Aug 2010 at 4:30pm

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