Sabang Beach Day
by Donna Amis Davis / @DonnaAmisDavis
(Today I’m reposting an oldie-but-goodie about Sabang Beach.)
My husband Bill and I took the day off Saturday and drove north on Palawan, up the coast to Sabang. Puerto Princesa to Sabang is 77 kilometers. It is 99% paved now. What an improvement! A few years ago when my sister and family came to visit, we took them to see the Underground River. Sabang is the launching beach for boats to the Underground. The road was bad then. The last 45 minutes of the trip was over a grueling unpaved road, that beat our bodies almost to death. This time our total travel took one and a half hours. Congratulations to the Underground River for winning the competition as one of the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World.
I craved quiet, away from city noises. All this last year, a construction project has been going on next to our house, right outside our front gate. The past two months they have been building a huge warehouse. Banging, clanging, electric grinders, drills, hammering, noisy gasoline cement mixers, workers shouting, workers climbing around on it and looking into our yard, workers getting drunk at night and yelling and fighting at all hours. The noise and disruption are unremitting.
And on the other side of our house lives a large family with lots and lots of boys, and frequent guests with screaming babies and toddlers. Their upstairs room is open-walled, and the noise of their family life carries straight into our living room. Not only that, but last year they built a party space in their backyard for groups to rent out, adjacent to our bedroom. Last week it was loud karaoke there until midnight.
Oh how I wanted some peace.
Ahhhh. Nothing to listen to but the sound of the waves.
And nothing to do but play in the ocean. And sip fresh coconut juice out of the shell. And read. And think. And relax. And nap.
I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the amazing, swirling patterns tiny sand crabs made in the hard sand at the edge of the water. I took lots of pictures. It was modern art. Done by shy little creatures I could never see.
The drive up to Sabang is beautiful, too. The road winds through stretches of virgin forest, among trees as high as the sky. As I drove, Bill and I had plenty of time to talk about our dreams and goals, to sound each other out on our different writing projects.
It was a good day.
What do you do when the world presses in and you need a break? Do you have someplace wonderful that you love to get away to? Can a day away make a difference, do you think? I’d love to hear what you do.
And what do you think about those sand crab patterns?
https://www.donnaamisdavis.com/sabang-beach/Puerto Princesa & PalawanDonna Amis Davis,Palawan,Philippines,PPUR,Puerto Princesa Underground River,tourism,travel,Travel and Tourism,Underground Riverby Donna Amis Davis / @DonnaAmisDavis (Today I'm reposting an oldie-but-goodie about Sabang Beach.) My husband Bill and I took the day off Saturday and drove north on Palawan, up the coast to Sabang. Puerto Princesa to Sabang is 77 kilometers. It is 99% paved now. What an improvement! A few...Donna Amis DavisDonna Amis Davis[email protected]AdministratorDonna Amis Davis
Beautiful and thought provoking post, thanks!
Why thank you!
Wow! Love the sand art. If I hadn’t seen Puerto Princesa myself, I might be suspicious about the challenges of missionary life. Empty tropical beaches, coconut umbrella drinks? But I know the postcard version of the Philippines is not your daily experience. I’m such a big believer in the power of a one-day getaway. When I used to ski, even one long day heading to the slopes at Big Bear felt like a mini-vacation. Getting up early, heading up the coast to Orange County and not coming home until bedtime does the trick, too.
Yes, Suz, isn’t that sand art fun? Hey, I think you need to come back one more time. Last time we took you to Sabang, we about all killed ourselves on the road to and from there.
Glad you have some one-day get away ideas too. But I could say the same thing – getting away from San Diego? What’s there to get away from?
Looks lovely there. Building noise not so nice though!
We have a nice beach in Ayr (birthplace of poet Robert Burns of ‘wee sleekit, cowrin’ timorous beasties’) but at this time of year only a few people will be out walking dogs well wrapped up against the cold wind blowing from the Atlantic Ocean.
Wild and windy, sounds like.