SIGNAL 1!!!

After all the excitement of Quezon, relaxing in the tree house at Fish bay was a nice change. Amanda getting low fresh coconut supplies sent us out on a mission to restock.

Oyster inlet was our next stop where we put sea urchin collection technique to the test. After about 2 hours of collecting and another 1 of cleaning we were ready to eat our half a cup of finished product. Mixed with onion, tomato and garlic we turned it into a cracker spread. Although tasty I think it’s more of a survival food source.

With a little bit of Internet we could see a tropical storm building to the east forecast to come our way. With this in mind we decided to hang around for a bit as our anchorage was a recognized hurricane hideout.

The mayor of Puerto Princessa has an Island close by. We had got friendly with the caretaker and his wife and managed to strike a deal were we gave petrol for their boat, milk powder, some matches and pork if they took us to the nearest village where we could get a ride to Puerto Princessa for a day trip.
Our mode of transport was to be the roof of a bus that only got one flat tire.

Vergie the caretaker’s wife also ended up coming along for the trip and was a great help at the markets and with public transport. It also ensured the Mayors boat was waiting at the dock when we returned from town.

By the time we arrived back at the boat we had about 7 hours to prepare before the tropical storm arrived. In the end the wind was not as strong as expected (< 50knots) however the eye passed directly over us, which was a very unusual experience. We waited another day for the sea state to ease then headed off in search of the underground river.