Minimal supply bottlenecks

1. March 2021, Monday
11° 0' 21" N, 119° 18' 41" E


I can imagine that most of you would like to visit the islands of Palawan and its uninhabited beaches and bays and just let yourself drift.
But the lonely island thing has a little rake. At some point the supplies are finished and then it is time to head for the next possible place to freshen up the provisions.
However ... paradise also has its downsides.
The catering options are very modest and often take some getting used to for the spoiled European stomach.
Well, after almost 14 years I got used to the changing quality of the food and developed a stomach like a penitentiary.
Bacteria and viruses seem to be afraid of it. ;)

We set course for Liminangkong, the largest town in this area west of El Nido.
Usually a sleepy town, but something is really going on when we arrive.
A scrap-ripe freighter is lying on the pier and countless water buffalos are standing in front of it, waiting for their first and last, not very luxurious cruise to the slaughterhouse in Manila, which lasts many days.
Most of them are tough, decrepit, discarded draft animals from farmers, or just to get some money for some of the poor rice farmers in times of Corona to feed their families.
There are almost no virus cases here on the islands, but because it is so trendy, a nationwide lockdown was imposed, without any support for the families affected, who often live from hand to mouth.
It remains to be seen how it all ends when everything has been sold what you normally need to live.

However ... in contrast to Germany and Europe, there is hardly any whining here.
The Filipinos are used to grief in the centuries of oppression by past occupying powers and corrupt politicians and seem to have come to terms with the fact that tribulation brings nothing and changes nothing.

Everywhere we meet curious, shy, lovable and always in a good mood here away from the tourist routes ... and lots of children who laugh half-dead at their normal European height of 186cm, especially when I explain to them that I outgrown my hairstyle years ago . ;)