Archives for Philippines
Sand Art Swirls by Tiny Crabs
Sand Swirl Who are the artists responsible for these masterpieces that magically appear on the beaches of Palawan at low tide? These Vincent Van Goghs are actually tiny, almost invisible crabs, called Sand Bubbler Crabs! They come out of their burrows when the tide is down. They eat the micro-animal particles on sand grains, then scrape the leftovers into balls,…
Because of Palawan is on the Road!
Hey there! I've been quiet on this little blog here for the past couple of years. Because life. And, also, because I've been using some of my spare time to actually work on the novel, now called Because of Palawan, that I started back in 2010 or 2011. And guess what? This past September I finished it. That moment when you…
Flying With Former President Ramos
by Donna Amis Davis President Fidel Ramos on our flight Former President Fidel Ramos of the Philippines On a recent flight from Manila to the , my husband Bill, seated on the aisle, nudged me. "Look! That's President Ramos!" Sure enough, President Fidel Ramos was making his way down the crowded airplane aisle, greeting passengers and good-naturedly posing for countless…
Filipino Dining Tutorial by Mikey Bustos
Mikey Bustos - Authority on Funny Ways to Explain the Philippines For anyone planning to visit Palawan, there are some things you need to know. Popular Filipino comedian, Mikey Bustos, shares the insider version of Eating in the Philippines! Be sure you catch the proper way to use tableware - the fork with big spoon. Perfect for eating rice. Mikey…
Boat to Small Palawan Island
by Donna Amis Davis / @DonnaAmisDavis Today I thought it would be fun to post some pictures of possible cover ideas for the fiction book I'm *not really* writing. I mean, I'm 'writing' it, as in I've started writing it. But *not really* because of Real Life. But I still like to think about it - so here are some…
Coral Bleaching
Coral Bleaching Makes Coral White(Credit: © Richard30d / Fotolia) Some of Palawan's reefs are sad reflections of warming ocean temperatures. White skeletons are all that remain of previously colorful and varied coral reefs around the island. The phenomenon is known as 'coral bleaching', caused by too warm of ocean temperatures. Scientists cited in the article below hold out hope for…
The Underground River: One of the New 7 Wonders of Nature
@DonnaAmisDavis Entrance to the Underground River Beaches, boats, bats and caves - for an experience like no other, put the Puerto Princesa Underground River on your bucket list. The Underground River, as it is also known, or shortened even more to PPUR, was recently officially named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Where else can you combine tropical…
Snake Island in Honda Bay, Palawan
Snake Island, Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa, Palawan Snake Island, in Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa, Palawan is the inspiration for a scene I wrote in my novel this week. The heroine and a guy she might be falling for take a long walk along the beach, then sit and talk on some big rocks under a tree. I renamed the place Serpent Island…
Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda Hits Philippines – Either Name Means Devastation
Hi Blog Readers, This past week Typhoon Haiyan, or Typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines, and my heart is heavy. Whether you call it by its international name of Haiyan, or its Filipino name of Yolanda, this superstorm roared through and left destruction in its wake. I usually like to keep things light around this blog. I love to talk about…
Trouble on Tubbataha Reef – Palawan
by Donna Amis Davis Shark at Tubbataha, Philippines (Photo credit: Wikipedia) CNN article update on the minesweeper stuck on Tubbataha Reef. The Tubbataha Reef is home to a vast array of sea, air and land creatures, as well as sizable lagoons and two coral islands. About 500 species of fish and 350 species of coral can be found there, as…