Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Calamian Isles… Heaven on Earth (Coron and Busuanga, Palawan) Part 3 of 7


Coron Town Public Market Alive and Kicking
Coron town is a haven for food enthusiasts like me. I scoured the streets and it was a delight to see how food was celebrated in every nook and cranny. In the thick of it all was the lively Coron town market that displayed abundance of the freshest catch and produce, where every ingredient for these food hawkers could be found.
   
Coron dock with Mt. Tapyas in the background

It was in its own charm very titillating and had me for an audience. It was also connected to the docks where boat taxis were parked ready to shuttle you to and from your resort and practically anywhere in the Calamian group.
 
The sight and smell of food made me very eager to land some on my tummy. I chanced upon a quaint grill house “Kawayanan Grill” just a block from the market prepping their menu for the day.  The sound of the sizzle on the grill made me stay and chill with an ice cold cocktail at hand while having a nice conversation with a local. I learned that this unassuming grill house by day was “the hotspot” at night.  The great grilled and sizzled meals and chilled cocktails by the pitcher were frequented and revisited.  Seafood allergy and all didn’t stop me from having those succulent crabs in spicy coconut sauce, a chicken platter grilled to perfection, a sizzling plate of native sisig and the most refreshing margarita that quenched my soul.

Nuts over cashew!

Thanks to my new friend Beverly, she pointed me to some interesting places in their town and I decided to burn those sinful calories on my trek before checking –in.  I began my Coron town adventure en route to the famous kasoy (cashew) factory “Coron Harvest” ran by the ever accommodating and generous Tita Lita Escarda. 

L-R: Lita Escarda in her elements - preparing cashews. Portrait of a seasoned cashew expert.

She educated me about cashews, the business and the pains that come with it. I’ve always wondered why cashews were so expensive. Question answered as I got first hand education from the Cashew queen herself. It only takes a few seconds to gorge on a packet of cashews but it takes a long process and on rare instances a dismembered finger to be able to fill a packet. Going through the process as Tita Lita taught me, I have new appreciation for those halved nuts and respect for her whole-hearted passion for cashews.

Rustic Charm
Not a pound lighter after my hefty lunch and short trip to the cashew factory I trekked on to just walk the streets.  Little surprises of rustic charm here and there have endeared the place to me. 


I found a wet market that sprung to action just as a big boat that seemed like Jack Sparrows Black Pearl emerged from near the shore with crates of fresh catch from prawns, yellow fins to octopus. 


Nearby, a group of youngsters were playing with a stick and an old bicycle wheel for entertainment. Looking on were teenagers amused to see this city slicker show some stunts of my own using the kid’s old school toy. A group of girls were tasked to salt and dry up a large number of fish, I couldn’t believe the multitude of fish sprawled on beds under the sun that sold like pancakes.


Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake


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