the warm november sun greeted us a shy smile while lazily casting off muted rays of light upon everything i saw. sitting along the asphalted two-way street of the main road were typical filipino houses and convenience stores — combinations of wood and concrete, tin roofs, and that distinct stillness that gently coaxes you to look at the new world around you a little more closely. with majestic limestone cliffs standing tall and proud at the background, it is a town patiently waiting to be loved; giving and withholding at the same time. she knows her worth, but she’s not going to impose herself on you. she has all the time in the world to wait. she knows you’re going to fall in love with her whether you want to or not.

welcome to el nido.

the long travel may have left me physically tired but my skin was absorbing everything it could about the town. touching. feeling. wondering what makes her tick. what secrets she holds in her hands, plain-looking as she may seem.

she partially reveals to you some of the reasons why people yearn for her. she is amazing! but you’ll never find her gloating about it. she lets herself be.

already you can’t help but fall. barely an hour and you both know she’s got you hooked!