Why it is unforgettable?

My friend, Weng, started bugging me on taking a vacation away from Bulacan and Cavite since the time she learned that her boss allowed her to take some time off from Dubai.

We searched for places to go until it was decided that it’ll be in Palawan. I was of course excited for it will be my first time to see the famous Palawan. After the hustle and bustle of travel booking, our feet finally set on the island on the day of December 6, 2009.

Weng was agitated by the disappointment and frustrations she got from her other friend. Fortunately she was able to calm down before we set for our first activity.

First day was spent in a city tour. Went to Iwahig prison, crocodile farm (the difference of this from the rest I’ve seen is that this farm got the biggest crocodiles!), baker’s hill (this is my favorite for the ambiance was very nice, it’s like you’re not in the Philippines), Mitra’s ranch, and many others. Not bad for a trip though.

Second day was my favorite. We’ve seen the world’s famous underground river, it was amazing. I was totally entertained by our bangkero, though he is like a recorder for he’s been in the job 16 years of his life. We had our lunch at the beach. We have other co-tourists and somehow we got easily connected with each other. Our trip was spent laughing and talking. Going back to the hotel, I was so tired and sleepy. The others planned on having coffee after doing some shopping. And they have to “force” me to come. (Feeling ko ang arte ko kasi pinilit pa nila ako). After the short shopping, we went out for coffee. Deri, one of the most comedic in our group, treated us not just for coffee but also for an entertainment. He’s a fan of magic and he showed us some of his antics. We had the best afternoon full of laugh and entertainment.

The last day we spent on island hopping. Did snorkeling and a lot of boat rides. Bohol remains to be my favorite. Biased! Haha! The next time I’ll visit Palawan, I want to see El Nido. (grin)

Going back to Deri, he told us that he’s a photographer. But I didn’t know that he’s not just an ordinary photographer. I’ve searched his name in the net, and this is what I found…

Ibarra Deri, a renowned portraitist, is the first photographer to be included in Huwaran Filipino Achievement Awards' Who's Who in the Philippines. Deri (as he prefers to be called) started photography as a simple hobby. He has three college degrees unrelated to photography: a bachelor's degree biological sciences, a masters degree in teaching in biological sciences, and a degree in dentistry. For love of portraiture, he founded the Society of Portrait Photographers of the Philippines. An avid magician, Deri spices up his photography lectures with magic tricks. He owns and operates three photography studios in both Metro Manila and Bicol.

Are you kidding me?! He took these shots for me and my friend…for free!!!