El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

We're just back from Palawan and Manila in the Philippines. I took far too many photographs to post here but just for a taster here are a few.

Day two of island touring in the Bacuit Archipelago, we saw a starfish, presumably dead but still pretty.

And a very alive hermit crab.

We were picked up from the front of our hotel, we had to walk back a fair bit at low tide but it was an unexpected luxury.

Meanwhile in El Nido town the local children indulge in the local equivalent of hanging around outside the corner shop.

Or chilling out, but check the hair, that quiff surely didn't get there by accident.

There are more, lots more, I know you'll be desperate to see them so will post more in the next day or two.

Fruit day part 2

In the second fruit related post of the day Stephen makes orange juice.

Hand processed is apparently best, it takes four green oranges to make two glasses of juice.

Oranges - Fivimart

Glasses - free with Lipton Tea

Squeezer - model's own.

Coconuts

I like coconuts. I particularly like the way they're trimmed here into a handy container shape and how sweet the southern ones are. I usually buy them ready opened but today invested in a coconut opener.

I was too scared of the machetes so went for the wimp option. I wasn't particularly confident but managed to get the coconut opened without loss of digits or dignity. In fact it sliced through the top as easily as taking the top off a soft boiled egg. Now I can stock up and indulge my coconut whims whenever I feel like it.

Coconut costs: 4,000 VND to 5,000 on the street, 7,000 to 8,000 in the supermarket, 10, 000 to 20,000 in a cafe and 30,000 and upwards in a posh restaurant. This one cost me 28 pence or 42 US cents.

Pickled Dugon

As promised in the title, here's a pickled dugong from the Oceanographic institute in Nha Trang.

It might go well with chips.