Life in Luzvviminda, Palawan

Our loft apartment above the barn/workshop/
kitchen/shower commode area downstairs.
 I feel like I am living in one of Tarzan's lairs.
So indoor outdoorsy....I'm listening to and
watching the rain fall outside the deck.

Wow, as of September 21 we started staying out on our land in our loft apartment above the barn/workshop/kitchen area. It's in Luzviminda, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines! Whew!

It's quite a switch from our elegant Subic Freeport digs. It's sort of my tree house, although not built in the trees, we are at tree level when looking outside. A wall of green surrounds me, so peaceful, quiet and so very relaxing to live here.


It all started as a huge barn to house the materials we needed for the master bedroom cottage we were initially going to build. We didn't want the building materials exposed to the weather while gathering supplies so we built this huge tin covered barn. Building materials aren't always easy to get out here.

The upper storage deck wound up so tall and large that we both measured for height and made a apartment above the barn to live in without waiting to build the main house or master cottage we wanted.

Our bedroom. Up at the tree line
overlooking th bamboo grove and
young coconut trees. (CLICK TO
ENLARGE)

I am so happy. I feel like I am camping without the discomfort. Thanks to my hubby Dave's amazing array of handyman, IT, hi tech skills, we have Solar lighting all over the property, Satelite TV, aircon in our bedroom, internet, and every other appliance in a modern kitchen you would need. We are trying to be as self sustained as possible.

We have one room that is our bedroom which is finished in simple materials where we can escape to if it gets too hot and turn on the aircon wherein I had a commode built so I wouldn't have to trek downstairss to the loo! A separate sink inside the bedroom allows someone to us the bathroom and someone else can brush their teeth without interferin with the other.

We call it living at the farm, or "we are heading to the farm" although we don't really grow much of anything yet. We do have a slew of chickens which we are letting breed so eventually we will have our own eggs.
We have begun to harvest the rain because the water wells out here run dry awfully fast it seems. We also use water from our own creek to water the flowering plants, orchids and miscelaneous citrus, coffee and other fruiting trees.


Click to photo to enlarge.

Our little daughter will be turning 4 years old on 11-11-2011 this year. What an auspicious date, and what a lovely plae to spend it at! Being 4 she wants to have it at the "farm" with nanny's kids and the children the other workers, but of course, she wants Shakey's Pizza or Jollibee chicken to be served.

One of the many yummy meals at the "farm".

Alysha wanted to be a cat on Halloween so I painted her up as best I could. What a great childhood she is having with nature so close by.

We took her to a waterfalls yesterday with nanny's kids and a couple of friends with their toddler.  What a surprise that journey was. We caught a fleeting sight of a huge Monitor Lizard and two troops of monkeys, as well as many little streamlets along the way.

When we got to the falls, what a wonderous suprise that was as well. So beautiful. It was a rainy drizzly day so it wasn't warm enough for me to dive in, but we will be going back to Salakot Waterals in Napsan, Palawan.

Salakot Waterfalls, Napsan, Palawan, Philippines
I loved the beautiful rain forest plants. Huge tree ferns dotted
the hillsides. CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Approximately 4 KMS from our place is the Mangingisda fish port, though it's not much to speak of, there are bancas that go to and from there to the fish port wharf, at Bay Walk in Puerto Princesa City proper. You can't beat the price at 35.00 PhP per person 1 way. Less if you are a carded senior citizen.

Mangingisda Pier

If you get there early in the morning and sometimes in the late afternoon towards sunset, you can buy fresh caught fish from the local fishermen.

But then I get ahead of myself. I was talking about living at the farm and so here are more shots around and about.

My native living room deck, showing stairs and my little
toy chihuahua and Ming Ming the stray kitten we took in.

We do have all the comforts like flat screen TV. With Dave around, every
comfort is available. Solar lighting, internet, hot showers; on and on it
goes. The man is the handiest person I know.

Decorative bamboo was just two tiny little
plants in pots. This is 6 months growth since
we planted them in the ground!

Thanks to Dave, we drive electric tricycles. This is my cousin Alex
Limjoco, Sr. who came to visit us and drove around with us on the etrike.

My desk right side of deck over looking the trees. (dark wood)

My native open kitchen with all the appliances I need! That's my 86 year old mom Helen cooking up some breakfast for my 92 year old dad Ramon.  She drives the 30 kms. here 30 kms and back. That woman is amazing.

The lower tin roof is our barn area, and the upper roof is our bedroom. At the end is our cogon covered thathed roof and bamboo floor deck.  The small hut in front is the first hut we build from our own bamboo groves and houses a pump for the water well a large shower area and a long dining area outside.

If you are a city person, don't move to Luzviminda, Palawan! There are no restaurants, and only little Sari Sari stores here and there where you can get staples like rice, soy sauce, vinegar etc! However, since we are a self contained village, in that we enjoy each others' company and like planting things and exploring nature, this is a perfect Haven for us!

Yummy fresh lobster from the San Jose Public Market