Day 67 - Woods from the Dark Side

After seeing the famous Underground River of Palawan, we went and did the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour for an extra P150 each. It was something new to do, since the last time I was in Puerto Princesa was in 2004, and this tour only started operation about 2 years ago. Although I wasn't really all that crazy about seeing a bunch of mangroves, I learned to appreciate it when we were there.

It was quiet, and the boatman sang to us. We went to the middle of this forest and it was actually kind of creepy. The first thing I remembered was the TV show Tales from the Dark Side, which still has the creepiest theme song I can remember. But I was reminded of Lord of the Rings as well.

Apparently, that's one of its features. The next day, when we told our tour guide that we went to the mangroves, he asked us, "So did you see the forest that's just like the one in Lord of the Rings?"

K and L both looked at me and asked, "Is it really like Lord of the Rings?"

I realized just then that I was in the unique position of confirming exactly that, having been one of the (I'm assuming) few people who have experienced both the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour, and the Lord of the Rings Tour in Wellington, New Zealand. I nodded and told them that it was. And then to myself, I wondered, "Hey! Why hasn't anyone made a Lord of the Rings type epic movie in the Philippines that showcases our amazing landscapes?" I mean, Peter Jackson definitely put New Zealand on the map with that movie, so it is possible for even just one movie to drastically change the tourism of an entire country.

Gosh. Me and my idealistic/naive self.