Just came from Palawan last week before Maundy Thursday. I spent full seven days under the heat of the sun driving on a motorcycle [the best mode of transportation in a cratered road network] driving past streets of restaurants and pension houses.

I have gone into several restaurants here with exotic dishes [note: I don't eat vegetables, fish, and seafood; thus, any dish containing any of these is exotic] and exquisitely relaxing atmosphere.

A short Sunday stroll to Neva’s Restaurant was. Near the blue cathedral in Puerto Princesa, it simply sits near the blue towers of that magnificent church. The cathedral’s towers were claws screeching the heavens with its sharp steel roofs, agitating the summer sun much more.

Reaching the small meek gates of Neva’s was comforting. It was a promenade of shrubs leading to its cozy interiors. I went upstairs barefoot [it is a practice in some restaurants that footwear be taken off to keep dirt and mud off the wooden floor].

The dining area upstairs reminded me of my childhood in rural Bulacan. The interior was laid back rural with intermittent display of handicrafts. It was cozy, homey, cool, and nostalgic. It made me go to the nearest low wooden bench to lie down. It was a spa without the massage.

Yet, the best part of it was that the food was cheap. It cost me only a hundred-twenty bucks for a curry pasta and Nestea! For a weary traveler, Palawan is a definite paradise.