The email that popped into my inbox one day delivering a message of invitation to stay and review this place called Palo Alto Bed and Breakfast in Puerto Princesa, Palawan came at the most opportune of time, because I and my girlfriend Monnette have been planning for a trip somewhere. Puerto Princesa in Palawan presenting itself as an option was a definitive 'Yes!' moment. Plus, the chance to witness her experience the subterranean river for the first time makes the trip more meaningful. 

In the song "Black Water" by the Doobie Brothers, Patrick Simmons sings about a trip he made to Uptown New Orleans to have his laundry done "Well if it rains, I don't care - Don't make no difference to me, Just take that street car that's goin' uptown". In a totally unrelated matter to the aforementioned American rock band, In the well known open air laundromat called the Dhobi Ghat, the similarly sounding Dhobis - a caste group in India known to work primarily as clothes-washers, can be seen anytime of the day washing and hanging dirty clothes along a  gigantic laundry space complete with wash pens and flagging stones.