Okay folks, moving on with my story, I reached Baybay City 7:19AM – that means it took the Villaquer Tours Bus from Hilongos exactly an hour and two minutes. Be that fast or slow, some of you can probably tell me! Looking around, I saw there were signs of damage here and there, but nothing that would make me call home about. Pretty or even petty normal, if I compare them to what I have seen on TV so far. Baybay was not in Yolanda’s direct path anyway. So, I silently said ‘good for them’!
I walked towards where the vans for various destinations emanate from. Asking a manang as I bought a stick of Marlboro (RED, there are no Lights here), she said “ah, terminalan? didto pa”! New word “Terminalan” hehe! But as I walked so, a bus with few passengers came and it had a big sign that said “ORMOC”. I don’t know what came to me, I hopped on. And yes, just as I thought, it was too slow, even motorbikes and tricycles were overtaking us along the highway.
When conductor came for my fare, I quickly thought of the nearest point I might be able to get off this clunky thing called ‘bus’! This came out of my mouth - “VISCA”! Whoa, that was bright of me, I thought! It’s good to be a traveler, really, I somehow sometimes know alternatives. This 10-peso ride was slow it took twenty minutes! But part of me somehow said ‘thank you’ as it afforded me clear views of the destruction along the way. Yes,
it started here… my views were getting too much for fun. Some structures were ruined by (I was sure) the strong winds of Yolanda.
But I said (and paid) only until VISCA, right? So, when this bus stopped across the VISCA Market, I got off and was grinning I could buy a pack of cigarettes that ran out since last night outside Joyful Stars’ karaoke lounge. Voila! Not one of the stores already open had ANY kind of cigarette on sale. A manang tindera told me I won’t find one since they all do not sell cigarettes as this is a university campus! Oo nga naman! But, Ahackers oi! Don’t students have the right to die young? Hehehe! Bakit nung college ako, si Alex Magno continually smoked during my PoliSci 14 classes? Well, that was then hehe. Wag na mangatuwiran!
So I got out of the market and hailed the first bus that came. This time, I did not anymore care if it was slow. I just wanted to see what Yolanda has brought to this place. Well, this second bus I took, was a bit faster. Argh! Dilbert Principle hehe! But I could sense that my heart and mind was starting to shift into some kind of eerie mood. After the amusement, ire, irritation, realization or whathavya feelings on my RORO ride and initial bus from Hilongos, I was starting to swallow lumps off my throat. Albuera was very badly hit.
Waiting shed. It still serves the purpose! can you see the lola?
Looks unaffected? Nah, they just cleaned up. Look at the tree!
Wires, wires, wires... this house looks entangled in a web of wires.
The Sea Breeze facade looks ok, but it's also ruined at the back
That is(was) another resort
That barge has no business in a residential strip! Yolanda pushed it.
Note: I did not stop anywhere here, but many of the things I saw were already grim. How much more the other parts of this town not visible form a passing bus, right?!
Let’s see what I saw in Ormoc next. As I told you, Baybay and Albuera was just the start…
For a chronology of this trip's stories, click these numbers:
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