My FUNtastic Ride to Oroquieta
Oro-what?! That’s what headquarters (a.k.a. my home) ‘aghastedly’ exclaimed when I called to tell them that I was heading for Oroquieta City! So I repeated that slowly “O-ro-kye-tuh”! Told them I thought I had enough of roaming Ozamiz City yesterday, so I decided to head northwards and see what might be worth my time there! The next question I heard was “where is that?”, and the best answer I could muster was “don’t worry, I heard that’s still part of the country, the Philippines, y’know?!” That reply was both meant to tell them “I don’t actually know for sure” and “I think it is a safe place, so calm down you all”! Ah families, we all have our own unique languages, right?! Well, WE have!
Okay, my plan (which materialized just over breakfast at Royal Garden’s free wi-fi Veranda Restaurant) was: head north of Ozamiz City up until Oroquieta City ONLY. Reason: at least it is a city and from what I’ve read on the web, there is ample transportation to get back to Ozamiz if and when needed. Why the strictly limiting “ONLY”? Well, here was my ‘Rule for the Day’: never go to the city beyond Oroquieta (Dapitan) for I have already been there and it is a paradise that may cause me to stay longer. Then I wouldn’t be able to catch my flight back to Cebu tomorrow! See?! I also have crazy rules after all! So I went for… Oroquieta!
For those asking why I didn’t go south of Ozamiz, the same ‘rule of the day’ applies, for that would have meant I get to Tangub… then probably Pagadian (which I have not yet seen) or Iligan or even Zambo or CDO! Gosh, I would need from a week or two months for those! We just can’t go to fantastic places all at the same time hehe! So Oroquieta was the best day trip for me if only to be sure I’d be back in Ozamiz by night-time with less regrets!
Action Plan: get on a bus to Oroquieta and just enjoy the sights… take note of interesting places but never get off… visit those interesting places instead on the way back to Ozamiz, if time permits, otherwise, visit those places next time. Now you get it am sure… my way to Oroquieta was merrily sitting on a bus, longing to be at whatever interesting place we passed by. And I had to keep reminding myself… sit down and just take note of the interesting places… you will visit them later AFTER Oroquieta! Okay, okay… Gosh, how strict of me on myself hehe!
What interesting things kept inviting me to jump off the bus anyway? Let’s see!
The A1 Bus Terminal of Ozamiz. Cute thing is, when I arrived via a tricycle at that bus terminal, the bright red air-conditioned bus to Dapitan (therefore passing via
Oroquieta was about to leave. So I immediately hopped in, bus closed its doors and left. Whew! I did not even get to see the surroundings of this A1 Bus Terminal. I know my tricycle forded backstreets and rice fields that was as if going to the airport, but I would have wanted to roam around that bus terminal even for just a while. Why is it called “A1” anyway? Is there an A2 or a B1? What for?! And so on!
When we were about to exit Ozamiz City, a herd of law-abiding cattle (is 7 a herd enough?) blocked our way as they each crossed via that clearly marked pedestrian lane near a school! Are those cows well-educated? Where did they get their diplomas? I very much wanted to get off and stalk them so I would find the answers. Ah I was
front-seat and I half-jokingly reprimanded the bus driver for blowing his horn more than necessary as the dear herd crossed the road one-by-one hehe! Manong driver and conductor were loudly complaining why them cows had to cross one after the other and not do it in one swoosh as people do! I laughingly said “ayaw mo panghilabot sa ilang style oi”! Whaa hehehe, even my co-passengers would cheer once each of them beasts crossed the road! At least there were only seven of them well-mannered, well-educated and law-abiding cattle hehe! This encounter I will not easily forget, I think!
Nice clean big road, tree lined then I see a sign that said “The Suman Capital of Misamis Occidental”. Wow! This is the town of Clarin. Then another sign says “Labo river protection is life preservation”. It was from AusAID. Hmm, Labo river must have something worth visiting. Ahh. Okay, noted Clarin on my list.
Next the bus passed a town with so many old houses. Tudela. Oh yes, I was reading Tudela but I knew I was not in Camotes hehe. This town is a name-sake. And I
silently laughed reading a sign from afar as the bus zoomed along. I thought the letter “B” was a letter “S”, ack! You be the judge, see this picture on the right with the arc annoncing their festival hehe! Then signage to MOAP, ahhhhh! This time I really almost got off the bus, but I controlled myself reasoning that I can still come back later. MOAP? Bolded, underlined and encircled on my list now hehe!
Then the town of Jimenez. Oh so this is that town of Jimenez in Misamis that was the true home of Senator Ozamiz! Okay, gosh, I held my breath when our bus was crossing a bridge then almost at the same time a truck full with tons of logs also crossed in the
opposite direction. Hmm, aren’t there rules here on how heavy a load their bridges can take at a time? Ah, maybe their bridges are strong here hehe. Next I saw a big roof with big markings of “Jimenez Integrated Bus and Jeep Terminal”. It is just meters away from the highway. Oops but our bus had to make a left somewhere onwards, circling part of town before hitting back at this terminal, Cute! Jimenez? Bolded on my list now!
Fields, farms, fields, farms, next I saw a small sign that said Panaon. Was that a town or barrio? Where was it? I didn’t see any indication of a populated area. Well, maybe their town center is not along the road. So I got nothing interesting to see there, I guess hehe! Panaon… not listed!
Welcome to Aloran. So says the sign. Then our bus stopped at that Y-intersection, its sister bus a few meters in front also stopped and another sister bus going to
Ozamiz and onwards to Cagayan De Oro also stopped. What was that all about? Hmm, bus inspectors switching buses to inspect while drivers/conductors took the chance to also borrow or exchange tools. But they were quick and moved swiftly! Never also got to see a town center in this place named Aloran. Ah that maybe further inland at that forking road. But in this highway, the pavement is very useful as place for farmers to dry their palay. Even the gas station’s concrete is not spared. Colorful! Aloran? I did not tick anything beside it on my list for now…
And so my seventy-five peso 1-hour aircon bus lovely ride arrived at Oroquieta… that’s my next blog entry hehe!
Okay, my plan (which materialized just over breakfast at Royal Garden’s free wi-fi Veranda Restaurant) was: head north of Ozamiz City up until Oroquieta City ONLY. Reason: at least it is a city and from what I’ve read on the web, there is ample transportation to get back to Ozamiz if and when needed. Why the strictly limiting “ONLY”? Well, here was my ‘Rule for the Day’: never go to the city beyond Oroquieta (Dapitan) for I have already been there and it is a paradise that may cause me to stay longer. Then I wouldn’t be able to catch my flight back to Cebu tomorrow! See?! I also have crazy rules after all! So I went for… Oroquieta!
For those asking why I didn’t go south of Ozamiz, the same ‘rule of the day’ applies, for that would have meant I get to Tangub… then probably Pagadian (which I have not yet seen) or Iligan or even Zambo or CDO! Gosh, I would need from a week or two months for those! We just can’t go to fantastic places all at the same time hehe! So Oroquieta was the best day trip for me if only to be sure I’d be back in Ozamiz by night-time with less regrets!
Action Plan: get on a bus to Oroquieta and just enjoy the sights… take note of interesting places but never get off… visit those interesting places instead on the way back to Ozamiz, if time permits, otherwise, visit those places next time. Now you get it am sure… my way to Oroquieta was merrily sitting on a bus, longing to be at whatever interesting place we passed by. And I had to keep reminding myself… sit down and just take note of the interesting places… you will visit them later AFTER Oroquieta! Okay, okay… Gosh, how strict of me on myself hehe!
What interesting things kept inviting me to jump off the bus anyway? Let’s see!
The A1 Bus Terminal of Ozamiz. Cute thing is, when I arrived via a tricycle at that bus terminal, the bright red air-conditioned bus to Dapitan (therefore passing via
Oroquieta was about to leave. So I immediately hopped in, bus closed its doors and left. Whew! I did not even get to see the surroundings of this A1 Bus Terminal. I know my tricycle forded backstreets and rice fields that was as if going to the airport, but I would have wanted to roam around that bus terminal even for just a while. Why is it called “A1” anyway? Is there an A2 or a B1? What for?! And so on!When we were about to exit Ozamiz City, a herd of law-abiding cattle (is 7 a herd enough?) blocked our way as they each crossed via that clearly marked pedestrian lane near a school! Are those cows well-educated? Where did they get their diplomas? I very much wanted to get off and stalk them so I would find the answers. Ah I was
front-seat and I half-jokingly reprimanded the bus driver for blowing his horn more than necessary as the dear herd crossed the road one-by-one hehe! Manong driver and conductor were loudly complaining why them cows had to cross one after the other and not do it in one swoosh as people do! I laughingly said “ayaw mo panghilabot sa ilang style oi”! Whaa hehehe, even my co-passengers would cheer once each of them beasts crossed the road! At least there were only seven of them well-mannered, well-educated and law-abiding cattle hehe! This encounter I will not easily forget, I think!
Nice clean big road, tree lined then I see a sign that said “The Suman Capital of Misamis Occidental”. Wow! This is the town of Clarin. Then another sign says “Labo river protection is life preservation”. It was from AusAID. Hmm, Labo river must have something worth visiting. Ahh. Okay, noted Clarin on my list.Next the bus passed a town with so many old houses. Tudela. Oh yes, I was reading Tudela but I knew I was not in Camotes hehe. This town is a name-sake. And I
silently laughed reading a sign from afar as the bus zoomed along. I thought the letter “B” was a letter “S”, ack! You be the judge, see this picture on the right with the arc annoncing their festival hehe! Then signage to MOAP, ahhhhh! This time I really almost got off the bus, but I controlled myself reasoning that I can still come back later. MOAP? Bolded, underlined and encircled on my list now hehe!Then the town of Jimenez. Oh so this is that town of Jimenez in Misamis that was the true home of Senator Ozamiz! Okay, gosh, I held my breath when our bus was crossing a bridge then almost at the same time a truck full with tons of logs also crossed in the
opposite direction. Hmm, aren’t there rules here on how heavy a load their bridges can take at a time? Ah, maybe their bridges are strong here hehe. Next I saw a big roof with big markings of “Jimenez Integrated Bus and Jeep Terminal”. It is just meters away from the highway. Oops but our bus had to make a left somewhere onwards, circling part of town before hitting back at this terminal, Cute! Jimenez? Bolded on my list now!Fields, farms, fields, farms, next I saw a small sign that said Panaon. Was that a town or barrio? Where was it? I didn’t see any indication of a populated area. Well, maybe their town center is not along the road. So I got nothing interesting to see there, I guess hehe! Panaon… not listed!
Welcome to Aloran. So says the sign. Then our bus stopped at that Y-intersection, its sister bus a few meters in front also stopped and another sister bus going to
Ozamiz and onwards to Cagayan De Oro also stopped. What was that all about? Hmm, bus inspectors switching buses to inspect while drivers/conductors took the chance to also borrow or exchange tools. But they were quick and moved swiftly! Never also got to see a town center in this place named Aloran. Ah that maybe further inland at that forking road. But in this highway, the pavement is very useful as place for farmers to dry their palay. Even the gas station’s concrete is not spared. Colorful! Aloran? I did not tick anything beside it on my list for now…
And so my seventy-five peso 1-hour aircon bus lovely ride arrived at Oroquieta… that’s my next blog entry hehe!
I LOLed at the crossing cows! At least they're more civilized than the jaywalking barbarians in Metro Manila. Hehe. Love the pic too. :)
ReplyDelete