Guijalo To Centro & Finding A Room
Finally arrived in Caramoan! When I checked, it was already 11:55AM. And remote a place this may seem, the port area named Guijalo is way more advanced than Sabang. As in there is a real port in the first place. A wide expanse of concrete pier where boats can properly dock and passengers embark or disembark just via those wooden planks without the need for riding on the shoulders of other human beings (who are generally even smaller than me) hehe! There were tricycle and habal-habal drivers waiting for passengers, but they were not mobbing at us.I was one of the first to disembark from our “chartered” boat. A boy approached me to ask where I was going (asking which hotel I reserved). I already knew he was from Rex Inn since I overheard him calling out for passengers destined for his hotel. I told him I did not make any reservations but actually intended on staying with them, and asked if I could also ride on their jeep. He gladly said okay since they were only expecting about 12 passengers (the group and some others) and even asked me to sit up front. I did! Soon came the ATM-guy who joined me in my front seat. Damn having new friends hehe, they take space that should have been for my backpack hahaha!
Anyway, after the girls were done settling with the boat’s crews, off we were and they were jolly once more. Most of them were just laughing the rip-off of a charter that they just experienced. I saw other passengers took habal-habal rides while others boarded tricycles. Soon the boy, seated behind the driver tapped at my shoulder to tell me that he was not sure they had available rooms since before they left for the port they have just declined a group of 4. He did say the reason why he is not sure since there was a “single-room” that was not yet booked. ATM guy reacted saying that also meant there was no sure room for him. But he quickly got an idea by suggesting that we instead go to Villa Juliana first then check back at Rex Inn if there is no available room there.
Arriving Caramoan town proper, we were let off at a corner where we walked about a block to Villa Juliana. The cheerful panicky lady of the house shrieked to welcome us thinking we have got reservations. But when she realized we were just ‘walk-ins’ she felt genuinely bad for us. As she wanted to talk more, she held my arm and asked that we follow her to have a look at two rooms being made up. She said it has been reserved by the companions of the TV crew but if they don’t arrive by 2PM she can give it to us. TV Crew?! Ah yes, the “Survivor” thing from a European country was in a shoot again. They seem to like Caramoan hehe. The lady even offered that we take our lunch first at their dining/lobby area. But as we talked the expected guests arrived – a jeepload of them (others in the group were already occupants of all other rooms). Argh!Still at Villa Juliana, I called up Rex Inn and as expected, fully occupied. The girl told me they do have a “single room” that is seldom occupied (for who goes to Caramoan alone than me, right?) and she continued that a man who came on the newly arrived boat may take it. I said “that man is probably me”! As we both laughed, I told her I’d be on my way to check the room out. Mr. ATM said he needed to already be tending his ATM and told me to go ahead check the room at Rex Inn and see if it was good enough for two so we cold bunk-in, otherwise he said he can surely find accommodation elsewhere.
The easy walk to Rex Inn already afforded me some sightseeing. And hey, there are many other accommodation places in town! But I went for Rex. Climbing the stairs, the boy from the jeep greeted me and offered to carry my backpack upstairs. And arriving at front desk, girl immediately motioned for me to go with her and check the room out – just a few steps from front desk actually. Hmm, it was a room enough. Clean with air-conditioning and its own bathroom, but yes, small. How small? Just enough to fit the single bed on the floor, I cant even imagine how they were able to push the thing inside hehe. And I cant even take a good picture of the area. That small. But room enough!As we looked at it, girl was telling me of other pension houses and inns in the area. But I said I will take it! Called up the ATM guy to describe to him how small the room is. I told him, we’d only fit in the single bed if we slept sideways and clinging to each other hahaha. He said he’ll find a room somewhere else!
Okay. Dropped my pack and immediately disappeared looking for lunch. It was almost 1PM and I was starving real big!
For a chronology of this trip's stories, click these numbers:
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