Philippine Travel Notes

We are on the topic anyway, so let me proceed with describing my overnight accommodations in Dipolog City. And that is at the Hotel Camila 2. Lunch This was to be my first and only lunch in the city since early following day I would head onwards for Dakak - and after two days there and a day in Dapitan, I would zoom through Dipolog again on the way to the airport. So I was all set to taste, see, hear and experience the best. That meant I did not imagine I would have lunch at my very own hotel. I was more of bent on finding some turo-turo style joints frequented by the locals. But I was probably already real hungry (at 1234NN), or I enjoyed the merry service of the people at Hotel Camila 2, or I smelled something familiar (fried chicken), or all of the above hehe! So, I stepped unto the hotel’s restaurant that had my eyes growing wide at the sight of their menu. I asked where was Sunburst Restaurant in this city, and the waitress, uniformed like a city hall employee, smilingly said t...

Funny meet-up at the airport's arrival area… even funnier arrival at the hotel. This was probably my day! As if I was some kind of a politician, the crews obviously went a quandary on my arrival! Yeah literally! I could see their hurried and harried movements as we approached! Once the Ford Expedition stopped at the hotel’s foyer, driver hurriedly got off and ran to my side to open the door for me. I just thought, “hello, am I an invalid who cant open a car door?” hehe. Not only that, guard was as if competing with driver on who could open my door first. He was a second too late but immediately grabbed my backpack and brought it to the hotel lobby. Well, I was at first not impressed. I panicked a bit why they were as if attending to some fire victim due for emergency treatment hahaha! A young woman and young man (obviously housekeeping) were at the lobby to greet me good morning, seemingly waiting for a command that I may suddenly blurt out, while the front desk clerk was ready wi...

Just a week after I arrived from Cotabato City, I was off to Mindanao again! This time to the twin cities of the south, that is Dipolog and Dapitan, on the way to Dakak! Hmm, I just noticed now, this trip teems with the letter “D”! My flight said ETD: 1045H, but at exactly 1030H, there we were, all passengers seated, doors already closed and the stewardesses already doing their safety demonstration. Does not hurt to be ahead of schedule, does it?! Instead of waiting too long at the departure lounge, this was definitely better! And at exactly 1039H, there we were lifting off Runway 13, heading towards Merville, Parañaque hehe. Well, it was up over the expansive Laguna Lake and ever southwards towards the lower end of this archipelago. Gloomy morning but I liked it. Sun not too harsh on the eyes as I watched anything worth watching down below. Hey I wondered where we could have been at an hour into the flight. I remember taking this picture as I liked the long stretch of white coastlines...

When we plan to travel, we always want to have at least an estimate how far our destination is, and how long will it take us going there. Right? Yes for many seasoned roamers! And many a traveler can tell you that point A to point B is these many kilometers, or point B to point C takes ‘about an hour’ and so on. Those are good information to start with, but usually, not good enough. Why? Because many tend to forget or do not even know that there is another consideration that must be taken into account when trying to answer “how long will it get me there”. And that is… the travel before you travel. How is that? Let’s see… You are from Alabang, and you will take that Maria De Leon bus ride to Laoag, how long? Nine hours? Wrong! The “how long” should include your travel from Alabang to that street behind UST so you could take that ride to Laoag? And the bus leaves at 8PM. What time do you leave home? And on a Friday-night rush hour traffic? How long will you get to UST? When you have an...

Where? Which part? Aber? The truth is it depends on where you are going and what you consider as ‘good views’. In general, asking around may not sometimes suffice. A little bit of research and a little bit of history will get you to decide where you want to sit. That serious?! Well, I am, and I know some who also are. This is one important matter I always consider when traveling by bus. Not really so I won’t miss this or that view, but more on… so I won’t get bored. Imagine if you were on a long bus trip to Bicol and all you see are fellow passengers who could be anywhere from snacking, snoozing, snoring or smooching! For 14 hours?! Gosh! So, the window seat it is. But which side? As I said above, it really depends on where you are headed to. But, to help you make that choice, let me share some historical and topographical features I have encountered and noted, that are otherwise taken for granted by many a traveler in these islands. The Philippines is an archipelago – that onl...

New buses freeze When riding the reputable aircon buses, make sure you bring something to ward off the cold - like a sweater or a jacket. All of them buses, when still working properly, could get very cold for the normal Filipino – fat or thin! Take note: this is even if you were traveling on a sizzling hot summer day. Others prefer to add headgears such as bonnets, bandanas or scarves that can be wrapped around their heads and necks. Some even use hats. No, not just caps, they’re less effective. I’d say, the wider brimmed the hat is, the better, since all bus airconditioning vents are located above your head! Oh, others even go a little bit overacting like bringing socks and gloves to really ensure they keep warm. To his each own really, and that’s nice if it would make you comfortable. Just make sure you will be wearing fresh socks on fresh footwear. Please? You don’t want your busmates suffocating with the smell of your rotting feet, do you?! The old buses are a headache – lite...

When going to Ilocos or any of the destinations that require long bus rides like Bicol, it is always better to make a reservation. For most of these bus companies, just a telephone call is enough (if you can get through, that is). But for some, you need to go to their booking station/s (if any) or the bus station itself to pay for your tickets and choose your seats in advance. This becomes a must if you are traveling during peak seasons. When are those? Well, the usual school breaks, long weekends, Holy Week, All Saints’ Day, Christmas holidays and the likes. Note: most schools in this country start the school year in June and graduations are here and there every end of March. The reverse is true – at the end of those holidays mentioned where virtually most everyone heads back to the metropolis. The technique I do is to already buy my return ticket upon arrival at my destination’s bus station, if that cannot be done at departure station. Example: upon alighting at Laoag’s Maria De ...

What a lovely morning as we arrived at the Maguino-o Port of Calbayog City! The moon was just about to settle beyond the silhouettes of probably Masbate and Samar's nearby little islands out in the western horizon, while the lush forests of Samar was already highlighted, outlined by an orange-bright morning sun still inching up behind the mountains. With a gentle cool breeze from land, ah a picturesque scene that cannot be easily recorded on any camera as the ship maneuvered to dock. Happy I took this trip for the experience. Happier still that I had such a fantastic panicky funny wake-up call! How did these things happen and why am I brokering that it was fantastic?! Well, I went to sleep about midnight last night having had enough of the smooth and slow sailing speed of M/V Filipinas Dinagat. I slept? Come to think of it, yes! If I have not ever been able to sleep on any of my transpacific and trans-atlantic flights on various classes of service in the past (including the now g...

The economy section you would already know from my descriptions in previous stories. Remember, if you are one who must watch the tube before sleeping, there is only one such small thing and it is located at the frontmost left corner (middle of ship) near the door that leads to business and tourist classes. No comfort room. You have to go down a staircase to a lower level for that. But that lower level seem to be not (yet) the cargo/vehicle area. All sides are open on this class of service so you have the cool wind blowing on most parts. Most parts? Why? Because there are two portions that are uncomfortably hot (for me) and those are the big chimneys (whatever they are called in ship parlance) that go all the way up the top of this boat. Yes yes, tambutso of humongous proportions. Mind you, some people I saw slept on beds near them. I asked one oldie and he told me its better for him there as he wont need a blanket. Gosh! Then there are the business classes and the tourist classes. Pl...

So, as said in the previous story, I excitedly went up to find the roof deck. Folks, for those who are not used to these boats, careful up or down the stairs. They’re narrower than normal, and in the case of M/V Filipinas Dinagat, its also steeper than usual. A bit tricky to negotiate – especially if you were carrying two Sky Flakes, a Coke in can, and that big paper bowl of very hot instant noodles. Add to that my backpack that perennially clung to my shoulders hehe. Watch your head too! Yep, the opening at the top of the stairs that empties you out to the roof deck is rather too low and it is made of thick steel, so you could break your forehead if not careful. Was I?! Secreeeet! Anyway, there I was… on a fine breezy December evening… a cool moonlit but starry night… and I was on top of a ship ready to have my dinner al fresco! Lovely wouldn’t you say?! And all I had was a big paper bowl of 'Lucky Me' Instant Noodles – Pinoy Chicken Flavour! The thing was soup, appetizer an...

Hungry and eager to binge, I went looking for the “canteen” of the ship. Following the apprentice’s earlier instructions, that meant I had to walk the entire length of Deck A – Economy class, since my bed was at rearmost! Hmm, the few passengers on this ship (I imagine there were probably just about 50 of us or less on this class of service) were all settled on the lower beds. I was sure most were not following the bed assignments written on their tickets. That gave me an idea (but more of that later) hehe! And hey, the few that we were, most were settled in front or near the small television on the wall broadcasting the evening news. Maybe that is why I had no immediate “neighbors” over at my bed, though there were roosters in boxes or bayongs. Maybe people were roaming the ship, like I intended to (later)! Exiting that tourist class area, I was surprised that the glass door is just about 2 meters in front of the canteen. And OMG what a canteen, its tiny! Therefore too few choices! ...

“Why do you all keep talking in English, is that a requirement? Is this ship also a call center? Di ba kayo pwedeng magsalita ng sariling atin?” so I jokingly asked the dude who accompanied me to my bed. With a smile, he said “aw not really sir, but we thought you are foreigner”! “Foreigner kayo dyan, saan ang restaurant” I continued the lively conversation. And he said “aw, walang restaurant dito sir, meron canteen banda doon” he pointed towards the middle-front of the ship. I said “saan, di ko makita” and he said “sa loob nung pinto malapit sa TV direcho pa kayo labas dun sa kabilang pinto ng tourist class”. Well, I liked it hehe. That would have meant I’d already be able to tour this ship just going to the canteen. But I said “hassle, its far and I will have to keep lugging my backpack going there and back. He said its okay to leave my things on the bed and assured me no one would touch them. Hmm, I wasn’t sure I wanted to believe that, he/they can’t possibly be watching everyone ev...

And the fun begins…! At exactly 6PM, I saw myself eagerly entering the maze that is Pier 1. Y’know, enter the lobby but before reaching the guards head right on a smaller exitway and that is the outside of the building. Then walk to the left tracing the building’s wall until you reach another entrance to re-enter the building so that you could pass your things at the x-ray machines, go to the turnstiles that is entrance for passengers, run back to the other side of the x-ray machine to catch your bag, and voila… the (other) pre-departure area. This is not the same as Ocean Jet’s pre-departure area. This is at the back (that is why passenger need to skirt the building because Ocean Jet has the front area for its sole use). But this place where Cokaliong and other shipping lines use is definitely bigger and brighter. I mean its not as ‘claustrophobic’ and ‘ngit-ngit’ even if non-airconditioned as the other side that is of Ocean Jet ’s. Oh yes, I was excited! Something new to observe, som...

Another unexpectedly exciting trip I just did! How did that happen? Well, I was scheduled to conduct another team-building session for one company in Catbalogan City where there is no direct flight from anywhere. It was scheduled on a Saturday. Catbalogan city is just almost the same distance from either Tacloban city or Calbayog city, so those were my choices for an approach to Catbalogan. Flights from Cebu to Tacloban are in the afternoon, while flights to Calbayog only come from Manila. Awr! I needed to do something on that Friday afternoon in Cebu. So the afternoon flight from Cebu to Tacloban wasn’t that much of a fit though I could have tweaked my skeds for that. But that meant staying overnight in either Tacloban or Catbalogan prior to the event. Extra expense! So is flying off Cebu passing via Manila and on to Calbayog! Haruuuuy! I wondered then if I could go by boat as I have heard they run during the night. Client said there is a boat from Cebu to Catbalogan but it leaves on ...