Philippine Travel Notes

Another lovely experience!. I took the ' slow boat ' (in the past this was called ' barko ', nowadays it's called ' RORO ') from Cebu City to Catbalogan City - if only for another feel of "how it was" traveling inter-island, in the good old days of our forebears. Aba oy, malapit nang mawala ito! Mawawala? Ah eh, I'm just predicting, due to the advent of the "fastcrafts"! Why Ride A Ship? Actually, I was carrying a lot of "baggage" - books, references, handouts and printed materials of many kinds - too delicate if I checked them in on a plane to TAC or CYP. Also too heavy and cumbersome to handle, if I took them on a fastcraft, connecting to a series of UV Express rides with no luggage space . Thus, a ship was my best bet. Buti nalang, at salamat naman, meron pang ganito these days! How Long Is This Trip? I was told this was going to be an 11 to 12 hour night ride, departing at 7PM, where I supposedly ...

Did you know there is such a thing? I didn’t! Earlier, done with my early morning walk beyond the airport and already riding a tricycle back to Sikatuna Beach Hotel, I saw this place that looked like some kind of a… well… memorial. But I did not really know what it was and the trike was speeding past it. I even really thought it was some kind of a memorial park, but I did not see tombs nor any indication that there were in the surroundings. So, at the public market, after my second beach walk, I decided to return to it. Actually, when I hailed a trike, I just said I was bound for Sikatuna Beach Resort. But while on board, I told the driver I would instead get off onwards at that monument beyond the San Jose Airport – which he readily understood and agreed after some hesitation (it’s a bit far). In fact, I myself was wondering why on earth did San Jose build this memorial far away from human civilization hehehe! It’s located in a fine lovely place across the road from the beach but...

Beach walk again? Yes, to the other side this time! Back from that long walk along Aroma Beach, I took my second shower of the day at exactly 7:50AM! Just a quick one, on this hot humid day. Summer has started, I guess! But what was I to do other than sit out at the beach-side tables of my resort? Itchy feet ruled again… I walked leftwards to town center via the beach – opposite direction of my stroll earlier on this same beach. Here we go… Getting to be nicer (clearer) views as the sun inched up... Heading leftwards this time, this view is to my right and back! There are the islands again… Illin, Ambulong and little White Island… I was still not dropping the idea… Should I see them up close or… should I?! Noticeably no people on this part of the beach. Why? It’s a cemetery up there! There’s a house on the left yes, but all others are, duuu! I walked faster hehehe! Fishing boats anchored some distance from the shore… Why so? Are they afraid of the shore? Here’s the...