Catbalogan to Calbayog to Cebu
I did a reverse boat ride again - Calbayog to Cebu. Ah it was uneventful with nothing much that we don't know yet! Well, there were little notable things, still worth telling!
That's the Grand Tours Terminal in Catbalogan as my bus to Calbayog pushed back.
Why the picture? Ay, I was (at first) interested in capturing those contact numbers of all their terminals/stations for my future reference. Yet I ultimately dropped the idea!
Why? Ah eh.., parang hassle na isa-isa kong kopyahin ang mga yan to my phone! At sa truth and nothing but the truth lang... paano kokopyahin, eh blurred yung picture!
Da! Charge to experience hehe! I guess those are available online anyway.
Yep, the historic St. Bartholomew Parish. As you can see in the façade, year 1616 is prominently inscribed. Catbalogan was in fact the "ecclesiastical and administrative hub" for the whole island of Samar, throughout much of the Spanish colonial period.
Note I said "parish" above, not "church". That's because the edifice you see now, has almost no significant historical value these days - due to various destructive events!
Nasunog daw yan 4 times (or more?) na yata in its lifetime. Idagdag mo pa the other calamities like typhoons and earthquakes. Kaya binabago sya ng binabago, forever!
Pati color nya, it keeps a changing, depende yata sa trip ng mga pari hehehe! Basta, ever since I was a baby, dami nang naging colors yan. Oy, dyan daw ako bininyagan!
And as I said before, St. Bartholomew is just the English version of San Bartolome!
We were 'kinda fast, especially that there weren't many vehicles along the Maharlika Hi-way. I'm not sure yet if afternoons are always like this or because it was Tuesday.
Ah, maybe it was both, plus all schools were already on summer break.
Fact is, in 25 minutes we were already in Tarangnan, some 18kms to San Jorge. But Catbalogan to Calbayog usually takes 1.5hours. We left 1412H, yet arrived at 1515H.
So mabilis. I even walked from Grand Tours Calbayog to the Cokaliong ticket office!
In that hotel building (FredLar Suites). That unit with a green canopy (ground level).
It's not a Cokaliong branch but a shipping agency [meaning: authorized dealer]
It's small (cramped actually), there was a line, but air-conditioned, clean and orderly.
Their ticketing process is the same as at Cokaliong offices in Cebu - it's automated.
Convenient if you live in, or already staying inside Calbayog. But, if you are still from somewhere outside the city, passing at this office would probably be waste of time.
Why not just buy your ticket at the pier or the boat itself? That's what I was thinking. BUT, do they have a ticket office at that port? Or do they sell tickets at the boat? Da!
And I discovered something else...
Good if someone is sending you off via a private vehicle. But it's not something you would ride a tricycle or habal-habal to. At least I remembered there was a "free-bus" but my only experience was the other way around - from Maguino-o to the city center.
So I asked and learned that, there still is a free ride service, though it's not anymore on rickety buses but on a number of jeeps (the Sarao style, not multicab, buti naman).
Two things came to mind: 1) Is it really free? Isn't that covered by their "Agency Fee" (see ticket above)? Asuus! And 2) will that jeep be comfy for my long legs? Go pa rin!
That, was one of their jeeps, but already full of passengers who came ahead of me.
Next jeep ako. I whispered to the dispatcher: prente ako ha?! Waiting, I watched this:
A push-start, di-tulak, gin-duduruso, OMG hahaha! I wondered: makakarating ba yan?
When our jeep came, napadasal ako, especially that this was my front-seat view...
That is a back-view of the Saints Peter & Paul Cathedral of the Diocese of Calbayog.
Alright, let's make the long story short. My sarao jeep reached Maguino-o Port after exactly 57 minutes on the Maharlika Highway!
I can imagine it must be a nice walk with panoramic views - kung maaraw. But, on a drizzly afternoon like this, with no headgear or umbrella, prepare your paracetamol!
Ahahay, the skies were disappointingly uncooperative, at exactly the middle of April. I was hoping I would be able to watch (and take pictures) of wonderful sunset views.
Sige na lang. There is always a next time.
Upon departure (7PM) there is nothing much to see on the outside. Total darkness. Best you can do is tinker your notebook, play on your phone or eat if you have food!
Food? Ayiii, if the Cebu-Calbayog runs have few food choices, on this return voyage, there is virtually none. It appeared to me like they only load food-for-sale from Cebu.
Buti na lang, a friend in Catbalogan insisted on giving me (as send-off presents) two bagsful of Charito's Delights. So dinner was Hopia De Pili, Corioso & Mazapan De Pili!
At least I was one of the first to grab 2 cans of Coke! That was all because I was on Valencia Tourist Class, the cabin next to the canteen. Oh yes, the wintery cold cabin!
Okay, nothing much to do on this ship - M/V Filipinas Dinagat - since I have already previously roamed almost its entirety, I opted to stay in bed and catch some sleep!
And I learned somethig new again... the style (common practice) pala, of many boat passengers is: they don't disembark when it is still dark outside - for safety reasons.
Ah, I even saw a number of my fellow passengers who continued on snoring, even if our boat was already docked! That's why I asked around as to what was happening!
Aliw discovery! Onga naman ano?! Boat arrives way too early; it is still dark outside; too few taxis or any mode of public transport in Cebu and environs. So, why go out?
Are passengers allowed to stay or linger around, even if a boat has already docked? Yes. A crew told me "wag hanggang gabi dahil aalis na kami puntang next destination!"
So eto, I took this photo immediately upon disembarking - at 5:55AM!
I noticed that on early mornings, about sunrise, this port area is a photo-op location!
And like a very few others, I walked towards the Pier 1 exit. Note: it's a long walk!
I think that's a 200-meter-walk, from where Cokaliong boats dock to the Pier 1 gate.
O ayan, me ilaw pa si Pier 1 Building at 5:59AM. So it took me 4 minutes of walking.
Exit gate to the waiting taxi cabs was behind me when I took that shot.
Maayong buntag Sugbo!
Grand Tours Departure
I started this trip at Catbalogan on a bus! So, let us begin my story from here...
Why the picture? Ay, I was (at first) interested in capturing those contact numbers of all their terminals/stations for my future reference. Yet I ultimately dropped the idea!
Why? Ah eh.., parang hassle na isa-isa kong kopyahin ang mga yan to my phone! At sa truth and nothing but the truth lang... paano kokopyahin, eh blurred yung picture!
Da! Charge to experience hehe! I guess those are available online anyway.
St. Bartholomew Church
Hoy I hope I already said this: every Grand Tours trip to Calbayog exits facing this:
Note I said "parish" above, not "church". That's because the edifice you see now, has almost no significant historical value these days - due to various destructive events!
Nasunog daw yan 4 times (or more?) na yata in its lifetime. Idagdag mo pa the other calamities like typhoons and earthquakes. Kaya binabago sya ng binabago, forever!
Pati color nya, it keeps a changing, depende yata sa trip ng mga pari hehehe! Basta, ever since I was a baby, dami nang naging colors yan. Oy, dyan daw ako bininyagan!
And as I said before, St. Bartholomew is just the English version of San Bartolome!
Less Traffic
I was on a Grand Tours bus, so I thought we would be a bit slower. Hindi pala!
Ah, maybe it was both, plus all schools were already on summer break.
Fact is, in 25 minutes we were already in Tarangnan, some 18kms to San Jorge. But Catbalogan to Calbayog usually takes 1.5hours. We left 1412H, yet arrived at 1515H.
So mabilis. I even walked from Grand Tours Calbayog to the Cokaliong ticket office!
Cokaliong Booking Office
Purchasing tickets for a voyage on Cokaliong is done here at Calbayog's city center.
It's not a Cokaliong branch but a shipping agency [meaning: authorized dealer]
Their ticketing process is the same as at Cokaliong offices in Cebu - it's automated.
Why not just buy your ticket at the pier or the boat itself? That's what I was thinking. BUT, do they have a ticket office at that port? Or do they sell tickets at the boat? Da!
And I discovered something else...
There's a Transfer Service
This is a VERY IMPORTANT consideration if you're riding the boats from Maguino-o Port of Calbayog. It is actually VERY FAR - at about 20+ kilometers from city center.Good if someone is sending you off via a private vehicle. But it's not something you would ride a tricycle or habal-habal to. At least I remembered there was a "free-bus" but my only experience was the other way around - from Maguino-o to the city center.
So I asked and learned that, there still is a free ride service, though it's not anymore on rickety buses but on a number of jeeps (the Sarao style, not multicab, buti naman).
Two things came to mind: 1) Is it really free? Isn't that covered by their "Agency Fee" (see ticket above)? Asuus! And 2) will that jeep be comfy for my long legs? Go pa rin!
Next jeep ako. I whispered to the dispatcher: prente ako ha?! Waiting, I watched this:
When our jeep came, napadasal ako, especially that this was my front-seat view...
Alright, let's make the long story short. My sarao jeep reached Maguino-o Port after exactly 57 minutes on the Maharlika Highway!
The Boat Ride To Cebu
There's some 50-meter (or more?) walk, from where you alight your land vehicle.
Ahahay, the skies were disappointingly uncooperative, at exactly the middle of April. I was hoping I would be able to watch (and take pictures) of wonderful sunset views.
Sige na lang. There is always a next time.
Upon departure (7PM) there is nothing much to see on the outside. Total darkness. Best you can do is tinker your notebook, play on your phone or eat if you have food!
Food? Ayiii, if the Cebu-Calbayog runs have few food choices, on this return voyage, there is virtually none. It appeared to me like they only load food-for-sale from Cebu.
Buti na lang, a friend in Catbalogan insisted on giving me (as send-off presents) two bagsful of Charito's Delights. So dinner was Hopia De Pili, Corioso & Mazapan De Pili!
At least I was one of the first to grab 2 cans of Coke! That was all because I was on Valencia Tourist Class, the cabin next to the canteen. Oh yes, the wintery cold cabin!
Okay, nothing much to do on this ship - M/V Filipinas Dinagat - since I have already previously roamed almost its entirety, I opted to stay in bed and catch some sleep!
No need to disembark ASAP!
We departed at about 7PM in Calbayog, and/but arrived shortly after 4AM in Cebu.And I learned somethig new again... the style (common practice) pala, of many boat passengers is: they don't disembark when it is still dark outside - for safety reasons.
Ah, I even saw a number of my fellow passengers who continued on snoring, even if our boat was already docked! That's why I asked around as to what was happening!
Aliw discovery! Onga naman ano?! Boat arrives way too early; it is still dark outside; too few taxis or any mode of public transport in Cebu and environs. So, why go out?
Are passengers allowed to stay or linger around, even if a boat has already docked? Yes. A crew told me "wag hanggang gabi dahil aalis na kami puntang next destination!"
So eto, I took this photo immediately upon disembarking - at 5:55AM!
And like a very few others, I walked towards the Pier 1 exit. Note: it's a long walk!
I think that's a 200-meter-walk, from where Cokaliong boats dock to the Pier 1 gate.
Exit gate to the waiting taxi cabs was behind me when I took that shot.
Maayong buntag Sugbo!
#Visayas #TravelPhilippines
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