Philippine Travel Notes

About four years ago, I told you of a story about this originally Cebuano contraption (or concoction whatever) of a coin-operated water dispenser in a box for outdoor use ! Even then, there were already "variants" like 'boxed or not' , 'cold only' , 'hot & cold' , etc. I somehow expected, this ATM would be evolving in form, not so much on function. And evolve it did (and still does), like this one I happened to pass-by this afternoon: Most noticeable are the two (separate) coin slots for Old and New 1-Piso coins. Aba that's Pinoy creativity or ingenuity or even resilience . Kesa mag-huramentado o mag-wala, due to two kinds of one-peso coin , ayan ginawan na ng paraan. Shame on BSP! Is it a sign of progress? Oh well, the creation of such a useful gadget surely is. Now the public has easy access to cold or hot potable water by just dropping a 1-peso coin . But, installing 2 coin slots in one dispenser is a waste of time, effort...

Something interesting I saw today at the fountain area upstairs near the new chapel, some restaurants, bar and coffee shops. I do wonder what they're supposed to mean . I'm used to encountering art installations usually accompanied by short descriptions and/or titles and/or artists . These ones don't have any. I looked around, wala talaga. I asked a barista at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, she told me she doesn't know anything about those, except that "bag-o pa man na diha, sir". Hmm, maybe 'coming soon' pa! They're intriguingly interesting, I really would like to know. On this group, each foot seem to have a corresponding giant tsinelas underneath. I am sure each giant foot means something. Or probably the whole rendition of feet and flipflops are supposed to convey a message to us? Lovely. But what? Unsa na?! Okay sige.., kahit naiinis, I proceeded to the next one (behind me) after this fountain. I'm sure you know the feelin...

Without a purpose (again!) , I was back at this fairly new mall called Insular Square in Tabok, Mandue this afternoon. Just browsing around the stores in there, then lunch. Well, at least 'that lunch', was purpose enough - though I wasn't yet sure specifically where should I do that, since there are a number of restaurants and fastfoods there. I saw choices, but I reminded my self "isa-isa lang, there will be time enough to try the others" hehe. But when the stomach grumbled, I was in front of Siknoy . Enter dayon! While the name and the ambiance seemed familiar, I was sure this was the first time I was dining at this restaurant, at this mall. They probably have branches elsewhere. Anyway, just looking at the menu, I already said "delikado ito" . Eh gusto ko lahat eh! I know my drill though. In a situation like this, there has to be a technical process of elimination. Aba yes, me ganun sa life ko! Para walang waste, next time na ang iba! B...

This is still that coffee joint across the church on Tacloban's Juan Luna Street. I said I'll be back, so I came back! To grab something other than coffee and to shoot photos, as promised to some of you my dear readers - masunurin akong bata e hehe ! Actually, I was here yesterday for a meeting, before I strolled the 'about 250 meters' to Hotel Alejandro for another meetup. But I shot only 1 pic at Jose Karlo's. Busy eh. Today, even before I ordered, I started taking pics of this aliw eclectic coffee shop. This is what you directly face as soon as you enter the glass door (entrance): More tables after that graffiti wall . Stairs to a spacious 2 nd floor area is also in there. Still by the entrance door, this would be to your left. Halata naman di ba? This is/was a nice home, converted to a coffee shop. But, they retained the many residential abubots and cheche-bureche of the family. Impressive! Well I don't know with your tastes, basta ako, I...

Emerging from that breakfast at DSI (that means Dahil Sa Iyo oy! ), I went on with my walk along Burgos St., back to Lai Rico to prepare for meeting uli at Hotel Alejandro. Beside DSI (just one house/building after), is an old house I wanted to see. This: I always liked looking at that old house ever since my youthful years. It was wooden and old-era-style. Well, it still is, though already concreted, yet retaining the old look. If you noticed, the structures on the sides and at the back are new (even unfinished) and bigger. They do not just seem to be 'rebuilding after Yolanda'. They are growing. And I have a "story" about that old house. It became Rosvenil Pensione , long before Yolanda came. Though I haven't stayed there, I already heard about 'what it was like' . Let's not anymore recount 'what it was like' basta something that wouldn't have been on my radar (before Yolanda) other than "one of the best-looking ol...

I went there today for breakfast, to relive the memories of yesteryears hehehe! I am not a breakfast person, but on my morning walk today, I saw Dahil Sa Iyo . That made me try their food again - after so many years - lest I forget how they taste. Da! I knew there would be something light that I can have for breakfast. And tsadaaan: Tinola! Very light to the stomach, that's why most Warays eat that with rice. Am not a coffee person too, so the tinola broth is delectably best for me , than hot chocolate . Well okay, I also got that orangy thing ( that I don't know the name of ), because it just came out of the kitchen, while I lined-up at the counter -na wala naman pila at 7AM! Basta mabango yan, na pork ribs yata. Tunay na langhap-sarap, that's why I got one order. Heavy meal! It reminded me of my youthful days, na nakaka-apat na rice ako! Even my parents then, napapa-extra rice sa lugar na ito! This was 1 of Tacloban's "it places" in the '8...

Meetings & meet ups in Palo & Tacloban done, it was time for My Royal Highness to rest. Where? Hiyay! I forgot to reserve a hotel room anywhere, which happens often! That would have been normal for me - I usually get a room when and where needed. Except that Tacloban's hotel room availability has not been normal after ST Yolanda. I was the one who kept telling everyone there's a dearth of hotel rooms around here and voila, ako pa ang nakalimot mag-reserve. Gabi na, unwise to go Catbalogan. Ta! My last meeting was at Hotel Alejandro, so I asked their front desk if there was any room available, none . The kind staff helped me contact other hotels, none as in zero ! Pause. Breathe-in, breathe-out. Calma lang. Even my ka-meeting was already trying to pull strings, wala talaga. Until the waiter, who heard our conversations with front desk staff, said: sir overnight manla ada, dida ha Lai Rico, bangin may bakante pa hira ! I instantly went there to ask (it...

Let's continue from the previous story . Uneventful frastcraft ride from Cebu, on what turned out to be a bright sunny day in Ormoc. A Grand Tours van was at Ormoc port's parking lot, seats 1 and 2 available! So I climbed-in. Wow! Oops, then I asked if this was going to Tacloban hahaha! Yes it was, buti na lang. No need to walk about 500 meters on Rizal St., to their terminal! Noted for me and you me dear fellow travelers. Grand Tours (like many other VHires) are back to deploying some vans right at the port area - in time for fastcraft arrivals. Convenient! [it was stopped sometime ago, I don't know why, but good that they are allowed back] Off we were at 11:15AM. Yes odto na! But I didn't feel hungry - more of sleepy hehe! Yet, I still had the presence of mind to shoot pictures of interesting scenes like this: No no no, wala koy labot sa trapik as this is Bonifacio St., laging matrapik dito, ever! I was looking at that truck ahead, loaded with a humung...

Three days of normal life (silhig laba hayhay palansa) in Cebu over. Let's get moving! I was going to Tacloban as my base of operations (aba me ganun na? yez meron na!) Whereas, my first order of business was to be in Palo, so I proceeded directly there. Ayos ba ang language ko? Aheheheh, puro like that ang mga naririnig at nakikita ko lateley sa aking mga nakakasabay maglakbay. Napapagaya na me! Nakakahawa e ! Gusto ko yung "I proceeded directly there" - na ang ibig sabihin actually is: doon ako bumaba sa V-Hire na sinakyan ko mula sa Ormoc, karay-karay ang mga kargada ko! Okay sige serious na, let's start from the very beginning... At 7:15AM, I was at the 2GO Terminal for my 8AM trip. I think this is still Pier 4. I last used Supercat 01DEC13 Ormoc to Cebu. All I can remember now is Oceanjet Pier 1. Note to you and to me, I arrived at this port at 7:15AM - for my 8AM trip. Remember this ? I already learned my lesson hahaha! That, I think, is ev...