Tuguegarao, Cagayan To Cauayan, Isabela
Call it experimental, or for lack of anything to do, I hassled myself today just to grab a seat for the Tuguegarao to Cauayan trip. Not that it was necessary, but I wanted to know.
It started about 6AM today when I wasn't getting thru on my calls to Victory Liner and other bus companies. No one would answer their phones. At another time I would call, the same lines would already be busy. Gosh! I decided to go out and see for myself...
Out of the hotel (di pa naligo), instead of my morning walks, I hailed a trike and told the driver to bring me to Victory Liner terminal. Its only about 2-something kms., I did not know it was a walk away. Anyway, I got there. OMG so many people.
Some folks queuing up were ready to go, but mostly were like me, trying to grab a ticket for a trip later in the day. No can do! Everything for the day until midnight were fully booked they said. Oh eh, bakit mahaba pa rin ang pila? Makukulit na people like me hehe, nagbabakasakali!
Actually I got admonished by a fellow passenger, she told me that most folks here trying to buy tickets are bound for Manila. It would be harder daw to wing a ticket just for Cauayan. I guess she was correct, but I kept on... until all of my patience ran out hehe!
Mind you, it did not take too long, I mean for all of my patience to run out! I was on that line from 07:53AM to 08:04AM! So, I lasted for 11 minutes. Ganun! But the feeling was... as if I had been lining up there for a century. Ganun! So I went away, not far...
Where did I go? To Florida Bus Terminal! Its not far from Victory, not even a kilometer away (I think). But, when we passed by Brickstone Mall, my trike driver hollered some things to another person in there. I didn't quite get everything he said, but I understood "12NN, 2 front seats to Cauayan". Hmm, I reconfirmed if he just said that, and the driver said yes. That was already a "reservation" transaction! If I do not arrive at 15mins before 12NN, they'd give the seat away anyway.
So I reached Florida... quieter here... not so many people... because...
There was a sign at their entrance on the side of the road, that all seats are taken for all southbound trips. Ganuun din! So I went back to Hotel Joselina to pack-up, wash-up, and get ready for the coming "adventure" from Tuguegarao City, Cagayan to Cauayan City, Isabela! Adventure talaga?!
Bakit naman "adventure", eh the trip is just for 2 hours from a city to another city via a paved national highway? Well, I have placed it in my mind, and it will be embedded for a long time I guess, that... when you travel on a "UV Express" in Region II... be prepared for an adventure of a lifetime hahaha! I could be wrong at times (hopefully), but I don't like riding on any commuter vehicle that came from a junk yard! It happened to me once, it can happen to all many times :)
10AM, I was all packed and "ready to ramble" hehe.But check-out time is 12NN and my UV Express is also 12NN! Ah, I was just probably too excited for my "adventure" to Cauayan. Because there was time to "over-actedly think" about many things, I thought about lunch and the length of travel. Hmm, departure at 12NN for a 2-hour trip? I better eat ahead or bring food!
Okay, I walked to McDonald's...
I had breakfast at Jollibee earlier (after the Florida Bus visit), so I was not very hungry this time. I intended to grab something "to-go" so I could eat it along the way. And I laughed at myself. What if the van is tossing and tumbling while I ate? How about the smell, the aroma of McDo that will reach the noses of other passengers - who do not have anything to eat? It'll be greed unprecedented. Nakakahiya. Thus, I decided to just as well eat my order dine-in. Para wala nang istorbo!
While eating at McDo (even if not yet hungry), I actually was critiquing myself... that I was over-thinking everything about this travel in the Cagayan Valley. Example: I often travel by van from Tacloban to Ormoc, or Tacloban to Catbalogan, 2 hours each way din yun, eh bakit wala naman akong pa-McDonald's-McDonald's na nalalaman?! Hahaha!
Yes, that's true! Maybe I was just too praning about the kind of vans they have here... duuu hehehe!
Oh hey, we did not have any prior arrangement, but at 11:20AM, my trike driver this morning, was outside of Hotel Joselina! How lucky of me, he took it upon himself to be at the hotel when I needed to go - since he knows where I'm going and he was the one who hollered my reservation to those UV Express folks when we passed early in the morning. Mahusay! Marunong! Magaling!
11:29AM, I was delivered at the UV Express Terminal beside Brickstone Mall
My scheduled van was ready, and some passengers were already on board. So I placed my things on Seats 1 and 2, and I went around to smoke and/or take pictures...
Heto na... the things 'kakaiba' that makes you worry...
You know why they have those electric fans around? Yeah, to make sure passengers are comfortable while waiting inside those vehicles. Why so? Bakit hindi nalang isara ang sasakyan? Because all those vehicles have NO MORE air-conditioners, because these are repurposed junk bought from Port Irene. Nanay ko!
Anyway, at exactly 12NN, my van departed. Whoa! On time! Unfortunately, heavy rains accompanied us most of the way. And my UV Express became an issue again... when it rained, everyone (including me) attempted to close their windows. Mine fortunately did, with the driver's help. Other windows at the back wouldn't close, and I could hear some kind of a commotion where passengers were getting wet.
Eto pa... nothwithstanding the fact that not all windows could be closed, the air we breathed inside the van was an obvious lot of human exhalations. I could feel it (not only smell it), the air everytime I inhale was warm and damp and it felt like someone was breathing out in your face. Yuck, I covered my face with a hanky.
Well, as for the views... wala masyado.
Everything was a blur, because it was raining cats and dogs. So ayan ang madalas kong tinititigan!
Anyway, I guess, even if it was not raining, the views over at Gonzaga would still be better. I'm just guessing - because all I saw along the way were little huts that sold "pancit batil", "pancit batil patong", "pancit cabagan", pancit whatever and pancit from wherever hehe!
When rain becomes lighter, I would open the window and clicked a pic or two...
Like this one, ang pansitan ni Angel. Ewan na lang me magtanong pa kaninong tindahan yan at ano ang binebenta, ano?! Who knows, baka sa likod meron din, provided by others hehehe!
Oh there, oh dear! At 1:38PM we were already in Ilagan...
Ilagan City in Isabela province dong ha? Dili Iligan City didto sa ato-a hehehe. This meant we were near to my destination for the day - Cauayan, Isabela.
Oh so that is the Our Lady of Guibang Parish.
I have heard about this church many times. It is supposed to be a pilgrimage site frequented by travelers. Hmm. Anyway, this means we were already in the town of Gamu, Isabela!
About 2:15PM, the van arrived in Cauayan. So here I am now!
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It started about 6AM today when I wasn't getting thru on my calls to Victory Liner and other bus companies. No one would answer their phones. At another time I would call, the same lines would already be busy. Gosh! I decided to go out and see for myself...
Out of the hotel (di pa naligo), instead of my morning walks, I hailed a trike and told the driver to bring me to Victory Liner terminal. Its only about 2-something kms., I did not know it was a walk away. Anyway, I got there. OMG so many people.
Some folks queuing up were ready to go, but mostly were like me, trying to grab a ticket for a trip later in the day. No can do! Everything for the day until midnight were fully booked they said. Oh eh, bakit mahaba pa rin ang pila? Makukulit na people like me hehe, nagbabakasakali!
Mind you, it did not take too long, I mean for all of my patience to run out! I was on that line from 07:53AM to 08:04AM! So, I lasted for 11 minutes. Ganun! But the feeling was... as if I had been lining up there for a century. Ganun! So I went away, not far...
Where did I go? To Florida Bus Terminal! Its not far from Victory, not even a kilometer away (I think). But, when we passed by Brickstone Mall, my trike driver hollered some things to another person in there. I didn't quite get everything he said, but I understood "12NN, 2 front seats to Cauayan". Hmm, I reconfirmed if he just said that, and the driver said yes. That was already a "reservation" transaction! If I do not arrive at 15mins before 12NN, they'd give the seat away anyway.
So I reached Florida... quieter here... not so many people... because...
Bakit naman "adventure", eh the trip is just for 2 hours from a city to another city via a paved national highway? Well, I have placed it in my mind, and it will be embedded for a long time I guess, that... when you travel on a "UV Express" in Region II... be prepared for an adventure of a lifetime hahaha! I could be wrong at times (hopefully), but I don't like riding on any commuter vehicle that came from a junk yard! It happened to me once, it can happen to all many times :)
10AM, I was all packed and "ready to ramble" hehe.But check-out time is 12NN and my UV Express is also 12NN! Ah, I was just probably too excited for my "adventure" to Cauayan. Because there was time to "over-actedly think" about many things, I thought about lunch and the length of travel. Hmm, departure at 12NN for a 2-hour trip? I better eat ahead or bring food!
Okay, I walked to McDonald's...
While eating at McDo (even if not yet hungry), I actually was critiquing myself... that I was over-thinking everything about this travel in the Cagayan Valley. Example: I often travel by van from Tacloban to Ormoc, or Tacloban to Catbalogan, 2 hours each way din yun, eh bakit wala naman akong pa-McDonald's-McDonald's na nalalaman?! Hahaha!
Yes, that's true! Maybe I was just too praning about the kind of vans they have here... duuu hehehe!
Oh hey, we did not have any prior arrangement, but at 11:20AM, my trike driver this morning, was outside of Hotel Joselina! How lucky of me, he took it upon himself to be at the hotel when I needed to go - since he knows where I'm going and he was the one who hollered my reservation to those UV Express folks when we passed early in the morning. Mahusay! Marunong! Magaling!
11:29AM, I was delivered at the UV Express Terminal beside Brickstone Mall
Heto na... the things 'kakaiba' that makes you worry...
Anyway, at exactly 12NN, my van departed. Whoa! On time! Unfortunately, heavy rains accompanied us most of the way. And my UV Express became an issue again... when it rained, everyone (including me) attempted to close their windows. Mine fortunately did, with the driver's help. Other windows at the back wouldn't close, and I could hear some kind of a commotion where passengers were getting wet.
Eto pa... nothwithstanding the fact that not all windows could be closed, the air we breathed inside the van was an obvious lot of human exhalations. I could feel it (not only smell it), the air everytime I inhale was warm and damp and it felt like someone was breathing out in your face. Yuck, I covered my face with a hanky.
Well, as for the views... wala masyado.
Anyway, I guess, even if it was not raining, the views over at Gonzaga would still be better. I'm just guessing - because all I saw along the way were little huts that sold "pancit batil", "pancit batil patong", "pancit cabagan", pancit whatever and pancit from wherever hehe!
When rain becomes lighter, I would open the window and clicked a pic or two...
Oh there, oh dear! At 1:38PM we were already in Ilagan...
Oh so that is the Our Lady of Guibang Parish.
About 2:15PM, the van arrived in Cauayan. So here I am now!
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 Forty four stories just 4U!
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