On with the previous story.., so I arrived at the town of Isabel. This is the most prominent landmark.
Technically, this is not yet really the center of town as this Gate 1 of the LIDE is still 4kms away to the municipal hall area. But people do already consider 'they have arrived' at Isabel upon seeing this gate.
If there's a Gate 1, there must be at the very least a Gate 2, right? Indeed, and it is exactly in between Gate 1 (above) and the Municipal Hall. Why did I say that? Because Gate 2 is still 2kms from Gate 1.
Yes, a big estate! This is a "special economic zone" and it is 425 hectares - whatever that means haha! But I did my research, so now I know that 425 hectares is 4.25 square kilometers, Yet I still don't know how to imagine how big/wide that is hehe! But, must be big enough, as it has its own airstrip (RP0E).
And then it rained.., heavily :( But the joyride must go on..,
This was as we were just even cruising along the road on the way to Gate 2 - still far from poblacion.
Heavy rains or not, I needed to take a picture of that orange vehicle "in action"! It's an e-trike.
An electric powered tricycle that is starting to proliferate, most prominently in Western Leyte towns).
I mean 'starting to proliferate' as a commercial / commuter type of vehicle in the region..,
Together with pedicabs (called padyak or potpot), tricycles (motorcycle with sidecar) and habal-habal.
And there is the Municipal Hall, Municipal Park and Jose Rizal Monument!
We were moving westwards along Bonifacio St., therefore this was on the driver's side. So, I needed to prop the camera in front of my driver's face hehe! Nice-looking building and park, even on a misty day.
This was on my right, the Galicano N. Ruiz Center - a sports / multi-purpose building, I think!
I understood seeing motorbikes in there (avoiding the rain), but I was pleasantly surprised to see that even pedicabs can also park inside. Yes inside, as in, at the very basketball and volleyball courts! Aliw!
And this is their main church - the Sto. Niño (Holy Child) Parish Church of Isabel Leyte.
A modern structure (big building, narrow-all-cement and no-more-grassy surroundings)! Photo is just the front area of the church. It faces the Sports Center. The orange-colored roof is the entrance foyer.
We made a u-turn after the church, so I could get another glimpse of the municipal hall and park..,
Beautifully manicured, clean, well-maintained park. There is a water fountain at the center, and it even has a band-stand on the left side. I wanted to walk around this park, but it was intermittently drizzling.
Anyway, we turned left at the park (Roxas cor. Bonifacio Sts.) heading towards the sea..,
After the sports center, is the commercial district of the town, with stores big-and-small left-and-right!
The sea-front. Buildings at right are the dry and wet market areas leading out to the municipal wharf.
This corner is the start of what they call "Baywalk", and it extends about a hundred meters to the left.
Nice views of the Dupon Bay, even the international seaport and the airstrip of the LIDE (at left).
Those seats on the boulevard look like made of bamboo, but they are actually made of iron and steel.
This baywalk looks nice, right? Must probably be even more charming during clear sky sunsets..,
The building at left is a hypermart with a very wide parking area out front (on the other side).
I particularly liked this thing at the edge of the baywalk.., a "Comfort Zone". Sosyalin ang tunog!
Than call it the usual "Public CR" or "Toilets", "Comfort Zone" sounds 'millennial'! I hope they're clean!
Oh, from the "Comfort Zone" corner with the hypermart, we turned left to exit the area..,
This street is also lined with market stalls that sell everything you can imagine, including ukay-ukay!
And this is the other side of the church. Look at their bell tower. Modernistic too, right?!
And from this corner, we made our way out unto the highway leading towards Palompon!
Very nice enough "getting-to-know-you" roam of Isabel, even if I did not at all get off the vehicle (since it kept drizzling). But one of these days, I should be back to stroll more of this town on-foot. Di ba 'no?
Let's go to Villaba next!
0 Comments