Drive from Tacloban to Ormoc.., Ride the fastcraft to Cebu.., then go malling!
This was the option we decided to take after our Tacloban-Cebu flight was cancelled by a freak storm - probably not good for all travelers, but the best alternative for us, during that time and circumstance.
As you would have read the actions we opted to do (in my previous blog story), there were extra costs involved on this detour decision, like: Breakfast for 8 people at Jollibee Palo; Gasoline expense for the Tacloban-Ormoc trip (and back, since my driver had to return home); Ormoc-Cebu fastcraft fare for 7 passengers; Chichirya at Ormoc and on-board the fastcraft; Taxi fares in Cebu; Meals and 'malling' in Cebu; Three rooms overnight at Waterfront Mactan. None of which were shouldered by Cebu Pacific because our cancelled TAC-CEB flight was "force majeure" - an "act of God" (daw). Okay sige na, fine!
We couldn't just sit in one corner and weep, right? I had to do something so my companions would at least enjoy wherever we were, as did most of our travel mates who already arrived in Puerto Princesa.
The Palo-Ormoc drive was quiet. Most of my companions slept all the way, because we were happily full with jolly breakfasts! We weren't in a hurry too, since the fastcraft trip we could only catch was the 11AM OceanJet - which - turned out to be more exciting as some of us were first-timers on this route!
Important note for travelers who might encounter this situation:
A 'freak storm' (whatever that is) caused our TAC-CEB flight cancellation. Ormoc is west side of Leyte, Tacloban is on the east. Storms (pati galaw ng clouds) usually move from east to west. Thus, before I considered the fastcraft, I made sure that the sealanes (at least on the Ormoc to Cebu front) were not closed. A telltale sign that no vessel will be allowed to sail is when there's a "signal number" anywhere on land. The Coast Guard closes all ports once there's 'signal number' anywhere in the country. AS IN!
Fortunately, freak storms don't seem to carry-on to far distances. So I bought tickets on Ocean Jet.
Not many folks chose front seats. And the front door was open! Can you see Hotel Don Felipe?
They seldom do this, but (charmed?) a crew allowed me out to the bow - so I took pics form there!
Are these 3 stooges THE Coast Guard? Our craft seemed to have waited a long time for them.
Anyway, we left Ormoc about half an hour delayed - obviously because of those tatlong bugok!
Here's a view from the rear of the craft that I saw when I went to the comfort room..,
And it's nice experiencing the waves created when these fastcrafts meet full speed at sea!
Okay, make the long 3-hour uneventful ride short.., we arrived at Cebu Pier 1, and took cabs to this..,
But I was showing off that there is a branch of Sans Rival here! So we went there..,
I always like their "callos" in whichever branch I may have it, even if over and above the "spare ribs"!
Of course, we had to let the 'first timers' taste this thing for which the restaurant was named after!
There were 7 of us, schwack lang, we had two slices each! And this was my crumbled last slice!
I guess they checked-out every little corner of the whole Galleria!. Why? Ah eh, I already went home to check da haws, but when I came back, all were still busy at the shops! Until darkness fell on earth. Da!
So we trooped to Waterfront Mactan. That's my next topic!
0 Comments