Sights and Scenes Tacloban To Almeria

I was quizzing my royal self, "could I do a day-tour to island destinations in Region 8 without having to stay there overnight"? Ah, only one way to find out - try! Ang tinamaan sa bucket list, Almeria in Biliran!

Why Almeria? Well, there are two little islands that are purportedly good to visit. And they were next in my "places to see list", when I thought of this crazy experimenting idea, as just said above. They have been on my list for many years. I've even seen them from a distance! Kapinyahan and Dalutan Islands.

So, the mental plan was hatched (kagabi lang).., 1) fly on a PAL early-morning flight from MNL to TAC (no other choice actually, since I've already been booked as such by one cruel assistant, galit yata eh); 2) be fetched at the airport by my service vehicle (yes, I have that 'luxury' as of now) then immediately speed off to Almeria; 3) tour and enjoy the 2 islands; and 4) be back in Tacloban by sunset or nightfall.

Kaya ba? We'll see.., and I will tell you at the end of all this!

Note (of course), I was conscious at comparing/estimating travel times if one had no private vehicle.

Let's go! But let's cut the usual bla bla blah on my unholy morning flight from MNL to TAC since it was uneventful anyway, and as usual, I was dragging my groggy sexy royal body every step of the way. You already know that, right? while I do not despise all those very early morning departures, I am not a fan!

I was never a fan, but let us just say "nasanay na"! Imagine, I've been riding early morning flights as far back as my childhood days. If you know 'mercury flights', 'bulilit flights', YS11, HS748, BAC111, ganun!

So I arrived at TAC Airport, was readily fetched, I dropped some things somewhere and we were off to Almeria. I know that Tacloban to Naval is about 120kms. But Almeria is probably another 10kms or so beyond Naval. So, at the rate my driver 'crawls' on a highway, this would have been a 2 to 3 hour travel!

I told my self to catch the sights and scenes along the way since, even if I pass this way very often, it's always different every time. Regrettably, it was already in Alangalang when I remembered to take pics!

In fact, we were already on our way out of Reggie's Foods, after a hefty breakfast, when I remembered I should take pictures pala diay ngayan! Maybe only that breakfast totally woke & perked me up today!

Where is this "Reggie's" anyway, and is it significant to us travelers? Oh, it is in the town of Alangalang (pronounced alang-alang), and it's not really on the common traveler's radar, unless I tell you a secret!

Should I? Okay, I should!

It's like this.., Reggie's Foods is a turo-turo, carinderia, eatery (whatever else we Pinoys call it) that sits on the left side of the hi-way near the corner after the municipal park of the town of Alangalang Leyte. Aside from its local neighborhood clientele, it's a favorite "meal stop" of delivery van and truck drivers.

In fact, I discovered Reggie's because of my present driver, an ex-delivery truck driver, who introduced me to it years ago, when we were in the area, and needed to find some quick lunch! They serve simple, no frills, affordable turo-turo style fares that has through the years already earned them a constant lot of 'loyalists' - 'dine-in' or 'take-out'! That said, I'm assured of freshly cooked food dahil pinag-aagawan!

And my inquisitive Pinoy Traveler mind was active again! Naka-breakfast eh!

See this.., just outside Reggie's was this 'parade' of vendor trikes (actually I saw only 3 heheh)..,

Those are the last-two of them similar-looking fishball ambulant vendor trikes already hitting the road at as early as 8AM! I really thought they only appear on Philippine streets from afternoon to midnight!

What perked my interest was the fact that this fishball streetfood business in Alangalang, is obviously an enterprise where everything is owned by just one person/family. Why did I say that? The trikes look the same in color, make and name Dodong! It is Dodong's fishball business. Katas Ng Fishball. Oh ha!

One thing I noticed that the owner or makers may not even have purposely thought about is: the bikes they use. Those are BMX bikes (pambata) that the vendor (adult) looks awkward when driving it. But a derivative advantage is the height of the 'fishball stall' itself, low enough for most customers, children!

Frying pan is just at the height of my thigh! Easy for kids to reach and "make tusok-tusok da fishbol"!

Nice business di ba? But okay, let's proceed...

Somewhere along wide ricefields approaching the town of Jaro, the views were really fantastic!

I already said this in my other stories, but no harm repeating: "when driving from east to west, scenery pictures are best captured in the morning" - as the sun (behind the camera) illuminates the panorama!

Plus, when passing by Carigara and Capoocan, the pedicabs are still few on this national highway!

Just look at that, only a few of the 'roofed habal-habal' are yet on the road. Later in the day, up until the night, there'd be many trikes (pedicabs) posing danger to themselves and the national highway traffic!

Fast-forward to Lemon Junction, as we turned right to Leyte-Leyte and onwards to Biliran Island.

To the left is going to Ormoc, Baybay and beyond. For those not in the know yet, this busy intersection teems with a lot of roadside vendors selling many waray-waray delicacies. And on the right side of the road (oh, my pic missed it by mere millimeters) is the 'strategically positioned' Andok's Manok branch!

Strategic for them as a business, for the owner as a politician (from Javier Leyte) and for us travelers (especially girls and womenfolk) because, this is the only place along this highway, where you're sure to find clean rest rooms! But there's a catch that can become a bladder issue - ang haba ng pila - lagi!

Ewan ko ba sa inyong mga eba, iihi lang eh, ang tagal-tagal hehehe hihihi! Anyway..,

Somewhere along Brgy. Belen (Leyte), just before my other favorite stretch of ricefield, I saw this..,

Can you already see the 'interesting topic' in that picture? I guess not yet, 'no? Maybe this is where the power of "human eye and brain combi" comes-in, when discerning 'live' versus 'photographed' scenes!

I swear, at that distance, I already saw there was something unusual, therefore I clicked. See it now?

Still not yet, right? Unless you are very imaginative like my yaya who is now behind my back as I write this. She says "agi hala ka it nga karabaw nagpapayong ka-bongga niya"! That what she sees! Do you?

Anyway, nearing the 'karabaw' I took a photo, but we were flying on the road so I just got this...

Okay okay.., the unusual thing in this scene, at least for me and my driver, was/were that: it's a woman herding the baby carabao, she's all dressed-up as if going to office or church, she's even got a tote bag (not for farming), and of course shielding herself from the sun with an umbrella! Lovely a scene really.

And we started guessing what might the story be!

Here's a lesson I learned: when I annoyedly asked the driver why he did not stop or at least slow down beside the woman and/or carabao, for me to take a good picture.., the reply was a simple and straight "kay kakalasan an nati, sir" [nati or nate is a Waray term for baby/young carabao]. Hm, oo nga naman!

Just imagine if we actually stopped beside the woman and her carabao. We would have startled that animal, and with all its might, it could have scampered in every direction, probably dragging or hurting the woman. Ah, there are many things we college-educated people were not classroom-taught about!

Cause-and-effect yun, logic din.., why were those not used as examples by our professors? Di ba?!

Anyway, as we forded along the highway, the uncommonly-clad carabao-herder became our topic. We asked ourselves why would she be dressed like that if she was just transferring a 'nati' from a place to another. Maybe she was selling it or it was already sold so she was delivering it. Then she would go to church afterwards? Why her? Why not the man of the house, where was he? Baka me sakit, nakaratay.

And we kept imagining so many things.., habang tumatagal, lalong lumalala ang mga hinala! My witty driver even went as far as suggesting that we could make a story from that scene we just saw, and we could decide if its action or drama or if happy or sad ending! I said "yan, sa kakapanood mo ke Kardo"!

But come to think of it.., it was an exercise on "creativity", right?!

Especially that we were passing by beautiful rural sceneries approaching the town of Leyte, Leyte..,

As said earlier, any morning westward run especially in the Philippines, begets wonderful panoramas!

There's even this area before the town center of Leyte, Leyte where the hills look like those in Batanes.

Hills have no trees but carpeted instead by grass. Much like, and reminiscent of "Marlboro Country".

First time I saw this in 2009 or 2010, I thought it was just a seasonal phenomenon, but apparently not.

Eh I've been passing this way the past 3 years, these hills look the same any day, whether it be wet or dry season. No trees, just grass. And my witty driver says "diri Marlboro Country sir, Fortune nala". Da!

So we arrived at Biliran island. From my previous stories alone, you'd already know this bridge, right?

But there are things I didn't know before, that I already know now, due to my frequent interactions with Biliran people. Example: Biliran Bridge crosses from mainland Leyte only to Poro Island. From there, it is the Nasunugan Causeway (not a bridge) that the road pass on, to cross and reach mainland Biliran!

Eto pa: there is purportedly a National Historical Institute (NHI) marker proclaiming the ruins of an old Watchtower and Church (circa 1700s) that was burned by moro pirates. I have yet to see that one, but I can now deduce that the name 'Nasunugan' isn't really historically accurate. It sounds as if basta me nasunog lang in the area. Eh sinunog pala talaga (violently yan diba) by moro pirates. So Ginsunugan!

Hmm, that's another reason why I say "travel is education". We get to learn the realities of our past.

We were just zooming by, but I couldn't help but take another pic of this old wooden house in Biliran.

Not a good angle, not a good shot, but I still took it anyway. I see that house everytime we pass by this town, since it is along the highway. And I have seen it even in its older version (not yet repainted). And, while there are still a number of big old wooden houses in this town, that I think, is the best preserved.

Oh, exiting Biliran town center, we encountered this road construction that had funny traffic signs!

All I could say was "whatever happened to the color green, nag-mahal ba o naubos ang green paint sa mundo"? Driver laughed, so I knew he understood my protestations! GO is usually colored green diba?

Anyway, walang basagan ng trip!

Near the Biliran Airport (yes there is such), driver went on bladder-break, I took advantage of that time for a yosi-break. While we stood on the road, we saw some of the lovely mountain peaks of the island.

Small as it may be, Biliran Island has 14 inactive volcanoes and 1 (Mt. Suiro) that is considered active. No wonder there are many waterfalls and hot springs on this island that is smaller than Metro Manila!

Hey, volcanic islands usually have black soil, right? But not Biliran, I know I'm in Naval when I see this.

Yup, that is red-colored earth in Naval. And later, at our destination, you'll see the sand is kind of white!

Alright, we just zoomed through Naval, so we could reach Almeria the soonest. Hindi excited, ano?!

Those are the rows of tall and sturdy Indian Trees that is now an iconic landmark of Almeria, Biliran.

This time we did not also even pause at the town center. We just drove past, going to Talahid Beach!

The good beaches of Almeria are at its north area, on the way to Kawayan. See that kilometer marker? It says we were 7kms to Kawayan - out of its 10km distance from Almeria. Talahid was getting nearer!

Driver not familiar with the area anymore, but I am! I just watch for this corner, veer left to Talahid!

Oist! I do wonder if I could find the place without those signage! Ah, where there's a will, there's a way!

And.., after more than two hours on the road.., we finally reached the sands of Talahid Beach Resort!

But.., that was not even our real final destination yet! We just chose Talahid Beach Resort as our jump-off point as it's most convenient. We were goin to Kapinyahan Island and that one over there, Dalutan!

So, leshgo?

Ah, let's better do that in my next blog entry. Abangan!