Calatrava To Cadiz

Done roaming the northern parts of Negros Island, even if quickly. I was returning all the way back to Silay, in time for my flight out early the following day. But I needed to do 2 more quick stops at Cadiz and Manapla. So, this was a longer, but still fun bus ride from Calatrava to Cadiz on a non-aircon bus.

The ticket said this trip was from KM131 to KM64, therefore 67 kilometers. Was that really long?

Well, not really. But for this roam the past two day, I kept hopping from place to place, in succession from west-to-east so those were all very short bus rides, that made Calatrava-to-Cadiz as the longest!.

Anyway, there was really nothing much more to be alert-of, since I already passed this way. Yet, I still looked out for lovely (and ugly) things along the way, as this time, I was on the other side of the road!

Such as, I saw this on the side of the highway, in an otherwise desolate hinterland little barrio...

Yeah, if you're a Filipino, you will immediately recognize what is all the crowding about. It's a "tupada"! That means a cockfighting event - usually so many fights in succession for a whole day or many days!

They're usually big on a Sunday, and even bigger still (with very large amounts of gambling money) on special dates like a barrio fiesta! The "events" even have category formats like "derby", "pintakasi", etc.

But the vast sugar plantations never cease to amaze me.., they're always a breathtaking panorama...

These views in Negros are comparable to passing by the fields in Nueva Ecija and/or Cagayan Valley.

Well, when a barrio is far from the capital, some services like maintenance repairs come infrequently!

I would be worried standing under that roof while waiting for a ride. It seems about ready to crumble!

About an hour after, my bus reached Escalante, to let off some and take in more passengers...

I havn't even gotten a picture of this terminal when I arrived at this place two days ago. So there it is.

Moving on, passing by the rotunda, we headed left.., the RORO ports are 8 kilometers to the right...

I have added that place to my bucket list. I mean, try crossing from Escalante to Tabuelan. Hmm, that should be fun, I'm sure! Besides, the "Old Poblacion" is also just before the port. I want to see that too!

Eto: I was surprised to see a 'botika' in the rural fields! Is that practical? Wel, walang basagan ng trip!

They know better, I suppose! Let's call that as "bringing the services to those whe need them". Oh ha?!

Then I saw this new good looking 'coliseum' again...

I have an interesting update on this... last night, a dear old friend (yes pre, la-on ka na) called to inform me that the "ECC" (meaning Escalante City Coliseum) is a good and big venue just like Araneta Center or ULTRA - a multi-purpose venue for concerts, rallies, tournaments, etc. So I said "thanks for the info"!

After that call, nag-text pa ng pahabol saying "just like the others, if you can hold a boxing tournament in there, pwede rin sabong, pare-pareho lang sugal ang mga yan"! Hahaha, True! Okay.., I rest my case!

That was one hell of an update. Salamat! Anyway...

Turning left here to Sagay City proper. Old Sagay, the port and a museum are 6 kilometers to the right.

That's another thing worth noting down for curiosity's sake. If Escalante has an "Old Escalante", Sagay also has an "Old Sagay" and similarly situated nearer to the shore. These places started on the beach!

Once the bus turned left, I smiled and silently said "thank you"! Ayan o, welcome daw eh o!

Hey, to the left, and many meters ahead, don't be surprised (I was) there seem to be a conglomeration of civil offices, including a public park, a veterans monument, a gymnasium, rural health unit, hospital, the police, fire, etc.., because this was where the old city hall was located. Some services remain here.

Outisde Sagay, traffic crept too slow and eventually stopped. I thought there was an accident. OMG...

Ah okay, a sudden, unannounced checkpoint, though we were not asked to disembark. I heard the bus conductor 'telling' passengers that the authorities were pursuing criminals on board getaway vehicles.

Car chase, hot pursuit... pang-action-movies!

Anyway, further onwards, I thought these were rail carriages waiting for their locomotive train engine!

Sus oi! I must have been "wishful-thinkingly-dreaming"! When I looked intently at them again, tan-awin tulukin mo! They are carriages aright. But the kind that are towed by hauling trucks to ferry sugarcane!

Maybe there are really no more up-and-running choo-choo-trains in this country. Sa damgo na lang ay!

Then we crossed the Himoga-an-an River via the Himoga-an Bridge at Brgy. Fabrica, Sagay...

Shortly thereafter, I saw this signage that says Hacienda Maya, Brgy. Cabahug, Cadiz City!

Ah okay, so the Himoga-an Bridge divides Cadiz and Sagay. Now I know. I was already in Cadiz. Yey!

Like it's neighboring localities, (or is it the whole province?), Cadiz is mainly a sugarcane producer.

I heard from a friend too, that the fishery business is also big here - they're a good source of dried fish.

I'm not sure if farming is also a big thing in Cadiz, but his scene was really alluringly endearing!

Di ba? It's not everyday that we get to see young carabaos being so cuddly clingy to their mothers!

Then we finally reached Cadiz City's bustling urban center via this bridge...

Oh well, this photo may not be too clear, but this is the dirtiest river I have seen during this trip, so far! It only told me one important thing.., prepare to disembark from this bus, for we have arrived at Cadiz!

Indeed we had! Just a few meters from that bridge the bus stopped.

But let's continue that in my next story!

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