Scooter (Habal-habal) Riding Samar's North-Eastern Towns
After the Galleon Port visit, it was time to finally say goodbye to Palapag, and hop to Mapanas. Is this far? Not really. Just a little above 20 kilometers. 20 minutes or so?
But I had planned stops here-and-there! This was actually one compelling reason why I hired a habal-habal (aw scooter pala) - as I can't do that with 'regular' vans or buses!
And on a habal-habal, it's slower so you get to see more!
Hmm, let's expound a bit about Traveling in The Provinces... bow!
Why not rent a car? (which I didn't mention in my Out Of Palapag story)
Mind you, I asked around if there was a real rent-a-car service here arounds. When I say "real", I mean a true business of renting out cars like that of Haven's in Tacloban.
Or Hertz, Avis, Europcar, Budget, etc., etc.! None. I think it is only Tacloban that has, in the likes of Haven's nga - they may not be the best (yet), but I tried & tested them!
Rent-A-Car. Not the car of a friend's friend (na pinapa-rentahan minsan); not a van of the PUV Express Service (na pwede pakyaw minsan). Nadala na ako sa mga ganyan!
Either ang mahal (kasi I'm always alone) or ang daming hidden charges. And, kesyo hindi pwede ganito, di pwede ganyan. Puro Dos and Donts, no real service, at mahal!
Those aren't real rent-a-car services. Besides, no one talks about 'insurance' sa mga ganyan - aw meron, bebentahan ka! Sadly, if you are a group.., sila lang ang choices!
The best choice.
I discovered that it's best to get the services of a travel/tour agency (howsoever they get a vehicle). Mostly I would ask them to add in a tourguide (kahit mag-isa lang ako).
Syempre mahal, but with proper and necessary service that we tourists pay for.
Unfortunately, there is nothing like that here, yet. Everything of that sort can only be had from Tacloban. Travel/Tour agencies elsewhere Region 8 are mostly outbound.
Outbound is yun mga travel to Holy Land, Disneyland, Passport processing, etc., etc! Inbound is yun mga travel within our country, whether you come from abroad or not.
So, if best is not available, go for better.
The better choice. (Compromise ba!)
Try to plan/schedule your travels availing of what modes of transport are already, or only, available in the locale. Don't re-invent their mobility methods - 'go with the flow'.
But IF it's not possible to commute via vans, buses or jeeps, habal-habal is the way!
Oh, in the case of Northern Samar... Scooter is the way [is-koo-ter]!
And I enjoyed this, so far hehehe! This is that first picture in my previous story.
That was my hired scooter with a roof! See my backpack happily resting at the back!
And after that Galleon Port visit, I enjoyed the views from this Pacific Coastal Road.
Is that already a "view"? Especially this image below?! Wait lang - learning curve!
That is a collage of 2 pictures, one in portrait and another in landscape mode. I took them by accident. Am not even sure if I clicked, or the phone's cam did it on its own!
Did I say "cheese"? NO I did not! Maybe I said a word that sounded like that? Maybe. Well, I opted to keep and show those images here, to remind you and me that.., as a passenger of a speeding motorcycle (scooter), it's not easy taking pictures after all!
Especially that... I hold a phone with my right hand.., I use my left hand to hold unto the scooter (buti nga me hawakan eh - yung bubong), but the views are mostly at left!
I literally said "tangina ang hirap pala"!
Let the views begin anyway!
I said 'most views were at left', since we were driving downwards, southwards from Palapag. Ocean views are at left. But there were also notable views at right, like this:
That's their landslide protection system. Not sure if it's only in this area or the whole of Northern Samar - definitely not all-island as we've already seen nets and gabions.
Protection against rockfalls or landslides is probably a case-to-case basis. But from a non-technical, non-engineer, passer-by point of view.., sa tingin ko.., that's sturdier!
Whatever! Let's hope everything they do is protection-enough to us the riding public.
And at least, in Northern Samar, it's not the road pavement itself that's the problem.
Hindi naman ako nagpaparining ke Western Samar. Napa-sabrit la!
Hey, I felt it's scarier passing by those rocks on an open vehicle such as a scooter.
And kudos to them, for working on those 'dangers' while the rains aren't yet around.
You can compare sizes: the rocks at right, the van in font of us, and the man at left.
And you can see, whether natural or 'induced', fallen rocks occupy half of the road.
Tapos dadaan ka? Eh, kung lumindol! You will really pray "Lord, not now, please"!
Well, at least (again hindi nga ako nagpaparining ke Western Samar heheh), all your fear here, is just in the mind. Wild imagination ba! Unlike at the other side of Samar.
Now where is that other side of Samar? Sa Western side ba? Oh yes! Doon your fear is real - the 'luxurious road' shakes you like hell - although hindi mo talaga sure kung magbubuhol-buhol ba ang innards mo o maghihiwa-hiwalay na ang sinasakyan mo!
Or both hahaha!
Not to mention that the constant abrupt swerving could cause an accident and kill you. I guess higher ang probability nyan, kesa mabagsakan ka ng mga bato na yan!
Oy, driver and I glanced at these rocks that are now on the other side of the road.
We agreed, that if anything "that small" hits you while passing-by, goodbye earth ka!
Yet we also had the same opinion, that there's a bigger chance a driver might hit his car into another, or even anything to ruin it, due to those luxurious roads of the west!
Anyway...
The next view...
But of course, we also glanced at that rock out there, by the shoreline. Eto yun o!
Driver said in a guiding tone "we're gong there". No reply, but in my head I said GOra!
I was thinking 'if it looks interesting from afar, it must also look good up close'. And if a driver said 'we're going there', he must have known or experienced that people go there.
Oh, we were only 14 minutes from the Galleon Port, and I could already see my next stop. I didn't ask what it is, so I couldn't tell whether it was on my 'to see' list or not!
But let's talk about that rock in my next story.
Coming soon. Promise!
But I had planned stops here-and-there! This was actually one compelling reason why I hired a habal-habal (aw scooter pala) - as I can't do that with 'regular' vans or buses!
And on a habal-habal, it's slower so you get to see more!
Hmm, let's expound a bit about Traveling in The Provinces... bow!
Why not rent a car? (which I didn't mention in my Out Of Palapag story)
Mind you, I asked around if there was a real rent-a-car service here arounds. When I say "real", I mean a true business of renting out cars like that of Haven's in Tacloban.
Or Hertz, Avis, Europcar, Budget, etc., etc.! None. I think it is only Tacloban that has, in the likes of Haven's nga - they may not be the best (yet), but I tried & tested them!
Rent-A-Car. Not the car of a friend's friend (na pinapa-rentahan minsan); not a van of the PUV Express Service (na pwede pakyaw minsan). Nadala na ako sa mga ganyan!
Either ang mahal (kasi I'm always alone) or ang daming hidden charges. And, kesyo hindi pwede ganito, di pwede ganyan. Puro Dos and Donts, no real service, at mahal!
Those aren't real rent-a-car services. Besides, no one talks about 'insurance' sa mga ganyan - aw meron, bebentahan ka! Sadly, if you are a group.., sila lang ang choices!
The best choice.
I discovered that it's best to get the services of a travel/tour agency (howsoever they get a vehicle). Mostly I would ask them to add in a tourguide (kahit mag-isa lang ako).
Syempre mahal, but with proper and necessary service that we tourists pay for.
Unfortunately, there is nothing like that here, yet. Everything of that sort can only be had from Tacloban. Travel/Tour agencies elsewhere Region 8 are mostly outbound.
Outbound is yun mga travel to Holy Land, Disneyland, Passport processing, etc., etc! Inbound is yun mga travel within our country, whether you come from abroad or not.
So, if best is not available, go for better.
The better choice. (Compromise ba!)
Try to plan/schedule your travels availing of what modes of transport are already, or only, available in the locale. Don't re-invent their mobility methods - 'go with the flow'.
But IF it's not possible to commute via vans, buses or jeeps, habal-habal is the way!
Oh, in the case of Northern Samar... Scooter is the way [is-koo-ter]!
And I enjoyed this, so far hehehe! This is that first picture in my previous story.
And after that Galleon Port visit, I enjoyed the views from this Pacific Coastal Road.
Is that already a "view"? Especially this image below?! Wait lang - learning curve!
Did I say "cheese"? NO I did not! Maybe I said a word that sounded like that? Maybe. Well, I opted to keep and show those images here, to remind you and me that.., as a passenger of a speeding motorcycle (scooter), it's not easy taking pictures after all!
Especially that... I hold a phone with my right hand.., I use my left hand to hold unto the scooter (buti nga me hawakan eh - yung bubong), but the views are mostly at left!
I literally said "tangina ang hirap pala"!
Let the views begin anyway!
I said 'most views were at left', since we were driving downwards, southwards from Palapag. Ocean views are at left. But there were also notable views at right, like this:
Protection against rockfalls or landslides is probably a case-to-case basis. But from a non-technical, non-engineer, passer-by point of view.., sa tingin ko.., that's sturdier!
Whatever! Let's hope everything they do is protection-enough to us the riding public.
Hindi naman ako nagpaparining ke Western Samar. Napa-sabrit la!
Hey, I felt it's scarier passing by those rocks on an open vehicle such as a scooter.
You can compare sizes: the rocks at right, the van in font of us, and the man at left.
Tapos dadaan ka? Eh, kung lumindol! You will really pray "Lord, not now, please"!
Well, at least (again hindi nga ako nagpaparining ke Western Samar heheh), all your fear here, is just in the mind. Wild imagination ba! Unlike at the other side of Samar.
Now where is that other side of Samar? Sa Western side ba? Oh yes! Doon your fear is real - the 'luxurious road' shakes you like hell - although hindi mo talaga sure kung magbubuhol-buhol ba ang innards mo o maghihiwa-hiwalay na ang sinasakyan mo!
Or both hahaha!
Not to mention that the constant abrupt swerving could cause an accident and kill you. I guess higher ang probability nyan, kesa mabagsakan ka ng mga bato na yan!
Oy, driver and I glanced at these rocks that are now on the other side of the road.
Yet we also had the same opinion, that there's a bigger chance a driver might hit his car into another, or even anything to ruin it, due to those luxurious roads of the west!
Anyway...
The next view...
But of course, we also glanced at that rock out there, by the shoreline. Eto yun o!
I was thinking 'if it looks interesting from afar, it must also look good up close'. And if a driver said 'we're going there', he must have known or experienced that people go there.
Oh, we were only 14 minutes from the Galleon Port, and I could already see my next stop. I didn't ask what it is, so I couldn't tell whether it was on my 'to see' list or not!
But let's talk about that rock in my next story.
Coming soon. Promise!
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