Philippine Travel Notes

Call it experimental, or for lack of anything to do, I hassled myself today just to grab a seat for the Tuguegarao to Cauayan trip. Not that it was necessary, but I wanted to know. It started about 6AM today when I wasn't getting thru on my calls to Victory Liner and other bus companies. No one would answer their phones. At another time I would call, the same lines would already be busy. Gosh! I decided to go out and see for myself... Out of the hotel (di pa naligo), instead of my morning walks, I hailed a trike and told the driver to bring me to Victory Liner terminal. Its only about 2-something kms., I did not know it was a walk away. Anyway, I got there. OMG so many people. Some folks queuing up were ready to go, but mostly were like me, trying to grab a ticket for a trip later in the day. No can do! Everything for the day until midnight were fully booked they said. Oh eh, bakit mahaba pa rin ang pila? Makukulit na people like me hehe, nagbabakasakali! Actually I got admo...

So this was previously called Pensione Joselina and they became a hotel. Joselina was one of my choices based on my online 'research'. But for some reason, flying in from Manila and before going onwards to Sta. Ana, Hotel Roma prevailed in my mind. This time however, having just arrived from Sta. Ana, before moving onwards to Cauayan tomorrow, I opted to experience Hotel Joselina, instead of going back to Hotel Roma. Not a bad choice. Not a bad choice at all! Than to re-do Hotel Roma, that I already liked. This time, I got to experience another accommodation facility in Tuguegarao City :) As my rented van entered Tuguegarao City from Iguig, driver asked which branch of Hotel Joselina did I want to be delivered to. Argh, that made me do some quick thinking! I have seen the outside of the new branch in Caggay while traveling from the airport to Hotel Roma. I read the reviews (not all of them were good) on the original branch. But it is at center of town just a block away f...

Oh what a final night haha!. After shower at Hotel Joselina, I excitedly went down to look for dinner. But it started to rain heavily. I even inched my way out to where Red Ribbon is, with a good view of Jollibee, McDo, Greenwich, Chow King etc. Not nice. That kind of rain would make you drench wet. I retreated back to the hotel. Not a very long while after, a hotel staff told me it was not raining anymore. So out I went again! Not raining but wet pavement so careful when walking. Still I walked.., But for whatever reason I found myself back and inside this Oppa Korean Restobar. This one looked nice and smelled nice. But I was wondering ba't walang tao... I ordered food anyway. My final dinner in the province of Cagayan, whatever that will be! Hm, Korean-style nga(I think), but not the Korean way... Mapag-kunwari ang restorang ito! PinoyChinese ingredients ang gamit at pinagpipilitan maging Korean hahaha! Kaya walang tao eh! Unsatisfied... I walked around looking for a pl...

On arrival at Tuguegarao city center, from my aborted Callao caves visit , I saw this 'promising' coffee shop again called the Frap Bar. I already had my eyes on this earlier when we departed for Callao. So I told the driver to just drop me here. So I checked it out! Hmm, nice cozy place.. Though I like the outside area better - for obvious reasons - smoking haha. I saw that they have 'hazelnut' flavor - which is seldom even in metro manila! So I went for it, and sat at the outside table - people watching! Oh, along with the frap, I ordered something to eat, a Remilly's Yema Cake... I did not know it is that big and of course sweet, Yema yan eh! Not a good partner for the hazelnut frap, but a delicious comfort food in itself. This Yema Cake should be very good as "panghimagas" after lunch. Yumminess! Now now... because that cake was big, and I got a 16oz Hazelnut Frap, I had a hard time finishing them all. Pag ang probinsyano nahayok sa pagkain... ...

Bummer! But I enjoyed it hehe! Done with the sumptuous lunch at Crown Hotel & Restaurant, I went out and hailed a tricycle though still unsure on where (else) to go. When a trike stopped, I asked where would be good places to visit in Tuguegarao at this time. His initial reply was Iguig, I said I just came from there. Then he said Callao Caves, and I said I have been there long ago. Next he said something like a river. I asked "ano meron dun", and he said "swimming parang beach". Almost laughing, I actually got curious. I was still thinking on what next to ask when this driver added that, if we go further from that river "beach", Callao caves is just actually nearby. And he offered that there is now a different approach to the cave, from the river, that we can go to. Hmm, that caught my attention, so I said let's go! 45mins into the ride, just when I thought we were already near the cave's entrance, trike veered right on a 'fork inte...