Philippine Travel Notes

So! End of my Surigao Del Sur sojourn, and I was at the airport on time and in time for my flight to Cebu! Before entering the small airport though, I stood at this corner for my 'ceremonial' last stick! I'll agree if you say it looks like one or many domestic airports in the country. That's their usual style. Same position, I just had to turn a little.., and I had my final glimpse at the Tandag City Hall! I'm not sure if there is any existing or foreseeable significance (or advantage?), but I was amazaed to find here, that the city hall is right across the air terminal! Is this a first in the Philippines? Well, maybe. I was not done gazing at the city hall when I heard the sound of a plane passing above me.., No doubt the Cebu Pacific plane from Cebu. And I saw porters / drivers hastening to their positions. I went inside na, as this is a small plane where after disembarkation, boarding immediately follows! That door farther to the end, that has 'some'...

This is a hotel/resort - one of the, if not THE best and biggest in Tandag. As said in my previous posts, I was to meet up at this place with lovely bungisngis people who I have not seen in a while, for a quick semi-official (conceptualization, planning) and non-official (kumustahan, alaskahan) kind of meeting! Anyway, I took a trike from the capitol area (where I got off the V-Hire from Bislig ) to this resort/hotel. Uhuh, di man lang ako sinundo ng mga pangit na ka-meeting ko, when all three of them each came in their own vehicles. This place is not at city center (it's nearer to the airport), but easy to find as it is by the national highway, not to mention that it's a prominent event venue (therefore known to all who live in Tandag), plus, I have already seen it while on board a tricycle from the airport to Balilahan terminal . I arrived with the tricycle entering this gate that looked like an exit, instead of over at that other end! And he wanted to let me off right at...

I was still at Casa De Babano in Bislig.., my second night. After wash up, I had a bit of some needed lull (sige na nga... pahinga!) as that whole day of roaming a 25km radius on a habal-habal was rather physically taxing (umaamin ang tanders, take note). But as if in a flash, dinner time came. Gosh! So, I opted to walk around the area perchance to bump into dinner! Not far from Casa De Babano (probably just a hundred meters away) I saw "My Dung" (a restaurant)! Almost laughing, I said "what a thought-provoking name for a restaurant or eatery"! But yeah, I already also suspected "this might be a Vietnamese-food restaurant" because I have encountered that phrase somewhere there sometime ago. I think it's even a person's name. So, I went in to satisfy my curiosity! Voila and OMG! Not a single dish is Vietnamese. I'm serious, none as in wala! I was expecting at least a Pho or a Banh Mi or Puerto Princesa's Chaolong.., NONE! Read this, a ...

Sian Falls, Brgy. Kahayag, Bislig City, Surigao Del Sur We were nearing Bislig City proper. I thought that was it for a day tour. I was already happy! But hmm and alas, we veered left from the national highway! I surmised (and secretly smiled), this meant I was going to see another "somewhere in Bislig"! Before I could ask, driver said we were going to Sian Falls. Go ra! Ah, if you are in any 3 or 4-wheeled vehicle, there will be some amount of walking (but not far).., See the cute wooden bridge up ahead? Only habal-habal or skylab can pass thru it. Van or Car, sori po! But don't worry, it is not that far. It's just that a "single" motorbike can carry you forward for a bit more! Even so, on whatever kind of vehicle you came in with, there will still be a need for that leisurely walk! Leisurely walk yes, and much like going to Hinayagan, you also walk a bit on the side of a little stream! See my habal-habal driver approaching the one and only struct...

Done and out of Hinayagan Cave , we continued on our way "back home" to Mangagoy, and there was no telling what I was to see next! Remember, my driver just offered to run me thru other 'worth-seeing' sights along the way (at no extra cost) - and yes I agreed to this, for lack of anything else to see or do! Don't you worry, I knew I was not being had, I knew I was in good hands, he was sincerely just trying to show me more of what else is there in his province! Proof were the last 2 places we visited - Hinatuan Town Center and Hinayagan Cave - which were enticing! Yep, there still are angels on earth. He is one! Less than 10 minutes and we reached this seemingly alluring resort in the middle of nowhere.., That view is from just outside the resort's gate. Very inviting. But it was my driver who first wondered why there seemed to be no people around on a hot and humid Holy Week break. He was so surprised. So we looked for a 'human being' (aside fr...