Philippine Travel Notes

On a rainy Wednesday afternoon commute, from Tacloban to Catbalogan, we were about 5 minutes into the trip when this thing on the dashboard caught my attention: I smiled at the grammar. Oh yes, drivers are fun 'when they English themselves' haha! But, my atrevida brain needed to ask the driver what it meant, in case I haven't heard of the latest marites and/or driver jokes circulating everywhere on social media. Da! So I asked, and OMG, as in oh my gino-o ko! It caused the dear driver into a serious story-telling for most of the two hour trip, as if his life was threatened to end. In a cracking voice, he even asked if I was a lawyer. The story goes something like this... Few days ago, a woman passenger ("Misis" as the driver refers to her) took this ride on Seat Number 2 (my seat). Without confrontation and without his knowledge, this woman allegedly made a complaint to his bosses at VS Grandtours. And the issue?! That this driver, allegedly kept ...

And I didn't know until I woke up! Here here I took these pictures... The story: I had some things to attend-to in Catbalogan, and I had to sleep there overnight - as usual, at Hotel San Francisco - proceeding to Calbayog the following day for other more 'things to attend-to'. Early in the morning, upon waking up, I went down to the entrance area where there is their smoking corner. Of course I noticed one of the parked vehicles had a "weird looking" glass-canopy at the back. The 'atrevida' me went near to 'investigate' heheh. Hmm, there were writings on the doors and it said "Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag" (Manaoag Pangasinan). And I told my self "ang layo naman, what are they doing here, and what is that cage for"? Just in time, a burly man (the driver?) approached me. He immediately said "wala pa po dyan sir, nasa taas pa". I asked "ang alin". He didn't (couldn't) answer me because ...

I already said this before, I don't like arriving in Manila during afternoons. And you of course know why that is so, very heavy afternoon-to-evening rush-hour traffic, AS IN, right? But there are just times when and where we don't have a choice. Today was one of those dreaded days for me - ETA MNL at 1515H. Somewhere in me was actually saying "that may still be fine", so cheer up! Add to that, I was riding on my most disliked airline for domestic flights, the red plane. Though usually the cheapest, in my experience, they're usually the dirtiest among the three. But what else can I do, eh I only learned last night, that I am needed in Manila tomorrow morning. So theirs, was the best flight I could grab! Available flights on the other two were either already too expensive or very early like 6AM! Yet somewhere in me also said "this is fine, e sumasakay ka naman dyan pag international flights eh"! True, and in fairness, planes of Philippines' Air...

Let's continue from my previous post . The views were interestingly clear compared to night shots that I've seen online. I also said this would've been better if I waited a bit more for sunset, but I could not... Anyway, below are two shots with things I want to tell you about Catbalogan (for now).., 1] Front and a little bit to the left, as viewed from the deck of Inang's Sky Garden Restaurant.., Those big, blue and/or red-roofed buildings at left are some edifices inside the Samar State University Main Campus (SSU Main). That is one of the best universities in Region VIII (Eastern Visayas Region). Trivia: as of now, SSU is the only state university in Region VIII that has a building with a lift (elevator)! That is in all of Eastern Visayas - Leyte, Samar and Biliran islands! But, do not shout to the whole wide world about it heheh! Hush lang kayo.., that (NEW) elevator is so tiny, apat na tao lang yata ang kasya! Well, if I may contradict my self.., we can ac...

We were on the way out of Catbalogan going Tacloban, not in a hurry.., on this "a bit of a gloomy day". To satisfy my curiosity, as we climbed the Maharlika Highway, going up and out of the city, I asked my 'pilot' to turn left to the diversion road, for us to peek at how Catbalogan looks from this hilly vantage. And we stumbled upon this restaurant with a view aptly named "Inang's Sky Garden".., While this was my first time to be in this 'restaurant with a view', I have seen this on some FB posts of friends, and even family - but all wonderfully at night. So, chance to check the views at mid-afternoon! How were the views? Well, interestingly clear - compared to the many (night views) that I have already seen online! Would've been a little bit more wonderfully dramatic if I waited for sunset. But I could not. Oh the waitress (owner?) was waiting for us to tell her our orders! I was not that hungry for food, I was just hungry for the ...

We ended with this pic in our previous story , right? The Floating Swimming Pool of Brgy. Cagutsan. Like us when we arrived, you may now be asking where's the "swimming pool" and how does it "float"? Well, I was not at all joking when I said THAT is the "floating swimming pool", marked by the two rows of bamboo rafts that act as the two ends of the 'pool'. The distance between them is the pool's length. Can you see it now? I mean, can you imagine it now? I know I know.., like I first did, you may now also be thinking "what kind of idiotic gimmick is this"? But when I learned of the real story behind this "floating swimming pool", I felt lumps in my throat, and as if someone or something was wringing my chest ever so tightly, it sent chills to my arms and spine... Let me first show you "the swimming pool", as I stood at one of its ends (one of the bamboo rafts).., As barangay officials (and some kids...

To continue from my previous post , I was on the way to Sierra Islands - just to island-hop, plus to see and swim in what they call a "floating swimming pool"! Do you know what it is? We'll see, just read on! The ride from Catbalogan Port was already full of wonderful sights. You know where 'Sierra' is? Here: Those in the red circle are the "Sierra Island Group" or " Sierra Islands ". But locals just say "Sierra"! It is comprised of a number of barangays belonging to Catbalogan City. Blue arrow was our boat's route to Brgy. Cagutsan which takes almost two hours (110 minutes)! Panoramic calm waters -in the morning! Going to any of the islands for business or leisure would usually require chartering a boat (pakyaw). Why is that? Ah, commuter boats cater to islanders' schedules, as there is no regular touristic activity on the islands yet, i.e., boats leave the islands in the morning and return to the islands early afternoon...