Philippine Travel Notes

After all the news, the craze and the fanfare about their return to Balangiga, after a little more than a century, by the Americans, I went to see these 3 bells, uncrowded! Now what? Hahaha, I don't know! They are bells, like many other old, historic or historical bells you see everywhere on earth. You and I knew, that upon return, they were not to be kept (again) in a box and forgotten for another century. They were/are to be used again or displayed forever . So, why was everyone (except for Balangiganons) so crazy about being there during the actual return/arrival of the bells? Because Duterte was there? Wheh! Para saan? I'm saying what I said above because... days ago, many friends, family, subscribers, colleagues kept asking where I was, why I was not there to see the bells, and so on. One said "lumipad pa kami galing Cavite, nakita naman namin, but we were not able to take photos w/ the bells, andaming tao, you could have guided us kung andito ka "....

Arriving at Seda Atria, I saw this thing and thought it was an obelisk or church ruins (such as a bell tower), that was "enshrined" to become a monument. I was curious. Soon as I tossed my bags at my room overlooking it, I went down to see it up close. Not an easy place to get to. Maybe monuments like these are just meant to be seen from afar! It's a rotund, so no stop-lights nor zebra-walks. Thus, all vehicles run fast. Well and aherm, where there's a will, there's a way . I still managed to get to it. Ako pa! This is the Donato Militante Pison, Sr. Monument located on an avenue bearing the same name, at an intersection with Pasencia Tijam Pison Avenue ! O ano, laban ka? While skirting around, looking at various details, I added two and two together, and I realized, I was at this thing many people online refer to as The Chimney Monument ! Haruy, ito na pala yun! Not an obelisk, not a bell tower, but the pausukan of a pugon ! Both the circular bas...

My bus ride from San Jose De Buenavista in Antiqué, to Iloilo City. Yeah! Finding My Ride This was as I have intended ( to ride a bus, not a van ) for 2 reasons: 1] bus seats are more spacious than the vans (more leg space), 2] best views of the world outside. And I knew even from long ago, there are Ceres buses (both "Aircon" and "Ordinary") going to Iloilo or elsewhere. So, I took a tricycle from downtown to the bus terminal. Not here, these are the vans for Iloilo! Not here too, these are going to Anini-y! The yellow buses here! Note: the red sign at that back building says San Jose De Buenavista Bus Terminal . Behind the buses is a street. Driver brought me there, saying it's nearer . True! Here! That man in shorts told me the 2nd bus, behind the 2nd tree, was the next for Iloilo. That's the one in front of him in that photo above. This: So I went for it. Yeah! Look! There is that prominently displayed trashcan right upon getting on ...