Philippine Travel Notes

Alright folks, this should be the last story of my Cagayan Valley Travel. Since some of you are requesting for a step-by-step "how to" on flying from the Cauayan City Airport, telling you how I departed this morning will pretty much sum it up! This was the first time I flew out of CYZ (Cauayan City Airport) in the new millennium. Yey! This airport only "fairly recently" re-opened to commercial air traffic. Something like 6 or 7 years ago hehe. But I have been here a few times before, when PAL still regularly flew to this city, until it stopped during the 1998~1999 economic crisis. Anyway, I was excited to have departed from this airport today. As I said above, first time I did so in the modern era! Just flew out, I did not fly in, since I landed in Tuguegarao from Manila a few days ago, remember?! I took a tricycle from The Hotel Andrea on Cancillar Avenue to CYZ. This airport is very near city center - probably just about 3 or so kilometers. Somehow, there w...

This IS the best ever conspicuously positioned fare matrix I have seen in this country. Needless to say, all other towns and cities in the Philippines should follow this practice. Not clear as I took this photo while the tricycle was speeding from The Hotel Andrea to the Airport. But trust me, I could read everything in that printout, and my fare is listed! Yan ang kwentas-claras! Unlike in many places (everywhere actually), when you ask how much is the fare, the a*****e of a trike driver would answer "ikaw bahala sir" - which is sa toto-o lang ka-sakiman na itinatago sa kunwari pagiging mabait at mapagbigay! Fake people! With that fare matrix clear and bold, wala nang tanong-tanong! Larga! Where is this positioned? In front of the passenger. The front wall of the tricycles passenger cab where you usually see a painted "feet off" signage. Whoever that mayor is.., Sana maging Congressman or Senator sya and nationalize this rule! =======================...

That is the door to my room viewed upon reaching the second floor via the very high stairs. Well what do you know, it is Room 201 too. Same room number at Joselina ! Looks fairly regular for a new (or newly refurbished?) hotel... Raise that curtain in the morning and you have a wonderfully bright room. Do that in the afternoon, your dead! That window faces the very hot afternoon sun! Air-conditioner is at floor-level. Oh, that gray colored wall on the right is the door to the bathroom. That bed is comfy enough... there's a side-table to your left... and a mini-desk with phone to your right. That "aparador" served me well. And the ceiling is high enough... You can have your free coffee... As you read the desk-full of reminders, rules and costs. Well, there's tourist info too (about the church), but be careful as you sit reading those... that chair is wobbly hehehe! At least they have this... In a bathroom as tiny as that of Hotel Joselina . Even smaller I thi...

A fine dining place with all the modern trimmings that can compare to many places in the metropolis - yeah, BGC if you like! And a walk away from my The Hotel Andrea! This was my dinner meeting venue, but as usual, I was on time... My hosts arrived something like almost an hour late. But I was not at all concerned. I enjoyed looking around this place :) What can I say, this place is an interesting study... Probably an attempt by some "yayamanin" socialite or family to splurge and throw in everything they know or want for a "nice place", and they were caught, reprimanded and asked to cease and desist by a real interior decorator or pro architect and the likes hehehe. Look, halo-halo ang furnitures and furnishings... From the elegant to the "pang-canteen"... from the darks and woods, to the glaring white and even pastels hahaha! Kabit dito, dikit doon, even if the outside is something like an attempt to be "japanesy", ayayay! But the food is...

Amazing how Filipinos can play around with what they have and what they like! Let's scrutinize this thing... its a tricycle yes, and brand new at that. You can even 'smell' its "newness" just by looking at it, right?! Look, the owner/driver is even calling out for passengers to ride in his vehicle. So its a legit mode of commuter transport! And fresh from the oven hahaha! What drew me to it was that entire backrest of the passenger cab. Yes, the black thing. It is in itself, by itself, an entire "baffle" or "loud speaker" or "music box" howsoever you might want to call it! It was playing loud music when I happened to pass by, that my entire rib-cage was vibrating! Mr. Driver had to lower the volume when I talked to him! If you look closely, there are even stuffed toys on the box. And I think that other black thing behind the cute furry toys is even an amplifier or mixer whatever. And that's you entire sandalan if you were a ...

I was standing outside The Hotel Andrea, taking advantage that it was not drizzling anymore. Not far, at a corner, I could see what looked to be like the city's parish church. I confirmed with front desk staff, yes it indeed is, so I walked for a peek. Not that I know or previously knew anything about this church. But I just imagined, Cauayan being an old town, its church must be interestingly as old too! And indeed I learned so. The predecessor of this church was originally built in the 1820s A 1949 earthquake crumbled the old bell tower... only the base remains... The church floor is elevated from the road via this rampway and landing.., Then it slowly descends down to the altar... Nice stained glass murals behind the altar... That painting... is that Mama Mary being crowned? Was she crowned in real life? when where as what by whom? Sorry I haven't come across that topic yet. That easily, near my hotel, I saw something and learned something wonderful! ==============...

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...

This topic started with this article Hmm, is Santiago also a saint? We rarely think about it, right? Its because the “san” part is connected to the “tiago” part of the name. But my little research seem to point in the direction of still the saints hehe. So remember that just for your additional information! And San Tiago is actually Saint James! Whoa! Anyway, there are 3 localities named exactly Santiago! First is the town of Santiago in Ilocos Sur province (Region 1). This is on the western seaboard of Luzon just above, thus becoming a suburb of Candon City. While this little town maybe most remembered as the home of the province’s electric cooperative for which many of its residents are employed with, there are big tobacco plantations too. And just mention “Sabangan”, everyone will point you to a lovely beach you might even start thinking if Pagudpud is really better! And don’t hesitate to speak English here. Its hard to find a residence that does not have relatives in Hawaii or...

This topic started with this article Santa Maria Santissima! Hehehe there are 7 towns. Moreover, there is also a town named just “Maria” and even another town named just “Santa” – which we better add at the end part of this article. Our first Santa Maria is a town in Ilocos Sur. This is just a town apart (that’s Narvacan in between them) south of that other locality named just “Santa”. So take note of that. If you are coming from Manila, you should first reach Santa Maria, then Narvacan, then Santa. Gosh! Oh while there are beaches and waterfalls in Santa Maria Ilocos Sur, this town is best remembered for its church that has been listed in the United Nation’s World Heritage List. Don’t ya ever miss the views out to the south china sea (West Philippine Sea) from that church named Asunta Parish! Second in our list is the town of Santa Maria, far down in another “sur” (Davao Del Sur province, Region 11) just some four or five towns south of Digos City. Ah the beaches in this town beckon. ...

This topic started with this article St. Thomas of whatever… and there are 6 towns named exactly Sto. Tomas! Gosh! One is in the province of La Union (Region 1 - Ilocos). This is the northernmost Sto. Tomas and is well known for having pioneered in controlled / scientific production of the bounty from the sea. Thus you see a lot of dried fish on sale along the highway. There’s an interesting story about their patron saint – no, its not Sto. Tomas. And I like the municipal hall perched up on a hill. Another Sto. Tomas is in La Union’s neighboring province of Pangasinan (still in Region 1). This little town is down by the big river across Villasis and is at the province’s border with San Manuel, Tarlac. Ah yep, this is the town that purportedly just bagged a Guinness record for the longest barbecue – they grilled mainly corn. Further westwards is another town named Sto. Tomas in the province of Isabela (Region 2). This is the northernmost town named Sto. Tomas and it sits by the northwes...

This topic started with this article San Pablo. There are 2 towns and 1 city i this country that are named San Pablo. First town is up in the province of Isabela (Region 2, Cagayan Valley). This town faces the pacific ocean at the boundary with Cagayan province. Oh yes, this is that little town with a big big church made famous by Dan Rivers when he chanced upon it after losing track of a storm. When I was standing in the middle of the grounds (what used to be the inside of the church, I could sense that it must have the biggest and longest in this country. San Pablo City? This is an old historic city that you can easily check on the net. I do not however call this city landlocked… its "mountain locked" hehe! Hey, I have seen them many times (during flight arrivals to Manila) but I have never been to all the seven lakes of that city (yet)! Jumping far south to Zamboanga Del Sur is another town San Pablo just about 30 kilometers or so southwest of the capital Dipolog. This San...