Philippine Travel Notes

Do I hear someone singing? Bakit ka kumakanta? The song is "Ang Kawawang Cowboy", ito Baboy! Ah the things we see on the road, they are not only educational, they are also somehow entertaining! Windows were all closed, airconditioning was on and driver was playing some music (because there is no radio reception in this area of the highway in W. Samar). Yet, we could hear a pig's cries of distress! I asked the driver where that was coming from, since there were no houses along the way - at alangan tumatakbo kasabay namin ang bahay na me baboy na imiiyak 'no! Driver pointed his 'nguso' up front! When I looked, I saw that habal-habal with a pig tied "upside down" (I mean not upright, according to a pig's point of view - yes me ganun hehehe), on the right-side passenger footrest of that motorcycle. Can you see it? So, it kept wailing in distress. Kahit ikaw naman, di ba? Subukan mong itali ka ng ganyan patiwarik sa isang humaharurot na ...

Just their mere passing-by is enough to get heads turning in their direction. Whatever it is they do, or wherever they go, and whoever they are, when they zoom-by, they're truly an attraction on our roads! All the more if you see them parked somewhere and you get to have a closer look at their equipment! Drool is the right word. As in maglalaway ka sa inggit, probably thinking "sana all"! All big bikes. Those are Honda, BMW, etc., and that one departing at the back, is a Ducati. My goodness magkano isa nyan! To me they're an attraction as themselves cruising on our streets and highways. They catch attention, they're entertaining to watch or take pictures and videos of, and they usually perk up your curiousity! Syempre, with a thumbs-up permission from one of them, as they devoured Rutchel's Tinolang Manok (in Calbiga), anopangaba, I had instant pictorials amid 3 of those big bikes, with my driver as kodaker! What fascinates me about these big bike ...

Kaonan means eatery. Carayman is a barangay in Calbayog City. Kaonan Sa Karayman is OMG superb. It's a homely (native touches) restaurant that specializes in mostly Filipino foods like you see above. It is cozy and tidy everywhere, but you will see that undeniable mark of a frequented place. Its tables are abundantly scratched and faded on the sides, obviously because of constant frequent use. Then I said to my self 'this place must be popular'. They are! On some days, they cause barangay traffic jams! This is more of a lunch and dinner place for families or groups. Well, I saw twosomes in the past. What started as an eatery of 4 or 5 square tables has now grown into a restaurant with all rectangular tables for 6 or 8 - many are almost permanently joined together for the 'usual' big groups or families. Everybody loves their chili crabs and so do I. Awrrrr! But everything in the menu is delectable. It is on the pricey side of course - if you only compare pr...

I remember I already posted a similar article about the sunset at this beach, ah I remember too, I said I want to keep returning to it, so eto na... "I have returned no. 1" (because there might be many)! Yeay! By the way, I just realized, it's not "malahog" as I wrote in 2012 . It's "malajog" pronounced in the same way as "malahog". Now therefore, Mr. President, I stand erected hahaha! In fact, if you observe locals, the tricky difference isn't even in how the name is written, but on how it is pronounced by us visitors. It's a hard "O" in the last syllable. Not the "O" as in jog hog bog or nog. It is more like your "O" in hood or good or google, though a bit shorter. That is why some folks could/can/might write it as "malajug"! Anyway, I came just for the sunset and nothing else. Let me tell you, the way there is still "holy"! Holy, meaning there are so many holes on the r...

Because I was in Calbayog, and (unfortunately for me!) a friend knew about it, she requested that I go check-out this resort for her. It wasn't clear to me (I didn't ask much) if this resort was just opened or about to open or some parts refurbished. I just went in, looked for the contact person given - at 7AM! And I said "okay done" then sent those pictures above to her! For my comments, I said "good enough", the rooms are "basic" nothing fancy nor elegant, and they're dull concrete boxes viewed from outside. Oh this was also requested, so I added: the swimming pool is wide and looks great! I said I have to go! Unbeknownst to the requestor, I did not actually leave immediately! I stayed a while for a one-on-one interview and photo shoot with the only living thing I saw at the pool area! Remember, 7AM pa lang e! Can you see him? her? it? If you can't, focus on the first step of the stairs to the jacuzzi! Brown & Cute! ...

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...