Philippine Travel Notes

Hi! For the 4th time in 35 days I landed again in Singapore. Ano ito, na-adik na? No, naman.., not yet! It just happened na nagsunod-sunod ang need to either come here or pass-by here. I say "here" because I'm now writing at my hotel room before sleeping. I arrived this afternoon, still and of course, via Cebu! Uneventful, but I do believe there are travel related things worth sharing with you! Let's start with breakfast at one of the turo-turo style restaurants across the DZR Airport in Tacloban. That is 'seafood omelet' and 'adobong pusit' shared with my driver. The tinola was only for him since I had coke (7:34AM hehe). I did not want to already bloat with too much liquid in a small plane y'know! I was expecting to see wonderful views as the plane took off from Runway 36 (going towards Basey) Alas dimalas mano kulas! There were so many low-lying clouds, plus the aircraft banked to the right (I was seated 2D), so all I had in my view, othe...

As if this is anything worth shouting to the whole world about, ano? Bear with me the probinsyano. I knew this was being built, but it's not everyday (anymore) that I hear, much less see and pass by, the traffic wonders of the metropolis! There are none of these twists at where I usually am, these days! So okay alright, I arrived at NAIA Terminal 2 and hailed Grab Car. As the ride went on, driver asked me where I wanted to pass: "sa old domestic road o NAIA-X". I exclaimed "aba, bukas na yun? sige let us pass there"! I learned, drivers need to ask this question, as there's an extra toll that you'll have to pay! It climbs a rampway after the gas station (before the corner that turns right to the domestic road) at a place I remember to be 'six eleven' (Pildera). I recall this was a flood-prone area, so goodbye baha na! Then it goes to the height of the highest level of 'Park-N-Fly' building, then there's a fork in the road (up ther...

I do not play casino as I do not know any of those games - except slot machines - but yes, I stayed at Cebu's Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, by course of necessity in my work ('wag na natin pag-usapan yan)! True, it has been refurbished - the rooms I mean - and they look better than the previous state, though it's not as if they have made a major major sprucing up. In fact, all room fixtures including door knobs and locks, the switches, the bath tubs, the godforsaken ancient air-conditioning control (that you don't know if still really working) - are still the same! So what has changed, if at all? The wallpaper, I guess! And the carpet, yes! Pinalitan, bakit di nalang kasi tinanggal forever and replaced with even faux wood or simple tile slabs? Uso pa ba ang carpet? Ayan, nakialam nanaman] Pero uso pa nga ba ang carpet? I have stayed in this hotel a number of times in the past (when I was not yet a resident of the city), and I've been here in its grandest, ni hindi...

A calming experience, an early morning bliss. Nothing in my earshot, other than the waves composing a rhythmic tone on the fine black beach sand. At times they sound splashingly harsh, but other times, they gently lap on the shore, as if a kind of whispering wind chimes, creating a soothing earthly music. Such is the scene that I alwyas encounter and cherish in Baybay Beach, San Jose, Tacloban City. What do I come to this place for? Nothing much really, other than that sumptuous broth of tinola (fish) at Yolanda's . And no, I don't do that as if it were my daily routine or morning exercise. I just often pass this way before boarding, or upon arriving on early morning flights - since this is nearby to the airport! Give it a few minutes more, and the fishing boats come a roaring to shore with their catch (if lucky) or empty as usual. Then comes a familiar 'congregation' of buyers (resellers), to conduct 'fish' business! A few minutes more, about 8 or 9AM...

They have re-opened, and thankfully! Why? Because as I said in a previous article about the "old" Boss Choi, they were a grill joint with delectable things on the menu! So, I came to check this newly re-opened, more upscale-looking version of the old Boss Choi. This one is diagonally across the street from its old location that is now the Bed and Breakfast called Lorenzo's Way (one of my favorites in Tacloban)! Easy to find. This was the very parking area of Lorenzo's Way. In fact, I took this shot from across the street in front of the store just beside Lorenzo's Way! Nice interiors... simple rustic mood with modern gadgets like that big TV screen! It is some kind of an LED board, nice, but I asked the waiters "why does it have to be vertical?". No one knew, one said "oo nga sir, kumbaga sa phone naka-portrait hindi landscape" and we all laughed. Another one said it probably is experimental. But for me, not good for watching NBA! Okay,...

Do you know ADITLO ? Let me share with you what it means, as I will probably keep using it from now on. It is just my own abbreviation of the phrase " A D ay I n T he L ife O f". I needed to invent such a weird sounding abbreviation since blogger title lengths are either limited or don't look good when published. Thus, the full and long title of this blog entry is supposed to be:" A Day In The Life Of: The Fishermen of Barangay San Jose in Tacloban City, Leyte! Let's do this.., My flight just landed at the Tacloban Airport, and my driver automatically whisked me to Yolanda's for my usual fix of Tinola (fish) and Garlic-fried Shrimps! Long deserved - I've been away for a week hehe! While waiting for the food to be ready, I sat at one of the huts of the restaurant, watched the generally calm sea and the goings-on of 'morning shift' fishermen. Uhuh, there are fishermen who go fishing at night (so, 'night shift')! There are others too...