Philippine Travel Notes

So you thought am quite an observant frequent traveler, always able to spot anything that is new or something that went a missing? I thought so too hahaha! But come to think of it, I only noticed this today, exactly 12:22PM 31 May 2012. But the guards told me those boxes have been in place as early as “sometime March 2012”. Whoa! How Many flights have I ever flown out of Mactan since then? Honestly, it was only today that I noticed those two boxes! You guessed it! I broke off my check-in queue (I was early anyway) and went to have a closer look at these “ATM”-looking gadgets by the check-in lobby and hoping I could probably use them too! Alas dimalas, its not anymore in use. Awk! Two guards told me that these ‘things’ were only used for about a day and they caused both passengers and crew some trouble instead of convenience. I laughed at their declaration and asked further how these gadgets ever became an issue. According to them, (I mean the two guards), those machines do work until n

When you are traveling alone alone and not frantic, you get to notice many little things around. Such was my case at the waiting lounge as I awaited to be boarded on my Cebu Pacific flight (as usual hehe, sorry 2P and PR friends). I read that message at the bottom of the boarding pass and something caught my Taglish speaking pea of a brain. Something is not quite right. I think! hehe Am not really good at/in/with? grammar, and many times I let that be as I seldom re-read, much less proof-read whatever I write – lalo na pag galit ako hahaha. But this time, I had nothing better to do, so that second paragraph stuck in my head. There is something wrong. I think! Should that be “boarding gate WILL BE closed” or perhaps “SHALL be closed” or “MUST be closed” or “IS closed”? Ah eh… wala lang, I just felt like writing this one, if only to while away my time. O ayan, boarding na! Ciao folks! Tell me, anyone please, if that is really some grammatical booboo of tech guys or there is really a reas

How long does it take to edit a digital flight display system? I have been traveling for some months now, to the same destination, almost every week. AND, that thing has never been rectified. What gives? Does this mean the 5J folks do not really bother what are displayed on those monitors? Aw c’mon, that’d be hardly! I think I even once told a Cebu Pacific airport employee about this a fortnight ago! But don’t the whole populace of MCIA’s employees also notice that? Aren’t they supposed to wonder why a certain flight displayed on their system to be departing at 1615H is already boarding at 1350H? Nor wouldn’t they wonder why the same flight’s check-in counters are already open at 1220PM? Oh, btw, I took this picture at 1331H (that’s the time displayed at upper right corner of the TV screen) that’s a few minutes ago, as am on my way to Tacloban (again)! When little insignificant errors accumulate, they could become a ton of a problem. So MCIA and 5J folks, beware!

I hurriedly popped at a barber shop In Mandaue something like 3 hours ago, just as the barbers were getting ready to call it a day. But they of course obliged to do my not so long hair anyway – that after I begged and honestly explained to them I had no more time as I would be flying off to Tacloban tomorrow immediately connecting with a 2-hour land trip to Catbalogan, prepare materials and venue to get me going for another weekend of training sessions. Hah, it worked! Charm and honest to goodness honesty really does it! So there I was, almost snoozing off to the hypnotic whirrr whirrr of that thing they use to trim hair and the good old snip snip snip of the usual scissors barbers use. But the dozing off was cut short as I bowed a bit and my eyes caught the attention of what I thought was a big soduko puzzle. Yep, that thing in the picture. Believe me, I really did summon the little arithmetic knowledge inside the little brain of my big head hehe. But nothing seemed to be summing up c

I just thought they were cute-looking tricycles due to the color and shape. They look different from tricycles I've seen all over this country. Of course my mind flew back to far areas like Samar or Mindanao where I see many big trikes and wondered why they could not be as beautiful as these cute, colorful AND quiet little cabs roaming around the posh streets of Taguig’s Bonifacio Global City. Never did I think that these are actually already the e-trikes or electric tricycles so much celebrated about some years ago! Waking up alone in the flat one late morning, I discovered there was a lot of anything I wanted to eat except rice. Awrrr! So, to Market Market I had to go, and that got me a bit of excited. Why? Because, it was my chance to ride those beautifully colored trikes I have been observing for quite a while now. Yey! And ride I did. Just asked people on the street as to how/where and there I was, happily riding an E3 (that’s how some folks call it). Its not fast like a light

I saw this group of 7 beautiful cute-looking baby creatures being sold at the fish section of the Catbalogan City Public Market. The manong vendor told me those were what remained of 18 heads he had for sale. True or not (18 heads), it was probably in his effort to entice me to buy. His descriptions included explanations/descriptions that “pagi” (as they are called in the local dialect) are very delectable especially when still young and tender. In my mind I could only agree since I have had the chance to taste this kind of food years before. I wondered though, do these creatures grow that easily so that anyone is fine hauling them at say 18 a day? Even when that young? Are they still abundant? If not, these types I think, I have seen on TV that there are species considered to be endangered. So I asked the manong if catching these was not against the law. His re-assuring reply was “diri gad” – with further explanation that if it was, then he should have already been caught or reprimand

Ah, that is a double good morning greeting! First good morning was when I arrived at this city which was shortly after midnight. Next good morning was when I woke up for breakfast to hurry and run fast to the CWC for my 8AM to 12NN day tour! Hectic! But fun, really! As told in the previous stories, the long trip form Calbayog took me some 10 hours on the road, departing on a drizzly 2PM and there I was in Naga just shortly after midnight. Whoa! So my first “good morning Naga” was a groggy one, but not in any way grumpy. Of course I startled the Villa Caceres guard who was already on some kind of “prayer” (a.k.a. sleeping on the job) when the tricycle I took from the highway brought me in! But the front desk lady was up and all smiles. I knew she was expecting me since I called earlier in the day from Allen. Another sleepy dude was asked to help me with my luggage up to room 314. I was sure they also roused him up for my arrival. Not only did his eyes show it, but his heavy breathing as

Allen is on the northwesternern tip of Northern Samar and Matnog is southern tip of Luzon. And this RORO ride is the sole direct connection between the two islands. Takes just about an hour and a half of actual sea travel, but the waiting time at either of the ports before and after arrival makes the whole thing look like its a 3-hour gig or even more! I heard friends who drove passing this way and tell something like it took them 5 or even 6 hours. Maybe it was due to documentation needs. Other friends who rode buses this way tell us the same. Maybe I was lucky? I usually am, actually hehe! My bus arrived at the Allen port at 3;44PM and at exactly 6;45PM, I was already boarding my bus again in Matnog after it emerged from inside the RORO! How is this ride? Generally uneventful, but if it is an afternoon run on a summer day, you probably will call it one of the best. RORO departs from the Allen port at 5PM, just before the sun slowly inches down beyond the islands. Fantastic view of Sa