Literally, my trip to Dapitan via Dipolog was a weekend getaway.  After my graveyard shift work schedule, I immediately went to the airport.   The trip was my way of relaxation due to my disagreement with the schedule provided to me.  Anyway, life is too short to dwell on petty things.

I arrived in Dipolog at 12 noon.  From the airport, I asked the military personnel on where I could ride a bus going to Dapitan.  At the airport gate, I took a tricycle.  The agreed fare was PhP60 but when I arrived at the bus terminal the driver was asking for PhP100 which I refused to pay.  I told the driver that his attitude discourages tourist from going to their place.  I only paid PhP80.  Then, I took a van going to Dapitan.  The fare was only PhP25 and travel time lasted for almost 1 hour. I did not speak nor asked for directions since I was intimidated with the previous bad experience with the tricycle driver.  I alighted at the market and took another tricycle in going to the resort.  The fare was only PhP7.   I checked-in at Villa Pilar Pension (tel. no. 065.2136579) and their rate was only PhP600 per night.  I was happy with their room, it was simple and clean.  Since it was already 1pm, I ordered for a meal at the counter.  The meal was only PhP70.  I immediately left my things in the room and I took a tricycle in going to Rizal Shrine.  I went to the museum and I noticed that Rizal had may relationships based on the photos of women linked to him.  I also saw his clothes which I did bother to take photos.  Then, I went around the area which was surrounded by old trees.  As I was about to leave the premises, a man approached me and he offered to bring me to Dakak Beach Club for only PhP400.  I agreed and rode his motorcycle.  The ride lasted for 3o minutes.  I interviewed the driver. He told me that the Rizal Shrine guide noticed that I was alone.  He was asked to assist me to take my photos.  I told him that I was used to travelling alone. I also found out that he was a security guard at the shrine in the evening and he works as guide during day time.   When we arrived at the Dakak Beach Club toll gate, I paid PhP500 which included one meal at their Italian Restaurant.  I was picked up at the toll gate by their service vehicle.  Inside the resort, I immediately took some photos of the beautiful beach front.  At the end of my photo sessions, I proceeded to the Italian Restaurant for my snack.  I ordered for a pasta and added a coke in can which cost almost PhP100 (four times the actual price).  Anyway, the food and ambiance were very good.  I also went to their souvenir shop just to buy a ref magnet.  I was told by the employee to go to the highest peak located near the toll gate.  I asked for the service vehicle to bring me back to the gate.  At the gate, I asked the driver to come with me.  I thought that the walk going up was easy but I was wrong.  I sweated a lot, the top view of the resort was spectacular.  Then, he brought me to the place where Rizal first landed.  We also went to St. James Cathedral located near the old municipal hall and park.  It was also the place where a Mindanao map was located and according to the locals, it was created by Rizal himself.  As we were going around, I noticed that all their streets were related to Rizal.  Lastly, we went to Dampa to take a merienda.  I ordered for a roasted banana with vanilla ice cream with caramelized sugar. I loved this dessert.  After the tour, I went back to the Villa Pilar to take a nap.  Eight in the evening, I walked towards Fantasyland which was only a five minute walk.  Honestly, I was not impressed at all with the theme park.  I did not bother to spend for the entrance but I only went to the shops around the park.  What I liked about the place was the bread shop which I bought for pasalubong.  I went back to my accommodation for my dinner (PhP80). 

The following day, I went out early to go to the Cathedral.  I went inside but only stayed for a while since the mass was in their dialect. After that, I decided to go back to Villa Pilar for my check out.  I took another tricycle back to the terminal located at the market.  This time no van was available and I took an ordinary bus (fare PhP20). I paid for two seats so that I can place my bag beside me.  I told the bus conductor that I will alight at Dipolog City Hall.  At the middle of the ride, I found out that conductors normally alight and another one comes in, so my instruction to the first conductor was futile but it was another learning experience for me.  The bus stopped and I noticed the Zaragoza store which sells bottled Spanish sardines.  I immediately alighted and proceeded to the store.  I bought pasalubong for my family… of course sardines and shrimp paste!  I asked for the directions on where I could buy shirts and I was informed to go to Lee Mall.  At the mall, it sells souvenir shirts which were cheaply sold. Then, I took another tricycle to the airport and I paid PhP60.  The airport terminal fee was only PhP20.  I checked-in my things and there was only one kiosk located inside but it did not have the ref magnets I need.  Since I was not doing anything, I simply watched the videos being shown at the waiting area.  Luckily, the dessert which I loved at the Dampa where shown and I jotted down everything so that I could prepare it at home.  Overall, this weekend getaway was OK.  

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Visited last August 25-26, 2012

As always, I was very excited for my Northern Mindanao trip.  I left the house at exactly 5am to reach the MRT North station.  Luckily, I arrived just in time for the first trip and I arrived at Ayala Station at 5:45 am.  Then, I took a cab in going to NAIA3.  The cab passed the SLEX and there was a slight traffic due to the on-going road construction.  Before 6:30 am, I was already queueing at the airport gate.  Usual, my flight was delayed due to airport traffic congestion.  I arrived one hour late against my strict itinerary. From the airport, I asked the assistance from a policeman on what route to take in going to Bulua Bus terminal.  I was told that I take the jeep (fare Php10) at the other side of the road then alight at the Petron station and take another jeepney ride to the terminal.  As soon as I entered the terminal, the bus conductor encouraged me to take the Super Five bus (mobile number 0917.7042564) (fare PhP85).  The ride was smooth except for some unexpected delays due to road rehabilitation.  I arrived at the Iligan Bus terminal after 1.5 hours of travel.  At the terminal, I noticed the tents of the affected typhoon last year were still there and the people were still living in the area.  I took a jeepney ride in going to the hotel.  I immediately checked-in and I asked the receptionist on the available transportation in going to the falls.  She offered to just hire their employee which I agreed.   Before we left, I had a quick lunch at the Chowking located at the ground floor of the hotel.  At exactly 2pm, my guide Ernie Sayre (mobile 0912.8332592) left the hotel. While riding the motorcycle, my cap was blown by the wind.  I immediately asked the guide to stop, I was able to get the cap that was picked up by one of the motorcycle drivers.  On the way to the falls entrance gate, I was asked to register and pay PhP35.  At last! I saw Maria Cristina falls which I only read and saw in my school books.  The waterfall was powerful in a sense that it supplied the majority of the electricity in Mindanao.  I noticed the water was brownish which was due to heavy rains yesterday.  The water from the falls directly exited through the sea.  As an added bonus, I went to Tinago falls.  We parked the motorcycle and walked for minutes.  One has to take the 500 steps in going to this hidden falls.  Once we reached the place, I was awed with the magnificent falls with the rainbow in front of me.  There was a floating raft so that people can pass the raging waterfalls.  There were also kids who jumped from the tree towards the water.  The life vest was a requirement for those who intend to swim the waters.  The water during my visit was brownish again due to heavy rains.  The local government should preserve and take care of the place.  I was unhappy with the garbage around the falls due to undisciplined visitors and lack of initiative from the local government.  At the entrance, I was asked to place a money donation for the maintenance.  I hope the donations were put to use.  When we left, I was again asked to pay for the parking of the motorcycle for twenty pesos.  On the way to the hotel, we passed by the other side of Maria Cristina falls but I was barred by the security personnel from taking photos.   

In the evening, I went to Gaisano mall for my dinner.  I had my dinner at Big Dipper worth ninety-eight pesos.  Then, I went to the grocery to buy local delicacies as pasalubong to my family.  At 8 pm, I went to the town plaza to see the night market.  There were a lot of locals buying items and food tasting.  I only bought a sunglass worth PhP50.00 which was a good buy.

Day 2, I left the hotel at 5:30 am to catch the trip back to Cagayan De Oro.  I took a jeepney in going to the bus terminal.  When I arrived, the bus was about to leave but the conductor still accommodated me.  Wow…just in time for another 1.5 hour land travel.  The Super Five bus back to CDO was full of mosquitoes.  Since I was prepared, I made sure that I have my ever reliable Off lotion. When I arrived at CDO, I took another jeepney in going to Divisoria.  The first jeepney I rode asked me to transfer to another jeepney.  The fare to Divisoria was PhP7.  From the Cathedral, I followed my map and asked for directions to Cagayan Park View Lodge (tel. 088.8571197).  For one night, my accommodation only cost PhP595.  Upon check-in, I asked for directions in going to Dahilayan, Bukidnon.  I left my things and I went to a nearby fast food chain for a quick breakfast.  I took another jeepney in going to Agora Market Terminal (fare PhP7).  From Agora, I took a van in going to Camp Phillips (fare PhP50).  It took 30 minutes for the van to leave the terminal.  At the Bukidnon boundary, the van passed the check point and asked some passsengers to alight for inspections.  I arrived at 10:50am.  Initially, I thought I was already lost since the van already passed the Del Monte signage but it turned out that it only went around the camp.  From the camp, I asked the lady from the store for directions and she referred me to Jojo as my guide (mobile0920.3005688/0916.9297511).  As agreed, I paid PhP300 as guide fee.  I took the motorcycle and passed by the pineapple plantations.  There weas no public transportation in the area.  The ride lasted for 30 minutes.  We arrived at the Dahilayan Adventure Park (0917.6223204) 11:45 am but the personnel were on break and the activities will resume by 1pm. To kill time, my guide and I had snacks and watched the Pacquiao-Bradley game live at the park.  At 1:15 pm, we were asked to board the 4x4 vehicle.  It was a 15-minute rough road in going to the zipline starting line.  I was asked to go first together with the kid since it was a dual zipline.  I was very excited but afraid that I might lose my slippers.  The zip was more than a minute with the distance of 840m.  The PhP500 was worth it since it was the longest dual zipline in Asia.  On the way back to the camp, the rain suddenly poured.  When we arrived at the camp my jacket and feet were soaked with mud.  I washed my feet in one of the houses at the camp and for my jacket I just placed it inside my bag.  I was already at my hotel by 4:30 pm.  At 5:00 pm, I went to Limketkai Mall to shop for souvenirs and local delicacies. 

On my third and last day, it was just preparation for the trip.  I took a cab in going to the airport.  I paid PhP200 including the tip since the driver asked for it.  Anyway, I did not complain since the ride was smooth.  At the airport, my flight was again delayed for an hour due to NAIA traffic congestion.  If I will be asked if I would return to Northern Mindanao… it’s a yes for me.

View Iligan, Bukidnon Photos

I decided to have a trip to Panay as a birthday treat to myself. This was also like an annual trip with two of my friends from my previous job at NGOs.

At 2am, I was picked up at my residence. We arrived at exactly 2:30am at the NAIA3.  Surprisingly, there were a lot of people queued at the airport's entrance. We had our breakfast at my favorite kiosk (you want to name it?).

We arrived on time at Iloilo International Airport and we left the place at 6:30 am.  We took the van going to Molo, Iloilo (fare Php50.00).  The trip lasted for 30 minutes. From the Molo terminal, we waited for 30 minutes and we were not sure of the mode of transportation available whether a non air-conditioned bus or a van.  Luckily, there was a van available going to Anini-y.  The travel time lasted for two hours due to traffic and the fare was PhP130.00. I was able to get the contact number of Joe, the van owner (0905.9039743).

When we arrived at Anini-y, we still do not have accommodation since I failed to contact the government owned resort and the local tourism office.  We inquired at Sira-an Hot Spring but it was fully booked and we were advised by our fellow van passengers to try Gerbo Beach Resort (mobile 0926.9161081). We booked at the said resort and the quaint resort was perfect for three of us. It has a very relaxing ambiance and the owners were very hospitable.  We ordered for our lunch earlier since the resort managers still had to buy everything at the market.  We ordered for grilled fish and squid, and pancit.  We just have to pay PhP250 for the cook. 

At lunch time,I had a very simple birthday celebration with my friends. I received some calls and sms greetings but I was sure that I have not received all the messages since the phone signal was erratic. 

At 3pm, we rented a boat (rental PhP500) to Nogas Island.  It was a 15-minute boat ride.  The island was very beautiful with white sand but sad to say the local government failed to protect the island against garbages left by visitors. Calachuchi trees were line up the pathway leading to the lighthouse.   The lighthouse was no longer functioning and there were vandalisms on the wall.  We went up the lighthouse to see tha magnificent view from top. From the top, we could see the island surrounded by trees. We snorkeled and we saw some beautiful fish since it was low tide. I also walked along the shore to photograph the scenery. 

At 5pm, we went back to the resort so that we could go to the town plaza. As we walked towards the Church resort's entrance, we found out that our neighbor was cemetery. We rode a tricycle (fare PhP21.00) in going to the Church. It was already 5:30pm when we arrived at the Church and unfortunately, it was closed. From the facade, we could tell that this old Church must be very beautiful inside and it was also surrounded by trees. We walked towards the market to see what we could buy.  I wanted to order a hamburger from a stand but at 6pm the stores were already closing. So, we had no other choice but to re-heat our food from our lunch leftovers.

On our second day, we woke up at 4:30am since we will be picked up by the van at 5:30am.  It was already 6am, when the van arrived. We decided to alight at Miag-ao Church and from the church, we took a jeepney going to Supercenter (fare PhP50.00). From the Supercenter, a tricycle (PhP40.00 fare) ride to Ortiz port. At the port, we lined up at the ticketing booth for the outtrigger boat ride to Jordan (fare PhP14.00).  At Jordan, Guimaras, we registered at the Tourism booth.  We were assisted on the multicab rental for the tour. Initially, we stopped at the Capitol to purchase mangoes. I bought four kilos of mangoes at Php60 per kilo.  Then we had our lunch at the nearby carinderia. We passed by the Trappist monastery for our pasalubong.  We also dropped by Camp Alfredo and we paid PhP30.00 for the entrance.  There was nothing to see in the camp and the zipline was expensive. 

When we arrived at the Raymen Resort (0918.5207271), we immediately settled the bill at PhP2,200.00 and we proceeded to island hopping.  Initially, we went snorkelling there were only a few fishes but the corals were beautiful.  We were supposed to go to the turtle sanctuary but we cancelled it since only one turtle was available in an enclosed environment. We felt it was unnatural setting and it will just disappoint us if we will drop by the turtle sanctuary.  What we enjoyed the most was the trip to the Baras cave.  The boat entered the cave and the water was clear from the inside.  We passed by the different island resorts like Naburot and Baras. We paid for the 2 hours boat rental at PhP550.  At the resort, we took our early dinner since one of our friends will go back to Manila. It was difficult to find a good phone signal at the resort and the comfort rooms were not clean.

On day three, we left the resort at 7am. We rented a tricycle (Php300) in going to Jordan wharf.  We seated at the back of the tricycle to give way for our bags which we placed at the front. From the Ortiz port, we took a cab to go to Jaro, Iloilo. I visited some of my relatives and left our bags in order to shop for more souvenir items. We went to the Cathedral and Gaisano mall.  I purchased butter scotch at Biscocho House. It was a must for me to buy my favorite butter scotch of Iloilo! From the mall, we rode a cab in going to Jaro and we asked the driver to also bring us to Tagbac terminal. 

From the terminal, we took a van to Roxas City. The van was cramped and we paid for 4 seats in order to accommodate our belongings. Unfortunately, we were seated at the end of the van and my head was already touching the van's ceiling.  It was a two-hour land trip and the fare was PhP140 each.   We arrived at 2pm for our resort check-in.  We checked in at San Antonio Beach resort (0920.9825377).  The resort rate was 1,750.00. 

We asked the tricycle driver to wait for us while my friend and I prepare to go to Panay Church.  At Panay or Santa Monica Church, we were toured at the bell tower.  The bell tower contained the largest bell in Asia. Across the church, there was a souvenir shop of local Capiz products. We bought bag and capiz shell product. We were supposed to take a snack but due to limited time we had to go to dried fish stalls. I bought kilos of dried squid and fish. We also went to the town area and we had our snacks at Ted's batchoy Gaisano mall. In the evening, we walked along the People's Park to observe the activities.  The park was just in front of the Roxas family mansion. The park has also a fountain which served as another attraction. We also noticed that there were people swimming just in front of the park and it was well lighted with visible police personnel.  From the park, it was walking distance to the seafood restaurants. As suggested by a friend, we chose the Alma's Ihaw-ihaw restaurant.  We ordered for fish, squid, scallops and talaba. The food preparation lasted for 30 minutes but it was worth the wait.

On our last day, we had our breakfast at the resort. The complimentary breakfast was very simple and with very limited choices. Anyway, it was good enough and the management could still improve the food choices. I bought a souvenir shirt from the resort and reminded the personnel of our van in going to the airport. With still enough time, we walked along the shore to catch a glimpse of the fishermen with their catch. However, we did not see any catch as they were still pulling the net from sea. At 10am, I received a call from the receptionist. We were advised that the van was already waiting for us. We immediately went out of the room but the van already left. We complained at the counter and they called the driver to return immediately. When the van arrived, the other passengers already alighted at the airport. We complained at the counter and the driver explained that the other passengers pressured him. We told the driver that it was us who initially reserved the van. The driver apologized and we accepted his apology.

The Cebu Pacific flight left as scheduled but we still arrived at NAIA3 30 minutes later than the expected time of arrival. This could probably be due to the take-off and landing traffic at the airport.

Hopefully, we can still go back to Roxas and Iloilo to explore the other islands of the province.


View Iloilo, Guimaras, Capiz, Antique Photos

Visited last April 28 - May 1, 2012

At 3:00am, I left Quezon City to meet my officemates at Pioneer Avenue. I was supposed to meet three of them but one person did not come on time so he just followed us at the NAIA Terminal 2 airport.  3:30am was our scheduled meeting time but my four other officemates arrived late. For the number of times that I was with them, I am still not used to their concept of time.

The Philippine Airlines flight was delayed and we arrived in Bohol at 7:30am. Our guide and van was waiting at the airport's gate. We proceeded to our farthest destination: the Mag-aso falls. At the falls, my officemates were happy to see how beautiful the place is. There were no other tourists except for us. I only noticed that there were parking and entrance fees to be settled. It would have been better if the local government would lessen the fees to attract more tourists.

Our next stop was the Chocolate Hills. On our way to this destination, we passed by a different road.  It was an hour drive due to road improvements and a landslide.  I was very much surprised of the landslide since Bohol has intact forests.  At the chocolate hills, we went up the stairs and we asked the photographer to take our group photos.  The photo was a bit expensive for just one photo it cost us PhP100.  It was a cloudy day at the site but nevertheless we enjoyed our climb.  Our picture looked ok since the background was edited to make it appear it was sunny. On our way down, it started to rain.  We passed by the Bilar man made forest, we stopped for awhile for our group photos.

We then went to the Loboc Tarsiers. The new location was a lot better as the tarsiers give ample space to move around. I photographed all the tarsiers that were pointed to us by the guides. The tarsiers were very cute specially the sleeping tarsier that I photographed.  We requested our tour operator to take us to the hanging bridge.  We all enjoyed our walk due to the beautiful scenery.  Since this was my second time, I noticed that they added another bridge.  Again it started to rain as we hurried back to our vehicle. 

The rain was down pouring on our way to the river cruise but, it was a good thing that the rain stopped when we were aboard the river cruise boat.  We had our sumptuous buffet lunch on the boat, and when we were almost done eating, the boat proceeded for the cruise.  As the boat was sailing, a local singer serenaded us. We visited the Ati tribe who showed off their talents and sold to us some of their products. 

After the cruise, we then went to Baclayon Church. It was again raining and I decided not to go out of our vehicle. The rain already stopped when we arrived at the Blood Compact site. We immediately proceeded to the souvenir shop where we bought our pasalubong for our families and friends.  It was 4:30pm when we went to Dauis Church.  When we arrived there, a wedding was being held so we went to the church’s souvenir shop and had photo shots at their lawn. Since five of my officemates were women and they were wearing shorts, they were asked by the church personnel to wear a cloth to cover their legs. We even asked for the free miraculous water from their well, which was located at the altar. 

Still early to go back to our resort, the group went to Hinagdanan Cave. There was nothing spectacular about the place except that the cave has pools. At the area, there were a lot of stalls that sell souvenir items. We practically stayed for a while to buy shirts and have mango shakes. We checked -in at Dumaluan resort.  We were happy with the resort’s ambience. Some decided to take a swim at the pool while I decided to take a merienda at their restaurant.  I had pasta for merienda and it was expensive. In the evening, we dined in at their open restaurant. We enjoyed the dinner since we were serenaded by the restaurant’s band. 

On our second day at 6:30am, we left the resort for our island hopping and dolphin watching.  On the boat, we were asked to register and wear life vests.  Unfortunately, there were not enough life vests for the group. Only six life vests were provided and good thing, I brought my own. The boatmen advised us that one life vest will be provided at Balicasag Island. It was 7am when pods of dolphins appeared.  I took some video but my shots were not as good as I expected it to be.  We only saw a few compared to my first visit some time in 2009. I was also disappointed with the boat’s speed since it cannot catch up with the other boats. Then we went to Balicasag Island for our snorkeling and lunch. 

We had our lunch at one of the tables in the island.  We only bought the soft drink since we brought our own complimentary food from the resort. Then, we rested for few minutes and rode our respective boats to go to the marine sanctuary. We paid PhP100 each for the boat ride. I was not supposed to take the boat since I knew the sanctuary was near the shore and it would just take few minutes to swim the area.  However, I was told that we were required to ride their boats. I think this was for commercial or livelihood reasons since when I returned to the shore I only swam. I also mingled with the locals by going to the lighthouse and some even asked me to take their photographs. 

On our last island visit, the Pungtud Island, I was very happy to see the long stretch of white sand bar but disappointed with the private island’s condition.  On my first visit, only seven persons where at the island and there were bountiful of trees surrounding the area. However during this visit, there were around 50 persons in sight and there were only a few trees around. It was low tide and we were courageous enough to walk on knee-deep water towards the other sandbar.  There were a lot of starfish.  I only hoped that I had a water proof camera for the picture perfect starfish. At the sandbar, my officemates stayed near the water while I walked towards the end of the sandbar to see the seabirds.  As I sneaked at the birds, the flock flew as I pressed my camera shutter but every time I docked, the birds go back to the sands.  After a few photo shots, I left the flock of birds since they were getting very noisy as if they were telling me to leave immediately. Dark clouds already engulfed the island when we went back to our boat. Heavy rains poured as our boat sped back to the resort. 

At the resort, my group swam in the pool while I decided to meet my former colleague at the local mall.  I was already walking towards the main street when it started to rain so I had to walk fast.  By the time I reached the waiting shed, my clothes were already wet. I asked the local if there were jeepneys or tricycles ply the route because I noticed that there were no vehicles passed in the span of 15 minutes.  A tricycle agreed to bring me to the BQ Mall but for PhP100. On the tricycle, I was also with an old man who was kind enough to tell me the directions.  Unfortunately, we were only at the road for 10 minutes when the vehicle’s tire encountered problem.  I was not aware of the exact problem but I was asked to alight as they fix the problem.  It was still drizzling but I had no choice but to wait for the vehicle to be fixed. I was very anxious to reach the mall since I was already late by 30 minutes.  Eventually, the tricycle was repaired but it cannot reach it minimum speed and my travel time was doubled to one hour. Upon arriving at the mall, I had some few chit chats with my friend and bought some food for my officemates.  At 7pm, my only choice of mode of transportation in going back to resort was motorcycle (PhP150 fare).  I was not sure if rain was following me but again it rained as I went back to the resort. My officemates were already waiting for me to have our dinner.  After our dinner, we tried the fish foot spa (PhP120) for 30 minutes.  Everyone had a few laughs as the group of fish nibbled on our dead skin. At 9pm, some drank the local drinks found in our respective rooms while I decided to sleep early. 

On our third day, we went to Bohol Beach Club.  The resort was just a 10 minute walk from our resort. We paid Php550 each for the entrance and buffet breakfast.  The rates were cheaper during weekdays.  While most of my officemates were swimming, I opted to just go back to our resort and just relax.

We left the resort at 1pm. When we arrived at Tagbilaran airport, there were a lot of passengers waiting for their airline. There were four airlines serving this route and the airport has very limited seating and space capacity. I was hoping to leave ahead of the group since I took Airphil express but I was wrong because the seven officemates who took Zestair left on time while I waited for my plane that got delayed for 30 minutes. I will be very cautious next time of my airline of choice.

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Visited last March 17 - 19, 2012              

At 8:30am, I was already on my way to MRT since it was the cheapest way of going to the airport.  I alighted at Ayala station to take a cab going to NAIA3.  At the airport, I immediately proceeded to the web check-in counter to check the time of departure.  The web check-in was very convenient since I did not have to queu and it has a separate lane for terminal fee payment.  I waited for two hours at the airport, reading the newspaper and the book that I bought at National Bookstore.  I even had the spare time for a snack at my favorite stall. 

It was very fascinating to view the sights of the Tacloban from the plane.  The Samar Island was truly beautiful, which can be seen from the Tacloban airport.  The airport was situated beside the sea and the plane maneuvered near the Samar Island and the sea surrounding Tacloban.  As I disembarked the plane, I proceeded to Tourism counter for the directions on the ride that I should take in going to the hotel.  I immediately chose the jeepney ride as it was very cheap.  At PhP15.00 I would reach my hotel compared to the fixed taxi flag rate of PhP300. 

In 20 minutes, I arrived at Luxury Suite Hotel (tel. no. 053.3218844).  The room for overnight stay was only at PhP650.  It was modest accommodation with single bed, bathroom, air-con and cable TV.  It was already 1:30pm when I tried to arrange for a city tour in one of the reputable travel agencies in the area.  Unfortunately the rate was very expensive for just one person.  I was being asked to settle for PhP2,100 for the entire tour.  Until I have decided to just walk around the city.  I went to Gaisano mall to check the items that I could buy for souvenirs.  Then I decided to just go back later to the mall after the tour. 

When I went to a nearby McDonalds to take an afternoon snack, the weather was already hot.  I stayed there for awhile since the rain started to pour and lasted for 30 minutes. 

From the fast-food, I asked the policeman for some directions and he gladly assisted me in taking a jeep going to San Juanico Bridge.  The trip was almost 30 minutes.  I had a bad experience with the jeepney driver for being dishonest.  All the while I thought the fare was P30.00 and I paid the said amount but the fare was actually PhP13.00 only.  At the Leyte side of the bridge, I asked the permission of the policemen that I will be walking on the bridge.  Since the San Juanico is the longest bridge in the country connecting the two islands, one can feel the bridge shake as trucks passed the bridge.  I had taken photographs of the bridge with the islands as back drop.  I was very enthusiastic in taking the photos as rainbow appeared over the bridge.  Unfortunately even if there was rainbow, raindrops fell and I decided to go back to the Leyte side.  Probably next time, I can go back and walk towards the Samar side.  From the Leyte side, I waited for a jeepney to bring me back to the town proper. 

At 6pm, I went back to Gaisano mall to buy souvenir shirts for my family.  I was looking for a ref magnet but the sales lady kept on pointing at the appliances.  At that point, it became obvious to me that we were having language barrier.  Since I cannot find a ref magnet, I went out of the mall and found a small souvenir shop.  I bought some key chains but I still did not find any ref magnet in the souvenir shop.  I decided to walk along the street until I found a better Gaisano mall but I did not bother to go inside since I was asked to deposit the shopping bags that I bought from their other malls.  I found lining up for the baggage counter very inconvenient since there was a very long queue.  I also noticed while I was looking for local fast food chains in the area that most of the meals were no longer available and to think it was only 6:30pm. So, I opted to have dinner at Jollibee.  After dinner, I just went to my hotel to leave my things.  At 9pm, I still went out for a coffee and read the magazines at a nearby Bo’s coffee.

The next day, I woke up feeling tired since I was uncomfortable with my room.  I went for a city tour and started with the Sto. Niño Church but I left immediately since the mass was at their local dialect.  I asked for directions in going to MacArthur Park by approaching a traffic enforcer but he could not speak nor understand neither English nor Tagalog and he just pointed to another person in front of a mini store.  The man assisted me in taking a jeepney and he even told the driver on where I should alight.  I took the Campetic bound jeep and paid PhP11.00.  I alighted in front of BIR building.  Then, I took a tricycle to the park and paid PhP13.00.  At 9am, I took some photographs of the park.  I only stayed for 15 minutes and I immediately boarded a pedicab back to the jeepney station. I then proceeded to see the Provincial Capitol, which was used to be the Philippine government seat of power. It was still early and the Leyte Park hotel was walking distance from where I was standing. 

I opted to take my breakfast at the hotel (PhP190.00).  The buffet breakfast choices were very limited and I vowed to myself that next time, I’ll just have ala carte breakfast. By the time I finished breakfast, it was already raining and I did not have any rain gears. 

From the hotel gate, I took a tricycle in going to the Price Mansion.  From the Mansion, I never got the chance to take some photos due to heavy downpour. Again, I rode a tricycle to bring me back to my hotel. 

At midday, I checked out at the hotel and went to Ocho Grill and Restaurant for my lunch (PhP250.00 meal). 

From the restaurant, I went to the airport by taking the jeepney.  I arrived at the airport at 1:30pm but I was not allowed to enter the pre-departure area.  According to the airport police, due to limited space and the other flights have not yet departed, I could only enter the premises by 2:30pm.  Normally, I checked-in 2 hours before the flight but it was my first time that I was not allowed to checked-in early.  It was hot and uncomfortable at the airport parking lot and I hope the Romualdez Airport management can do something to make the visitors comfortable.  The experience has not dampened my interest of going back to the place since I there are still a lot of areas that I want to explore.

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Visited last November 19 – 20, 2011

No sleep! At 2:30am, I was already at the airport for our 4:20am flight to Bacolod.  I was with two former officemates Gynee and Kathy  to visit another former officemate now living in his hometown. 

At 5:30am, we arrived at Silay International Airport. We took a local transportation going to La Salle at PhP35.00. From there, our friend (his name?) fetched us to go to his residence. We had breakfast and immediately proceeded for the city tour. We first visited the Provincial hall, town plaza and Negros showroom for our souvenirs. Then, we went to “the Ruins” of Don Mariano Lacson Ancestral House located at Talisay City.  It was a good place to visit since it was a glimpse of the Negrense cultural heritage. Since it was almost 12 noon, we sent to Manukan country to try the best-tasting chicken inasal in town. We ordered different chicken meals. I personally enjoyed my lunch since it was a different experience from the typical restaurant in Manila. The different restos were lined up near SM Bacolod. After our sumptuous lunch, we decided to just take a siesta.

After 6pm, we had our dinner at a local Imay’s restaurant. Since Negros is known for their sugar plantation and many local restaurants offer an array of pastries, we tried one of the well-known pastry shops called Calea. We tasted variety of cakes, and I loved the mud pie and frozen tiramisu.

On our second day, we went to Mambucal resort (entrance fee PhP30.00).  It was a one-hour drive from Bacolod City.  Initially, I had an impression it was a typical resort with swimming pools but I was wrong.  It was a place where man-made structures and nature co-exists. We went to the falls and trekked for 3o minutes to reach the seven waterfalls. I would not recommend the fourth to seventh waterfalls if you are not going to swim. The picture perfect falls were located on the first to third falls.  Only two of us proceeded to the fourth to sixth falls. I was a bit disappointed as the falls on top were not grandiose as I imagined it to be. Nevertheless, it was an experience walking and communing with nature. This was also my first time to see big fruit bats. The good thing was that the area and animals here were protected by the government. I even saw swift birds living under the bridge (see video).  The bird’s nests were never taken away since it was protected by local laws.

Our lunch comprised of grilled seafood and meat products, which can be bought within the resort. We were tempted to take a dip at hot sulfuric water from a pool. The water came from the nearby Kanlaon volcano. The water was hot that I can only dip for only a couple of minutes. It was time to move to the lagoon where one can rent a boat but we opted to take some photos instead. Then we proceeded to butterfly sanctuary (entrance fee PhP20.00). It was rainy and it was difficult to take photos but I still managed to take some shots. I certainly loved the butterfly nestled on a flower. When we went out of the sanctuary, I was surprised to see the change in lagoon’s water color. Due to rains, the water turned to brown and overflowed onto the road.  Good thing, there was an alternative road towards the main exit.

In the evening, we had our dinner at a nearby restaurant called Red Basil Thai. The food tasted very much like the authentic Thai cuisine but reasonably priced. After dinner, we went to Felicia for their ice cream cakes and proceeded to Koskos for our coffee and drinks.

On our third day, we went to Hinigaran to visit our friend’s (her name?) house. We met her mom and tasted their restaurant’s famous Royal Bibingka, buko pie and potato cake, which we brought home as pasalubong. You may visit the Mila’s restaurant at Hinigaran town with contact number 032.3917849.  We were given a tour around the town and the beach for our photo opportunities.

At exactly 1pm, we left the town for Bacolod city to prepare for our late afternoon flight at 6pm. At the airport, we were informed of the flight delay so I looked for a shop where to buy a souvenir shirt since it has been my practiced to have souvenir shirts on the places I have been to.

What I love about Bacolod are the warmth of its people and their pastries. Hope to be back for their festivals.

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Visited last August 19 - 21, 2011