TACLOBAN-MANILA IN 24 HOURS
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Me and Gen. MaCarthur. |
My friends have been asking me why am I taking the bus from Tacloban to Manila instead of the plane of which I already had a confirmed ticket and which is really more convenient, my only honest answer was "I 'd like to experience the adventure of touring the countryside by bus". With this conviction, I decided to take the bus to experience traveling inter island. This was supposed to have happened a month earlier if not for some unavoidable circumstances. And since this is my last of my regular Manila-Tacloban trip (since my business in Tacloban is almost finished) I felt this is my last chance to take that adventure trip through the beautiful countryside. My friend ART was lucky enough to have done this kind of adventure (Manila-Davao which was longer) years earlier and I envied him. Now I have the chance to experience it myself.
I arrived at the bus terminal at 6 in the morning with the buses for Manila scheduled to leave at 7. I was informed by the dispatcher that the trip would take 24 hours. After choosing the best aircon bus and the best seat (row 1), we left Tacloban at 7 am of Sunday with 6 passengers. The roads of LEYTE is well-paved, mainly due to influence and efforts of the former First Lady Imelda Marcos. Tacloban City , the capital , is the center of business in Eastern Visayas. Leyte is famous for its landing site of Gen. Douglas MaCarthur and the battleground between the Americans and the Japanese forces during WWII. I normally check in at the MANHATTAN INN which offers affordable rates and is within the city proper which makes my traveling to the hotel and to other places very easy. But if one prefers a more luxurious accommodation, the MaCARTHUR PARK beach resort hotel is highly recommended.
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The San Juanico Bridge |
We reached the famous San Juanico Bridge at 7:25 am. Since the bridge was undergoing repairs, bus passengers are normally asked to disembarked and board a lighter vehicle while the bus crosses the bridge sans its passengers. But since the bus was not fully loaded and therefore not over the weight limit, we were allowed to proceed without alighting form the bus. The long and winding bridge, supposed to be the longest bridge in the country can be crossed within 5 minutes, connecting the islands of Leyte and Samar. So by 7:30 I was already in Samar.
SAMAR is an island formerly known as the hotbed of insurgency and is always in the path of destructive typhoons. Although I have traveled to most part of the country, this is my first time to be in Samar. My initial impression of Samar was that of a barren and desolate island brought about by the insurgency and the typhoons. I was surprised to see that we were traveling on well paved roads. I can't believe that with the beautiful scenery of the coastal roads we passed through, Samar is a third rate province. Development has finally caught up with this poor province.
Long trips most often offers surprises along the way like mechanical problems and our first hitch was when the bus' gear shift stick broke. Since there were no repair shop insight, the driver improvised by using a screw driver as the temporary gear shift and was helped by the conductor who changed the gears upon signal of the driver until we reached a welding shop. After an hour delay we were on our way again and reached the CATBALOGAN, the capital city of Western Samar at around 10 am. The city scenery was very rural, a band of old men marching towards the church, old women in veils and long gowns following.
We stopped for a quick snack and to relieve ourselves. I was hoping I could survey the city for a longer time, like find out which hotel is the best, which restaurant is the best for future reference, but time did not permit me of doing so. After the additional passengers boarded the bus and the video tape was replaced, we were on our way again.
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Calbayog |
We reached CALBAYOG at noon, an hour behind schedule due to the earlier problem, and had lunch at a local restaurant with a grand view of the sea. Since this is the common dining stop for most inter-provincial buses, I noticed a big group of students on another bus bound for Leyte. The streamers indicated that the students have just attended a youth convention in Manila and are embarking on similar cross country bus trip like myself bound for their homes. Again there was no time to look around for the best hotel and restaurants.
The bus driver raced to the San Isidro ferry terminal but since we were behind by one hour on our schedule, we missed the ferry boat which was already a few meters out towards the sea. So we tried to catch the other ferry boat in Allen but we also missed it. So for the rest of the afternoon, we had to wait at the ferry terminal for the 5 pm ferry which would take us to island of Luzon. The Allen ferry terminal was fairly clean compared to the earlier one we went to in San Isidro and is operated by
PHILTRANCO. As other buses and vehicles arrived, I bought my ticket for the ferry (which was not included in the bus fare) and took the aircon room, anticipating that I shall be comfortable and take a rest. The ferry arrived and we boarded it as soon as the vehicles from Luzon disembarked. As a rule, bus passengers are not allowed to stay inside the bus during the ferry crossing along the San Bernandino Strait. As I said earlier, I hoped to take a rest at the aircon room of the ferry during the trip but I find the cool sea breeze at the deck and the view of the sunset too captivating to miss. So I ended up staying at the deck most of the trip and watching the magnificent islands and the sea. We reached the port of Matnog, the gateway to Luzon at 6 pm.The traffic exiting out of the Matnog port further delayed our trip. Another hitch was when a drunk cop argued with the conductor as he was trying to sneak in his companions for a free ride. Good thing the conductor kept his cool and let the cop made a fool of himself in front of the other passengers. At least no one got hurt, but this is surely the eyesore of the whole trip, abusive cop. No wonder there are high cases of insurgency problem in this part of the country. By this time my bus was already full of passengers bound for Manila
This is my first time to be in Sorsogon but I was disappointed since we arrived at night and were not be able to see its landscape. If only we did not suffer that breakdown in Samar and not be an hour late, then I could have seen the cityscape during daytime. The only consolation was that we had dinner in one of the city's restaurant.
As we traveled through zigzagging roads of Sorsogon in darkness, fatigue has finally caught up with me and I fell asleep, disappointed that I missed the view of the countryside of Sorsogon. In Legazpi we stopped to drop off and pick up more passengers. I have been to Legazpi before, famous for its majestic view of Mayon Volcano and so by this time I thought I can sleep the rest of the way. If only we have passed Mayon Volcano during one of its colorful eruption, then passing by it at nigh time would be a grand sight.
The rest of the trip is now uneventful as I was already asleep most of the way since there was now view except total darkness. I was only awaken by the stops for the midnight snack. At early morning we had breakfast somewhere in Quezon Province, before Lucena City. The dialect and the scenery of coconut trees are now more familiar as this is near my home province of Laguna. A sip of hot coffee has revitalized my energy. I was now pondering that it was almost 24 hours since I started this journey. By this time, back sores are now more irritating and I was now more eager to lie down on my bed at home. The trip from Lucena to Manila was now uneventful since I have passed this route many times before. We reached the South Expressway and I experienced the traffic of Manila in no time. Now I know that I am at home. We reached the bus terminal in Pasay at 9 o'clock Monday morning, thanks to the traffic and I still had to endure another hour of traffic going to Marikina. Also another hassle of this trip is trying to get a cab at the bus terminal. It seemed every cab driver is trying it riff me off with exuberant fares.
I arrived home dead tired but very much fulfilled since I have achieved a part of my dream. Yes, I survived the ordeal. Now I am thinking of completing the inter island bus trip with Manila to Davao or Manila to Cagayan de Oro in mind.
My advice for those who are also planning also for an inter island bus trip is first, go to the bus terminal early and ask around which bus is the newest and the most comfortable to ride in. If you're embarking on a long trip, you should be as comfortable as you can and a new bus would mean less chances of mechanical breakdown along the way. Choose the newest and the best bus plus the best seat. The front row is always the top choice since you have a good view of the road ahead. I believe that
PHILTRANCO has the most number of trips going inter island with new buses.Second, time your trip during the dry season. A rainy bus trip leaves out most the beautiful sceneries along the way as all you can see are mist on the window. Besides, it would be very uncomfortable if you get stuck in the ferry terminal if the ferry crossing are suspended due to bad weather. A friend of mine told me once during a passage of a typhoon in Bicol, 100 vehicles had to wait for the resumption of the ferry crossing (and the ferry can accommodate probably 10 vehicles the most)
Third, bring your own food. Food sold along the bus diner stops may not be compatible with your digestive system so bring along a couple of Jollibee sandwiches. Mineral water and soda is no problem since it is sold along the way. Candies can be handy if you feel dizzy plus a used plastic bag would be very handy in case of emergencies.
Bring along an Ipod or an MP3 player to entertain yourself along the way in case you don't like what is being shown on the VCR. Also talk to your seatmate, the driver, the conductor. Talking makes the trip shorter as you will not notice the distance you have traveled. But if you prefer just to be alone, then an Ipod or an MP3 player will be just the right companion.
Lastly, plan your trip. You can always ask the bus company for the schedule of the buses and the approximated time of travel. Plan the places you would like to see. And finally travel light.
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