bored 
sleepy 
asleep
(my kennel is growing. it's three dogs and a cat no more so blog name is back to original)
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
getting to La Carlota from Cebu...the hardest way
For starters, either go to the Ceres depot at midnight in Reclamation or pray for a seat and decide to wait for the bus at the South Bus Terminal before 2 a.m. Be prepared to compete for space with luggage so many even the aisles is sure to be piled high with it. If travel time happens to be during the Christmas holidays, pay one of the many "pasalubong" vendors to save you a sure seat (which I didn't do for some personal reasons).If you are a female, and is travelling alone, expect a male seatmate to chat you up. Be polite. Answer questions and give a subtle hint that you prefer to catch some shut eye for the long trip ahead than making a small talk.
The road to Bato should have been a relaxing 3-hour scenic trip (Php 140) , but since it is still dark, there is nothing to do but sleep. Travel from Cebu City to Bato takes three hours. It takes 30 min for the barge (run by the Maayo Shipping, Inc: fare at Php 60) to fill out and another 30 min to cross the channel between Cebu and Negros islands. Lights from Tampi are actually visible from the other side, it must have been a sight to behold at daytime.
On Negros Soil, expect the bus to stop at every town from Bais wherever Ceres has a terminal. Fare from Tampi to Bangga Pation in the municipality of San Enrique is Php 160. Lunch is usually taken in Kabankalan where fresh catch from nearby Himamaylan is usually sold (I got more than a kilo of crabs for a measly Php 250). The road along Mabinay has improved much since two years ago. And it helps that Ceres trips plying the Cebu-Bacolod via Mabinay employ responsible drivers that managed to shuttle the vehicle through the zigzag roads without squealing tires (one bus of theirs plowed a number of trishaws on the hiway on the day I went home).
Inns and highland resorts dot the whole length of the road too, with billboards here and there to herald their presence.From Bangga Patio, La Carlota is only a little over than an 8-km ride by tricycle or PUJs (ETA is 1:00 p.m.).
From Bacolod to Cebu South Bus Terminal via Mabinay:
Maayo Shipping lines have small barge, accommodating two ten-wheelers and three cars in a single trip. Passengers can opt to stay in the van for the duration of the crossing the channel or take a seat on the upper deck. Restrooms are basic but satisfactorily clean.
Bato-Tampi and Tampi-Bato
AM - 5:30, 6:00, 8:00, 9:00, 11:00
PM - 1:00, 3:00, 4:00, 7:00
The road to Bato should have been a relaxing 3-hour scenic trip (Php 140) , but since it is still dark, there is nothing to do but sleep. Travel from Cebu City to Bato takes three hours. It takes 30 min for the barge (run by the Maayo Shipping, Inc: fare at Php 60) to fill out and another 30 min to cross the channel between Cebu and Negros islands. Lights from Tampi are actually visible from the other side, it must have been a sight to behold at daytime.
On Negros Soil, expect the bus to stop at every town from Bais wherever Ceres has a terminal. Fare from Tampi to Bangga Pation in the municipality of San Enrique is Php 160. Lunch is usually taken in Kabankalan where fresh catch from nearby Himamaylan is usually sold (I got more than a kilo of crabs for a measly Php 250). The road along Mabinay has improved much since two years ago. And it helps that Ceres trips plying the Cebu-Bacolod via Mabinay employ responsible drivers that managed to shuttle the vehicle through the zigzag roads without squealing tires (one bus of theirs plowed a number of trishaws on the hiway on the day I went home).
Inns and highland resorts dot the whole length of the road too, with billboards here and there to herald their presence.From Bangga Patio, La Carlota is only a little over than an 8-km ride by tricycle or PUJs (ETA is 1:00 p.m.).
Ceres Daily Bus Schedule
From Cebu South Bus Terminal to Bacolod via Mabinay: 2:00 AM, 7:00 AMFrom Bacolod to Cebu South Bus Terminal via Mabinay:
Maayo Shipping, Inc.
Tampi, San Jose, Negros Oriental
Tampi, San Jose, Negros Oriental
Maayo Shipping lines have small barge, accommodating two ten-wheelers and three cars in a single trip. Passengers can opt to stay in the van for the duration of the crossing the channel or take a seat on the upper deck. Restrooms are basic but satisfactorily clean.
Daily Barge Schedule
Bato-Tampi and Tampi-Bato
AM - 5:30, 6:00, 8:00, 9:00, 11:00
PM - 1:00, 3:00, 4:00, 7:00
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
here i go again...three nights into my planned vacation date and now, i'm in that space of indecision, the outcome of which, God only knows. i might stick it out and wait for Saturday which is just around the corner, or grab a bagful of laundry and hop on the next available bus. yes, the only conrete item in my itinerary is taking the long but scenic way home via Bato/Tampi.
my mind is abuzz with ideas as where to spend the first weekend. boracay has been foremost on my mind but nobody seems to be up with the idea of spending day/s exposed to cool christmas air. so that remains to be seen as going alone is a sad option. definitely, attending the klasfesten is out of the question. i'm afraid that life would imitate art :)
my mind is abuzz with ideas as where to spend the first weekend. boracay has been foremost on my mind but nobody seems to be up with the idea of spending day/s exposed to cool christmas air. so that remains to be seen as going alone is a sad option. definitely, attending the klasfesten is out of the question. i'm afraid that life would imitate art :)
Sunday, December 9, 2007
batanes...
was the first Filipino made movie I've watched in ages. I couldn't recall the last manila filmfest entry I've been to but that must be like over a decade now :)
When the teaser was shown on tv a few weeks ago, the picturesque view of batanes island (the sparkling blue green water on a fine day, the foam as the waves crashed on the weathered rocks on rough days, the verdant greens on the slope of the hills, the idyllic lifestyle of the Ivatan) held me curious. Searching the net and the discovery it brought me (discovery that is ken zhu being cast) fortified my intent to see the film (a remnant of a long forgotten infatuation on Xi Men).
I have yet to read about what the creators wanted the viewers to see about the movie. Meanwhile, these are my thoughts (the realization of which occured in the state of near subconsciousness).
-it's finding love at the strangest circumstances.
-it's about women being of the same mind. Only a woman can understand another woman's pain and joy.
-it's about the universality of love; about love transcending cultural differences.
I think i should go stay in an island for a spell and wait for for my Kao to be washed ashore. It might not be original but it will be certainly strange :)
When the teaser was shown on tv a few weeks ago, the picturesque view of batanes island (the sparkling blue green water on a fine day, the foam as the waves crashed on the weathered rocks on rough days, the verdant greens on the slope of the hills, the idyllic lifestyle of the Ivatan) held me curious. Searching the net and the discovery it brought me (discovery that is ken zhu being cast) fortified my intent to see the film (a remnant of a long forgotten infatuation on Xi Men).
I have yet to read about what the creators wanted the viewers to see about the movie. Meanwhile, these are my thoughts (the realization of which occured in the state of near subconsciousness).
-it's finding love at the strangest circumstances.
-it's about women being of the same mind. Only a woman can understand another woman's pain and joy.
-it's about the universality of love; about love transcending cultural differences.
I think i should go stay in an island for a spell and wait for for my Kao to be washed ashore. It might not be original but it will be certainly strange :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)