Stranded

Even with an early start (on the road to Pulauan pier at 3:30 AM), still we missed the 2nd ferry out going to Dumaguete. An oversight on my part. With so much haste about getting lunch and a refreshing bath,   it did not occur to me to get us tickets for the trip back.  At the port, only the bill of lading transactions were  entertained at the counter, until the vessel left. We stayed another hour deciding between taking the 2pm trip with Montenegro (which was already fully booked as well) and going back to the hotel and get some sleep. It started to drizzle and the skies showing promise of more rain, we decided to go with the latter. 

Since no ferry was scheduled to arrive at that time, very few people were going out of the pier. Sleepy and eager to hit the sack again, I approached one of PPA employees for commuting tips. To get to the city we had to take a trike to crossing (highway) for P10-15 (yet I  paid P25) and either Rural (the red bus - Ceres' franchise down south) Evergood. We took the latter with me wondering how to pay as the driver took notice of us after we boarded and there was no konduktor in sight. My niggling question was answered midway through the trip when a man boarded and started didtributing tickets. We paid P14 each for the service which seemed to be longer than it took for us aboard the pick-up truck. 

The city, shrouded with rain-bearing clouds, was still asleep. Most of the passengers went off their stop already save us. I was looking around for familiar landmark: Jollibee. It was still a block away but since I had no idea where the Terminal was, I asked to be dropped at the next stop. We walked a little to get breakfast before slowly going back to Royal Farms and book another night. It rained really hard while we were still in transit. The student next to me was still, apparently thinking of her taking the finals for having missed a class. Woe! The day's prospect was as gloomy as the weather, we went back to sleep wishing the rain would go away. 

Thankfully, as we were eating lunch, the sun began to peek from behind the clouds. Everyone was out, taking advantage of the strong wifi signal at the dining area that I articulated my suggestion about spending the rest of the afternoon at Dapitan. The chorus of ayes was inflating, we enquired and booked the van for 4 hours and at 2pm, we were already on the road.  

  

Ours was a small company of ten: Pastor and his wife, the newlyweds Brooke and Bong, the girls from Lear Rubai, Ace and Shiela, the newlywed's neighbor Fleur, Grace and myself. We made some short stops  at Montaños to buy some Spanish Sardines and at Cathy's Bakeshop for some tarts and muffins (and miniature tictacs). Before we exited the city streets, we cruised by the boulevard before taking the highway to the next city, Dapitan. 

At Dapitan, nothing much has changed in the last decade except for the new government center at the rotunda.