March 3, 2012 (Saturday): NW Mindanao Adventure starts tonight!

After the usual pleasantries at work, I went straight downtown to buy a boat fare for Cebu to Cagayan de Oro. After comparing prices of shipping companies, I decided to buy an economy class ticket from Sulpicio Lines for P450.

very clean, even in the Economy Class section.

Why Sulpicio? Well, for one thing, they offered the cheapest rate (again, prices for me DO matter). Another factor was that I always have a pleasant experience everytime I board their vessels. The last one I was able to board was their flagship vessel MV Princess of the Stars from Manila to Cebu in 2007 (the vessel unfortunately sank along the coast near Iloilo in 2009 – if my memory serves me right).  I really did enjoy my stay during that time and the accommodations were way more superior and classy than their competitors.

I was right. The gangplank going to the vessel lifted up at exactly 7:00pm. The vehicle ride from the terminal to the port was fast and efficient. And the crew was courteous and pleasant. Best of all, the accommodations were better than I expected. The mattresses even in the economy class were clean, the floors were mopped thoroughly and the toilets didn’t smell (very very important!). Luckily for me, It was not the passenger season yet so only a few of us were aboard the ship.

The ship had a sun deck so I was there watching the crew unharnessing the ropes from the dock and sailing away. The best part of the night was that I was able to observe Cebu’s skyline as well as the view of the South Road Properties from the sea as we sailed away. The iconic LUDO sign is really pretty at night (but ugly during the day). I also got to see the SOUTH ROAD PREPERTIES sign, the neo-classical building near city hall (I forgot who owns it), vehicles plying the south road, and even the boulevard near the Sugbo building. After an hour of watching the shorelines of Cebu, I decided to go back inside and to call it a night.

scene of Cebu port at night

the neo-classical structure of Compania Maritima

the LUDO sign – beautiful at night, ugly during the day.

The day’s cost:

P     9.00 – fare from the house to Pier 5.

                        P 450.00 – fare from Cebu to Cagayan de Oro City via Sulpicio Lines.

Total Cost: P 459.00

March 2, 2012 (Friday): Prelude to the NW Mindanao Adventure

the following has been taken from the deep files of my computer. and, although it is kinda late for it to be posted, but still, i think it’s worth the amusing adventure stories i have gathered over the course of my journey in a span of only a week. so…better late than never!!!

all the spartan things i usually carry with me when traveling…

…can just be carried in this amazing backpack!

It all started with Cebu Pacific’s peso fare. I always peruse the web for promos and offers of airline companies and that day I hit pay dirt. Cebu Pacific was offering a one-peso fare for a flight from Cebu  to Zamboanga and an P88.00 fare for a Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi route (excluding taxes). Of course, I couldn’t let an offer like that just simply be ignored. So, out of an impulse, I decided to book the flight on the third week of November. I didn’t really thought of what my itinerary would be, let alone if I would be granted a one-week leave from my company for the trip. But there I was, finding myself paying in cash the said flight. I also thought it would also be a great time for me to visit my hometown, Iligan City.  The last time I was there was in 2003, seeking refuge while waiting for the release of the Civil Engineering board exams (which I thankfully passed). A lot of people have asked me why I wanted to go there when it was generally not considered a safe place to travel in. Well, they know nothing at all about Mindanao. There may be some hotspot areas but in general, Mindanao is an even safer place to be in than in Manila. Besides, I’ve never traveled to western Mindanao before. The farthest I have been to was in Pagadian City with my family way back in the 1990s. During that time we used a private vehicle and we only toured the city in one afternoon. So this adventure trip was going to be a cultural immersion also for me to see the predominantly Moslem areas in the Mindanao region.

Anyways, that night, I prepared to pack up my things for the week-long adventure.  As usual, my packing was light. I placed toiletries in small containers, a towellette instead of a towel, a compressible water bag instead of a plastic bottle, two novels for boredom (borrowed from the public library), basic gadgets, enough shirts and shorts for a week, sufficient undies, a rechargeable flashlight with an AM/FM radio,  and a notebook and pen for documentation.

One peculiar quality about me is that I am not fond of sleeping in air-conditioned rooms. In fact at home, I will only use the aircon when there are visitors or when my siblings come home for a visit. I have low tolerance for cold. It has worked actually to my advantage as I am quite contented in sleeping in spartan conditions for as long as I can placed my head in a comfortable position. Thus, cheap rooms, non-airconditioned buses or economy-class accommodations in shipping vessels are the norms for me. Call me a cheapskate or what, I don’t care. I prefer to spend my money on other things instead like food or souvenirs.

My plan was to buy an economy class ticket after my shift ended. Thus, I will be heading straight downtown to buy an economy class ticket after work, go back home, grab my bags and then arrive early at the ship so as not to be caught at all by the rush hour traffic. I am really excited of what lies ahead of the trip. So far, I have already notified my contacts to the cities I will be going to. The itinerary was going to be Cagayan de Oro – Iligan City – Marawi City – Pagadian City – Zamboanga City – Bongao, Tawi-Tawi – back to Zamboanga City, and then fly back to Cebu City. The whole travel will only cover one week. Sounds crazy? Yes. Sounds fun? Make that a double yes!!!