Take A Road Trip With Us

DAY 1

After an endless search for an affordable but nice place to stay in Coron, we ended up not having any reservation when we got there. Here we go again..doing it backpacking style..but what the heck, this is a part of the adventure anyway. 

By the time we arrived the airport, Kuya Richard of Mt. Tapyas Hotel offered us a ride to the town. We asked him to drop us off at Coron Village Lodge or Darayonan, two of the inns that we researched from the net. Good thing these two resorts are next to each other and offer rooms at a reasonable price. We chose to stay at Coron Village Lodge for price of Php 750/room/night with AC and cable TV.

Since we’re still not sure whether we’ll hike Mt. Tapyas or go swimming at the Maquinit Hotspring, we decided to just start our activities the next day and just plan things over dinner at one of the recommended restaurants in Coron – the Kawayanan Grill. There’s really nothing to rave about the grilled food of this place. The Php6 bbq infront of Seadive is way tastier than Kawayanan’s Php 120 liempo. The Bicol Express is a surprise though. Instead of using meat, they used finely chopped squid which tasted good.

After eating early dinner, we went around town to look for Al Linsangan, the guy that Kuya Richard said was offering the cheapest island hopping packages. But we weren’t able to see him or his shop, and instead met Kuya Allan and his wife Ate Vangie. For a price of Php5k, he offered us a Coron Island Hopping Tour and a Malcapuya-Banana Island tour and we agreed.

The only thing we have to pray hard for is a GOOD WEATHER. A sunny one would be perfect.  Pepeng go away!


DAY 2

It was raining hard last night and we really thought that the rain won’t stop for the whole day. But at around 8am, God blessed us with a bright and sunny weather  woot woot! We bought packed lunch at Binalot and headed off to our Coron Island Hopping trip. I was so excited to see the crystal clear waters of Palawan’s beaches and lakes which I only get to see in postcards before.

Our itinerary for the day was:

1st stop – snorkeling fun at Skeleton Wreck
2nd stop – photo op at Atuaya beach
3rd stop – passing by Blue Lagoon
4th stop – lazing around the amazing Kayangan Lake
5th stop - passing by Siete Pecados
6th stop – relaxing afternoon at Maquinit Hotspring



It was a blissful and tiring day for us and we’re definitely looking forward to another exciting day in Coron. We had dinner at a nearby carienderia and bought cheap barbeque infront of Seadive and a melon Zagu.

White sand beaches for tomorrow at Banana Island and Malcapuya Island!

Day 3

October 4, 2009. For the second part of our island hopping adventure, we headed off to the island of Malcapuya, a secluded white sand beach about an hour and a half away from Coron pier. But before departure, Kuya Allan dropped us off at the market to eat breakfast and buy all the needed rekados for our lunch. With a budget of 400php, we were able to purchase half a kilo of liempo, a large tuna, a kilo of banana, softdrinks, ice, charcoal, and eating utensils.

There were no other people except us and the caretakers when we arrived in Malcapuya Beach at 9:30am. From the long stretch of white sand beach to the crystal blue water with shells and corals in abundance in the shallows, it’s a slice of paradise. We spent our time there sunbathing, swimming and walking around the scenic island.



Our final stop was Banana Island Resort, just a few minutes away from Malcapuya. This small island beach is called as such because it’s shaped like a banana. Entrance fee costs 200php.


We did nothing but relax and rest in the hammocks. Come lunch time, we had a sumptuous feast of grilled tuna and liempo, itlog na maalat, tomatoes and onions, ice cold softdrinks, and bananas for desert. Thanks to Kuya Allan who prepared everything!

We went to Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro the same day the MV Commando ferry accident happened. Our relatives from Manila were worried and calling to check on us. We actually saw the sunken ferry and a survivor waving for help. Some ferries and rescue boats were already heading towards it but not ours. The captain just called for rescue, and we felt too bad we were not able to help.

After landing on the shore, we thanked God for delivering us safely to our destination. We learned from some of our friends who got back to Batangas Port earlier that ticket agents or barkers from Commando were convincing them earlier to take the ferry, but good thing they waited for us before deciding to buy tickets. The rest of our stay in Puerto, we could not stop thinking of the incident and the casualties. We included them in our prayers and when we got back to Manila, we even invited others through social networking sites to pray for them.

The trip to Puerto Galera is the RT's (Roadtrippers) summer get-away and also the celebration of our April, May and June birthday celebrants. Thanks to Roi, Leluck, Jen and Gold for the treat. And of course, thanks to God again for saving us and keeping us safe.

I. Ao Nang, Krabi Thailand

April 8-10

Our trip wouldn’t be complete without going to the BEACH!

(Cue music: Pure Shores)

After a super stressful travel from KL to Thailand, a swim at the beach was a great reward :)

We took a 4 islands beach hopping package tour worth 390 baht (after much haggling with ate..hehe) and was able to see Poda, Chicken and Tub islands. Too bad it rained so hard that we weren’t able to go to the 4th island.



II. Phuket

We went to Patong Beach, Phuket with the image of a breathtaking shoreline in mind. So just imagine our disappointment when we saw that Phuket is far from that. It is densely populated with resorts, restaurants, and bars. The beach itself is filled with beach umbrellas and chairs that totally ruins the view. Worse, the water is uninviting and itchy.

The hostel we stayed in was a disappointment too (not the place itself but its rude owner and receptionist). He’s a far cry from the very accommodating Mr. Mayor of PetSoc from Hotel Petaling.

The good thing about Phuket, however, is the numerous shopping centres and the loud nightlife (if ur into that ). Too bad we didn’t have the budget for both..ahaha.



III. Bangkok

“Sa Bangkok na lang”

That’s what we always said whenever we wanted to buy something during the earlier parts of our trip. After all, Bangkok is known as “the shopping destination”. And since the other places we went to sells stuff at a higher price, we opted to restrain ourselves from buying.

We were in for a surprise when we arrived at Bangkok and saw a flurry of activities --parades, banners, free drinks are strewn everywhere. And on our way to Khao san Road to find a cheap hostel, we immediately had a bad feeling that their Songkran Festival (Thai New Year, Water Festival) will start at that day and our street will be the center of the festivity. Water guns, water bottles, hoses and a stage are being set-up outside.

Because of the &%#@ festival, I was at my worst mood. Who would want to get their clothes and cameras get wet when all we wanted to have is a stress-free sightseeing and shopping time for our last day.

Water gun directed at my ear, Tuktuk ride that got us drenched and heat stroke at Grand Palace and reclining Buddha… these are some of the events that got me pissed off. And as if this is not enough, our shopping galore plans vanished as the stores were all closing… huhuhu… I only got to buy a few items from the few stores that were still open.. sigh.

Going back to the hostel was another challenge. By late afternoon, everyone was already partying on the streets.. Khao San was closed and a stage was set-up for dignitaries and a Miss Songkran beauty contest…If only we weren’t set to leave for the airport that night, it would have been fun to join the partying crowd. But fudge! How do we leave for the airport without getting wet?

As it turned out, even with our backpacks on, the Thai people did not spare us from getting wet. ARGH. whatthe!

Our trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was an adventure of sorts. The highlights weren’t really the places that we saw but instead, it was our hilarious moments that made this trip unforgettable.

1st glitch

While we were lazily dozing off, the bus stopped at the Singapore Immigration Centre and we hurriedly went down the bus with our slips not yet filled up. As usual, we were the last to get off and get back at the bus.

2nd glitch

First Coach dropped us off in an Edsa-like street. It was raining hard and guess what… we don’t have a single Ringgit! And since it’s Sunday, most of the stores are closed and there is no way that we can walk to KL station, where the money exchange is. We just had to find someone who’ll be willing to exchange our Singaporean dollars into Ringgit (take note: doggy eyes mode). Whew! Good thing, kuya Indian gave us RM 7.00 in exchange of our SD.


3rd glitch

We were drenched in rain while looking for a hostel in Jalan Petaling. Mr. Mayor of Petsoc was very accommodating and his clean and cheap hostel is worthy of a recommendation (check out Hotel Petaling)

4th glitch

Supeeerrr ispaysi food of Hameeds! I love spicy food but their “sweet chicken” burned my tongue so just imagine what “spicy” is for them.

5th glitch

The disappointing Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge visit - After waiting for hours for the visit, we were surprised to learn that the skybridge is lower than my office’s floor level in RCBC.. whattaheck.

6th glitch

This last glitch is one for the books! Imagine the five of us running to the train station and almost missing the train just because we thought that the departure time is 30 minutes later. Haha. The guards furiously told us to hurry up as Ishi was waving at the train to stop.wahahaha


April 5-7

Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Petaling
Jalan Tun Lee
Suria KLCC
Sentral
Petronas Towers
PetronasSky Bridge
Muzium Negara Malaysia

April 3-5

We arrived at Singapore with only Isher’s wikitravel printouts at hand (which thankfully proved to be super useful).

North Bridge Road
Bugis Street
Singapore Flyer
Esplanade
Merlion Park
Chinatown







To sum up the first phase of our backpacking adventure, here are the highlights of our trip:

• head throbbing currency conversion and budgeting (spaced out eicky and jen)
• first “tipid” meal at the airport
• need for speed drivers
• taxis with GPS (sosyal!)
• first impression of the place: Makati Business district
• Singaporeans = Fashionistas!
• Free net and Breakfast (toasted bread.haha) at Cozy Corner
• complicated bus routes (or maybe I’m just used to the phils. wherein I can ride the bus anywhere, anytime and even be dropped off at the middle of edsa.. haha)
• a very clean and organized place
• expensive shops..huhu..
• why is Chinatown filled with Indians?
• Tiring and sweaty search for Merlion under the extreme heat of the sun
• I love FIRST COACH. Super comfy bus ride to Kuala Lumpur

Putting aside the mishaps of the trip..

this Pinatubo climb is a great way to start the yearlong adventure of the roadtrippers!

Seeing the crater of Mt. Pinatubo has always been on my list of to do's before I die. And mind you, this list is way before the movie 100 was shown.. hehe..So just imagine how happy I am that this trip pushed through.

Planning the trip wasn't that hard..there were various options available for the packages that we could take. It was all a matter of choosing the cheapest package that we could afford. Here's a breakdown of our expenses per person:

Van (Manila-Capas) back and forth : Php. 423.00
Pinatubo Spa package tour: Php. 1,500.00
(inclusive of 4x4, 2 local guides, skyway fee, lunch)
Shower Php. 100.00
________________
TOTAL: Php 2, 023

We took the shorter route to the crater (skyway), which lasted for 2 hours -- 1 hr 4x4 ride and another hr for the trek. The trek wasn't that hard... :) I actually had a harder time walking on the cemented stairs near the crater. However, the trek going down is a different story. We went down at noontime, just when the sun is at its peak.. so I now have sunburned shoulders and a tank top tanline.hahaha.

Upon reaching the crater, you'll immediately forget your weary feet, sweaty back, and will find yourself smiling in satisfaction. :) A glimpse of the blue-green water of the crater amidst a magnificent backdrop is definitely worth the climb.

Originally, there were 7 falls in our itenerary...

but because of the rain and the lack of nearby gas stations, we made some changes in our itinerary and made it only to 2 falls.. and had a few church stop overs..

Bunga Falls (Nagcarlan, Laguna)



and
Taytay Falls ( Majayjay, Laguna)



as for the chuches.. i remembered only a few names.. St. Gregory (dunno where in Laguna)
and Immaculate Conception (Sta.Cruz)



overnight at P1500 private house w/ pool in Los Baños



Nonetheless, we had a fun fun time!