Passenger Talesstories about my experiences as a traveler and passenger

My friend Laisa invited five of us to go to Puerto Galera with her to celebrate her birthday. Unfortunately, due to conflicting schedules, only the two of us were able to make it. We met at 4:00 am and took a taxi to the bus terminal near the Gil Puyat LRT station. The bus took us to Batangas pier where we boarded a boat for Puerto Galera.

While we were waiting for the other passengers to arrive, an old woman was helped down the plank by some of the boat personnel. Once she was settled, they checked her ticket. They saw that her ticket was for the boat beside us that was also traveling to PG. When they asked her to transfer, she refused, maybe because it was a hassle for her to tranfer, with all her things and getting into the boat was not quite an easy task for her. The boat personnel tried to persuade her, but she remained stubborn. Just so shed did not have to move, she offered to pay instead. Seeing that there was no way he was going to win with her, the personnel gave in and she was issued a ticket after she paid. A little while later, she remembered that the personnal had not returned her other ticket. So she pestered the boat personnel to return it to her. As far as I can remember, I don’t think her other ticket was returned. It was a smooth one hour trip White Sands, PG. During that first day, we just rested because we both lacked sleep.

The next day we started early and had our backs tattoed with henna. It rained while we were being tattooed that’s why we had to stay in the tattoo shop until the rain stopped or risk washing away our tattoo. We were told that we should not wet it for at least an hour.

While we were there, the group from Nestea arrived. They had an event that day. . Nestea organized a swarm of volunteers who wore blue shirts that they provided to pick up trash that littered the beach for their first activity. There was going to be a beach volleyball and other games in the afternoon but we were not able to watch because we wanted to go to the waterfalls.

Laisa and I rode the banana boat. When we started, we were at the front of the boat. The first time it was overturned, some college kids usurped our places, delegating us to the middle. The second time the boat was overturned we were relegated to the back. The college guys were in front. They were afraid to seat at the back. What happened to chivalry? Is it really dead? If it is, how about the rule, returning to the same places?

After lunch we hired a guide to take us to waterfalls. First we rode a tricycle to the start of the trail then we walked for about 30-45 minutes. The vegetation was thick and the walk was scenic. We were really sweaty when we got to the waterfalls. It was just a small waterfall but the water was really cool and refreshing. We took a dip and stayed there for about thirty minutes before going back.

The next day started at dawn for us because we decided to attend the 6 o’clock mass at the church in the “bayan” which was 30 minutes away by tricycle. It was still very dark when we started. I was surprised when the tricycle driver suddenly stopped beside a house. I was wondering what he was about when I saw a man came out of the house and gave the driver a container. It turned out that the driver was filling up his tank with gasoline. I didn’t know that there were places where gas stations are so scarce that some houses sold gasoline or maybe it was way too early for the gasoline stations to be opened. No 24 hour gasoline stations in the country. These are some of the pictures we took outside the church after mass.

Like almost all rural towns that are thrust into the spotlight because of tourism, there is wide disparity between the places where the tourists stay, the beach in this case, and where the people native to the place live. If you just stay in the beach, where the atmosphere is pretty artificial and superficial, you won’t get to see the real atmosphere, the rustic, laidback countryside. The Philippines is a country where opulence and poverty exist side by side. In the case of beach towns, you get to see a yacht club plunked in the middle of a poor rural town.

Anyway, we rode the boat back to Batangas pier at 1 o’clock after our lunch. We were late in getting in the boat that there were already many passengers inside. We were not able sit together because of the other passengers, at least we were still able to get seats. Even though the boat was already full, the boat personnel still accommodated foreigners who were chance passengers. It was one of the most frightening ride of my life because the sea was rough and we were overloaded. It was a rough sailing even though the weather was perfect because in that area, the sea becomes rough in the afternoons. We had to stop twice in the middle of the sea so we will not capsize because of the rough sea. I kept looking at the life jackets on top of the seats in the middle and tried to figure out way to get one if ever we capsize. I was really praying during the whole trip. It was longer that the usual one hour trip because the boat cannot speed up due to the waves. It felt like eternity before we were able to reach the port safely. Maybe next time I’ll avoid afternoon trips unless there will be bigger boats available to sail in.

By the way, sunsets in PG are beautiful. Here are some pictures of it.

got tagged by iris!

Cut and paste the following starting here.

I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!)
It’s real easy! Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially! The benefits of Viral Linking:
- One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!
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The Strategist Notebook Link Addiction Ardour of the Heart When Life Becomes a Book The Malaysian Life Yogatta.comWhat goes under the sun Roshidan’s Cyber Station Sasha says Arts of Physics And the legend lives My View, My Life A Simple Life Juliana RW The Callalily Space Petra Summer in Blue Confessions of an Army Wife Bless’ Sanctuary Happy Life Living @ Evergreen State La Place de Cherie, Chez Francine, Le bric a brac de Cherie, Little Peanut, Pea in a Pod, The Creative In Me, Me and Mine , Me and my Two Boys, My Life is Peachy, Chat, My Happy Place, Raising Sandy, I am Dzoi, Snapshots of Life, My BIG Picture, Welcome To My World, Hannah, Michellie, Lisa, Ris, Scotty’s Princess, Alibata, Marriage and Beyond, Silent Princess, Judsee, Fangface,

Now I’m tagging: misyel, lilmiz, anne, karmi, and korky, neil, jennie , beth, judith , maianne spread the love!

1. maniac men who get their kicks out of touching females (or other males) in jam-packed buses and trains

2. drivers who cheat on change – earlier this morning on my way to work, i paid the driver P20. i was supposed to have at least P2 change but he did not give it to me even though i reminded him 3x already. since his music was blasting so loudly and i was seated far from him, it was easy to ignore me. i did not relish losing my dignity by shouting at him for the sake of P2. he’ll get his comeuppance one way or another.

3. drivers and passengers who smoke

4. sleepy drivers – very scary

5. sleeping passengers whose continuous head banging and swaying invade your space

6. dust face powder coating and the “amoy araw” (sun smell?) you get when riding a jeepney or non-aircon bus

7. passengers who stop the vehicle to get off when the last passenger just got off a meter or two away. – filipinos hate walking. our motto is “why walk when you can ride” hehehe

8. passengers who occupy more space than they should, e.g. women passengers who sit sideways, and men who open their thighs wide when sitting

9. sweaty and/or smelly co-passengers – especially if your seating beside somebody whose sweating like a pig and your wearing sleeveless dress or blouse. yuuucckkk!

10. litterbug passengers – why can’t they just keep their junk until they can find a trash can?

Something I came across while reviewing my emails…I hope the author does not mind my reposting it.

The JEEPney

By: BenignO (of GetRealPhilippines.com)

Leaf through any tourism promotional material released by Philippine tourism bodies – government or private – and chances are, you’ll come across at least one picture of the jeepney; that symbol of Filipino ingenuity, creativity, festivity, or whatever virtues we imagine ourselves to possess. Step onto any Manila street and you immediately witness the effects of the reign of the King of the Road.

No other icon of Philippine culture epitomises more the utter pompousness of the Filipino. For in trumpeting the jeepney as the symbol of our ingenuity, we not only provide insight to the dismal levels of our standards of ingenuity but also proclaim to the world that we find no reason to change for the better. If these machines are considered such priceless gems of Philippine culture, then why are they banned from Manila’s premier tourist showcase – the fragrant Roxas (formerly Dewey) Boulevard?

Their place as a novelty on the streets comes into question when one considers the amount of effort and expenditure that has gone into finding solutions to the traffic snarls and pollution that constantly plague Metro Manila and other major Philippine cities. While there is a general unwritten acknowledgment of the jeepney’s role in exacerbating these problems, there has been no known attempt (from people and organisations that could make a difference) to highlight it as a priority social and economic problem. To be sure, the MRT/LRT projects are pursued in the hope that these systems will expedite the demise of the jeepney as a primary means of public transport. However, the underlying government stance is that such transport infrastructure projects are, in fact, meant to augment “strained public transport facilities”. This stance implies that there will be no effort to phase out jeepneys beyond waiting for Metro Manila residents to make their choice of preferred means of commute. This is quite a disturbing prospect considering that train fare costs ten times more than jeepney fare.

Jeepneys defy systemic approaches to developing efficient mass transit in Philippine cities and have become eyesores wherever they turn empty lots and even streets into de facto terminals. A conscious effort on the part of jeepney drivers and owners to induce loud rumbling noises from their mufflers (or lack of them) whenever they rev their machines turns the metropolis into a seething cauldron that is an assault on the senses. And the persistence of a design dating back to the 40’s is a testament to an utter lack of innovation and progress in taste, practicality, and attitudes.

So while we wait for jeepneys to become uncompetitive (price wise – fat chance), millions of dollars are spent on massive infrastructure projects, private motorists bear the brunt of various vehicle reduction schemes, Manila’s air continues to increase in corrosiveness, and the average commuter remains short-changed in safety and comfort.

Jennie, thanks for the tag. I’m not sure I have 8 people to tag though. Hehehe. Is it alright to answer “Not applicable”?

Here’s the rule: Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged. Whoever does the tag will have blessings from all.

1. At what age did you marry? haven’t married yet.
   
2. What color do you like most? yellow
3. If you can have a superpower, what would it be? the ability to become invisible, i want to eavesdrop on people. hahaha
4. Where is the place that you want to go the most? switzerland
5. What is the best place you’ve been to?

bohol

6. Which part of you that you hate the most? my nose
7. When you encounter a sad moment, what would you do? i cry
8. What are you afraid to lose the most? my family (same as jennie’s)
9. If you win $1 million, what would you do? donate some for the church construction then use the rest for travel, what else?
10. What did you love the most last year (2007)? plentyof bonus,
11. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you. friendly, very helpful, and generous – to a perfect stranger no less
12. Which type of person do you hate the most? liars and people who can’t learn from their mistakes
    
13. What is your greatest asset? ability to take life as it comes
    
14. If you had one wish what would you wish for? i think i’ll go with Jennie’s answer – eternal security for all of my loved ones
15. If you’re not where you are right now, where would you be and what would you be doing? i would be a travel writer and get to stay in all the best places in the world
16. Name one of your body part your hubby or boyfriend tells you he adores. not applicable, hehehe
    
17. It is already 2008, do you have a new year’s resolution? Start losing weight
18. What do you look forward to in 2008? travel
19. When do you plan to have baby number two (or three)? haven’t started with baby number one yet.
20. If you have one thing you can change within your self, what will it be? be more aggressive and passionate
    

,
I want to tag my blogging friends: Jennie, Neil, Beth, Judith , Nanci , Maianne, Iris , Laisa

I was walking along Aurora Boulevard to the tricycle terminal just off Broadway when I passed by a store that sells finger foods like kikiam, siomai, fish and squid balls. Guess what the name of the store was? “Kik Mai Bols”. Hahaha. I just managed to stifle my laughter when I read the name. I bet it was a guy who came up with the name.

When we arrived in Singapore, Selle, a friend of my companions, met us. She provided us each with Easy Links, an ATM sized re-loadable ticket that can be used for commuting in the bus and MRT. From the airport lobby we rode the escalator (I was surprised at its speed) down to the MRT platform. She took us to what looked like an ATM where we loaded our Easy Links with S$10 each. It was a few minutes more before it really dawned on me that the place where we waited was the train platform. It was very clean and spacious. So was the train when it arrived. There were only few passengers because the airport was an end station. What was surprising was that even though it was mostly empty, some passengers preferred to stand. When the train began to fill up, I noticed that unlike here in the Philippines, the passengers don’t crowd the other passengers just so that they can take a seat. They respect the boundaries that defined the seats.

I really enjoyed looking at the far side of the train because you can see the snake-like swaying movement when the train moves. Another nice surprise was that you do not need to take out your easy link from you bag or wallet in order to swipe it. Just swipe the portion of your bag where you stored your Easy Link.

Furthermore, every train station has a mall, even though some are small. There are also stations where you get off so that you can transfer to another line. When getting off the train you’ll hear the recording “Please mind the platform” over and over again. The East-West Line is coded green while the North-South Line is red and the North-East Line is purple. Most of the train stations have doors along the tracks that open only once the train doors open to prevent passengers from accidentally falling into the tracks while waiting. The best thing about the trains is that you don’t need to wait for very long for the next train. I was told that during rush hours there are trains every four minutes. So there was no need for the people to push each other just to get on the train.

However, their MRT is not perfect. Like its counterpart in the Philippines, it also suffers from breakdown. During our second to the last day in Singapore, we saw an announcement in the station that there were some technical problems that affected the passengers from Pasir Ris to Tanah Mera. Good thing it was opposite to where we were going. Another example was while we were waiting to get off at City Hall to transfer to the Red Line, the train started to stop then lurched again because it stopped a few inches shy of the station door.

During my stay, I was able to ride all the three lines. MRT is a very good way to travel in Singapore because it is fast, efficient, accessible and inexpensive. I hope that in the future, MRT and LRT in the Philippines can be as well-developed and well-planned as in Singapore.

Earlier today on my way to work, I had the misfortune of seating beside a very sleepy man in a jam-packed jeepney. He kept nodding off. Aside from that, he was holding the rail at the ceiling of the jeepney with his left hand and since I was seated at his left, he was encroaching on my already miniscule place. I did not say or do anything because I can understand sleeping in public transportations. I have done it a few times in the past and I’m sure I’ll be doing it again in the future. I just ignored him and tried to be as comfortable as possible. Unfortunately, it came to a point where the guy was already in danger of sleeping on my shoulder. I was preparing to turn to give him the evil eye when I had a savior from an unexpected quarter. The lady on my other side spoke up and told him, “Lean your head (on the vertical window bar) so that you won’t keep nodding off and disturbing others.” The guy followed her suggestion, thus sparing me from further discomfort. Many thanks, Ma’am, whoever you are

I think I was around 12 to 14 years old when I had my first run-in with a maniac in a jeepney.  It was before 7 o’clock in the morning and I was on my way to school.  I sat on the jeepney trying to keep my place with my backpack and my Coleman in my lap.  It was a while before I noticed that a strange weight was on me and when I looked down, I saw that the guy beside me had his hand on my lap.  I gingerley picked up his hand and returned it to him. But still he persisted in putting it back. His putting his hand on my lap and my returning it to him continued for a few times. What can I say, I was a little slow in recognizing his intent. When he still persisted, I suddenly shouted when I returned his hand for the nth time, “What are you doing!”.  Every one in the jeepney turned to look at him.  After that he stopped and when somebody got off the jeepney he moved away.  I was so shaken and angry that when  I got off the jeepney, I made sure that I stepped on his slippered foot.

I was walking along Pearl Drive when I saw this foreigner. I’m not quite sure about her nationality but I think she was Asian. She had long curly brown hair, slim, very white and flawless, wearing a short gray t-shirt dress with flouncy hem. She was walking rather swiftly making the hem of her dress bounce. Men can’t help but stare. Suddenly, I saw the bottom part of her dress lift to her waist for a second or two, showing what was underneath. Since I was way behind, I can’t quite make out what it was. I’m not quite sure if she became aware of this because she just kept walking on, without a break to her stride. The reason why her skirt lifted was because she passed by the area where air from the building’s ventilation was quite strong. So for ladies wearing short skirts or dresses, beware of that area near the Mini Stop along Pearl Drive.