Philippine Road Trip - Day 4

I woke up in an unfamiliar bed. For a moment there, I forgot that we were in Tacloban City. Yes, we're still travelling. :) You notice the smiley after the word travel? lol  I just don't smile but grin when I think about going to places. My heart starts thumping. And I find myself singing, not just in the bathroom.. haha

John was still sleeping. So I quietly took a bath, changed and went down. The street wasn't busy yet. Maybe because it's a sunday. Most people get up late on Sundays. Not me though.. I always wake up at freakin' 5:00 in the morning. Same time with the chicken huh? haha... Gee, am I that old now?

Downtown Tacloban on a Sunday.

I hired a tricycle and went to church. I did not know that Tacloban City's patron saint is the Sto. Nino. I'm glad because he's our family's patron saint too. And it gave me the chance to say thanks for bringing us to this place safely.

Tacloban Church

The flower vendors outside the church.

Tacloban City is a small place. I asked the driver to roam around its downtown area and see what's there. He turned towards the pier. I'm glad he did since it gave me time to take pictures again. :)

When I got back to the hotel, John and I had breakfast. Our conversation:

Me   :   do you remember the bridge last night?
John:   yes
Me   :  can we go back there?
John :  why? (in a funny sounding voice)
Me   :  because I want to take pictures of it. It was so dark last night, I was not able to do so.

John looked at me as if I was crazy. haha...So I explained.

Me   : That is San Juanico Bridge. When I was in elementary, it was part of our history book. So I'd
           like to go back there and take pictures.

John :  (Rolling his eyes) Seriously?! 30mins of travel to take pictures of a bridge?

To this date, John still thinks I'm crazy. hahaha....

San Juanico Bridge, Samar , Leyte.

Another thing I learned is that Tacloban City has one of the best Lechons (roasted pig) in the Philippines. We had no idea where we will have lunch and what awaits us on the road. So  we bought food on the road again. I bought rice and lechon for me. (That's how I found out that it's Tacloban's specialty. ) And pizza for John.

Okay, so off we go.. looking for Mc Arthur! :) Tsk.. tsk.. Leyte adventure will not be complete without checking the "I shall return" guy right? Of course!

Mc Arthur Landing park in Leyte, Philippines.

John and his countrymen. :)

The rain was drizzling. But well, it did not bother us. We were having fun cruising the road. Leyte to Liloan was a beautiful ride. The ricefield, the mountain view and the beach... wow, our government should seriously consider promoting this island to the whole world.

We found ourselves at Liloan Port. The ferry leaves late in the afternoon so we had no choice but wait. Liloan , Leyte to Surigao is a 4 hour trip.  Without typhoons or a low pressure , that 4 hour trip is heavenly.  

Coin divers at Liloan Port.

Philippine Road Trip - Day 3

It had been a gruelling 2 days. But waking up from a deep slumber was both relaxing and refreshing. Today, starts a new episode. Another adventure to the unknown. :) Of which I was excitedly looking forward to.

We started our day with a great breakfast from La Roca Hotel. For Php2,400.00 per night, I thought that the place was cheap, considering the big room and the free breakfast that comes with the booking. I love their spacious and very clean bathroom. I am glad that we found an instant "home away from home" , so to speak.

At 9:00 a.m. , John and I were already on the road , trying to get out of Legazpi City. But we both realized that we've done the same road twice already. So I looked at the map again and wondered how on earth did we get lost? John stopped and I asked the vendor beside the road for direction. Using her finger and lips as she pointed the direction to us, I profusedly said "thank you".

Okay,  now we understand how we mistakenly took another route. Finally, we found the main highway. Thank God. :)

The Park in Sorsogon.

Travelling in a highway is so much better than being in a big city. Traffic is lesser and the countryside gets more beautiful every minute that passes by. We did not even notice it when  we reached Sorsogon. We stopped for a short break, bought some "merienda" and used the park's bathroom. It gave me time to satisfy my photography addiction too...  With John as my handsome but unwilling model.  ha..ha..

                              

Beautiful mountains in Sorsogon.

                                         

Past lunchtime, we reached  MatnogPort.  This is where we will board the ferry going to Allen, Samar. The trip took 2 hours only. That gave us the respite we much needed. Again, I bought food. This time from the ferry canteen. There weren't many options. But it's better than nothing considering that we still had a long way to go.

The Ferry in Matnog.

The view from the ferry. See how small the boat was amidst the vastness of the sea.
Reminds me that I am just a speck on earth. Really.

The port in Allen, Samar.

Getting out of the port was no hassle. We were on the road again after a few minutes. What took time was crossing the rough and bumpy highway. That's good news though. It means that our government is repairing the road. At least we know that taxpayer's money is going somewhere. :)

Samar, Leyte has a lot to offer. They are blessed with beautiful beaches and mountain ranges that any adventurous traveller should try to visit. This trip taught me a lesson. I have so much to learn about my country. I am a Filipino but I did not know that these things exist in my own "backyard". I am glad that I am a wanderlust. And I thank God for giving me a husband who understands it. And the means to rest when we want to.

A "postcard-perfect" scenery in Samar, Leyte.

 

The ingenuity of the Filipinos. Covered motorcycle being used as a public vehicle. :)

                                                          Lea C. Walker

                                                   leawalker.blogspot.com

                                                 www.davaoproperties.com