Solo in El Nido: 4 Day Itinerary and Expenses with Solo Survival Tips

In as much as I would like to be the outdoorsy adventurous person that I seem to be, I value the importance of clean toilets and so I am back to chasing white sand beaches and get-more-than-what-you-pay-for accommodations. 

I can't remember when and why I booked a flight to Puerto Prinsesa. What I recall is that El Nido is what I have in mind while completing the online booking. I do realize that El Nido is known for being one of the top destination for honeymooners and anniversary-celebrating couples, so I thought it will be interesting to go there alone, and because of that my second self induced solo trip was confirmed. (My first solo trip)

I wouldn't say that I enjoy traveling alone more than traveling with someone. I think that traveling with friends is more fun but being alone while in the road is something that I like to put myself into once in a while to put my wanderlust alter ego to test. Also, dragging and begging friends to come with you to your dream destination is frustrating and tiring.

So I found myself lost in a place where there is an influx of tourists with pointy noses, blonde hair and blue/green eyes. Being a Filipino traveler, at times I felt out of place. I actually never got to know a fellow Filipino that is having a vacation in El Nido. Most of the friends I met are locals and friendly folks from another country but even if I have to speak English 80% of the time, I did have a good time.

Mount Maculot: A Beginner's Insight on Mountain Climbing

My First Climb

Beaches are for pussies. 
I never realized what that phrase really meant until today. When I sort of organized a Mount Maculot day hike with my officemates, all I was expecting was a good cardio activity. Sure, I could run a whole 5km without stopping, I do Yoga, Pilates and, at times, Zumba so climbing a "beginners" mountain should be an easy thing for me. Right? Wrong. There is so much more to mountain climbing than breaking a sweat.

Ignis

Unang sulyap pa lang ay batid ko na

Ikaw ang papawi sa lamig at pangungulila

Kaya sana'y tupdin yaring pagsusumamo

Nitong nagyeyelo kong pagkatao at puso

Sa init mong taglay ako ay nahalina

Ang nais kong liwanag sayo'y natamasa

Sa taglay mong lagablab ako'y nasasabik

Kahit pa ako'y mapaso, sayo ako'y magbabalik

~and on that note, I shall now end this obsession with le gorgeous neighbor.

Luna

Kulay dilaw

Abot langit ang tingin

Iihip ang hangin

Saka ako’y mapupuwing

Lalabas ang luha

Hindi sinasadya

Kay lawak

Kay ganda

Hindi na mapipikit

At saka tatangis

Ngayon ko lang

Nasilayan ng ganyan

Waring may sinasabi

Siya ba o ang tibok mo?

Ayoko ng ganito.

Ang itim na tahimik

Kay lungkot tulad ng dati

Walang katabi

Wala ang mga bituin

Pumapaimbabaw,malungkot pa rin

Goodbye Philippines

"Answer with what you see, not with what you hear." 

Yan ang tip samin ng instructor nung isang araw na umattend ako ng klase sa Niners, isang review center para sa exam sa IELTS o International English Language Testing Sytem. Ito ang exam na kinukuha ng mga taong gusto mangibang bansa. Karamihang ng mga immigration agencies ay pagpasa sa IELTS exam ang unang requirement para masimulan ang pagproseso sa pagganda ng buhay mo.

Sa loob ng klaseng iyon ay kasama ko ang may humigit kumulang sa 100 taong nagnanais na iwan na ang Pilipinas at iwaksi ang kanilang pagkaPilipino. Mga taong iiwan ang kanilang inang bayan para pagsilbihan at ialay ang kanilang dunong at propesyon sa isang banyagang bansa. Masisisi ko ba sila? 

Soaked in Sorsogon Day 3: Paguriran Island

Soaked in Sorsogon Day 1: Bulusan and Irosin

Soaked in Sorsogon Day 2: The Beaches of Matnog
Soaked in Sorsogon Day 3: Paguriran Island
Side Trip: Camarines Sur Water sports Complex

We were dropped off the signage of Paguriran Island beach resort. It is at the left side of the road. One thing to note is that Paguriran Island is a small Island that you could reach from the mainland via foot since the water in between is very shallow. 

That small island is Paguriran Island

If you plan on staying overnight, there are three resorts in front of Paguriran Island that you could choose from. This is quite confusing because they don't have different names. All 3 resorts share the name "Paguriran Island Resort". Probably because the three owners are relatives however they are not in good terms. Each has something bad to say about the other. It is sad because I think this family feud is whats hindering the development of this place to its full potential. 

Soaked in Sorsogon Day 2: The Beaches of Matnog

Soaked in Sorsogon Day 1: Bulusan and Irosin
Soaked in Sorsogon Day 2: The Beaches of Matnog
Soaked in Sorsogon Day 3: Paguriran Island
Side Trip: Camarines Sur Water sports Complex

April 21, 2013

After 8 hours of sleep in Mateo's Hot and Cold Spring Resort in Irosin, we woke up at 5 AM. Even if our room is non air conditioned, we were able to get a good night's sleep. Our favorite tricycle driver, Kuya Jovan, picked us up at exactly 6 AM to drop us off the Irosin Centro where the buses and jeeps bound to Matnog pick up passengers. We were told by the other tricycle drivers that jeep and buses doesn't arrive until 7 AM, our itinerary for the Day 2 of our Sorsogon Adventure requires us to be in Matnog to meet our boatman before 7 AM so we decided to have kuya Jovan take us to Matnog for Php 300. Judging by it's distance, Php 300 is a reasonable price. Travel time from Irosin to Matnog is 30 minutes.

Upon arriving at the Matnog port, boatmen approached us offering their boats for Php 2,000. It is a good thing that Lakwatsera de Primavera suggested a person named Eddie Evasco (0926-1404577). We contacted him a day before and he offered us his boat for only Php 1,300. Tatay Eddie is a Kagawad and once we told the flock of boatmen surrounding us that we are already in contact with Mang Eddie, they immediately stopped bugging us.

Matnog Port, just 2 hours away from Samar

Soaked in Sorsogon Day 1: Bulusan and Irosin

Soaked in Sorsogon Day 1: Bulusan and Irosin
Soaked in Sorsogon Day 2: The Beaches of Matnog
Soaked in Sorsogon Day 3: Paguriran Island
Side Trip: Camarines Sur Water sports Complex

April 19, Friday, in a bus along EDSA, 6:30 PM.  

'Twas a reminder of why I would never consider working for a company that would require me to pass by EDSA. Coming from Alabang, I've been stuck in traffic for more than two hours and I am still three MRT stations away from Cubao. 

And after what felt like a thousand curses, I finally arrived at Araneta Center. As what I've said, I am not an EDSA-type of person so I don't know where the Bicol bound bus stations are. I asked a couple of sidewalk vendors, and even they do not know where it is. WTF. I felt like they are playing some scheme on me, no one seems to want to help and they would just blankly stare at me and then look at each other. 

Oh, Metro Manila. Your polluted air had affected the minds of the people that inhabits you. Thankfully, in a few hours I will be free from you and I will be once again reunited with fresh-air-breathing genuine people and their warm smiles. This is one of the reason why I travel, to remind myself that there is more to this country than the insurmountable amount of shit, literally and figuratively, in the Metro.  

The Bicol bound bus stations are just along the south bound lane of EDSA, near the Cubao MRT station. At 7:00 PM, we still don't have a bus ticket for our Southern Luzon escapade. The popular bus companies: Penafracia, Isarog and DLTB are all fully booked. Me and my travel buddies thought our Bicol trip will be doomed until we came across the Piltranco Bus Terminal. 

The bus conductor of Amihan Bus Lines told us that they still have plenty of seats for the bus bound to Legazpi and that the one that we will be riding is an express bus with only one stop after 5 hours. We thought we were so lucky to find this bus by chance until we were halfway along the trip. It isn't an express trip. It stopped in Makati, in Alabang, in Turbina, in Quezon, in Daet, in Naga, and in every person needing a ride in Legazpi. It took us more than 13 hours to get to Legazpi. I am not complaining though, I still think the two hours bus ride along EDSA is much worse than the 13 hours shakey ride to Legazpi.

Outbreak BGC 2

A zombie infested run in a yuppie infested place like BGC, you already know that it's not going to be as realistic as Outbreak Enchanted Kingdom. 

I've been skeptical ever since they announced that the fifth outbreak (1 - Nuvali, 2 - BGC, 3 - EK, 4 - Cebu) will be in BGC again. I read reviews on the first zombie run in BGC and it wasn't good. But as a birthday gift to my persistent cousin, I agreed to register us to this fun run. 

This is our second time to join this event. The first one was in Outbreak Enchanted Kingdom on October 31, 2012 when I went as Nyan Cat. Halloween, Zombie run, inside a carnival with only Zombies inside, it is the perfect setting to psyche the runners. It is a huge success and it is really hard to top it off.

The Script Live in Manila

Not too long ago The Man Who Can't be Moved was the only The Script song that I know. It is also because of this song and it's popularity that caused me to think that The Script is just another overrated band. 

Ever since my friends heard that this band is going to come back and have their second concert here in Manila on March 31, 2013, they've been restless. We bought our tickets 4 months before the concert because they are too paranoid that the tickets will ran out fast like the band's first sold out concert in 2012. Truth is I was wondering why my friends are too crazy about this band. 

That is until that faithful Sunday, I just finished listening to Greenday's Awesome as Fuck Full Concert in Japan and I still have 3 hours left on my work shift. Out of nowhere, I decided to search for a full concert by The Script in youtube so I'd know what to expect on their much hyped 2013 Manila comeback, and after I clicked that first The Script video, I was hooked.