Disclaimer, just to manage your expectation: This might be kind of a travel guide post as I will post some recommendations but more than that, this is a travel diary with more of my random thoughts and feelings.
Making plans
The June rota (schedule) was out and apart from the five-day “birthday” off that I requested, there was another two days off after that making it into a week. I immediately texted my friend who I was supposed to come with to an every-6 months-college-reunion that was the reason for this request.
Me: Am I crazy if I’ll ditch the reunion to go home to the Philippines for a week?FYI: I already checked airfares as well as checked my bank account.
Friend: Definitely a bad idea. You need money when you go home. Pertaining not only to the airfare but to balikbayan expenses as well, you know.
Me: I’ll just hide at home, and eat nilaga from the karinderya.I was really craving for it at that moment, the karinderya type nilaga without the vegetables, full of sebo, with pieces of utok which is actually just bone marrow stuff.
Friend: Believe me, I’ve just been there, even if you don’t go out, your money will go places. Besides, we’ll have the reunion, it’ll be fun.
That was Plan A, not feasible, so crossed that one off. Because of the extension, I wasn’t still convinced Plan B is going to be the reunion.
It had been a year since this backpacking trip that was very special for me. It had been a year since I wrote a three-part post about the trip, one for each country. I was supposed to write a fourth part but never wrote it. My sister hasn’t finished our travel video yet.
But anyway, I decided to write a 3-part post again. This post, as the first of the three, will be a summary of our itinerary for three countries. Click the respective links to read details of my adventures in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
I admit I only knew about Bantayan Island because of the movie Camp Sawi. When I saw how lovely the place was, I told myself I’ll definitely visit this place. The last time I was in Cebu, I was about to go there but some typhoon came and I was told the boat operation was cancelled. I was stuck in Cebu City for a few days and was “sawi” to go to Bantayan.
Moreover, I discovered there was a boat from the island to Estancia, a fact that made it more accessible to me. So after the last-minute event that had me packing my bag to Cebu, I tried to squeeze in Bantayan in my itinerary. But, I was informed that the boat operation to Estancia was cancelled and my Couchsurfing host also cancelled, so that’s the reason I decided to settle with Moalboal. But then again, kung sinuswerte ka nga naman, I received the payment for a writing gig I did so I went, “What the heck! Let’s go to Bantayan!” Continue reading “Bantayan Island: Malaya Lang, Hindi Sawi” →
Due to some last-minute circumstances, I was off to Cebu with little planning. Well, I was there for an exam but then of course, I didn’t want to miss the chance to explore Cebu beaches which was something I kept on postponing the few times I went there.
I mentioned in my previous post that I met a Filipino couple back at a hostel in Singapore. We learned they just finished the Indochina leg of their trip with Malaysia as their last destination. They’d be traveling for three weeks all in all.
My sister and I, being in Malaysia for five days, were shocked with the prices in Singapore. Maybe it was an overstatement but we laughed at ourselves for not restraining from eating too much in Malaysia. We were a bit downhearted when we realized we will not have that much liberty in tasting Singaporean food because we think they’re too expensive.
***This thought was because we first set foot at Arab Street where we stayed at a hostel for one night. We discovered some cheap finds somehow after settling in.
If you missed the first part, click this link to read about the Malaysia leg of our trip. If you want to skip to my overall 28-day expenses, follow this link.
So! On to the #PAMILYAgoals part of my trip in Singapore.
Disclaimer: I traveled to Cebu for three days for an interview so I just went around the area where I’m staying. This is just an account of my experience in Cebu and stuff I’d recommend or otherwise or maybe I just like to mention. I didn’t take any photos too, maybe because of interview jitters before and after.
Manoush Zomorodi, on one of her TED talks, encouraged people to “love being bored.” She mentioned about a one-week challenge she designed, Bored and Brilliant, wherein you are given a simple challenge everyday involving ignoring your phone, challenges such as deleting a very important app in your life and having a photo-free day among others. Here’s an excerpt of her talk towards the end of it:
Manoush Zomorodi speaks at TED2017 – The Future You, April 24-28, 2017, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Photo: Bret Hartman / TED
It was very timely that I stumbled upon this TED talk when I was planning a trip to Tatlong Pulo, Guimaras. Aside from #BEACHgoals, I just wanted to take a break from social media so that I have time to do some other things and actually finish them. Since I’ve been there twice already, I figured it’s the perfect place for this “experiment” because there’s no electricity. Continue reading “My Little Beach Retreat and some Boredom = Creativity + Productivity experiment” →
This was a very special trip for me for two main reasons. First, this was my first solo out of the country experience with everything planned and arranged by just myself. Second, I didn’t tell my parents about it. They only knew a month or two when I decided to tell them about it. Ninja moves to the highest level.
For this, I’ll share my itinerary, budget tips, and of course, and always it’s what it’s all about, the experience.
First time at the exit row, learned why it is a big deal
IMMIGRATION
Yes, I’d like to mention this particular thing. But I deleted the almost one paragraph I had already typed because I might just make a separate post for that. Not that I’m a frequent traveler.
I was nervous. I’m traveling alone. That was my first time traveling alone outside of the country. It’s my first time to be interrogated at NAIA. I didn’t have a COE or an LOA approved. I didn’t have a hotel reservation. I somehow felt that my interrogation was longer than the previous ones before me, I think mainly because I’ll be Couchsurfin’. So she asked me the address and all that stuff. I showed our conversations. I showed the IO my budget draft in print form with estimated prices and estimated total budget for the whole trip.
Well—hallelujah! It was really how I felt when the IO stamped my passport and let me through.
SLEEPING AT THE AIRPORT
My medyo effort na sleeping-kuno shot.
I arrived at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport—I don’t remember the time honestly but that was somewhere 12-2 AM. There’s a one hour difference between Philippines and Vietnam, the latter being one hour behind. The plane arrived a few minutes earlier than the estimated time. It wasn’t normal but I wished our flight was delayed because then, I will spend less time sleeping at the airport.
Bathroom selfie when waiting in the airport got boring…
I think sleeping at the airport is practical if you really don’t mind much the discomfort. You can save one night’s worth of accommodation. It’s safe there than taking a cab very early in the morning, I think. The transportation is cheaper during the normal working hours. If there’s someone to fetch you, it would save them from worrying about fetching you at unholy hours.
Good: I found electric plugs to charge my fast-draining cellphone! I found one just next to the restroom.
Bad: Not a lot of benches inside to sleep on. I didn’t find an food stall that’s open (but I guess that’s great to control my appetite).
At around 7 AM, I met Kan, a university student whom I’ve known from Couchsurfing.
Brief intro: He’s not hosting/surfing at that time but the website is a good platform for his thesis about travelers’ travel motivation to Ho Chi Minh. I responded to his questionnaire and somehow struck a conversation. He offered to tour me around the city. =)
Outside the arrivals area
The only photo I had with Kan because at the time when he asked me to take my picture, I said I don’t want to be too touristy. He assumed I didn’t want to take pictures so we didn’t have a proper one together.
MONEY CHANGER
Vietnamese dong not available in Iloilo. Naubusan din sa NAIA. So one of my priorities that morning aside from breakfast was to change my money.
I had money in my EON Visa Card so I thought I’ll just withdraw from the ATM. I read that was an easy way to change money and the exchange rate was okay. While waiting at the airport, I read articles that they advise changing your peso to US dollars then to VND for better exchange rate. Too late for me.
I had my P 1,000 changed to VND upon arriving at the airport just in case. The exchange rate was PHP 1 = 405 VND. I know that it’s supposed to be somewhere around 450 but it’s in the airport so I somehow expected the exchange rate to be not favorable. Though, it was good that I had it exchanged at the booth right after immigration and not the one outside, the only money changer open at that time. I asked and their rate was 385 VND.
Kan took me to Kim Mai. I changed my peso bills with 440 VND exchange rate. I thought it was fine.
During my last day, I changed my VND to PHP at this place, Mai Van (?) with P 1 = 450 VND exchange rate. It’s somewhere along the backpacker street.
I’m not a really “finance-oriented’ person nor I’m good in math to tell if it’s a good rate or not so it’s up to you.
As of editing this post, October 2018, the exchange rate is 1 PHP = 430 VND.
I also found in a blog an easy way to calculate Philippine peso to Vietnamese dong. Just take out the three zeros, then multiply by 2. There’s a little discrepancy but it’s just a quick estimate.
HO CHI MINH CITY TOUR
We toured around the city to the places that I have mentioned to Kan during our previous chats. He rides a motorbike, like all the other Vietnamese, as I have discovered. I was quite surprised about it, the parking spaces, and the motorbikes at the streets.
You’ll see more of these in parking areas.
I mean, I watched a video from a blog about crossing the streets in Vietnam is quite a big deal. I thought it would be easier for me since I’m used to the “patintero” with vehicles in the Philippines. Here are a few things I’ve learned:
Kan told me the trick is not to walk fast but to walk slowly. If you’re crossing the street, the bikes will not stop for you but just slowly walk and they will adjust.
Parking spaces for motorbikes are everywhere. Some sidewalks are made to have small ramps for those. At my host’s home, they have a ramp so that they could easily drive the motorbike inside their house.
Some places have parking fee, around 5,000 VND for motorbikes usually.
We ate breakfast near a market.
Noodles with tofu, blood, crab meat, etc. for 13,000 VND
Soya drink 8,000 VND
Kan dropped me at the Notre Dame Cathedral because he had to meet a friend. Since I didn’t have Internet access yet and didn’t have a SIM card, we just agreed we’ll meet there after an hour.
It was a Sunday so there’s a mass going on when I entered. The mass is in Vietnamese. During the communion, I know it’s not advisable but I left my bag and asked the girl beside me to watch for it, and went for communion. After the mass, the girl introduced herself as Tua. She was from Hanoi but had work at Ho Chi Minh for a few days. I learned from her:
Vietnam has a number of Catholics/Christians too and not just Buddhists.
After that mass I attended, there is another mass in English for the foreigners. She told me at some churches, they also have French mass.
If you’re lucky, it’s safe to leave your bag with strangers and make friends with them, LOL.
Eventually, we said our goodbyes and I went around the cathedral. I realized why they had a mass in French. Just outside were a group of tourists with a French guide.
I also witnessed three pre-nup photoshoots in just a span of one hour within that area.
Pre-nup photoshoot #1
Pre-nup photoshoot #2
Pre-nup photoshoot #3
20,000 VND/3 donuts for a pic
Inside the post office where you can also buy souvenir items
Nagselfie si Ate
I call this place book street
An hour later, good thing Kan saw me walking on the streets. We went ahead to Ho Chi Minh Museum and I learned:
Ho Chi Minh is a person! (I need that exclamation point) Yeah, I’m surprised because I thought it was simply a name for the city. Turns out, the place was named after their famous leader, Ho Chi Minh.
There are two Ho Chi Minh museums, one about Ho Chi Minh, the person, and one for Ho Chi Minh, the city.
Kan bought the entrance fee. And if only I hadn’t spoken in English, I could have only paid 4,000 VND instead of 10,000 VND because the one behind the counter thought I’m Vietnamese.
Nothing is as precious as freedom and independence.
It’s a good thing I had Kan with me because he gave me tidbits of their history as we walk along the museum.
Then we went to the Jade Pagoda simply because I want to try praying at a temple. I bought incense and Kan taught me how to pray. He said, Buddha might not understand me since I don’t speak their language so he taught me how to introduce myself to Buddha in Vietnamese. I’ve learned:
I’m not good at grasping Vietnamese words.
There are people who pray at temples. Like Kan, there are people who have mini shrines/altars (sorry, I don’t know how to call them) within their homes where they do their worshiping.
It was a hot day so Kan and I chilled for some time at the benches. This was also the time we figured how to reach my CS host.
Kids playing with the pigeons
Where I prayed for boyfriend because Kan told me this is the shrine for that, and for marriage and relationships. FYI, not effective, maybe I need more than just the power of prayer, lol.
We had lunch and we rest for a bit.
Kan and the owner on the side. She was talking to Kan in Vietnamese asking some stuff about me. Kan told me she had asked how come a nurse like me was able to travel. Apparently, Vietnamese nurses were also paid like how Filipino nurses were paid.
It rained that afternoon.
We went back to the city center to watch the Japan Vietnam Festival. It was the last day so I feel kinda lucky to be there just in time for that. There was a fashion show, a cosplay contest, and performance from Japanese and Vietnamese entertainers.
Kan then took me to a travel agency to buy tour tickets. My Couchsurfing host is working at daytime so I figured taking tours would be easier for me. I only had a few days so I just bought the 1-day Mekong Delta River tour and ½ day Cu Chi Tunnels tour. I also bought a ticket for the Water Puppet Show which was one of my main objectives seeing that from PBB. I was tempted to buy the tours online but they were expensive and it was better I bought the tours at Vietnam.
Then we had dinner. I learned:
Rice is served, apart from the main dish, with vegetables and soup usually. Cold tea is free! I can live with that. I don’t drink tea aside from Sharetea and Dakasi but their tea is great! Fish is served usually with green mangoes.
Again, there was discrimination in the pricing. Kan told me the meal we had would usually be around 20,000-25,000 VND but since I was not Vietnamese because the vendor heard me speaking English, the vendor charged us 30,000 VND.
It was really a good thing I was with Kan. My phone was dead and I could not contact my host. Prior to the death of my phone battery, I gave my host’s number to Kan so he called Thuong. She ordered a Grab Bike for me to her place. So it was goodbye to Kan. But not really =)
Brief intro: I had contacted a few people and a few people offered to host me. Thuong offered me her place which was not within the city center. Thuong lives with her husband and her kids were in the care of their grandparents on weekdays.
It was my first time to be a guest and not a host so I’m kind of anxious as to how to be in the shoes of the couchsurfers I’ve hosted before. We talked for a while and Thuong showed me my room. I took a most-needed shower and slept in supine position at last.
I couldn’t resist taking a photo of their money because in Vietnam, you can be a millionaire. But, I’m really sorry if my fingers look awkward, I was just really trying to hold the money up.
My room for two nights. I have the bathroom to myself!
MEKONG RIVER DELTA TOUR
Thuong and I ate breakfast and since she works somewhere at the city center, she offered me a ride, helped me buy a SIM card and dropped me at the travel agency.
Regarding, and in relation to the SIM card, I’ve learned:
Internet is faster in Vietnam than in the Philippines. I had only two bars but I can stream online videos without interruption whereas in the Philippines, four bars doesn’t guarantee flawless online streaming.
There’s a SIM for Internet only and there’s a SIM where you can call and text. Usually, they ask for your preference.
Make sure that the SIM is working before you leave. Once the SIM is inserted on your phone, let them do their magic because they have to adjust some settings for the SIM to work. When I saw that my phone had a signal after inserting the SIM, I hurriedly left the store to catch up with my tour. I couldn’t connect to the Internet and I couldn’t figure out how to connect. When I went back to the store later that day, the girl I talked to in the morning wasn’t there and the store attendant doesn’t understand English. I didn’t use that SIM.
Kan actually advised me I don’t need a SIM because coffee shops have WiFi. That day, I just connected to the travel agency’s WiFi.
Okay. So it was my first time to join a tour with strangers. In the bus, there were mostly couples or group of friends. Another solo traveler, Michael from Hong Kong, sat beside me and we became the tour buddies, to watch out for each other during the trip since we came there alone.
It was nice that weeks ago, he had been to the Philippines as a volunteer. He talked about the food and his experiences in the Philippines and I talked about my Hong Kong experience.
Notes:
English-speaking guide named Ming. He’s funny.
Free water
The bus is airconditioned. It can pick you up from your hotel if it’s nearby but I suggest if you want to choose your seats, do not opt for pick-up. You will sit at whatever seat is available and if you have company, there are chances you will not sit together.
Bring your receipt.
This is where I realized I don’t like tours in the sense that they take you to some places which are not interesting really but are trying to sell you stuff.
Complimentary food for the honey tasting
Cocounut candies
These were handmade by the girl in the photo.
Coconut liquor tasting. I tried. They didn’t had a tasting for the snake liquor. =(
Ibos in Vietnam? I don’t know.
I grabbed a slice of pineapple with my fingers. I didn’t realize there was a fork for that. But Michael tried too, said it might taste even better when eating by hand and the rest of the people in the table followed, lol.
Kalesa in Vietnam
The British guys happily joining the groufie. Michael on the right. And the Swiss pair at the back, one from the French area and the other in the German area. That’s why they speak English to each other despite coming from the same country.
The restaurant where we had lunch.
Kinda hungry…
This hammock setting is popular in Vietnam.
Biking around the restaurant is possible
We were back at the city at around 5 PM. Thuong ordered a Grab Bike from the travel agency to her workplace so that from there, we went home together. Thuong cooked dinner and she had me take a shower while she was cooking. She didn’t let me help with the cooking so I offered, and we agreed, that I wash the dishes after. We had dinner together and talked some more. I also met her brother who just happened to drop by.
CU CHI TUNNELS and WATER PUPPET SHOW
We didn’t have time for breakfast and again, I hitched a ride to the city center with my bag. Thuong thought I’d stay one more night but I decided to stay at the backpacker street to have the feel of Ho Chi Minh by night. I said my thank you and goodbye and gave her piaya, pop rice and candies for her kids. Unfortunately, I hadn’t met her husband who had different working hours from her.
The tour that day was a bit lonely for me. I felt like I was the only Asian although there was an Indian couple and there’s the driver and the guide. Somehow, having the same tour guide again, Ming, was good.
Before the Cu Chi Tunnels, we were taken to this eggshell art factory.
Mainly, this tour shows what the locals did to survive the Vietnam War. We were shown different traps made as well as the life of the people during those times.
Although most of the tunnels were not safe to enter anymore, they preserved one tunnel which is deemed safe for tourists. It has some levels so if you think you can’t do it anymore, there’s an exit in between the tunnel. I’m not naturally claustrophobic, but I felt kinda like it when I went through the tunnel. But anyway, I passed through it end to end.
Um, I asked some guy to take a photo but, yeah, this blurry.
We were back at backpacker street at around 3 PM. I walked around and looked for a place to stay.
There were a lot of hotels, hostels, etc. around backpacker street. The first hotel I saw, the room was $25/night.
The next one, there were no more small room available, only the room that can accommodate 3 people for $25/night too. It has its own CR, refrigerator and TV. They’d give it to me at $18/night since I’m alone but I thought that it was too big and would be lonelier for me.
The cheapest I saw probably was a room at $6/night. I haven’t checked out the room since I already booked a hostel before I saw this and I think it’s a bit far from the backpacker street.
I decided to look for Sigoong Hostel which I knew about from AirBnB. I couldn’t book through the app so I just walked there. I chose it to experience shared room accommodation and mainly for the rooftop.
SIGOONG HOSTEL
I tried to look for a place just really around backpacker street because I really don’t have a good sense of direction. It was bit quite a walk from the backpacker street but it’s fine. They had a bar so upon entering, there was this chill vibe.
I was greeted warmly so I felt at home even before I was checked in. There were no more available bed in the female dorm so I had a bed in the mixed dorm.
Their shared CR was clean. Free shampoo and soap, yay! I haven’t shampooed for days! And there’s a hair dryer.
Good thing that despite having guy roommates, they weren’t really the loud ones.
They have cabinets below the beds but no padlock. So I guess a padlock is a must next time I travel. Anyway, you can use that in your bag if you’d like.
Breakfast included, serves from 7:30 AM to 9 AM
I took a quick shower, a quick nap and then I walked back to the travel agency. They arranged a motorbike to the Water Puppet Show theater. Since I already paid for the ticket, the driver bought the ticket for me. It’s a good thing I was given a seat in front, at the 4th or 5th row. Those who are on tours were seated at the back.
Notes:
The show is in Vietnamese but you can somehow understand the story just by watching. It helps to get a brochure outside and see the line up of the show for you to have an idea.
Beware of splashing water if you sit on the first row.
I love how the musicians and voice actors are also visible. Most of them are already in their 40s and 50s, so I assumed they had been playing and puppeteering there for many years already.
It has two show times, 5 PM and 6:30 PM. It is about 50 minutes long.
After the show, I went for a walk around the park nearby and discovered the Jollibee that we passed by earlier during the Cu Chi Tunnel tour. I once have seen a show on TV how fast food, when branching out in different countries, adapt their menu according to the local taste. So, I tried something Vietnamese in their menu.
When I entered and ordered, the cashier didn’t understand English so she called someone who can understand English to take my order. I ordered the spicy chicken meal with coleslaw-like vegetable side dish with soup and green milk tea. It’s new to my taste buds but it really had the taste of fast food, you know.
After dinner, I tried to walk from there back to backpacker street. I had it in the first few blocks but eventually, I got lost. I thought of ordering Grab Bike but I saw a local bike driver just at the corner and thought it would be cheaper. When I asked how much to backpacker street, he told me 100,000 VND.
There were many different fitness classes in different parts of the park. This one was a Zumba class.
What?! I’m pretty sure it’s not too far. So he tried to guess my nationality and I haggled some more. I can’t accept that, 66,000 VND can even take to a place outside of the city. It went down to 30,000 VND. I felt I should have haggled more.
I was right, backpacker street is just a few blocks away. From there, since I don’t want to get lost some more, I just went around the street along the park in that area. I think it was named 23/9. Kan told me they named their parks after some significant day in their history.
I was back at my hostel around 8-9 PM. I stayed at the hostel despite my previous plan to go around the city that night maybe because I was afraid to get lost again. I spent some time at the rooftop then back to my room.
I looked up the Internet for other things to do in Ho Chi Minh and I remembered about the 3D art gallery. I also thought of watching a Vietnamese movie since I found the Galaxy Cinema next to Tao Dan park during my walk that afternoon. Kan messaged me about something and so I thought of treating him to the cinema as a thank you. And maybe also in case I really can’t get the story of the movie, I have someone to interpret for me.
I watched the first episode of Legend of the Blue Sea then slept the night away.
FREE DAY: ARTINUS 3D ART GALLERY and VIETNAMESE MOVIE WATCHING
I decided to wake up early and walk around the park and around the city. Honestly, I planned to be very early so that if I get lost, there will be a few people to notice that I’ve been going back and forth the street.
Ballroom lessons at the park
My favorite Vietnamese coffee early in the morning
This cute little dog loves the coffee as much as I do.
I went back to the hostel and went up the rooftop to eat breakfast. They served chicken soup that day.
I slept for a while and checked out. I left my bag at the hostel and ordered a Grab Bike to take me to Artinus since it’s a bit far from the center. It’s kind of difficult to locate because it’s somehow within a subdivision.
GRAB BIKE
I’m alone and I enjoying riding motorbikes so this option is great for me. If you’re a group, then you can save riding a taxi. I didn’t try to figure public transportation.
Well, the city is after all, in my opinion, 5% bus, 5% private cars, 90% motorbikes.
I think Grab Bike is safe since they have a tracking system. In the app, you can send them a message or call them.
Drivers also get lost. When Thuong ordered the bike from the travel agency to her workplace, the driver was not familiar with the address so we kind of went around. So she called the driver and gave him instructions to reach her workplace.
Same when going to Artinus, the driver first dropped me at a different museum. Good thing I didn’t let him go and asked around because I had a feeling that was not Artinus. Same when I ordered a bike back to the city, I waited for a bit because the driver had a hard time finding the gallery.
I loooove the gallery so much! I was worried because I was alone and I thought maybe I’ll just ask other visitors to take a photo of me. I was really glad when they had one of their staff follow me to take my photos.
Her name was Chi and although she was younger than me, I felt like I’m the younger one because I was like a child jumping around, excited with how the photo turned out. It was also great having her because she knew the place and she’s telling me where to stand or what to do. For me, it was worth it.
Sorry to rain you with photos.
Chilling at the cafe before I go back to the city
Then, just in time, I met Kan at the Galaxy Cinema. I decided on 4 Nam, 2 Chang, 1 Tinh Yeu which Kan translated to me as 4 Years, 2 Men, 1 Love. The other Vietnamese movie was also a love story but was a war film. I had my dose of war already and I was in the mood for a rom-com. We bought the tickets and I asked to eat lunch first.
I was craving for rice and we went around but didn’t find an affordable rice meal nearby. We settled with chicken soup. Kan bought the Vietnamese spring rolls and gave me one, forcing me to eat vegetables. It was, in fact, delicious, and it inspired me to make some when I went back to the Philippines.
We went back to watch the movie. My gosh, I was so happy when I saw English subtitles. Although the story was a bit cliché, I don’t think I’d be able to understand the story with no subs. It would be a bother to Kan if I keep on asking him to translate, I realized. I enjoyed the movie especially the funny parts and I think Kan enjoyed it too.
After, Kan brought me to Ben Thanh Market to buy souvenirs. I don’t want to take much of Kan’s time so I bought at the area where we first entered. It’s just so sad it happened to be the fixed price area. We went around some more and we found the area with music to the ears, “How much you buy?” which means they’re open for negotiation.
We then ate dinner, exchanged my VND to peso and went back to the hostel and to the airport.
I’ll just have to mention that be careful when you’re sleeping at the airport waiting for your flight. I almost didn’t get into my flight home. Good thing one passenger who shared electric plugs with me woke me up.
ROXAS
I tried the Manila-Roxas route because that was cheaper than the Manila-Iloilo and I thought I might go on a sidetrip. But I was too tired and I still have to go on big night duty that I decided to go straight to the bus terminal.
As what was suggested at an article I found in the Internet, I took the tricycle parked outside of the airport. There’s no taxi there, my friend from Capiz laughed at me when I asked if there is taxi when I asked about the airport. The trike from the airport to the Ceres terminal was P150 and I was surprised because I know the bus fare would be around that price too. I haggled only up to P130. I wasn’t really good at haggling.
(When I asked my other friend from Roxas, she told me it’s really expensive because the terminal is far but thinks that P100 should be reasonable. She advised that if there’s a next time, I could take a trike to the mall (I forgot what mall that was) or from the plaza(?) and from there ride the jeep to the Ceres terminal.
In the end, I tried to total the cost of the direct flight versus the Roxas route plus the bus and I saved P200. I really didn’t regret it because it was a new experience for me.
While riding the bus to Iloilo, I can’t help but miss Vietnam. I had such a wonderful time there and I love a lot of things about Vietnam that my sister labeled me as “hilaw na Vietnamese.” Some locals mistook me as one of them.
Just like what I told Thuong and Tua, I’ll try to go back and visit Sapa, Dalat and Hanoi. I’ll definitely meet Kan again who had become a close friend to me. I’ll remember this trip not only because it was my first solo trip out of the country, but also because Vietnam is a beautiful country.
Here’s my itinerary and a list of expenses. Because I was quite undecided with the trip, I didn’t get cheap flights. It’s also an added expense that I had to buy ILO-MNL-ILO/RXS flight.
I also love food and I want to try something new all the time. Also, you might spend less if you’re good at haggling.
My decision to get a tattoo from Wang-od sprung from my want to have my very first tattoo, and what would be greater than having it in a traditional way, right? And at the same time, inserting it in my solo backpacking adventure. It’s crossing off two items from my bucket list in one trip (although, along the way, I realized I crossed off more than just two in my bucket list).
So I left Sagada at around 9 or 10 AM. From the Sagada town proper, I toploaded the Bontoc jeepney along with some tourists as well. I arrived at Bontoc around 11 AM and walked somewhere near a college (sorry haven’t noted the name) where the jeepneys are parking.
From here on, bear with me because I am not really good with directions and when I was reading the blogs, I am just confused where is Bontoc, where is Bugnay, where is Tinglayan, where is Buscalan, which of these places really am I going to?!
Update 2018: Ate Selma has, I think, a comprehensive guide on how to get there with Do’s and Don’ts in her Facebook page. Click this link for more info.
So please see my illustration. Yeah, I did it in Paint just because I was lazy (hence my name) to do it in Photoshop, haha! Anyways, this is how I understand things. Point A, Bontoc, is your starting point. At the town of Bontoc, there are different jeepneys you can take. But basically if you want to go to Wang-od, you can take the Buscalan jeep because it will drop you off to point C where you will start your trekking.
Good thing for me, when I found the Buscalan jeep, there were 5 very loud but amazing girls I met from Tagaytay who were also going to Wang-od. So I tagged along with them. That was around 11:30 AM. The driver said that the jeep will go around 2PM. We somehow had the option to rent the jeep for P1500 (/6=P250), I think, but we decided to just wait for 2PM anyway. They had Kuya Gilbert as their guide. I had Ate Selma as my guide and I was a bit worried because she is not texting back and I have no idea where to get off but then having the girls with me and since we’re going to the same place, I was at ease.
Almost 2PM and no signs of the jeepney going. Ate Selma was really creative in finding ways to get to me. She texted someone she knew who was in Bontoc at that time to relay her message to me. She told me I could take the Tabuk jeep which is going earlier and tell the driver to drop me off at Bugnay. Her concern was that the sky is getting dark and it might be difficult to trek while raining. But then I settled with the Buscalan jeep, maybe because I feel safe having tourists like me there.
Sidenote: Tabuk is the capital province of Kalinga. To put it simply Bontoc and Tabuk are the usual towns where the Buscalan villagers go shopping or something. They mostly go to Tabuk for their needs.
At around 3PM, the jeep took off to Buscalan with other passengers and an additional 2 pairs of couples who are also going to the village. I felt safer but then I’m still anxious because my guide asked me to get off Bugnay while the others will head straight to Buscalan.
Long story short, my route was from Bontoc, I took the jeep to Buscalan, took off at Bugnay where Ate Selma was waiting for me. She had previously arranged a single motorcycle ride to take us to the “SQUARE” in my illustration, let’s say that’s the jump off point where we started trekking.
Here’s what it looks like:
This is the other end of the tram line which transports goods to the village of Buscalan.
But the others, from Bugnay, they will still pass the winding road (as in my drawing) then reach Buscalan drop off. If I understood right, the jeep was supposed to be stopping at the jump off point but due to the landslide, it only reaches the drop off point. But honestly, the drop off and the jump off isn’t really far. It’s still an easy trek because it’s still concrete road. From the jump off, that’s where the real trekking starts.
Okay, so trek, trek, trek up and down the mountainside. You’ll know you’re near when you reach this small falls:
My kasingganda guide, Ate Selma
With Ate Selma and the motorcycle driver, Mindo, who was indirectly a grandson of Wang-od and also a tour guide.
We arrived at the souvenir shop right before the rain started pouring. I registered there and listed my name for the tattoo queue. We rested there for a while. When I was reading the blogs, I thought the souvenir shop was somewhere at the jump off point. I was wrong. It’s already part of the village.
Also, there is no, as in N-O signal there for both Globe and Smart. Ate Selma literally hangs her phone at one of the higher houses just to get a decent signal.
Selfie with Wang-od… JOWK! The souvenir shop had some tarps of Wang-od around.
Medyo napagtrippingan ako dito, hahaha! They made me wear the costume and some accessories they’re selling and telling me I look good in it. Bad thing is, my phone can’t adapt to the dark so blurry photo here.
We took a rest at Ate Selma’s place. Supposed to be, the homestay is at Ate Marie’s, her sister because they really arranged their house for homestay, especially large groups, but then Ate Selma offered me to stay in her house since I was alone and they can accommodate me. The things is, they have no CR but I’m okay with it. And it’s a first experience for me as well, toileting and taking a bath at the neighbor’s CR.
This is my homestay:
Ate Selma’s Eatery is the only eatery in the village. They had just started it. Your homestay sometimes offer you food for free (usually vegetables) or you may ask for them to cook for you at a price. Or you can just drop by at Ate Selma’s Eatery if you’d like.
Certified Tourist Guide: Ate Selma’s certificates from trainings
The eatery which also serves as the family’s dining table
Complimentary coffee always free! Yay! Their menu for that day includes Bihon (P50/serve), Adobo (P80), fried fish (P50?), nilaga (P100), rice (P20?) and others. Medyo mahal but their serving is good for 2 persons if you’re not really hungry, and understandable considering the lengths of the transport of goods.
It was almost nighttime and I was tired so I slept for a while. Then at around 8 or 9 PM, Ate Selma took me to socialize at another house. There was a French man there and with other tourists and some locals, we played cards. They were teasing a French man to buy them some drinks, the litro beer, sorry forgot what that was which was around P110, I think. But then he put in only P100 because he only had a few money with him left and he had to go the next day. So I ended up contributing P100 for the drinks. Oh, well. It was a short but fun night.
I woke up the next morning giddy to get a tattoo. They served me this kamote:
View from the window of the eatery/my homestay
And they served me rice and some green, leafy vegetables as well. I didn’t tell them I don’t eat vegetables but I ate a few vegetables anyway (with a lot of toyo). See? I got a lot of things ticked off from my list.
We checked at the tattoo shop first. That was around 8 AM and the session hasn’t started yet. That’s when I paid for the environmental fee or something.
At the tattoo shop where guests were waiting in line. They’re the ones I was with at the jeepney the other day.
So I played with some children for a while. I had Zootopia on my phone and I watched it with them.
Then at around 11 AM, we checked at the tattoo shop again and the session has already started. I was starstrucked when I saw Wang-od but then, you know, it’s different when you have those uber skillful photography shots of her and seeing her there in action with many guests around. It was just like any normal day.
And since there were so many conflicts about the tattoo queue and Ate Selma’s blood pressure is rising up because of it, I decided to have a tattoo with another mambabatok for the meantime.
Sidenote: There’s some palakasan system there with the tour guides. Sometimes, they just squeeze in groups because some will just have an overnight stay and go by lunchtime. And if you don’t have a makapal face like mine, don’t tell others that you’re staying for two nights or you will “fall” down the queue line because of course, they are already in a hurry. Sometimes, you also want to be considerate but once you squeeze in a few people, more people will be squeezed in like during my time, there were “out of the blue” tourists na nagside trip lang and they were squeezed in without informing the others down the queue line with the usual excuse that they will just have Wang-od’s signature.
Kat (my friend and guide from Escolta) had her tattoo by Renalyn but at that time, Renalyn and Grace (Young Master) went to Tabuk and the line with Elyang (granddaughter of Wang-od) is also long so we went to Ate Emily. So, yes, there are younger generations of mambabatok. She had passed down her craft after all.
Ate Emily was doing the tattoos of a couple who turned out to be one of the passengers in the same jeep the other day! Couple A, the female turned out to be an Ilongga and she was the aunt of a resident doctor in the hospital I’m working in. What a small world. We had a chat while I wait for my tattoo.
Sidenote: At first, I haven’t realized what Kat told me to just “pick from their designs as respect for their culture.” Since this is my very first tattoo, I just wanted to have something I really want so I did it my way anyway. But the thing is, they usually have a hard time following designs which they are not used to. Well, good thing for Ate Emily for agreeing with my design because it was just simple. And circles are more expensive than just lines because they find it difficult. Now that I thought of it, I somehow regretted not choosing a figure with a Kalinga meaning.
While having my tattoo, a family of Filipino-Canadians came. One of them kindly took the video and this shot. The father was joking, “Alam ba ‘yan ng mga magulang mo?” And when I was having my tattoo, I haven’t realized how painful it was and I was saying it out loud and he told me, “Ginusto mo ‘yan kaya panindigan mo.” Haha! Parang hugot lang…
With Ate Emily. This tattoo costs P500.
Yay! I have a tattoo! Though my very first tattoo wasn’t technically by Wang-od but then, you know, it’s a traditional one and it has a story.
Sidenote: Speaking of stories, I haven’t thought that when you have a tattoo, you should be prepared when people ask about it. And so, the Filipino-Canadians were like, what does it mean, what is that? This is where I got it from, just because I have I’d like to live the mantra of “WILD and FREE.”
Okay. So we went back to the tattoo shop at around after lunch. The Tagaytay girls were worried because they were supposed to go at around 2PM but I think 2 of them haven’t had a tattoo yet. In the end, they decided to stay another night. Wang-od had her lunch first so I lingered around the tattoo shop talking to tourists and picture taking with Elyang.
So I found there Couple B who are homestaying at the house I’m sharing the CR with, and who arrived right before me the other day, and who I hang out with the other night. I’d just like to mention them because I love the thought that they had their own individual tattoos and at the same, they had a similar tattoo which symbolizes their family (4 stick human figures).
The funny thing is, they found that image in the board where you pick your tattoo but when they showed it to Elyang, Elyang said she can’t do it because that was just a drawing by the kids there and because it had circles and more on curved lines. So she suggested straight stick figures and they settled with that even though it doesn’t have the same impact like the childish drawing they picked initially.
With the Grand Tattoo Master Wang-od
So okay, being a nurse, I was concerned with the infection control, AIDS and those sort of stuff but I read a blog that she had her tattoo with just natural healing, no antibiotics or anything so I followed that one. Regarding AIDS, they change the thorn per person, I know that because they give your thorn as a souvenir after your tattoo. The ink was from charcoal mixed with water. Then they use wet wipes to clean. For the younger ones, they change wipes often but for Wang-od, she changes it whenever she likes, I think.
My tattoo! So this was just three arrows up and the three dots were Wang-od’s signature, as the locals would call it, sort of like an autograph. So since Wang-od is old, her tattoos were already shaky and painful because she doesn’t adjust according to your pain tolerance. So if you can’t tolerate pain or you’re a neat freak, or you’re in a hurry like the other guests, you can just have the signature. And I’m so happy this is only P200! She usually sets her own price and maybe she’s in a good mood when I had mine!
I also left my mark at the tattoo shop so if ever you went there and saw my mark, drop me a comment or a message!
It was around 3-4PM when I left the tattoo shop so since we didn’t have time to go to the falls, we just took a trip around and to Ate Marie’s place. This was also the time I took out the candies I bought. And mind you, three packs of candies aren’t enough because even the adults were asking for some, haha!
Ate Marie sells pancakes @ P10 each.
Ate Marie’s house can accommodate up to 30 people. She had two rooms, some mattress and pillows. But 30, it means some would sleep at their veranda on the floor. But they’re clean so if you don’t mind, it’s okay. And more importantly, there’s a bathroom. And another to take note of, Ate Marie doesn’t speak Tagalog and she couldn’t understand so when you live there, actions speak louder than words.
Also, she has a sari-sari store and has a ref. So I bought there 1.5 softdrinks for P100 and shared it with my homestay family that night.
This is with, OMG, sorry I forgot the name. I remember it sounds Japanese. Anyway, this part is where the other end of the tram line is.
I also wanted to take note talking to Angie and Minerva (another granddaughter of Wang-od). We were talking about 50 Shades of Grey, like they have watched it, and they have read it and the other installments (e-book). Yes, some of them have tablets and android phones too. Some houses have TV and DVD players. Ate Selma has a radio and ref (for the frozen goods). But their water is free.
Anyway, going back to Angie and Minerva, we were talking about that they were called the Butbut tribe, how Grace is rich, and during her birthday, she treated her family a vacation in Ilocos. We talked about the Duterte supporters reaching them during the campaign period, who of the five running for president bought their votes, who they voted because they vote whoever the elders told them to vote.
We talked about the guests coming to the place, what nationalities they were, their attitudes, how they think of them, what they do, their (some foreigners) marijuana use, the local’s use of marijuana, the foreign languages they learned, etc. It was a good feeling to know more about them and being with them. It feels good to have that experience and not just that I’m staying there because I want to have a tattoo with Wang-od.
The next morning, I had this for breakfast:
I said my goodbyes and I gave them a sort of medication kit as my token of appreciation. I stuffed it with dressing materials and the usual medicines, mefenamic, paracetamol, etc. Then, we walked to the drop off with Ate Marie who is going to Manila to attend to something. I arrived at the drop off at around 9 AM and there’s a jeep waiting there. I found the Tagaytay girls and a pair of tourists I have just seen. I said my goodbyes to Ate Selma and she asked for my umbrella as a souvenir. I gave it to her. I was so thankful because she have me a discount since I was just a solo guest.
Parting photo at the drop off point
When we reached Bontoc, I said my goodbyes to the Tagaytay girls who were off to Baguio while I was off to Banaue. We exchanged Facebook contacts and took a groufie.
I don’t know how to end this post and I can’t describe how much I love and have learned from that experience. But if you have questions, feel free to connect with me on Facebook (Lilac Penafiel) or comment here or send me a message because I can’t wait to share this wonderful experience with you and help out those who were as lost as me.
Here’s Ate Selma’s number, and please mention that I referred her to you:
