KALIBO: Memories, shuttles and strangers
I arrived in Kalibo around 2:40 pm. I wrote the details down and even if this serves at posterity et journal, I will keep those notes to myself.
I rode the tricycle to the jeepney terminal to Caticlan. After haggling about the fare, I managed to get one who lowered the fare down to P20 less. He suggested I take the shuttle instead of the jeepney. I felt he was lying, but I was in such a hurry I didn’t mind. The shuttle cost P20 more, but faster. Time was my only treasure. Arriving two days later than my friends, I could not afford to lose more time for this trip.
I was third to fill the van. They needed 11 or 12, so I knew I was to wait a bit longer. So much for that P20. A guy sat at the far corner of our row. He looked decent and posed no threat.
“Kuya, anong oras na?” (“Big brother, what time is it?”)
He must be deaf. He didn’t reply. He just felt his puruntong and said a curse word in English before muttering to himself that he left his cellphone. He alighted the van and took a tricycle. I think he went back home. Good for him I asked for the time. Bad for us, we had to wait for another passenger.
10 minutes passed and the same kuya came back. He sat at his side of our row again and smiled. “You were asking for the time? It’s 2:45 (not the exact time I forget kasi).” I said thanks.
The van was slowly filled and he had to move beside me. My bag was taking up space so he put half of it on his lap. Then it was time for me to pray. He didn’t mind. We chatted for a while, with me slightly letting off the fact that I had been visiting Kalibo and Boracay before. I slept during most of the trip. I only woke up whenever I felt the vibrations of my cellphones to receive Ch’s texts or my mom’s calls. I would also wake up whenever we would pass by areas where my dad blasted the rocky mountainsides.
First sight of water
With the first sight of water around 4:32 pm, vacation mode kicked in. I was giddy already. I never slept again. Kuya was in his deep slumber and a few minutes more, we were in the Caticlan port.
The girls I saw during my check-in back in Manila were also there. I wondered if they took a shuttle somewhere else. I looked for traces of the Britons. Zero. The girls were lining up for the ticket. Kuya was gone. The lady guard politely told me to buy my tickets (yes, tickets) when I tried entering the post without one. I had to buy at windows 1, 2 and 3. Yes, windows 1, 2 and 3. I saw kuya again. He was queuing on window 1. I asked him where the windows were. He made a gesture that he was lining up to it. I cannot write here the favor I received, but I really thanked kuya because I only paid a small amount for the boat ride. More than half actually. He, apparently, was going to Boracay as well. I followed him to the pump boat. Crossing the small makeshift bridge to the boat, I handed him my luggage. “Parang close na tayo ah,” (“You act as if we’ve known each other for ages!”) he commented but he had no choice but to take my bag. I sat in the second row and kuya went to the back row. I think he got mad at me. I didn’t care. I was getting closer to Boracay.
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| From Cra's FB |
Boracay: Flying Fish, Slammer’s Burger and sand
Earlier, Ch texted me that they’d do the Flying Fish ride. I said I was expected to arrive around 5:30 anyway so they could go ahead. I didn’t know what that was. If I did, I would have begged them to wait for me.
Everyone alighted at Station 1. There was only one station now, unlike before. I waited for everyone to go down before seeing kuya approaching me to get my bag (up to this moment, I still didn’t know his name). “Let’s go.” He wasn’t mad at me after all.
I was supposed to go to Station 2, D*Mall, where everyone was already waiting for me. Kuya and I walked towards the gate of the port.
“Aren’t we supposed to take a tricycle?” Kuya was going to this Holiday Hotel, a few minutes away from D*Mall.
“Yes, but I prefer that.” He motioned for one of the single motorcycles to come.
OK. I know what you’re thinking. Why should I ride that when I could get a tricycle? Well, a tricycle has to have 5 people in it before it can go. If you’re in a hurry, you will have to pay for every vacant seat. That’s P20/seat. Times 5. You do the math. I didn’t have P20 for inexistent passengers.
There was no helmet, so I hesitated, but for the sheer feeling of travelling frugally, I managed to conquer any fear and hopped on.
“Kuya, this is illegal in Manila!” I screamed at the driver as he sped through the road.
“Well, you’re not in Manila!”
My kuya friend got down to his hotel, and I almost got hit by an incoming bike. I continued my journey to D*Mall. I didn’t catch kuya’s name. I am so good at connecting to people. I don’t even know his face. He was wearing shades most of the trip. I think I can recognize him if he wears the same shirt. But I forget that as well.
I called Ch to say I was in Boracay already. Basically, the conversation went on like this:
“I’m here. Where are you. Can you find me a place where I can watch the game?”
“(Gibberish). We’re here at (gibberish).”
“Where?”
“Here at (gibberish).”
“Where?”
“Slammer’s Burger.”
“Slammer’s Burger. OK.”
“No! Slammer’s Burger.”
“OK. Slammer’s Burger.”
“No! Slam-mer’s Burg-er.”
“OK! Slammer’s Burger!”
“No!”
I hung up. “Text me,” I texted her. It was driving me nuts.
I asked one guard, who was very friendly, where Slammer’s Burger was. He pointed me to a direction. No Slammer’s Burger. I asked another one. Pointed to another direction. I went there. No Slammer’s Burger. I approached a couple of tinderas (vendors).
“Jammer’s Burger?” they blindly asked me back.
“No, Slammer’s?”
“No Slammer’s. Only Jammers.”
It was fronting the beach. I got so tired that I threatened no one I’d just sit down there, put down my things and camp. No more hotels with friends. I was getting annoyed.
“We’re here at Bite Club,” Ch texted. I repeated the process, got lost a bit somewhere before GnA accidentally saw me and muttered a small curse.
I dropped my bag and ran to them. Seeing them after all the travelling alone was very much welcomed. I wanted to embrace them all!
“Hi, Ike! Can you fix this camera?”
They obviously missed me.
Part 1: Manila to Kalibo Flight
Part 2: Kalibo to Caticlan
Part 3: In and around Boracay
Part 4: Boracay to Manila
Extras: Jet Ski Experience
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