palawan, batanes, and some loose ends

IT for palawan


 


Apr 7- arrive PPS from CBU, overnight


Apr 8 – leave for Taytay, tour, stay overnight


Apr 9 – leave for El Nido, overnight


Apr 10- whole day tour to big and small lagoons, etc.


Apr 11 – leave for PPS, overnight


Apr 12 -  leave for Ugong Rock, tour, leave for Sabang


Apr 13 – Underground River, overnight


Apr 14 – leave for PPS, overnight


Apr 15 – leave for CBU


 


bought the plane tickets today. so far, the ones who have definitely signed up are my father, and officemate vince. don’t ask. strange company, even for me.


 


unfortunately, the tubbataha schedule still isn’t final =( learned today that there’ll be a trip last week of march and first week of april, but i’m hoping they’ll go again 3rd week of april so i can hitch a ride. during the wait, there's an option of going to narra and taking a tour of PPS itself (honda bay, iwahig penal colony, butterfly sanctuary, etc.). or coron. hmm....


 


Update on Batanes


 


i finished my “getting there” research on batanes today. originally, i was going to take the plane from laoag, ilocos norte to basco, batanes so that the fare would be cheaper, and so i could tour the northern provinces, too. but then i got the idea from the DOT site to take a boat from currimao, ilocos norte to basco, batanes instead. or maybe from tuguegarao or something, so that i’d get to see the babuyan islands, too (home to whales and thousands of dolphins). but, here’s the result of the research:


 


M/V Ivatan Princess from Currimao – boat destroyed by typhoon


Plane from Laoag – crashed, no more flights


Plane from Tuguegarao to Basco (Asian Spirit) – P3995


Plane from Manila to Basco (Asian Spirit) – P5225


 


buses from Manila to the northern provinces i think are around P600 up. haven’t mapped out the IT and budget for La Union-Ilocos-Cagayan yet, because i’m still waiting for emails from those who’ve been there. so yes, it’s pretty expensive. imagine, the only way people from Batanes can get to mainland Luzon is by flying Asian Spirit! but then again, who wants to fly to mainland luzon with its dirty politics and dubious democracy?


 


so, anyone out there interested? this definitely won't be earlier than may. if the total budget is too big (and people are reluctant to sign up), i might settle for babuyan instead, since there are boats going there from aparri. or maybe something even simpler in mindanao, like a whole week in camiguin or siargao just writing and reading. stillness...now THAT’s an adventure to try out.


 


Loose Ends


 


in the meantime, i’m still looking for:


 


1)      temporary housing for my things, and for me, when i’m in cebu. will have to move out of my boarding house by april 3, but my flight to palawan isn’t till april 7. when i get back from palawan, i might stay on in cebu to go to dumaguete or siquijor or something, depending on some other people’s schedules. so i’m looking for a cheap place to sleep while i’m in the city, in between travels (boarding house that’s less than P3k a month or whatever). preferably somewhere in the jones-mango-ramos-gorordo-capitol areas. otherwise i think i’ll have to relocate to davao permanently by end of april. a pity, because cebu is getting to be so convenient for travel and work....


2)      someone who can teach me how to drive a motorcycle. yes, i already mentioned this two years ago, and until now, i still don't know how to drive one. was checking out some battery-powered motorbikes last Friday, and i was raring to get one (cheaper than my laptop), especially since they're pollution-free and run on a renewable power source. but i don’t know how to drive =( i’m willing to do an x-deal on this. any service on my list in exchange for a complete lesson =D


 


any offers of assistance will be greatly appreciated. you will forever be on my prayer list ;-)

Comments

  1. Bugoy Traveler PHMarch 14, 2006 at 7:37 AM

    "...someone who can teach me how to drive a motorcycle. yes, i already mentioned this two years ago, and until now, i still don't know how to drive one."

    --sign me up. no obligations. with a track record of driving safely at a dangerous speed since c1991. but stuck w/ lesson plans and test papers yet, till march ends.
    (do i need to bring a cv, nbi clearance and character references? =)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sus ubb622March 14, 2006 at 12:38 PM

    hmmm...anyone want to do to follow up projects like an updated lonely planet? Hitch with Jeneen!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Crisanto CayonMarch 14, 2006 at 4:46 PM

    hmmm... sign me up for your north legs -- especially the Babuyan Islands!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jeneen GarciaMarch 14, 2006 at 6:26 PM

    hey hey, thank you thank you! that's ok, will be busy till then, too. might not even be free till end of april. let's just keep in touch =) (and no, won't need credentials to back up your driving skills. you're alive, aren't you? hehe)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jeneen GarciaMarch 14, 2006 at 6:29 PM

    hah, now that's a dream job! if i had contacts with the publishers, i'd have applied long ago.

    ReplyDelete
  6. mikel .March 15, 2006 at 2:56 PM

    holy week ayt? will there be enuf available transpo that time...?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jeneen GarciaMarch 15, 2006 at 8:32 PM

    siguro naman... we have an office in palawan so i have friends who have contacts in those towns.

    ReplyDelete
  8. cathy alvarezMarch 15, 2006 at 11:33 PM

    neen.. pwede mamili lang ug specific leg sa palawan tour? =) i'll ask around for cheap lodging for you

    ReplyDelete
  9. cathy alvarezMarch 15, 2006 at 11:42 PM

    i have been looking for someone to go to siargao with.. tara lets.. promise i will let you be still.. don't know if i can make the same promise for myself hehehehehe

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jeneen GarciaMarch 16, 2006 at 12:33 AM

    let's go, cathy! need more people for palawan (right now the mix is just too weird for me =P). and in siargao, of course, i primarily want to go there to explore the places i wasn't able to see last time. but lounging around afterward for a couple of days would be nice =) siargao isn't very expensive.

    ReplyDelete
  11. mikel .March 16, 2006 at 10:37 AM

    siargao.. yahhh laid back surfers... mga aussies... tag pila ka months ang mga amerikano didto human travel nasad to thailand etc... im plannin to go back there sad. a friend of mine invited me for lanuza surigao this comin april, budget is 4k and my friend has a place there so fare ra ang ako problema. dala sila surfboards... nice! wana go... can't swim lang hehehehehe! calling all swim instructors, i need lessons hahahaha

    also my travel buddy won't be around :(

    ReplyDelete
  12. mikel .March 16, 2006 at 3:31 PM

    hahahahaha thats what i am doing now... lots of post it on it

    ReplyDelete

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