STRANDED!!!!

The time to go back to for our appointment with the US Embassy is finally here. It's Black Saturday and things are getting back to normal. Buses started running, stores opening for business, etc.., after a two day lull. We were able to catch a 5:00 AM ride to Tacloban for our bus ride back to Manila. A week before (see my preceeding blog), I could not get a plane ticket to Manila but I was able to secure our seats on a DLTB Co. bus. And once again we have to go on another 24 hour bus ride to Manila for our April 17^th appointment.

That Good Friday, Michael made a comment about “storm brewing up.” The wind picked up pace and dark clouds hovered above us mostly all that day. When I turned in for the night, I received a text message from the NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction....) alerting us that the low pressure spotted in the PAR (Philippine area of responsibility) by the PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric.....) has now become a typhoon to which they named “Cresing”. The phone kept dinging through early morning updating us of the storm. It's not affecting Leyte but it will affect Samar and the CALABARZON area – meaning the tip of Northern Samar island and the southernmost part of Luzon. Around 9:30 Saturday morning, while we were waiting for our Manila-bound bus to pull out of the terminal, I got another text message from NDRRMC. “Cresing” is expected to make a landfall on the island of Samar at noon that day. We made the 6-hour ride from Tacloban to Allen, Samar. The skies were cloudy but the sun shone brightly all the way. I managed to take pictures of San Juanico Bridge (the long bridge that connects Leyte and Samar) although I then realized that I am sitting on the wrong side of the bus to be able to get a nice picture of the bridge but this will do for now:

By the time we reached the town of Calbayog in Samar (about an hour and a half to Allen), I received another text from the NDRRMC. Signal No.1 had been raised in Northern Samar and Sorsogon but when we reached Allen, Samar it was sunny and warm, hardly any wind and no sign of typhoon. This is where we take the ferry, bus and all, to get to the southernmost tip of Luzon, about two hours at sea. As we pulled in the terminal, we noticed buses all neatly lined up inside the covered area and people milling about. Then the bus driver announced that there are no ferries available because the Coast Guard is not allowing any vessels to cross from Matnog, Sorsogon to Allen, Samar. It looks like we will be stuck here for however long. I overheard through passengers' conversations over the phone that Tacloban had been dumped with torrential rain and somewhere in Sorsogon heavy rain and wind. We all spent the night at the terminal. It did rain that night but not a lot.

 I tried to get a better picture of the buses that night but all the lighting makes it hard.

 Our little sleeping cherubim taking it all in stride.

At 2AM we boarded and were taken to the port for the ferry ride to Matnog. Inside the ticketing office was total chaos and it was a disaster! There was nobody in charge, no organization, no direction, no nothing. People were shoving and pushing to get tickets to the ferry. It took another 2 hours before we got out of that commotion. There were only two ferries that would take all the passengers and the buses. Some of us were told to get on the 2GO ferry as that's where our bus will be loaded while the others were told to get on the Montenegro ferry. We found out our bus was on the Montenegro ferry while we were on the 2GO. Well, our bus driver had to wait for all of us who boarded on the 2GO vessel which added to the delay.

Because of the “no go” order from the Philippine Coast Guard the day before, we noticed a long line of buses and cargo trucks parked on the highway waiting to get in the Matnog Port as we came out to continue our trip northbound. There might have been more or less 20 buses that crossed San Bernardino Strait and so it looked like we were in a caravan of buses going to Manila. 

Traffic was painfully slow from Legazpi City, Albay all the way to Manila. Easter Sunday afternoon is a bad time to be on the road as everybody wants to go back to Manila from the long Lenten weekend. We made it to our hotel room at 3am by taxi.

The 20-hour trip turned into a long 40-hour trip and after a hot shower we all flopped on our beds. But not for long...we need to be at the US Embassy for our 9AM appointment.

That's it for now.  I pray you all had a blessed Easter.  Our Lord has risen indeed!

TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE WE GO - BUT WAIT...........

EXPIRED PASSPORT – WHAT???

We have been looking forward to our trip back to the States since the beginning of the year. We have everything lined up -– people who would stay with Nanan and Marlon while we are gone. A couple who lives close to us are willing to take care of our animals, the house and the yard. We bought two sacks of pig feed to last until we come back. Tickets had been bought several months back. It had been constantly raining in the Visayas region for what seems like forever. It's already April and still the rain keep coming and everyone is getting tired of it. It was a good thing the rice got harvested, dried and stored when we had a break from the rain one weekend. And yes, the coconut got processed and sold too. The one pig we had got sold two weeks before we leave. The big “stuff” had been taken care of. Mike made a swinging bench that was hung on the porch.  The neighborhood kids love it and made our porch their hang-out almost everyday. We thought it might not be in one piece when we come back so Mike took it down and stored it inside.

We took a van to Tacloban and flew to Manila. Our favorite place to stay when we are in Manila is the Mabuhay Manor (www.mabuhaymanor.com.ph).  As usual the main complaint I have when I am in Manila is the traffic – horrible- but we made it safely to our hotel. While we were still on the road to Tacloban, I happen to check our passports making sure again that we have everything and that's when I discovered that JJ's had expired 3 months ago. How time flies! I can't believe it's been 5 years since his passport was issued. Michael suggested we play dumb when we get to the airport..I don't think so. Good thing we have scheduled an extra day in Manila so the next day we went to the US Embassy. (From Mabuhay Manor it costs us P110.00 by taxi to get there. Before you get in, ask the taxi driver you want the meter fare. Most drivers will tell you they will take you there for P500. Insist on the meter fare).

I did some researching the night before and found out that the Embassy can issue a “Limited Validity” passport so we inquired about that. “Limited Validity” passports are emergency passports that are only good for three months. You will need to surrender it to the Embassy before you get a new one. Just like renewing an expired passport, the cost is $105.00 We made an appointment for the 17^th right after the holy week. We need to go back to Hinunangan to get JJ's birth certificate and other supporting documents required to secure the new passport.

Catholicism is the predominant religion in the Philippines. Lenten season, the days leading to the Resurrection Sunday or Easter Sunday plays an important part in every Filipinos. Starting on Wednesday, things slow down a bit as we prepare for the long weekend, offices/banks and other establishments close at noon that day. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday means everything shuts down. Public transportation – buses, jeepneys and vans for hire stop their operations. And except for occasional tricycles and pedal cabs here and there, you are out of luck going places unless you have a vehicle.

On Friday, April 7, the day we were supposed to fly to the US, we took the bus back to Tacloban. I spent almost all day and night the day before trying to book a flight to Tacloban but every flight on all domestic airlines are booked. Buses are fully booked. We were able to secure a spot on Philtranco bus going to Ormoc and that means we have to get off in Tacloban and find another ride to Hinunangan. We took it. It was “ordinary fare” meaning, it's not airconditioned so the windows are open. Talk about wind constantly whipping your face for 25 hours. But we didn't have a choice.

Because a lot of people from Manila want to beat the crowd to get home to their families in the provinces for the Lenten season, buses are fully booked a week before. And unfortunately we were caught in the middle of the rush. Luggages are shoved under seats, overhead compartments and even on the aisle. When the bus stops for bathroom breaks or meal breaks, we have to do “acrobatic” moves, even climb over luggages and suitcases to get to the door of the bus and out...whew!

There are several bus stops along the way – restaurants with restrooms and filling stations. There is an entrance fee to use the bathroom – mostly 5 pesos. No toilet paper is provided but there are plenty of water. I bring a roll of toilet paper and baby wipes with me when we travel – it's a must when you're in the Philippines. Stops give passengers the chance to stretch and walk around or have a cup of coffee or hot soup. Then off we go again.  We arrived Hinunangan around supper time safely by the grace of God.

Well, I hope you find this blog interesting and informative. I hope we are able to give you a glimpse of life here in the Philippines. We thank you for following. We love you all.