CDO trip, the boonies, travel by bus.boat hotels et al.
I just returned from a trip CEBU to CDO and back again thought I'd put a few things down as I gather more than a few of you are contemplating a trip to the place or close by, staying with Filipino hosts and traveling by whatever means are available, namely a bus. Well hopefully some details herein will give you some idea what you are in for.
Monday last 9 a.m found me and Mrs SH onboard the day ferry to CDO, economy class only coz it is a day trip and I wouldn't be sleeping, otherwise the noisy kids, noisier adults and animals would drive you insane. P560 my budget concious wife shelled out each as this was a combined business trip and also going to graduation several younger family members. I spent most of the trip in the restuarant or salon reading a book. We pull into CDo at 5:30 Pm thereabouts and head out. Now I suggest you get a taxi right there at the
exit gate, play it safe but my queen of the koriput (cheap) will not use them as they dont do a meter but charge accordingly, so we get to wade through the enthusiastic crowd of touts, drivers, porters and well wishers to go outside and grab a jeepney across town. Now I literally run the gauntlet, we go into purse snatch/pickpocket mode and Mrs SH sidles up nest to me, her purse under her arm, next to my body and I put an arm around her shoulder should some idiot try a grab for her earings which are cheap platic but may try for anyhow, my wallet is in my sock and the single bag is on my shoulder, in perfect position to bring it down on someone's head should they try for it or me. A big Filipino guard is at the exit, literally beating back the crowd with a big stick, one guy sees me and rushes forward, probably a taxi driver, the guard whacks the guy in the chest HARD, he staggers back in the crush of people and would have fell but for everyone pressing close.
Personally, I would have like to stay around and watch the Filipino babe ruth
whack people with a stick but Mrs SH rushes me into a jeepney and we head off for Agora station a few blocks away. We catch the bus to Butuan, not AC'd but only a few mile journey on the outskirts of CDO city. Total P30 each.
We get off about thirty minutes later after bulling our way thru traffic. Well the whole clan is at a certain widowed aunt's house for the big feast which consists of a tub of rice, a lechon Baboy and Bihon, spaghetti made with sweet sauce.etc. We bring two chickens and a bunch of soda as our part. People are already eating. The house isn't much by our standards, an unpainted tin roof, concrete walls (Unpainted on the outside) luan plywood interior, a regular termite farm but a toilet indoors and plumbing that kinda works. After the meal somebody sets up the videoke and they have a go at ABBA and Carpenter hits. The male relatives are hitting the tanduay and talking outside on the little porch, I join them. I know most of them and get a long alright but they still look at me kinda funny as I don't drink. Nightime and people are drifting off. Me and the Mrs get to bed down in the living room, they actually put a blanket down in deferrence to me, this is my matress. Others get cardboard boxes to sleep on. So amid the myriad of night noises from the other overnight guests, with the old fan blowing the hot stagnant air around I drift off to sleep despite the buzzing mosquitos who ignore the smoking coil and the skittering cockroaches who I think held a military formation at dawn.
I wait my turn in the bath room, get tired of it and go outside to [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord140][CodeWord140][/url] on the wall like all the other males. Mrs SH has heated water for me to take a bath, which I insist on as it kills whatever bacteria is present in the water, something i suggest you do too when in such a situation as Typhus can be spread easily. I go outisde in the little walled yard and douse myself with it, I'll never get in the bathroom and we have a bus to the province to catch. Of course everybody has to look, finding my white skin facinating and trying to see under my wet swim trunks if my dick really is that big.
I'm all groomed and dressed when we say goodbye to our hosts, I walk through the "compound", mud and all and make it to the main road where we can catch a bus to the boonies, hot as hell and the bath I took is immediately nulified by sweat, dust and deisel fumes. We catch the bus from CDO to Davao viA Bukidnon (aka BUDA). I climb aboard the air con sixty seater, the guard goes over my person and baggage with a hand held metal detector, gives my bag a cursory check and waves me on, I could have had a block of C-4 and he woulda missed it, but I noticed they check Filipinos much more thorough.
We find seats in the back after triping over "filipino luggage", that is plastic bags and boxes holding everything from live fighting cocks to clothes and food, I settle in for the four hour ride to Maramang near Malabalay. I survey the other passengers and find it a typical mixed bag. ITEM: a mother is breast feeding what looks like a two year old boy. three muslim women, all wrapped up in veils and heavy clothes stare out the window as a child sleeps on their 3 a breast laps. A crusty old fellow with a bag full of tools. No other white faces, so some people stare at mine, but most watch the overhead TV which is playing a Tagalog movie, you know its a tagalog movie as all the actors are firing guns, sometimes they stop and do a hokey "love scene" then start shooting again, never mind the plot, the pyrotechnics are the thing. Some lady passenger has made friends with Mrs SH and of course wants to know what country I'm from, all that, so mrs SH has to oblige with my life story, which I don't like but that is how it is with a Filipina, they love to brag. I just smile and nod but mostly look outside at the ever passing tableau as we work our way along the road which twists and turns like a disjointed snake. The scenery is breath taking to say the least, as many times as I've made the trip I always find a new marvel be it a shimering mountain in the distance or a banana plantation with ten foot plants. Every once in awhile we pass a settlement with tin roof huts, chipping concrete buildings and sometimes all bamboo nipa homes. We pull into a dusty broken down bus stop, our destination.
I'll save the rest including our return to CDO and conversation with the manager of a girlie bar for next post.
Spamhog
CDO trip #2, old BG's never die...they become mama sans
We get off in the middle of downtown Maramag, we grab a Habal-Habal, the only transports available and go for a bumpy five mile ride through "town" and turn off into nowhere, down a dirt road and come to a little farm house full of kids, relatives, chickens, pigs, goats and mud. They got a big feast waiting for us, consisting of rice and dried fish,fish soup. The farm house sits on about a hectare of land (2 1/2 acres roughly) lots of chickens and a few pigs which I guess I own, or rather my wife does. We are here to conduct business, pick up our profits from the rice harvest and invest in Maize, or corn as corn based fuel is the newest thing in the Phils. Now all this has to be done with cash which is a pain in the ass as nobody here has a bank account, the bank dont take checks and cant do wire transfers. I mention this as if you are considering doing business this is what you face and not just in the province either. So we wait & head into town to meet so and so with the money (Which he probably buried underground) after selling his harvest a day ago. He takes his time and shows up late of course but the count is right. Now we transfer it to so and so, once again all cash sign a contract at that is it. Simple but it took all day.
Notice I did not go riding around out in boonie land with cash from one to transfer to another, after the deal is done we go check out the corn field we staked, everyone knows we've no cash so why try a hold up? back we go to the farm and settle in for an evening of more Karaoke singing and dried fish. Half the province shows up including the local vice Mayor and the Parish Priest, to gawk and talk with me. I've been here several times, but each time, these folks have a way with making you feel like you're a celebrity.
I sleep on a bamboo floor, my over night bag for a pillow. It is rather cool out a pleasant surprise. Next morning I'm up at dawn and go for a walk in the countryside, I have an army of kids (nephews and cousins mostly) as my personal "bodyguard", breathtaking views and cool dry weather. Back on the bus and head to CDO. More hairpin turns, A little past noon we get off at Agora. Now Mrs SH wants to stay with other relatives in their cramped, dusty and hot "rooming" house. But frankly I've had enough and head for the DYNASTY hotel. I want TV, AC and hot running water.
Now I mention Dynasty hotel but there are others as I've said in CDO that are cheaper and such, the riverview, Southwest Motel and CDO visitors hotel, all udner P1000 all are centrally located for mongering. BUT it is CASH ONLY no credit cards, I wanted to put this on Visa, so you are limited to 3 or 4 places. The Dynasty was full, lawyers convention, so I checked into the VIP
a few block away, they take the card and are pretty decent. Price P1,800
for econo room, but big and roomy the AC works great and they have cable.
To my knowledge the other place is Max Alexander but they are REAL Expensive and dont have much to offer other than a big room and fancy decor.
Shower and shave and ready to flop down on the bed when the "boss" tells me she wants to visit an old GF who just had a baby. Okay, head out near the airport, to the new SM mall and pick up a gift then turn into and exclusive neighborhood of 3 story mansions. This lady married a Korean, built a great looking place and was glad to see her us. We were in the middle of iced tea and a tray of fruit, enjoying the AC when a commotion at the door
broke the setting. In charges a person with all the sensitive grace of a hammerhead shark. She was yelling before the reached the stairs and continued up all 3 flights, startling the baby and pissing off Mom and Mrs SH.
It was the sister of our lady host, lets call her...Mary (as in hell Mary?). I guess her at age 40 or so, floppy belly from two kids (by different fathers) saggy boobs that were once nice. At one time she was attractive, I could see it in her face, but now... I'll say this, she realizes her sister has company and she changes, putting on her professional charm when she sees a foreigner is a guest and she remembers mrs SH whom she hasn;t seen in years. Hell mary calms down and sits gossiping with us, asking a million questions about me, etc. Some I catch, some she ask directly in english, but this nosy bimbo wants to know the value of everything my wife is wearing.
When the Mrs displayed her diamond engagement ring I'm suprised she didn't pull out a jelwers loupe.
Later here's what I get from my wife about Mary, listen up and learn a few things and get reinforcement on a few others. Mary started work in Davao as a GRO, got recruited for some bar in Manila and helped raise her sister and family, putting our host through college, her and Mrs SH were roomates and when Mary returned Mrs SH did baby sitting for her kids while she went to work in the bar. Mary used to come home with leftovers that customers didn't eat and fed it to her kids and everyone else. Sis graduated, worked for awhile, met a nice Korean fellow and got married. Mary got too old to be popular and found work as a Mama san. I understand enough Visayan to catch that Mary asked My wife not to tell me what she did "before".
Mary is also eaten up with jealousy, she is envious of her sister, nice house, nice furnishings, a car and she is Jealous of Mrs SH, who sits there with a "nice" foreigner husband wearing nice jewelry and bragging about a recent Honk Kong trip. So Mary relays a story about how she has an "Online" BF an American who sends her money to go to school, and will be visiting soon, hopefully to get her a fiance visa to the USA. Meanwhile, Mary bums a taxi ride downtown when we return coz "classes are starting at nightschool". We let her off near the VIP hotel. Mrs Spamhog rolls her eyes and clues me to the real deal, according to her friend.
Mary works at one of the local Videoke's as a Mama san, (night school bullshit) She was yelling about some sort of problem with her current boyfriend when she charged into the house earlier. She came in to ask her sister for a loan, for the BF of course. I also learn the BF is a "Macho dancer" at one of the gay clubs in town. Now herein lies the paradox, Mary worked her ass off (literally) humping guys to fed her family and educate her sister, it paid off as sis has a good life, Sis now takes care of her and of course gives her "loans" and has taken Mary and her two kids (Both in their teens now).
She even offered Mary a job at one of her legitimate businesses, but Mary still keeps up with her old habits (she goes for younger men, similar to her former profession) and works in the bars. She brags about a foreigner "pen pal" who gives her money and sends her to school. Sis assures us this guy exists but doesn't send as much as Mary says. Anyhow two things:
One: some chump is sending Mary money to send her to school and take care of her kids until he can get to the Phils to "marry" her. SUCKER!!!!
two: Mary will not change her ways even when offered the opportunity to do so, remember Spamhogs addage:
YOU CAN TAKE THE GIRL OUT OF THE BAR BUT YOU CANT TAKE THE BAR OUT OF THE GIRL.
Later on we decide to go for a stroll at CDO's night cafe, lots of sights and sounds, I listen to a band while sitting at a makeshift outdoor cafe sipping an ice tea. Lots of girlies strolling by, a few are probably freelancers. I notice a few Byots too, also working the crowd BEWARE.
On the way back to the hotel the night has put on her face like a tired hooker, neon and winking lights. I notice the VIP hotel is a block away from the kangaroo bar, Ate M's Videoke (a few girls standing outside trying to lure in customers) and we pass a place with garish green neon sign resembling lips called 'Kiss me' bar or "chu chu", anyway Korean writing on the sign so you can probably guess the rest.
I wanted to hit a few of the clubs like Mojo (ralfs sports bar nearby looked like a good place for some western food and imported beer) and excite disco but Mrs SH was too tired.
I wondered which bar Mary was hosting at?
Mrs SH narrowed it down to two, Bada Bing or Ong Tek, right across the street from each other and a stones throw from Riverview hotel.
Regards
Spamhog