Running out of things to blog about, I once again reminisce about my most memorable experiences. It is almost summer once again and like most heat-loving Filipinos, I go to the beach once or twice every summer. I don’t really like the beach, I just love the memories.
Running out of words to complete paragraphs, I decided this time to ommit all unnecessary blabber and just go straight to the point. I, interviewed myself.
What are the general details of your boat trip to Boracay?
We rode the Negros Navigation ferry from the Manila Pier to Caticlan last year on our way to Boracay and the WG&A Super Ferry on our way home. That was April last year, there were four of us going there and three going home.
How long was the trip?
The actual boat ride itself averages 12 hours. Going there we arrived the port at around 3 p.m., boarded the boat around 5:30. We were actually the last ones to board. There were problems with people who booked online. We finally got off the boat around 8:30 a.m. the next day. There’s a lot of waiting involved.
How much did you save?
As opposed to riding a plane I saved Php 1,700.00 total. Our tickets cost around Php 800.00.
How was the ferry?
It was ok. It looked like an old Japanese boat; there were Japanese writings all over. I was actually surprised at how big it was. It had four floors. We stayed at the economy air-conditioned section. Double-decked bunk beds all over with only around a meter between beds. But there was actually a section that was open air. Something like a super-economy section. ‘Nung umaga nga, tumitilaok na yung mga manok ‘eh.
What did you do during the trip?
Played poker. Tried to sleep. Ate dinner. Checked out the people who partied at the roof deck. There was a DJ and people were actually dancing. Some of the girls were even sort of ledge-dancing. And this was all on the rooftop, open-air, really, really strong sea breeze.
Do you think the savings from riding the ferry was worth it?
No. It’s a very, very long trip. You waste almost 30 hours. You could have been a lot more productive than the Php 1,700.00 that you saved in 30 hours.
Would you do it again?
If all of us were to ride the boat, I’d do it again. If not, I’d probably just do it one way. Definitely to go there, and ride the plane to go home.
Any last words to describe this experience?
It was really exhausting. It’s not for people who lack patience. Don’t do it if some of your friends are riding the plane. You wouldn’t want to be with the group who chose the boat. On our way home, I was part of those who rode the ferry. Our trip was scheduled for 5:45 p.m., their flight was scheduled for six. They were already in Manila and we were still waiting in line to board the stupid ferry. Finally, I got sick after. Must have been the airborne germs from the loads of people in the sleeping quarters, it was like a hospital ward there.
