Quirino Province: Maddela

 

after my short trip in Santiago I quickly took a van bound to Maddela, Quirino to visit the Maddela Falls. This is one of the cleaneast province that I have ever been, locked down and surrounded with the mountainous range of Sierra Madre it is a more than 10 hours land trip from Manila and almost 2 hours from Santiago City, Isabela. I arrived in Quirino for about an hour and quickly look for a place to eat before I meet my friends who happened to be my tour guides and photographer that time. I was also looking for their delicacies and souvenir shop unfortunately I could not find one.

 

 

 

The Road going to Maddela Falls taken inside the tricycle

We arrived in Maddela Waterfalls for about an hour and we paid 25 pesos for the entrance fee. we owned the falls that time since there were no other tourist around. I really love the waterfalls and I prefer the falls than swimming on the beach or hiking in the mountain although going to the falls needs some effort, magnificent things in this world is always hidden somewhere and you need to find it to feel and witness its beauty.


Maddela Waterfalls and Forest Resort

 

 

 I really enjoyed my short trip to this wonderful falls with the help of my friends there. after almost an hour enjoying myself in this beautiful place I went to the van terminal bound to Santiago City. I will surely go back to this place  to visit some of the attractions in Quirino Province.




They are my friends who helped me going to Maddela Falls :)

How to get there :
 Ride a bus from Manila bound to Maddela fare around 800. bus includes Dagupan and Florida or you can fly to Cauayan, Isabela via Cebupacific then ride a van going to Santiago city and from Santiago you can take vans going to Maddela.

Thank you reading :)



Isabela: Cauayan and Santiago City.

 Isabela, the second largest province of the Philippines, located in the northern part and home of the
famous Pancit Cabagan. my trip to Isabela is a part of my 5 provinces trip in the northern part of the Philippines including Isabela, Quirino, Cagayan Valley, Apayao and Kalinga. I depart Manila early morning and arrive in the Cauayan Airport an hour later, from the airport, I took a tricycle that cost me 50 pesos to the famous church of Our lady of Pilar. I had a short trip in the Cauayan City I just visited e church and took some pictures around.

tricycles are everywhere

 

the infamous church of Our Lady of Pilar

The church interior

 

Robinsons place Santiago

 

after my short visit in Cauayan City, I took a tricycle going to the Hi-way where FX or Bus pass bound to Santiago City. I chose to ride a van going to Santiago City and it cost me 60 pesos for an hour ride. as what I saw in the province inside the van, Isabela is a plain, hot province that has a vast production of agricultural products like corn and rice but surrounded with mountains.

 

I dropped off in the van terminal bound to Maddela which I have separate blog and the following pictures taken after my short visit in Maddela in the province of Quirino. 

Feli-Citas one of the famous restaurant that serves Pancit Cabagan

It was already late that I arrive in Santiago from Madella. I immediately look for something to eat and the first thing that came to my mind is to try their own delicacy, I had been craving to their  pancit Cabagan since I was in Manila, I went to Feli-Citas located just in front of national Hi-way near Robinsons Place Santiago I took a tricycle going there that cost me 10 pesos. they were closing the resto already but I begged them to serve me food since I was hungry and I came too far just to try their food and my acting effort really worked out! they let me in and served the Pancit Cabagan a moment later some people came in as well and they let them in as well we had a great dinner together.

 

the delicious yummy Pancit Cabagan the pride of Isabela province.

 after I tried their delicacies and took some pictures around, I went to bus terminal that will wait for the bus that bring me to Tuguegarao in the province of Cagayan Valley it took me 2 hours of waiting before the bus arrive from Manila to pick-up passengers in Santiago Terminal. I enjoyed my short visit in Isabela I was not able to go to some of its famous attraction due to time constraint anyway it only gave me  a reason to come back.

 

How to get there:

There are many ways to get to Isabela province either by land or plane. you can take a bus from Cubao that usually take about 10 hours bound to Isabela or Cagayan and drop off in different places in Isabela or you can go there by plane via Cebupacific from Manila to Cauayan where their aiport is located.

 

 

 

 Thank you for reading. Godbless

 

 

 

 

 

Cebu: Cebu City

 

Cebu! atlast I was able to set foot in Visayas, Cebu was the first province I visited in Visayas to complete my goal to set foot to each provinces in the Philippines. Cebu is also called the Queen City of the South because it has vast potential in terms of economy and infrastracture. Cebu airport located in Mactan also serve as an international airport and the 2nd most numbers of domestic destination next to Manila. Cebu citizens speak their proud language "Cebuano" you will meet somebody who dont know how to speak Tagalog either you speak in Cebuano or English. I do have many friends in Cebu and for unknown reason I travelled alone.

 

Okay let me continue, I felt the excitement from the moment I set foot in Mactan airport, it was already 8 in the evening. I quickly went to the taxi lane, after 2 hours of wasting my time I finally saw myself inside the taxi, good thing! the taxi driver was jolly and positive it made me feel good he tried so hard to talk to me in Tagalog he was suggesting a lot of cheap hotels but I already have one in my mind before I left Manila, I asked him to bring me to Sugbutel one of the cheapest but descent hotel in Cebu, the staff were very accomodating and hospitable, I really recommend this hotel to everybody despite its remote location to the city you will feel the hospitality of the staff. 

 

My original plan is to travel from Manila to Cebu spend the night there, wake up early in the morning to catch the ferry bound to Bohol spend the day in Bohol and be back in Cebu in the afternnoon, spend the night again in Cebu then wake up early again in the morning to tour Cebu before catching my  flight back to Manila in the afternoon. so tiring isn't it?

 

Anyway, after I checked-in in Sugbutel I went to Ayala Center in Cebu to meet my friends in magic that I met in facebok.

 

Abra Kadabra!! Alakazam!! these people are really amazing in their own craft

the place where we gathered and showed our powers to each other.

Magic, magic and magic I thanked these people for making a very magical night.

We went to Starbucks to gather and talk nothing but magic. I took advantage of the opportunity to ask about direction and if there were some of them willing to come with me next morning. unfortunately, they have work and school schedule so I ended up alone on the next day. I just stayed in Ayala for about 2 hours before I get back to Sugubutel by a cab. My way going to Ayala from sugbutel was about 20 minutes by cab but my way back to Sugbutel from Ayala took forever not just forever but my 300 cash, I did not have a choice but to pay the taxi driver , I was not familiar with the places thats why I didnt know if the taxi driver just strolling me around or bringing me to the right direction. upon arriving in Sugbutel I quickly looked for a place to eat..tantananantantan!! all the stores nearby were closed even the hotel didnt serve any food that time I could not blame them before I checked-in they explained that to me and I just forgot about it. okay! let me blame the taxi driver who did a great taxi tour in Cebu.

I was forced to order in Jollibee, I was desperate since the last time I ate was before I leave Manila thousand of years ago. I begged the staff to order food from jollibee I just left cash to the staff to pay for that !@#$% food so if I wake up and still alive next morning I will have a food to eat. I slept for about 3 hours, wake up early in the morning to look for that !@#$$ food . oh God my eyes were teary when I saw two pieces of chicken, Palabok and tons of Rice. I ate everything including the utensils and  a spanish guest saw me with a weird look anyway,  I had a conversation with this Spanish guest in the hotel a nice feeling to use my spanish language skills we talked about our positive feedbacks in the hotel.

I took a bath in a common CR I didnt have any problem on that. I quickly dressed myself up and went to Cebu port, I asked help from a pasalubong vendor for the ticket booth location and he direct me to the right place to buy a ticket in exchange he offered me to buy an Otap but I suggested to give him cash for his help but he got mad he insisted me to buy an otap for the amount of 100, I asked him that I will get only one for 35 but he was getting so angry I did not have a choice but to buy the set of Otap that cost me 100 instead of arguing to that vendor.what kind of people are they to start my day with negative. anyway, I  catched a ferry bound to bohol. I paid around 300 for the ticket.

I skip my story about my Bohol tour I created a separate post for that. anyway, I went back to Cebu in the afternoon I hopped in a jeepney bound to Cebu City, one thing I noticed about Cebu transportation is that their jeep has a code for the destination instead of the complete name of the place. they look like-D11 , c14, d12 i dont know if these are existing but they were look like that.

I asked from my friends help and my partner's friend to help me to find a place to spend my night. I followed my partners advice not to stay in Sugbutel since its location is far from the main attraction in Cebu which I will visit next morning. they recommended a lot of hotel but they were so expensive. I was in a tight budget, so I had to look for a cheaper if not the cheapest place to stay. my day was ruined consuming all my time looking for a hotel and waiting for my friend's help, I received no help from my friends in Cebu maybe they were just busy and the timing that night was not right.

after hours and hours of walking I ended up on this small Inn, it cost me about 200 per night. I should be careful of what I wished for.

LA Pension

the view from the room where I stayed

I woke up early in the morning and had a quick breakfast before I started to tour the city.

  
    I walked and strolled aroud the city, like in Manila, Cebu is very populated and polluted city, I asked for directions from different people there were some who were approachable and some were snobbed.

  
   The Colon Street looked like Recto Street in Manila . Traffics are everywhere and you can buy goods from different parts of Colon Street.

 

University of San Jose-Recoletos

Cebu is really a progressive province it has so many things to offer for the tourists foreign and locals.

University of San Carlos

I went to University of San Carlos the oldest university in the Philippines. I was not able to get inside to visit the museum since I was too early I just took a picture of it and proceed to my next destination

I took this picture while I was inside the jeepney

    There is Plaza Independencia in Cebu looks like Intramuros in Manila it used to be a military base in wartime.
  

 

atlast, I found someone to take a picture of me .

 

 

 

 I just strolled around the plaza , I visited its own museum and enjoyed taking pictures of those paintings and figurines that shows about the history of Cebu.

view from the top of Plaza Independencia

Magellan's Cross

inside Magellan's Cross

 I continue walking until I reach the famous church in Cebu the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino located just some minutes away from Magellan's Cross.

Basilica Minore del Sto. NIno

 

 

I pray inside the church for a while. The church has a very amazing internal structure and art you can see a lot of paintings surrounded the wall inside the church and if you are into art you will really appreaciate this church.

 I was so hungry and thrirsty after my tour in Cebu and I decided to find a place to eat.. I went to a descent carinderia where I ordered Eggplant, soup and rice.

 

Souvenir shop in cebu where I bought some of my cheap keychains.

Butterfly Museum

 
Cebu has so many things to offer to the tourist foreigns or locals. There are churches and Museums that tells history about Cebu, they have beaches and natural attractions which I was not able to visit due to  my limited time like Camotes Island, Bantayan Island etc. they have bars, restaurants and major malls for those who love to eat and shop. they almost have eveyrthing, they are good english speaker so, communication is not an issue in Cebuanos. there are hotels from highclass to inn. There were things i did not do or places I did not visit to give myself a reason to go back , someday I will go back to this province to explore more attraction in Cebu.


How to get there:

There are so many ways for a traveler to visit Cebu, via land, air or sea., The three major airlines has a daily flight to Cebu including Airasia, Cebupacific and Philippine Airlines, you can go to Cebu via 2go boat not only from Manila but from different provinces in the Philippines like Manila, Biliran, Samar, Leyte, Cagayan De Oro, Davao etc.

Thank you for reading :)