Bicol jottings

Wanted to leave 5:30am but, as always, this didn't push through. Got trapped inside the house with Mel, with the screen door stuck in the frame (sometimes, you wonder how such an impossible thing can happen on a very critical moment!) and it took us about 10mins to open it. Finally we managed to get to the RDM carpark at 6:30. And, the unimaginable happened (given the situation these past days). It rained!!!

So again we had our delays, but we were off the Sto. Tomas exit by 7:30. SLEX toll fee P214. (gah!)
Gasoline in Manila - P56/liter
Had breakfast at Jollibee San Pablo, Batangas at 8:15; left 30mins later.

Gasoline in Candelaria, Quezon - P53/liter, the cheapest we've seen so far. Siempre nagpa-gas kami, Sayaang eh!
In Sariaya by 10am

Gasoline is already P59/liter in Lucena. And there we saw this school named International School for Better Beginnings. Maybe we should enroll the kids here so they can have, well, better beginnings?

Brgy Silangang Malicboy in Pagbilao, Quezon is the worst! Bad roads, forlorn houses. The only sign of a commercial activity is a sole halo-halo stand beside the road. Wonder what the ingredients are.

1pm. Officially arrived in the Bicol region in Camarines Norte. Had lunch at Pares Express in Sta. Elena, Camnor. And we thought we were near our destination...

The food was so-so, the ladies room dirty and sometimes the water flow falters, despite them asking for a P3 fee per CR visit. And although I take my hats off at them for attempting to recycle things -- such as old shoes as plant pots and used frying pans as sinks -- the overall experience was not positively memorable. Anybody who passes this way to Bicol can skip this place and go somewhere else. Buses, however, do frequent the place. Left Pares Express at 2pm.

Arrived Camarines Sur area at 3pm. Was it Ragay town? Not sure. Where on earth is Tagkawayan? We're supposed to be passing there to Sipocot Junction. The bad roads are worsening, and it has been that bad since the 90s, according to Mel, who has traveled this stretch of the notoriously famed South Road before.

At one point, we were wondering why the vehicles in front of us were stopping. Somewhere along that pock-marked highway were a series of traffic lights. Not above. On the side. So if you don't see it, good luck. That explains the numerous accidents.

Sipocot Junction at 4pm. Maybe we're near. No sign of Mt Mayon.

Arrived Naga 5pm. What the heck? Are we there yet?
Entered the town of Pili 5:23.
Left Camsur area 5:51.
Yes!!!! First glimpse of Mt Mayon from afar at 5:53.

7:51.....low batt.....we have just entered Legazpi City....am hungry....
8:10pm Arrived Vista al Mayon. We're finally checking in.

Food!!!!!

2012 Visita Iglesia: First leg

Every year, we try to go to at least eight churches, starting from UST, where we always hear the Holy Thursday mass. This time, however, our friends Rudy and Anna with their daughter, Yanna, decided to join us. They had been planning to go to Baguio for the Holy Week as they always do each year, but for some reason their minds changed. Must be because they had such a disastrous trip to Boracay last week, thanks to the incompetence of Cebu Pacific. They probably decided to stay in Manila instead.

So we decided to divide our Visita Iglesia to two legs this year: one around Manila on Holy Thursday and the second to Rizal churches on Good Friday.

Tonight, we went from UST to San Sebastian, and then San Beda and the twin churches of Loreto and St. Anthony. Then, we went back to Pandacan's Sto Nino Church and finally, Sta. Ana, which was very calming because of its mellow music filling the courtyard where the altar of repose was set up.

All in all, we visited seven churches tonight. Tomorrow, we plan to visit seven more.