14th July 2019,
Kalibo Airport
The previous night I’d gone to bed early as I had a flight to catch from Kalibo airport, and zero pre booked plans of getting there besides a little slip of paper given to me from the hostel. I was leaving Harry and Liv as the flight I was catching didn’t allowed checked baggage, but I only have 10kg of hand luggage, so opted for the cheaper flight.
So at about 5am I woke up to catch my flight at 11am, with the intention of avoiding taxi costs by hitchhiking.
After rejecting 4 offers to drive me to the port, a guy on a motorbike offered to drive me for 80 pesos. Originally I was going to hitch hike, but a lift for £3.40 was crazy cheap.
I then boarded the boat by following a Filipino, which turned out to be the right way to board, avoiding additional fees.
Next was the big one, a 3 hour journey from the port to the airport. But, after making good time so far, I was in no rush. As soon as I left the boat a man offered to take me for 1000 pesos, 5 times more than the hostel have even priced it at. I told him to do one and found a bus that looked as if it was ready to leave.
Here was the time to use my fathers sales advice…I asked if I could get on, and the men at the front said it was a pre-book company. He told me a ticket would be 200 pesos, but I said I would pay him 150, he had spare seats and had no intention of waiting for them to be filled anyway. The man was surprised by my response and insisted the bus should be pre booked anyway, and that prebookings cost 200. I gave him the offer of 150 again and he didnt approve, and pointed towards another bus company. I didnt leave and presented him the money. He told me to wait and went onboard the bus to speak to the driver. After a short conversation the man introduced me to the bus driver who happily accepted my offer….and I was on my way. 150 pesos, less than all these other customers who’d actually pre booked there tickets haha.
However, by being so fortunate. I ended up being a little too well off. I got to the airport and as it was so small, your booking must only be 2 hours before the departure or you have to wait outside. I was 5 hours earlier than my departure.
I was able to find a cheap local shop with a Filipino lady cooking dishes for other Filipinos, always the best/cheapest places for food. However, after some eggs, bananas and rice I still had 3 hours to kill. There was a beach about an hours walk away, but as the sun was so bright and the temperate reaching 35°C plus I wsdny keen on walking. I headed in the direction on the beach until I reached a straight road where cars had to be heading in the same direction. I stopped a car and told him where i was going, and at that point it’s impossible to say no, so I hopped in.
At the little beach was a few local children and that was it. So different to Boracay. It was actually peaceful.
Peaceful until the friendly Filipinos want to have a chat anyway. This man with his family swam over and we had a long chat.
Eventually he needed to leave. Which I was grateful for…..until I realised I needed to get back to the airport. I shouted over to him and I asked him how he was travelling. But, like most Filipinos, he had him his brother and his brothers son all on one scooter. I asked anyway.
His brother was driving to scooter and as Filipinos are always so kind he said yes, he ditched his son and brother for 20 minutes as he drove me to the airport.
The flight was on time and arrived at the airport roughly the same time as Harry and Liv.
We met at the airport and got a taxi to our hostel in Cebu.
JC'ing 