As agreed with Christine and Mitzie, I met up with them at the McD's along Q.Ave at 6am. Eventhough I had not had any sleep (coming from work on a 4pm-130am shift), I'd made it on time and had just bought a light breakfast of pancakes when Christine arrived. Mitzie followed a few minutes later and we soon headed out via cab to NAIA. Although travel was fairly smooth and continuous, the cab driver took the long route causing us to spend more than expected. Mitzie actually paid the exact amount on the meter, which undoubtedly was the reason for the driver's tsking sound when we got off, but I didn't feel bad since I felt he'd duped us anyway by taking the longer road.
We checked in and had enough minutes to spare so some monetary exchanges were made to settle our fares. It really boggles me why there are some people who like to rush at the airport when seats are almost always reserved and shelf space for hand-carry items are most often sufficient for the passengers. There was a moment when I felt mildly annoyed at this lady who cut in front of me during check-in then caused me delay when she had to take off her socks before getting through the "customs" lane. Muttered beneath my breath to let her know my irritation, natch, then just shot daggers at her with my sleep-deprived eyes. Anywho, we got to Iloilo and found the shuttle service easily enough that would take us to SM. The ride was short and cost us Php50 each but it was comfortable enough. Wanting to try one of the suggested batchoy places, we had our lunch at Ted's. We all felt really disappointed that it fell way below our expectations. The broth was not as tasty (I honestly think I get more flavour out of those instant Lucky-Me La Paz Batchoy at the grocery) and the toppings not as impressive as the pictures. Mitzie was dissatisfied enough that she had to buy a pastry at a stall nearby the bookstore.
We took another cab to the port and sadly encountered another driver that thought to cheat us by taking another convoluted route. Since we weren't familiar with the place, we had no other alternatives but to keep to it. The ferry that would take us to Guimaras was soothing despite the slight drizzle, enough that it lulled me to doze off and on. There wasn't much of a view but I suppose Christine and Mitzie thought it picturesque enough to take some scenic shots. Getting off was a trial in patience as we were (as is common in provincial ports/airstrips) hounded by relentless drivers hoping to get us to contract them for an exhorbitant fee. Thanks to Christine's affable approach to the port lady and Mitzie's determination to spend cheap, we managed to ward off all the offers and arrange to take a simple pedicab to our hotel. It was a bit of a drive and cramped but we made it. We missed our "hotel" the first trip out but the driver was solicitous to take us back around and drop us off right in front of our destination. The Zemkamps Chalet is beautiful, don't get me wrong (especially during the evening when the lights are on and the night sky is clear) but it's really pretty easy to miss because of its not quite facing the road and it's sign is small and slightly inconspicuous.
The service was commendable and the people working there were very nice. The place didn't offer in-house dining but they did have a local eatery in front which offered delivery. After the much needed rest and deliberation on what to do now that we were there, Christine and Mitzie finally decided to see what we could of Guimaras Island while we still had a few hours of daylight left to us. We hailed a trike and managed to strike a good bargain with the manong driver, Jerry. Because he seemed the likeable sort, we decided to stick with his touring services the rest of our Guimaras stay.
I'll have to share part 3 of this in another date as nature calls...
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