By Sol Jose Vanzi
In the good old days of cheap gas, it was our big family’s weekend tradition to pack an 8-cylinder station wagon with tents, sleeping bags, propane stove, generator, grill, ice box, pots and pans and head for the mountains or the beach. We started out at dawn, ate our packed lunch at our first scenic stop and pitched tent at before sunset, often at private beach or mountain resorts which charged us nothing more than per-head admission fees.
It was how our five kids saw, and experienced, a lot of the country. They picked mature tobacco leaves in Paoay, slept in four-poster beds at historic inns in Vigan, explored bat caves below cliffs overlooking the South China Sea in Bagac, snorkeled in Puerto Galera, boiled eggs in bubbling hot mud in Tiwi, crossed San Juanico Bridge and posed with MacArthur’s bronze statue on the beach in Palo.
Grandson Kyle (born 1990) grew up fascinated by fading photographs of those memorable experiences on our living room wall; he could hardly wait for his turn to be there himself. But private cars and cheap gas are 26 years behind us now. Reluctantly, we decided to travel the affordable way: by public transport, backpacking the way young European tourists have done for decades. A whole new world opened up for us.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION – The first step is to decide which place/places to visit. Start small; pick a destination, near or far, that’s only one bus ride away: Vigan, Tagaytay, Laoag. Use the internet to get valuable details about transportation: what bus companies service the route, location of the bus terminal most convenient for you, bus fare rates and, most important, whether you can purchase tickets for specific days, date and trip time.
PLAN AHEAD – It pays to plan weeks in advance. Consult friends and relatives on the wheres and hows of the places you want to visit. Lacking contacts? Go online and find contact numbers, email addresses of the town’s local government, tourist bureaus and police departments. Or phone any business establishment located at your destination; I have found all of them very helpful with information.
LOCAL INFO CRUCIAL – Our first backpacking adventure was to Puerto Galera, and I did not want to pay P300/pax, one way, aboard a tourist aircon bus from Malate to Batangas City pier where we could catch a boat to our resort destination. I went online and found business listings for Batangas City and Puerto Galera, whose staff gladly advised about where, along Roxas Boulevard, to catch regular aircon buses headed for Batangas City that cost less than half as much. I also found out the different kinds of boats, their sailing schedules and rates. A few gave tips on places to stay, complete with names and cell numbers of their friends who own lodging places.
The same info search system worked well when we went to Batac, Ilocos Norte. We were advised to take the Florida bus, all air-conditioned with onboard CR, the only bus company which turns off the national highway and drops off passengers at a company terminal conveniently meters away from our destination. With online assistance, we also pinpointed the Manila terminal most convenient for us (Sampaloc, across the street from UST).
READ UP BEFORE THE TRIP – Knowing about your destination is essential in getting the most out of the experience. Again, the internet provides the most convenient sources and references. Download information, including a list of specific places, points of interest and even a plan on where to eat and shop and print them out for each member of the travelling group.
When we went to Ilocos, advance info allowed us to: leave Manila Friday night, get off the bus early Saturday morning at Vigan, which we explored (with bagnet and langgonisa for lunch) for seven hours. We took a mid-afternoon bus to Batac, getting there in time for a tour of museums and a dinner at the famous Empanadahan.
We had all of Day Two, Sunday, for a beach escapade in Pagudpod, taking in Bongbong’s windmills along the way. That same evening, we were aboard a bus for Manila. We got home in time for an early Monday breakfast.
NIGHT TRAVEL = FEWER HOTEL NIGHTS – Hotel bills eat up a lot of one’s travel budget, and we learned from our Ilocos experience that overnight bus trips reduce hotel expenses or even eliminate them altogether. Early morning arrival at one’s destination also means more hours of exploration, shopping and sightseeing.
Overland travel overnight is advised for destinations such as Northern L:uzon, Bicol, the Visayas and Mindanao. Night trips mean less traffic on the highways, fewer stops and shorter travel time, albeit with the inconvenience of finding a comfortable sleeping position.
REDUCING FOOD BILLS – After transport and lodging, the other major travel expense item is for food. On the road, one has to be extra careful about what, and where, to eat. Getting sick on vacation, out of town, can be a very expensive and terrible experience.
Every bus company has roadside eateries where vehicles stop for meals. These restaurants are not necessarily the best in their area; nor are they certified by local and national health agencies for food safety. Therefore, travelers have to observe caution when they have no other choice but to eat what they serve.
SAFE, SIMPLE FOOD – This is one of the few instances when I can recommend ordering instant noodles. After all, one would be eating only for survival and not for gourmet reasons. Other safe edibles on the road: hard boiled eggs with no visible cracks, fried fish, fish paksiw, dry-cooked adobo. Stay away from boiled viands, anything cooked in coconut milk, meat with heavy tomato sauces, sisig and kinilaw. Barbecues should also be avoided, as they could be contaminated through their marinades and sauces; many barbecued items also get charred on the outside but stay raw inside.
PACKING LIGHT – When travelling like a backpacker, remember to pack only what you can carry without assistance. Pack only the essentials: first aid kit, plastic bags for laundry, medicine, sunblock, hat, light raincoat, jacket, extra clothes that are thin and light, slippers, dry food (non-perishable snacks, bread, crackers, nuts), bottled water, towel. Use a bag that could fit under a bus seat. Make sure and reserve seats that are not directly above the bus wheels to get ample bag space under the seats.
NEXT STOP: DONSOL’S WHALES – Our successful backpacking treks have encouraged us to plan more adventurous sojourns, one of which is to Donsol for close up encounters with the Butanding or whale sharks. We need to research timing (the activity is seasonal), transport, lodging and other activities we can package with the long trip. So far, our plan is to take an aircon bus straight to Sorsogon, get the whale experience out of the way, and do the other stuff in the same area the next day. On the trip back, we could take a bus to Legaspi for a walk up Mayon Volcano, then a short ride to meet up with the PNR train to Manila
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