Out of Thailand and Arrival to Dumaguette!!!!

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After Krabi I had a flight back to Bangkok late afternoon on Sunday. I arrived around 8 pm. The cheapest and fastest way to get to Bangkok’s Don Muang Airpot is to take a cab to Chatuchak MRT Station for 180THB and then the MRT to where ever you are going. I was tired to start packing that night for the Philippines so I just had a large Singha beer to relax, knowing that the next 2 days where going to be very busy for me. I had 2 days of classes left at my Thai culinary school, I had to pack one of my trunks and find a place to store it during the time that I was going to be abroad and I had to figure out how to travel with just 30 kg of gear and 7kg in my carry on.

Monday night I sorted what I didn’t need and put it on one of my trunks (both are the same size) and I laid around my underwater camera gear. It was decided to leave all my scuba gear behind because my friends in Dumaguette had gear for me and I could save in weight. My lenses and batteries travelled in my vest, that gave me a little window for more weight, my laptop in one bag and the cameras in a small carry on but even then my carry on was 3 kg overweight. I figured if they airline people said something to me I could take out some of my toiletries and put them in my vest. Tuesday I couldn’t leave as early as I wanted to because I couldn’t bring the trunk downstairs by myself and I had to wait for my landlord to walk his dogs until 9:30. Once my truck was doin stairs I had to drag it a block. Fortunately a taxi drove by really quickly but the traffic in Bangkok was insane. It cost me more to take the trunk to the storage place than to take the taxi to the airport!! What a ripoff. But I had to live with it. I was glad that I had found BangkokSelfStorage.com They have a plan called packpacker storage and they charge 100THB per week plus tax. I paid for 5 weeks in advance and I was a lot lighter and I knew I was going to save a lot of money in overweight fees.

Then I walked to the closes BTS station and I headed to School for my last day of class but must importantly to pick up my graduation certificates, which they delayed until the last minute. I was not happy about it, lots of issues and I will plan to write a hard review about the school in Trip Advisor. I was ready to leave Thailand right there and then but I had a long night ahead of me. I went to my appartment. I sorted the last few things, had my last noodles at my favorite place and decided to get to the airport early. My flight was 40 minutes after midnight. The taxi driver took my on a super fast emply highway and I was at the airport in about 15-20 minutes. I was early but the airport is a mess and it took me a while to find my airline, Cebu Pacific. I was circleing around and couldn’t find it. Information kept saying its on Isle F and I circled and nothing. I finally decided to ask one of the guys at the counter and he said: “Right Here” Wait another 10 minutes we are not open yet. I was the first one in line for first time in my life. YaY and the lady let me slide on my 3 kg of overweight in the carry on. Then I had to wait about 4 hrs to get on my plane with no Internet. What a drag. But I was happy to leave Thailand.

Then flew about 4hrs to Manila. In Manila I had to check immigration and they would have not let me in without an “Exit” ticket which the ladies at the airline printed out for me. As soon as I said Im going Diving the officer immediately stamped my passport and did not ask me anymore questions not even where I was going to stay at. Sweet! Good start.

I had to pick up my Check-in luggage to the flight to Cebu and it was super easy. Just grabbed it from one side and drop it off at the trasfering counter. Then I was light again but I had to wait another 5hrs for my flight to Cebu which was only 1h from Manila.

The trasport from Cebu to Dumaguette gets a little tricky but with the right instructions everything went nice and smooth and I did not have to spend any unnecessary money in taxis. From the arrivals area at the Cebu airport go across the street to Departures and up the stairs no elevator or electrical stairs, luckly a young guy gave me a hand with my heavy trunk and we brought it up toguether and he did not accept my tip. Up the stairs is the “white cab station”. Then I had to take one of those cabs to the South Bus Station in Cebu. About 30 minutes ride. Once on the bus station I had to book an AC Bus to Dumaguette. Which I heard are cheap and very comfortable, play movies and have WiFi. Well, here is my story, when I asked for the Dumaguette bus they stopped a bus that had already left and chubbed me and my gear in it. It said Dumaguette but It was a different bus I foud out later during the ride. The AC was leaking water on the people sitting in the left side of the bus, the movie didn’t play and WiFi wasn’t working. But there was no traffic and the ride was fast instead of taking 7hrs it took us 3hrs and 15 min. The guy sitting next to me was super nice and he let me call my friends in Dumaguette and explained that this bus goes to the other side of Dumaguette and rides in a different Ferry. Instaid of going to Sibulain it goes to Tampi. The bus goes on the Ferry but they turn the AC off and it gets super hot so every one takes advantage of the opportunity to use the restrooms and buy a snack and enjoy the scenery. The entire bus ride itself is very scenic up and down the hills and along the white sand beaches. But I was way to tired to look out of the window and I passed out. I was awake for the Ferry ride to Dumaguette and it was very pretty just a little bit overcast and not so great for photos. Then the guy sitting next to me organized for the bus to drop me off at the Dumaguette Blvd where all the restaurants and bars are, next to the beach for my friends to pick me up there. Everything worked perfect and I got there just before dark. The sun sets on the other side of the island. We had a couple of sandwiches and beers and then headed to the house, a little bit inland and up the mountain. I had arrived to Dumaguette. Crazy bikes with 3 tires similar to the tukituks in Thailand but instaid of carrying passengers on the back they carry them on the side. And then lots of motorcycle activity and street vendors. It was hot as well. I was super tired but we stayed chatting until midnight!

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Photos

Dumaguette-4
Ivy and Bill

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Children
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