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AirAsia flight Kalibo airport

Philippines: Leaving Boracay; Kalibo to Angeles City

Date: 23rd May, 2013

I had some fun in Boracay these past three days, but I was kind of happy to leave the island. The humidity, the lack of proper sleep because of the same, and the sand… ugh, my body yearned for a proper shower and a thorough shampoo rinse. It was time to head back to ‘the city’.

I checked out from Frendz Resort, and made my way to boat jetty. I took a tricycle taxi, and for once paid the local fare of 25 pesos for the ride.

Boracay boat jetty
After paying ₱100 terminal fee + ₱25 boat ticket, I was finally leaving Boracay island
Boracay Aklan boat ride
And heading back to Caticlan jetty
Caticlan boat jetty Philippines
Back at Caticlan

Although I flew into Caticlan airport when coming to Boracay, my Air Asia flight to Clark was going to be from Kalibo airport, located in the north of Aklan province — which is an hour plus drive from Caticlan. Not to worry as there are several van taxis just outside Caticlan jetty. Most of them charge the same ₱175 for the journey.

Kalibo bakery Aklan Philippines
Even though the van is supposed to be air-conditioned, it was still kinda hot inside
Kalibo hospital Aklan Philippines
The journey took more than an hour

Still, we arrived at Kalibo airport with enough time to check in. I didn’t feel like going in just yet, so I had my lunch from a restaurant right across from the airport. Continue reading “Philippines: Leaving Boracay; Kalibo to Angeles City” »

Philippines 2011: Day 7 – Leaving Angeles City for Manila, Mall of Asia

Date: April 23rd 2011

After yesterday’s grueling photo session, I enjoyed a really good sleep. A little too well I suppose. I got up around 11am and only had ‘breakfast’ by noon. Given it was officially half-day, it was too late for me to go to Mount Pinatubo, which I thought of doing today. Because for that, I should get there early since it involves trekking up to the now dormant volcano.

I could have stayed another day in Angeles City and checked out Clark, but in the end, I decided head back to Manila. Figured if I ever come to Philippines again, Angeles City isn’t too far from Manila and I can do Mount Pinatubo & Clark Duty Free then.

I checked out of Red Tulip Hotel and took a trike to Dau bus terminal.

Bus ticket Angeles City to Manila Philippines
They punch the ticket. Notice the 100 and the 8 on the top right (₱108 = $2.5/€1.8).
Bus journey Dau to  Manila mountain Philippines
Was that Mount Pinatubo?

Bus journey from Dau to Manila farm land Philippines

Bus journey from Dau to Manila farm countryside
The journey to Manila took less than one and half hours

I reached Manila by 2pm and I had no clue where in the city I was. All I told the bus folks were that I needed to go to Pasay. They stopped under a big flyover and asked me to get down, saying I can easily get to Pasay from here.

SM Megamall Shangri-la hotel Manila Philippines
Hailed a taxi, passed by an SM Mall and even Accenture's office
Inside Manila taxi to Pasay Philippines
It was one straight drive, but it cost ₱140 ($3.2/€2.3)! I was NOT happy about spending more on a short drive to Pasay than I did getting to Manila by bus!

I had booked a dorm bed for two nights at Kabayan Hotel, a place I liked a lot. I had to catch an early morning flight to Cebu, so I was going to check out by 5am on Monday.

Kabayan Pasay dorm room bed cupboard Manila Philippines
I got the upper bed. A/C dorm, ₱550 when I booked it. Website lists ₱610 ($14/€10) now. I still think it's worth it. You get all the usual Kabayan inclusions like set breakfast AND lunch, with complimentary wi-fi.
Kabayan Pasay dormitory room cupboard Manila Philippines
Pillow and towel inside the locker. The locker came in handy, since I could keep my camera bag inside it and go out. Most hostels charge extra for lockers, and they are usually outside your room.
Kabayan Pasay dorm room restroom Manila Philippines
They have a well kept toilet and shower inside the room
Kabayan Pasay hotel dormitory hall Manila Philippines
The hallway looks like every other hallway on the other floors. Kabayan doesn't make you feel cheap even if you are staying in the dormitory.
Kabayan Pasay hotel male restroom Manila Philippines
If the toilet in your room is occupied, there are many toilets and shower rooms on the floor
Pasay MRT station Manila Philippines
I stepped out with just my 7D and the Tamron lens attached. I wanted to travel light for once. This is the scene just outside Kabayan and the Pasay MRT station.

I boarded a jeepney and decided to check out Mall of Asia, which was very close by.

Jeepney to Mall of Asia Manila Philippines
I don't remember how much the fare was exactly, but I believe it was around ₱10
SM buildings near Mall of Asia Philippines
The journey takes just 5 minutes from Pasay MRT

Mall of Asia jeepney drop off point Manila PhilippinesWhen it opened in 2006, Mall of Asia was the largest shopping mall in Asia, but has since moved down to third place after Dubai Mall‘s arrival.

Mall of Asia entrance Manila Philippines
I had to take multiple shots using the Tamron lens to get wide shots like this
Mall of Asia Panorama shot
Merging three shots to create this wide shot unfortunately cost that white man his head. Sorry dude, blame Photoshop.
Mall of Asia entrance Filipino crowd Manila
Today was a Saturday, so it was expected the mall was going to be crowded
Mall of Asia store directory guide Manila Philippines
The virtual mall directory assistant

Inside Mall of Asia shop levels

Mall of Asia SMDC property exhibition Manila
There was a small exhibition of properties by SMDC (SM Corp. is the largest property company in Philippines).

Being curious as to how much the cost of apartments were in Manila, I acted as a potential buyer and checked out the properties on offer. A lot of the apartment sizes (compared to India) were pretty small. ‘Large’ flats were 1000-1200sqft, while there were plenty of studios on offer. Prices for apartments ranged from 2 million to 4 million pesos and higher. Expensive, I initially thought. Maybe its because most of the buyers they target are OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers), who earn higher wages.

But then I realized that it’s 2,000,000-4,000,000+ Philippines pesos. I mentally re-arranged the zeroes into the Indian numeric system and realized that’s 20,00,000 to 40,00,000 (lakh) rupees! It struck me as affordable — and that too in a city like Manila, which has far better infrastructure than most Indian cities! (Yes Filipinos, complain all you want about Manila. Visit Mumbai/Bombay and then compare the two. You’ll appreciate Manila a lot more.)

It pissed me off (not the first time) thinking how over-priced and unjustified the Indian real estate market is. For a minute, I even considered moving to Manila. Then I thought about the lack of Indian food here, and the frequent typhoons.

Back to the mall.

Mall of Asia Ace hardware store Manila Philippines
They have an ACE Hardware outlet here

Mall of Asia ice skate rink Philippines

Inside Mall of Asia ice skating rink Manila Philippines
People watching other people skate
Mall of Asia SM ice skating rink Manila Philippines
This is an Olympic-sized ice rink
ABC music store Justin Bieber 2AM poster Manila
The Biebs was going to be in Manila. Unfortunately, I would miss the opportunity to see 2AM live as I would be travelling that day. They're really good! Loved 'Saint O'Clock'!
Mall of Asia cinema movietime multiplex Philippines
They also have an IMAX screen at the multiplex

Inside Mall of Asia trees Manila Philippines

Mall of Asia roll coin rolling faster Philippines
A novel contraption that makes you curious how fast some coins take to reach the hole. Also a novel way for the mall to get free change.
Mall of Asia bridge to promenade
I decided to walk to the promenade

Mall of Asia balcony baywalk Manila PhilippinesMall of Asia baywalk road Manila Philippines

Mall of Asia esplanade road Manila Philippines
There are over-bridges to get to the Baywalk
Manila baywalk restaurants parking Philippines
Plenty of restaurants by the bay
Manila baywalk evening sun Philippines
Watching the sun set by the bay is a popular activity
Manila baywalk Saturday evening crowd Philippines
Scores of people visit the Baywalk in the evenings. More so on weekends.
Manila baywalk children's playground Philippines
Packed with families too!

Mall of Asia promenade bay restaurants Manila Philippines

Mall of Asia baywalk music Manila Philippines
They have band performances here

Manila baywalk local sitting Philippines

Manila Port bay Philippines
Manila Port
Mall of Asia baywalk zip line Manila Philippines
They also have fun zip line activities

Mall of Asia zip line baywalk Manila baywalk zip line mall of asia PhilippinesManila baywalk zipline end Philippines

Mall of Asia Manila panorama
Panorama comprised of 11 shots
Philippines working heroes statue Manny Manila baywalk
A stature paying tribute to hard working Filipinos -- and Manny Pacquiao, the most famous Filipino in the world currently.
Filipino jabbawokeez dancers Manila baywalk Philippines
Faux Jabbawockeez preparing to do... something

Manila baywalk bungee fun Philippines Manila baywalk sunset PhilippinesBaywalk Manila crowds Saturday PhilippinesFilipino couple watching sunset Manila baywalk PhilippinesManila Baywalk filipinos sitting sunset Philippines

Manila baywalk Jabbawockeez mall of asia Philippines
People had gathered to see faux Jabbawockeez perform. Though these guys seemed like a mime act.
Mall of Asia convention center Manila Philippines
The convention center, where Maroon 5 was also scheduled to perform in a few days
Manila baywalk zipline Filipino mall of asia
"Hello to you too!"
Manila baywalk zipline above crowds Philippines
I decided to walk back to the mall and come back once the sun had set

Mall of Asia sunset view baywalk Manila PhilippinesManila baywalk mall of asia zip line queueManila baywalk mall of asia road PhilippinesManila baywalk evening crowds PhilippinesMall of Asia Justin Bieber poster Manila Philippines

Mall of Asia stores Manila Philippines
The interiors of this big mall aren't all that impressive, but then nothing is, compared to Dubai Mall
Mall of Asia led globe Manila Philippines
This globe apparently lights up at night
Mall of Asia interiors stairs panorama
Back outside...
Evening sunset baywalk Manila Philippines
Love the colours!

Given it was really humid, I craved for some ice cream. Bought one, which began melting by the time I tore through the paper wrapping. Had to gulp it up quick.

Mall of Asia baywalk Manila at night
Left the baywalk once it had gotten dark
SM mall of asia at night Manila Philippines
There was little else left to see

Comics Alley Camerahaus Mall of Asia Manila PhilippinesMall of Asia Stoked The North Face branch Manila PhilippinesMall of Asia evening crowds Manila PhilippinesDespite being one of the most famous malls in Philippines, Mall of Asia still offers a lot of affordable shopping. It isn’t one of those glamorous malls that draws a lot of people in but where you hardly see any of them actually shopping. There’s something for everyone at Mall of Asia.

Mall of Asia Globamaze LED advertising Manila Philippines
The LED globe was lit, and was showing ads among other visuals

Mall of Asia globamaze led at night Manila Philippines I really didn’t have anything else planned after this. My friend Aimee and I had initially thought of catching up, but we decided to push it to Sunday as she was going to show me around Manila tomorrow.

I took a jeepney and headed back to Kabayan Hotel. I left the camera in my locker and decided to take a stroll camera-free for a change.

Pasay pedestrian bridge Manila at night
I decided to explore the Pasay area a bit more, which wasn't a very clean area to be honest
Pasay market under MRT track Manila Philippines
I began walking under the other line of the MRT and came across what looked like a street market
Pasay flea market under MRT track Manila Philippines
Hawkers selling everything from fake goods, toys, fruits, clothes, t-shirts, pirated CDs and other fashion accessories
Pasay street market under MRT track Manila Philippines
It extends a fairly long way
Pasay market end of MRT track Manila Philippines
I walked all the way to the end of the track

And then I walked all the way back. Quite an unexpected discovery this was for me. I refrained from buying anything though, as I decided I would keep all my shopping for the last two days of this trip.

When I got back to the main Pasay junction, I decided to try out Chowking, the Chinese food offering from the owners of Jollibee.

Chowking pork fried rice root beer combo meal
Ordered their pork fried rice, dumplings and root beer combo meal for ₱80 ($1.8/€1.3). How was it? Bleurgh! Probably the worst fried rice I've ever tasted. The momos were alright, but then again, how hard is it to screw that up. Sorry Chowking.

After the poor dinner, I went back to my room and decided to spend a few hours on the internet.

Kabayan hotel Pasay recreation hall Manila
The dormitory floor has a recreation lounge with a big screen TV, comfy chairs, and a few computers. You can bring your laptop here and use the wi-fi. Even though the speed wasn't great, I wasn't complaining. I have never experienced such a value-for-money hotel anywhere!

If I ever decide to start a hotel of my own, I would look to Kabayan for inspiration. I really appreciated the quality of service Kabayan offers its customers.

So this what I did today. Basically, nothing much.

Previous posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 6 – Good Friday in San Fernando, San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites

Philippines 2011: Leaving Sagada for Baguio, and arriving in Angeles city (Days 4 & 5)

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Sagada’s Lumiang burial cave, Sumaguing cave, Hanging Coffins of Echo valley

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Banaue town; heading to Sagada via Bontoc

Philippines 2011: Day 2 – Banaue rice terraces; trekking to Batad village

Philippines 2011: Day 1 — Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Fort Bonifacio

Philippines 2011: Flying over South China Sea for the first time

Other posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 8 – Manila tour: Rizal Park, Intramuros, Manila Cathedral, China Town

Philippines 2011: Day 9 – Cebu: Fort San Pedro, Basilica of Santo Niño, Taoist Temple

Philippines 2011: Day 10 – Bohol tour: Chocolate Hills, Loboc river cruise, Tarsiers, churches

Philippines 2011: Day 11 – Arriving in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 12 – Puerto Princesa Underground River tour, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 13 – Puerto Princesa to El Nido by bus

Philippines 2011: Day 14 – El Nido island hopping tour A and sunset at Las Cabanas beach, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Back to Manila, shopping, and my final thoughts about the country  (Last post)

Philippines 2011: Leaving Sagada for Baguio, and arriving in Angeles city

Date: 20th April 2011

I got up at 5:30am, and had to freshen up using water from the hot shower as the tap water was freezing cold!

Sagada village road early morning
I checked out of George's Guesthouse (by leaving the key on the table because there was nobody at the reception) and walked out
Yoghurt house Sagada Philippines
Where I had dinner from yesterday
Sagada village early morning buses
A few inter-city buses were parked at the village center
Alfredo's Inn, Sagada Guesthouse, Gandu Yan Inn
Alfredo's Inn (L), Sagada Guesthouse (2nd from right), Gandu Yan Inn (R) -- plenty of accommodation near the bus station (Panorama shot comprised of 4 photos)
Inside Sagada first bus to Baguio early morning
I boarded the first bus to Baguio leaving at 7am (ticket cost ₱200/$5/€3.5)
Sagada to Baguio misty morning forest trees
The bus left on time. Since I was still sleepy, I decided to keep shooting using my phone as I was in no mood to take my DSLR out.
Sagada village man sitting early morning
Good morning to you too
Sagada to Baguio misty hill
Very misty at this time

Sagada to Baguio rice terrace taken on Nokia E72 Sagada to Baguio hill bus ride

Sagada to Bagiuo bus journey view
This was the last photo I took before I fell asleep

But I ended up waking up just half-an-hour later when I briefly opened my eyes. I just had to take my camera out now and take a few shots of the terrain I was passing through.

Rice terrace hills Ifugao Luzon Philippines
I didn't dare open the window as it was freezing cold outside, so I shot all these behind the not-so-clean glass
Ifugao rocky river luzon Philippines
Mostly rocky rivers in these parts
Sabangan town bridge Ifugao Philippines
We arrived at some town/village

Sabangan village river paddy fields

Welcome to Sambangan Ifugao Philippines
Where we were
Sabangan rice terraces Ifugao province Philippines
There was more beauty to behold

Ifugao valley river PhilippinesRice terraces valley Ifugao luzon PhilippinesBeautiful rice terrace green hills Ifugao Philippines

Sagada to Baguio hills highway Ifugao
We kept going higher and higher

Sagada to Baguio bus journey Ifugao hillsSagada to Baguio hilly village clouds PhilippinesRice terrace plateau Ifugao clouds PhilippinesRice terrace paddy field Ifugao province PhilippinesSagada to Baguio bus journey brickhouseSagada to Baguio white clouds PhilippinesSagada to Baguio Gawis Ay mountain province PhilippinesSagada to Baguio Halsema highway bendSagada to Baguio Halsema Highway rideSagada to Baguio Halsema highway lettuce farming

Sagada to Baguio Halsema Highway lettuce farms
Lettuce farms
Sagada to Baguio Gawis Ay Hawkers on highway stop
From a market we stopped at
Sagada to Baguio inside the bus
A lot of the passengers were villagers or farmers getting down at various markets to sell their produce

Sagada to Baguio fbcfiSagada to Baguio misty rain clouds
Sagada to Baguio Halsema highway shanty village
Sagada to Baguio grey skies village PhilippinesSagada to Baguio green hills PhilippinesMountain province highway Mary statueSagada to Baguio Halsema highway viewsMountain province rice terrace hill PhilippinesMountain province rice terraces farms

Mountain province rain clouds Philippines
The stretches of sunshine didn't last too long

Mountain province village patch Philippines Mountain province farming grey clouds Philippines

Mountain province morning star stop Philippines
We stopped here for a few minutes for a snack/toilet break

Mountain province highway cordillera Philippines

Mountain province morning star bus stop Philippines Mountain province villager PhilippinesMountain province dark clouds PhilippinesMountain province dark clouds village kids PhilippinesDriving through mountain province PhilippinesMountain province cordillera PhilippinesMountain province sole person grey clouds PhilippinesConcrete roads to Baguio city

Lagoon near Baguio hills
The dark clouds gave way to sunlight

Mountain province cordillera landslide hill Philippines

Road works mountain province Philippines
There weren't many bad stretches on this highway, for the most part, it was a lovely journey!
Baguio city shanty homes Philippines
And after nearly six hours, we were in Baguio

Life changing church Baguio Philippines Arriving in Baguio flyoverI arrived at Baguio just past 1pm. Where the bus stopped was at some lot inside a shopping complex. Didn’t look like a main bus station or anything, so I asked around how I could get to Angeles City.  The locals told me I would have to go to another bus depot near SM Supermall and catch a bus from there. So, in a taxi I went.

Riding through Baguio, you could see why Baguio is a predominantly a  ‘university town’. Students from all across the North come to Baguio for higher education as it’s the only developed city in this hilly region of North Philippines.

I never had any plans of staying in Baguio because I didn’t find any of the attractions worthy of spending a night here. A short 5 minute ride later (which cost less than ₱100), I was at the bus terminal very near to SM Supermall — the only major mall in the city.

I asked for buses going to Angeles City and was instructed to board any of the buses going to Dau. I bought my ticket (₱290/$6/€4.7) from one of the private bus companies that operates the route and dumped my backpack on my seat. I had a few minutes before the bus departed so I quickly stepped out and went to the nearby Jollibee to pick up some lunch (Jollibee is there wherever you need it!)

Bus terminal Baguio city Philippines
The bus terminal was very busy as this being a hugely student populated town (and Holy Week), many of the buses to the various neighbouring provinces were running full

The bus left at 2pm and I had my lunch watching a very charitable man give away gifts and cash to Filipinos on TV. As the TV signal strength weakened, they put on the usual pirated copies of low-budget action films (first, an unheard of horror movie starring a really fat Val Kilmer).

I didn’t take many photographs on this leg of the journey — mostly because there wasn’t a whole lot of scenery worth capturing. It rained a little bit and the bus moved slowly because from here on, we were going downhill and it was quite misty outside.

After a few hours, it got really cold inside the bus as the air-conditioning was truly working. I had to wear my jacket and use my camera bag for additional warmth.

Villasis town hall Philippines
Taken at 4:51pm. We mostly travelled through impoverished towns and small villages.

You know it’s an impoverished part of the country when you see the locals rejoicing with banners when one of their residents become a lawyer. Saw a few of those.

Familyradio.com rapture judgement day billboard ad carmen Philippines
Hey guess what nut jobs, the world didn't end after all!

Soon after one B-grade movie ended, they put on another. This time a Tagalog dub of a Thai action movie  starring a popular Thai actress whom I cannot name at all because I only remember seeing the ‘making of’ this film on a show on NHK. Sigh.

I kept wondering how much longer I had to sit in this bus. By sunset, the bus had stopped in the city of Tarlac — and it stayed there for some time. And by now, there weren’t many passengers in the bus. I stepped down to ask if this was where I need to get down but the driver who was taking a break said “no”. I went back in and waited for the bus to move again.

And move on it did. We were on McArthur Highway by nightfall and I again wondered just how much longer I had to go to get to Angeles City.

Around 7:30pm, we finally reached a very busy Dau bus terminal. From there, I got into a trike and asked him to take me to my hotel. The journey took another 10 minutes (he charged ₱110) but I finally got to Red Tulip Hotel. I chose this hotel because I didn’t want a place on Fields Avenue, near all the nightclubs that go late into the night, and Red Tulip Hotel looked like it was a safe distance away. But that was as per the map on their website. In reality, it was a little too far from the main jeepney hub. But more on that later.

Red Tulip hotel single room Angeles City Philippines
I was just glad to see a room so I could dump my bags and stretch my legs!

I had spent more than 12 hours today just sitting in buses. I was tired, so I quickly stepped out to have dinner at 9pm and then went to sleep immediately after getting back. For the first time this week, I didn’t have to wake up early tomorrow!

Day 5 – 21st April 2011

I don’t know how many hours I slept, but I slept well. Lord knows I needed the rest after the last three days! I switched on the television and watched the news reports of how crowded EDSA was yesterday night, with everyone rushing to get out of Manila. In some ways, I guess it was a good idea to arrive a bit early.

By the time I got out of bed, freshened up and made my way down for breakfastbrunch, it was noon.

Red Tulip hotel restaurant Angeles City Philippines
Looking at the menu, the tulips made sense... the hotel owner was Dutch

I ate lazily, chatted with the waitresses who asked me where I was from and where all I had been to in Philippines so far. Then I went online for a bit after brunch and only at around 2pm did I finally decide to step out of the hotel! I wanted to take it easy for once.

Red Tulip hotel Angeles City Philippines
The entrance
Angeles City sandy road Philippines
It was a sandy road from The Red Tulip Hotel to the San Angelo street (where the Hotel 24 sign is)
Angeles City perimeter road Albacio restaurant Philippines
The walk from San Angelos St. to the main Fields Avenue road was around a 1 minute long
ABC Hotel Angeles City Philippines
Angeles Beach Club hotel, one of the more posher hotels in Angeles City
Balibago jeepney terminal Angeles city
This was the jeepney terminal...
Hotel Tiger Angeles City Philppines
And I initially looked at hotels on this road, San Narciso street. Hotel Tiger looked atrocious both inside and outside...
PJ Inn hotel Angeles City Philippines
... so PJ Inn was the one I had selected. But they were late to reply back with my room enquiry and by the time they did, they were full. So I had to book at Red Tulip Hotel for 3 nights (they gave it to me for ₱800/$18/€13 per night)
San Narciso street jeepney Angeles City Philippines
The jeepney terminal was up this road, a 2 minute walk from here. I figured, after I was done with the festivities of Good Friday in San Fernando, I could easily catch a ride from here back to Manila.
Angeles City perimeter road traffic Philippines
I walked back to the main road
Angeles City Istanbul doner kebab house Philippines
I had dinner from this Turkish restaurant yesterday night, good shawarmas!
Angeles city Balibago terminal Philippines
I decided to hop over to SM Clark mall to pass some time
Angeles city road to Clark afternoon Philippines
This road leads to the Clark Freeport zone and Clark airport
Angeles City Clark freeport zone Philippines
My friend Aimee told me AOL once had an office in the Freeport zone
Angeles City Clark road closed Philippines
The plan was to first check out SM Clark and then head to the Freeport zone for all the duty free shops
Angeles City SM Clark mall Philippines
But as I walked towards the mall...
SM Clark mall Angeles City panorama
Closed! (Panorama shot comprised of 5 shots)

A security guard came up to me as I took the above photograph, and he told me the mall was closed today and tomorrow, being Good Friday. I asked him how far the Clark Duty Free was from here and he said around 8kms and he told me there’s a high possibility that would be closed today as well.

I sighed and walked towards the jeepney drivers nearby and asked them if the Clark Duty Free was open today but they confirmed it saying it was a holiday today.

Angeles City Balibago jeepney terminal Philippines
Oh well

Angeles City puppies for sale Philippines

Angeles City jeepney terminal Philippines
So I walked to the jeepney terminal to find out where to board the jeepneys going to San Fernando and the timings
Angeles City Dau pickup-point to go to San Fernando
This guy told me to come to this pick-up point tomorrow morning to go to San Fernando. Yes, he was quite joyful to be in the photograph.
Angeles City perimeter road Philippines
Decided to check out Fields Avenue
Angeles City walking street girls Philippines
I was stopped by another one of those "Hey foreign guy with DSLR, take photo of us!". Guess which was the girl who requested it.
Angeles City walking street Philippines
This was Walking Street (don't know why they call it such but still allow vehicles in!)
Angeles City closed shops afternoon Philippines
Here too, the scene wasn't any different -- just about everything was closed!

But I wondered if it was just because it was in the afternoon.

As I reviewed my shots, I noticed they were all quite dark and that I couldn’t change my shutter speed now. It was stuck at 1/1250! Grrh, I hate it when things like this happen, and that too just before a big event like tomorrow’s crucifixion ceremony! I had no choice but to continue shooting with it.

Angeles City locksmith near public park
I went to that locksmith who was fortunately open. He tightened one of my tripod legs with an Allen key as I had misplaced mine. He wouldn't accept the ₱10 I was ready to pay him either 🙂

Angeles City traffic Philippines

Blue Nile Double A poker club walking street Angeles City
I walked back on to Walking Street. Only a few places were open and had the usual sight of geriatrics drinking away with their Filipina companions
Angeles City Cambodia nightclub Philippines
Pretty cool entrance

I walked back to my side of town and felt the urge to have some ice cream.

Don Juico avenue Angeles City afternoon

Iglesia ni christo church Angeles City Philippines
Iglesia ni Cristo church

Bought my ice cream from a convenience store at a Petron station on this side of Perimeter road, which houses a few more nightclubs, and little else.

Once back in my room, I fiddled with my camera for nearly an hour, switching it on and off, taking the battery out multiple times. Fed up, I went online to find a solution. Saw a few threads on such issues and then felt like an idiot after reading the ‘solution’. I had accidentally pressed the ‘Lock’ button near the dial which stuck the shutter speed at the last setting.

-_-

Anyway. After ‘fixing’ my problem, I sat in the room and worked on a few photos to upload and stepped out only for dinner. I went back to the Turkish restaurant as I miss Middle Eastern food and I wanted to make the most of the authentic food available as much as possible. (The restaurant was run by Turks)

At night, there were a lot more people out and about, but it still didn’t look like this is the most action Angeles City usually sees. So yeah, if you are coming to Angeles City purely for the nightlife, Holy Week isn’t the best time for that 🙂 Some of the nightclubs were still closed.

Back in the room, I packed my camera bags, kept all my batteries for charging, cleaned my lenses, set my alarm, and went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be the big day, and I couldn’t wait for it to begin!

Previous posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Sagada’s Lumiang burial cave, Sumaguing cave, Hanging Coffins of Echo valley

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Banaue town; heading to Sagada via Bontoc

Philippines 2011: Day 2 – Banaue rice terraces; trekking to Batad village

Philippines 2011: Day 1 — Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Fort Bonifacio

Philippines 2011: Flying over South China Sea for the first time

Other posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 6 – Good Friday in San Fernando, San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites

Philippines 2011: Day 7 – Leaving Angeles City for Manila, Mall of Asia

Philippines 2011: Day 8 – Manila tour: Rizal Park, Intramuros, Manila Cathedral, China Town

Philippines 2011: Day 9 – Cebu: Fort San Pedro, Basilica of Santo Niño, Taoist Temple

Philippines 2011: Day 10 – Bohol tour: Chocolate Hills, Loboc river cruise, Tarsiers, churches

Philippines 2011: Day 11 – Arriving in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 12 – Puerto Princesa Underground River tour, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 13 – Puerto Princesa to El Nido by bus

Philippines 2011: Day 14 – El Nido island hopping tour A and sunset at Las Cabanas beach, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Back to Manila, shopping, and my final thoughts about the country  (Last post)

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