Voyages

The Good Life with Eli F.J. Tajanlangit

“So, did you count the cans, now plastic buckets, of assorted biscuits, of the passengers?,” Good Friend L asked in his text message, one of the several I got reacting to my boat trip to Manila last week.

“This is one trip I want to do again soon, with a jar of adobo,” L also said, his memory bank apparently jogged. Judging from the comments, it is apparent that many of us hold a special place in our hearts for those boat trips to Manila. Who, after all, hasn’t gone on the boat at least once in the past, when air travel was so inaccessible, not just for its cost but even for its availability?

L would be happy to know I did not see any of those biscuit cans that were so prevalent in the past; I guess, most of us already know they can also be bought here in Bacolod.

It’s no five-star accommodation there, but for legions of us who’ve traveled this way in the past, it should stoke wonderful memories. Me, I will treasure the few hours I was inaccessible, although there were a few times when calls came through during the trip. Now, this was the only time I appreciated the dual-SIM phone, which I was already thinking of throwing away for its fantastic ability to die on me during the most crucial calls. With a dual-SIM phone, your chances of connecting are boosted – if one telecom has no signal in one place, another will most likely have.

It is also a time when anyone should be able to appreciate the fact that this country is an archipelago with 7,100 islands: the trip is a ride along islands big and small.

Sadly, the food is not something to tell mama about. It’s not bad, but it isn’t like the one we used to get. I think they’re going for value for money here, the rice servings are hefty; it is amazing how we Pinoys can stretch three spoonfuls of viand with two big cups of rice.

While care has apparently been taken to put order in the embarkation and disembarkation process – it is definitely a lot better now – there were some points of confusion there. Even at the BREDCO pier, they did not seem to know where I was supposed to pass. When a uniformed guy saw I had a cabin-class ticket, he took me out of the long queue and brought us up to head of the line, when another person there stopped us. Fall in line, he whispered, it is embarrassing that you should be given priority.

Manila was also orderly, until I reached the boarding area. I showed my ticket to someone with To-Go logo on his chest and he said, this way. I said I have a suite and he pointed to the direction so we followed, and there, we were made to sit in the waiting area. There was plenty of time, and so I thought it was no problem waiting here --- until I saw two giant exhaust fans right in front of me, throwing the bad air from some kitchen right to my face. I am not going to smell like days-old hotdog, and went up to the guy in charge of the entry of passengers and showed him my ticket. Oh, he said, this way, and ushered us to the gates right away.

By the way, one of my friends who was all against me taking the boat, had called me when I first boarded to remind me to check on the life jackets. I told him yes, I located them already and there are plenty in my room. Don’t just locate them, he added, try them on! Those ships are old, and those jackets might be just as old!

This friend, of course, took the plane to Manila just as I got back to Bacolod from the boat. When he called me, I thought he was again going to ask about my trip. I was wrong. “Guess what happened to me on the plane,” he said, “I was seated beside somebody with body odor and somebody who coughed all the way to Manila…” I laughed. You should take the boat next time, I told him, there’s plenty of space and fresh air there…*

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