I rode a boat.
Is that even correct grammar?
I questioned myself. My Google search told me that yes, it is. I also know that it is correct because I did ride a boat, a big one, towards my destination.
A few weeks ago, I boarded a big passenger-cargo ship to Cagayan de Oro, a city located in northern Mindanao, Philippines. I went there for work and stayed for almost a week. This was my first time visiting Cagayan de Oro City and the mainland of Mindanao.
In this post, I'll share with you my experience of boarding 2GO's MV Maligaya ship and my 9-hour boat trip to Cagayan de Oro City, which is also dubbed, The City of Golden Friendship.
A long wait
The schedule of the trip that I booked was around 6 am. The night before the trip, I got a text telling me that my schedule had been moved since the boat was going to be delayed. My new schedule was 7:30 am. I arrived at the port around 6 am. There were a lot of passengers waiting for their early morning boat rides.
I wouldn't stay here that long. I thought to myself. Wrong.
The boat crew were calling out passengers that were bound for other islands in the Philippines. There were trips going to Bohol and Leyte. I fondly remember the trip I made to Bohol several years ago. This was also the terminal where me and my friends waited. We were so rowdy that we earned a few scoldings from another passenger.
It was already past 7:30 am and the boat was nowhere to be seen. I decided to take out my Kindle and continued reading Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe. This was such a gripping book. I had to stop myself each time I read this because I would get so absorbed that I forgot the time. I finished the book, and the boat was still nowhere to be seen. I decided to start a new one, and it was Robin Sharma's The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.
Finally, around 8 am, the boat had finally arrived. I learned that it was still from Manila carrying passengers and cargo bound for Cebu and Cagayan de Oro as well. I initially planned on having breakfast on the boat, but it was getting late in the morning, so I just bought a siopao and waited until the boarding started.
After almost an hour of waiting, it was time for boarding. We still had to ride a shuttle since the boat was docked quite far. It was already nearing 10 am. I've heard of people saying that 2GO ships are always delayed. Now, I had first hand experience. I wasn't in a hurry though. I just needed to get to my hotel and get settled when I arrived at Cagayan de Oro.
We reached the boat, and I saw how massive it was. I remember riding a big passenger boat when I went to Manila a few years back, but I thought this was even bigger. There were porters competing for the passengers' attention, asking us if we wanted help with our baggage. I knew you had to pay the porters, and I was strong enough to bring my heavy items. What good is going to the gym when I can't lift heavy weights in the outside world?
We were asked to put our things in front of us and form a single line. A sniffing dog went through all our stuff, and I was low-key scared that he would stop on my things because he would smell the chemicals I was bringing. This was the reason why I chose to take the longer route or ride a boat instead of an airplane. I was carrying some toxic and reactive chemicals with me for work. The dog didn't stop on my bags which was probably because I actually left the chemicals I needed to bring back to the lab.
And then we went up the stairs. There was no other way. We all had to climb the long flight of stairs towards the passenger entrance of the boat. I was struggling a bit with my things, but I had to keep going. By the time we reached the top platform, we were all breathing heavily. I wondered how people with disabilities could enter the boat. Maybe the crew carried them.
Impressive interior
I already knew what the boat would look like on the inside. I did my prior research, but I was still properly impressed when I saw the interior. I felt like I was in a mini-cruise ship or a hotel. Soft yellow lights illuminated the spaces. The railings were glass. There was an elevator (although it was working). Paintings decorated the soft white walls. There was a salon, a clinic, and a prayer room. In the middle, a staircase led to the higher floors where the restaurants were located. Looking up, I was mesmerized by the sight of the hexagon skylight on the ceiling.
After showing me my ticket, a crew went to fetch the key to my accommodation. I booked a Business Class Premium ticket for this trip which granted me a room all to myself. The crew asked me to follow her, and we went into a hallway that was beside that elevator. Business Class rooms lined both sides of the hallway, and we walked past all of them before arriving at the last room. Room 135 was my room.
I was excited to have my very own room in this massive boat. I felt like a legit businessman on a business trip. I opened my room, and from my research, I knew what the inside would look like. It wasn't that fancy, but it's probably the most comfortable and private accommodation I've had on a boat. I had my own bead, a sink that doubled as a working table. I also had my own AC unit. I didn't get much sleep the night before, so I planned to get a few hours of rest during the trip.
Lunch time!
After I settled my things in my room, I headed up to the upper floors to have my lunch. For Business Class tickets, food was served at the Horizon's Cafe. A waiter takes your order and brings you your food. The restaurant had window seats, but honestly, there was nothing else to see besides the sea. The boat was already moving and on its way to Cagayan de Oro as I seated for my lunch.
There were two options for the food, and I ordered the beef soup. Of course, it came with rice, but there were also vegetables on the side. I ordered pineapple juice for my drink which was appropriate since I knew that the juice was from pineapples from Mindanao, specifically in Bukidnon. I would later visit the wide plantations later during my trip.
After having my lunch, I went back to my room. Turned off all the lights and went to sleep. I woke up after a few hours and was slightly disoriented. It took me a couple of seconds to remember where I was. There was an announcement on the PA system, and I thought we'd already arrived. But I checked the time, and we were still a few hours from Cagayan.
I went outside and heard music. Someone was singing karaoke in one of the restaurants. A group of guys was drinking beer, and people were milling around. The vibe was festive. I wanted to have my own bottle of beer as well. Before going to the store, I looked for the viewing deck and found it on the top floor. I was greeted by grey skies. The sun was already setting, and we were sailing away from it. The sea was calm, but the sight of the clouds said rain was coming. The winds were strong and cold too.
There were only a few people on the viewing deck because there was already a soft drizzle. I took a couple of pictures before heading back inside. I was feeling the cold from the winds and the rain. I went to look for the store and bought a few snacks and a bottle of beer. I worked inside my room for a couple of minutes to pass the time.
A rainy arrival
It was dinner time when I went outside my room again. The food was another beef dish. It was beef steak, egg soup, and some vegetables on the side. An old woman and little girl sat beside me as I was about to eat. The waiter asked them if they were from Cebu, and the woman said no. They board from Manila. The waiter told them that they were no longer entitled to dinner meals since they had already had their two meals for the trip.
The waiter told them that they could order food in the other restaurant and pay for it. The older woman looked worried and said that their money was only enough for a ride home when they reached the port in Cagayan de Oro. The waiter looked at the old woman, and after a few seconds, he told them to have a seat. I was happy to see that waiter made an exception for the old woman.
I chatted a bit with the old woman, and she said she did not expect that the trip would be this delayed. I shared her sentiment. The ETA for this trip was supposed to be around 3 pm, but it was already near 7 pm, and we hadn't even arrived yet. I told her it was good of the waiter to still give them food. There were other passengers who were asking for dinner, but the waiter politely told them that he could no longer serve them food if they boarded from Manila.
I finished my dinner, said goodbye to the old woman, and returned to my room. I prepared my things ready for disembarking. I went to the viewing deck one last time to see the weather. The sky was so dark, and I could see the rain pouring hard further on land.
At past 7 pm, we finally arrived at the port in Cagayan de Oro. The ship docked, and passengers lined up near the exit door. There was an announcement that it was raining outside and that we should be careful when coming down the stairs. I thought how inconvenient that was. But I couldn't really complain. Everyone of us just wanted to reach our destinations. After we were allowed to go out, we slowly made our way down the stairs and into the rainy night. I didn't care anymore about my heavy baggage and getting soaked in the rain. I just wanted to look for a taxi to get to my hotel.
When I reached the exit of the port, it was pure chaos. Rain poured harder. There were no taxis available, and tricycle drivers were clamoring to get passengers. I tried booking a Grab, but it was hopeless. A approached a guy and told him where I was headed. He told me he'd take me there. I didn't care about the price anymore. I just wanted to arrive at my hotel. After driving through flooded streets and going around one-way roads, we finally arrived at the hotel. The driver charged me more, and I didn't protest. I immediately went up to my hotel and checked in. I was so glad to enter my room, unload my things, and change into dry clothes.
That's it for now! Despite the long delay and bad weather, I arrived safely in Cagayan de Oro City. In my next post, I'll be sharing with you my food adventures around the city. There were so many places to eat there. This will be a continuing blog series, and I'll write more about this recent trip in the next several posts.
See you in the next one. Stay dry, everyone. Cheers!
