Hi! It’s me again, Cian. 👋

I filed a leave at work to go home by December 15 but all trips got cancelled on that day. I already booked a sea trip ticket. Ever since last year, I’ve been looking forward for this December 2021. I was stuck in Cebu last year due to the pandemic. Going home is so hassle with requirements to and from travelling to places being so hard to go home right away.

I can go home to Samar through air travel or sea.

OPTION A: We used to have a fast craft going directly to our place that will only take 5 hours and an everyday trip ranging P1,200 to P1,600 ( 24 – 32 USD ). But due to the pandemic, it got lesser and lesser travelers that it slowly decided to stop its operations. This is by far the most convenient way of travel for me huhuhu but now it’s not an option anymore. I can also ride a fastcraft going to ormoc for around 2-3 hours sea travel time. But Ormoc to Samar is a 7-9 hours land travel time and that’s a no-no haahhahaa.

OPTION B: I can also do air travel and book a flight from Cebu to Tacloban, Leyte which is still a 4-hour drive away from my hometown. Aside from its distance from my supposed location, I’ve never boarded a flight alone and it gives me anxiety to even try one alone hahaha.

OPTION C: So I chose this option: to ride a big ship Cokaliong which might take around 12 hours straight to Samar. But the only sad part is that they only travel every Wednesdays huhu. So I was left with a choice if I should book on December 15 or December 22. I chose December 15 even if it means that I need to file a longer leave because I know how congested ports are December 20 onwards huhu.

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CANCELLED SEA TRIP

I already booked my Cokaliong ticket on the 1st week of December. No news whatsoever and here I was happy that I can go back home after 2 long years. But then the news suddenly came and that a super typhoon, classified as it being as strong as Yolanda huhuhu. And it is going to have its landfall around my scheduled trip going home huhu.

I was expecting for the worst but no one can really know the full wrath of the typhoon until it hit us on December 16 evening. Trips were cancelled as early as December 15. All trips are cancelled including mine huhu.

As sad as it may get, I’m still alone with no relatives nearby at that time.

Cokaliong called me on Dec15 to go to their Ticketing Outlet in Pier 1 to rebook my trip to December 17. After eating my lunch, I hurriedly went there and fall in line. A lot of people are already there because Cokaliong is a big company with a lot of destinations. It was so inconvenient on our part because they called us suddenly and they only opened one counter to process all rebooking. One person takes around 5-10 mins to process haaaaaay. I was able to rebook mine after 2 hours of standing and slow progress.

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REBOOKED SEA TRIP

I’ve experienced this very strong typhoon category 5 alone just because trips got cancelled on the same day I was about to go home. I understand that it is for our safety. But Cokaliong rebooked it to Dec17 not considering that the port might be damaged and not safe for usage after the onslaught of Odette. They didn’t informed the passengers that trips are not going to push through on that night because Coast Guard and Cebu Port Authority didn’t allow it.

Trips were cancelled once again 😐.

Firmly decided not to go to pier 1 because they’re still not clear about it and if I did, I’d have to walk for 4km with my bags with me. Some passengers went to Pier 1 thinking that the trip will push through, because Cokaliong didn’t even said it was cancelled. Some of them decided to sleep outside of the port near the gate because mobility at that time is difficult and some came from far places with a lot of baggage.

I was so frustrated at this time already because of how hassle everything is just for me to go home after 2 years. And phone signal is sending all my messages late, no electricity, no water.

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REBOOKED AGAIN

My parents told me to go early by December 18 to Pier 1 to have my ticket rebooked again because for sure, a lot of people will go there hoping to go home too. So it’s my first time going down from my room after the disaster and there I saw the aftermath of super typhoon Odette with my own eyes, not just in social media.

I walked FOUR KILOMETERS (4km) on going to Pier 1 with the scorching heat of the sun above me and roads with a lot of debris, fallen trees and electrical posts.

The situation in Cebu is really unimaginable. Walking is not a problem for me since I’ve already been trained for this hahaha (walking long distances), but the debris and heat of the sun, plus no drinking water available is what made my journey tiring. I got dehydrated.

Arrived at Pier 1 just to find out that the rebooking site is at their main office near Pier 4 and Robinsons Galleria (2km distance). I saw people sitting on the floor outside Pier 1 saying that they’ve been there since last night. Someone said that he’s been at their main office but referred him to go back to Pier 1 because it is were rebooking will be. So confusing huhu. I later decided to just go to Pier 4 to see for myself.

Arrived at their Main office already dehydrated and I saw the long line that seemed to be not moving outside their office. It was the last straw of my patience. I decided to quit. I felt like this kind of effort and hassle I’ve been through is not worth it. I won’t fall in line whole day just for a ticket that is not sure if travel is already allowed. Haaaaay.

Went to Robinsons Galleria to buy some cold drinks because I felt like fainting already.

A rider saw me with my groceries walking along the road under the heat of the sun, he offered to take me home for P100 (2 USD). I grabbed the offer right away because I already felt like I’m going to drop on the ground any second.

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BOOKED A PLANE FLIGHT

I told my parents and friends about my situation and how I gave up in going home already.

Everything just seemed to be so exhausting.

Then suddenly, my kuya from college said that he already booked a flight for me on Dec24 (considering the scarcity of vehicles in the city). The later the date, the more chances I can ride a taxi to airport. Going to the airport will be hard and walking won’t be an option (14km). I’m thankful for him for thinking about my welfare and doing it for me huhu.

So it’s decided, I’m going to ride a plane alone (for the first time hahahahaha).

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APPROACHING NEW STORM

People in social media already saw another storm coming to Philippines and seemed like having the same route and said that landfall might be around Christmas season. Parents said that I should book a sea travel ticket again scheduled at Dec22 to arrive earlier to Samar and prevent cancellation again.

At this point I’m already so tired.

Went to downtown to go find some ticketing outlets but they’re all closed since they can’t generate a receipt without electricity. I called my parents and said that I won’t go to their main office no matter what because people will really flock there, and they really did. Called my kuya who booked a flight for me and asked him to just have it changed to Dec23 and luckily, ticket price is still the same (40 USD from Cebu-Manila-Tacloban). I told my parents that I won’t change it anymore and that will be final already.

My High School bestfriend wanted to go home too on a short notice so he went to the main office of Cokaliong in hopes of booking a trip on Dec22. He waited from 8am until 3pm outside of their office and finally went in at 4pm only to find out that Dec22 is already fully booked huhu. His 8 hours of standing and falling in line got wasted. He tried to book a flight same day as mine but it was already priced at P21k (420 USD)!!!!! Compared to my $40 ticket what the…

Anyway, as long as we can get home, everything will be fine huhuhu.

Me going home after 2 years long seemed to have been hindered by problems one on top of another. But I made it.

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