Iligan Trip [Dec.15, 2013]
On the eve of our last day in CDO, my friend and I talked about what we wanted to do before our 1PM flight the next day. We planned to just go to Centrio Mall and buy pasalubong. We let go of the idea of going to Iligan because of how limited our time was. It just wasn't possible and we cannot afford to miss our flight. After good night's sleep, we woke up around 6AM and began packing. While doing so, my friend and I discussed how much we enjoyed our trip but we were both sad that we missed seeing Ma. Cristina falls. A few minutes later we headed downstairs for breakfast and talked about other stuff. Secretly, my mind was wandering off to the possibility of still pursuing our sidetrip to Iligan. My mind was in a battle of all the pros and cons. When we were seated, the waitress came to get our orders and I asked her (again after asking several people already) about the time it takes to travel from CDO to Iligan and then Iligan to Laguindingan airport. Time check: it was already past 7AM. The waitress said we can go to the terminal and take the bus for maybe 2 hours and then the way back to the airport from Iligan would be just around an hour or so. While I was talking to the waitress, my friends just listened and did not show any signs of protest. I bet she was in the same stream of thought as I am. After we calculated the hours we have left, we thought, we could seriously miss our flight to Cebu. So, NO. We shrugged the idea off (again) and simply enjoyed breakfast.
As we were heading back to our room, my friend said: "Too bad, I will not be able to wear the set of outfits I have prepared, like my favorite orange shorts and my new blouse..." And with that simple statement, all my worries disappeared (temporarily) and I just decided that we should go. We definitely should. And without any hint of hesitation, my friend agreed. We left our hotel in no time and reached the bus terminal in a matter of minutes! This was the amazing race (against time) that we chose to bring upon ourselves. Haha! More than being scared, we both were happy we did.
While on the bus, I hurriedly scanned through my notes and studied how we can reach the NPC power plant the fastest way possible. I did not sleep through the entire trip. I just can't. I just watched the movie that was on. By the way, the bus that we took was really comfortable, very clean and the ride was very smooth all throughout. I wish I could say fast too, but heck, I was thinking fast and furious kind of fast just so we can get there already. After the movie credits rolled, an hour and several minutes later, I realized we just have to be in Iligan by now. I checked my phone's GPS and it said we were still several minutes away. My friend and I just kept staring at the window and the road before us to get any kind of indication that we are near. Just closing in on the second hour of our trip, the driver finally announced that it was time we alight the bus and we did. We needed to look for a multicab to take us somewhere in the city where we can hire a tricycle to get us to NPC. We looked at the time and realized we only have 1 hour to spend. It was 10AM already and we had to leave for the airport before 11AM so we can make it to our 1PM flight. I wanted to scream and vomit my anxieties away. We found a multicab and waited for it to get full with passengers. It seemed like we were waiting forever! Two minutes of waiting seemed like an hour until finally we were on our way. Oh and take note, we absolutely have no idea which way we should go.Everything was all too unfamiliar with this city and with the rate this forsaken multicab was going, I was pretty sure we would not make it. I asked my friend if we have some money left to hire a taxi and get there faster. She said we'll see how much the driver would ask. So, in the middle of the city we alighted from the multicab and hailed the first taxi we saw. Negotiated for a bit and agreed to pay Php 300 for maybe a good 10minutes of just picture taking and that he will take us back to the bus terminal. The driver agreed and after maybe 20 minutes, we are finally here.
The minute our taxi came to a stop, we just dashed and snapped away!
Yes, we were running across the grounds of NPC power plant. People must have thought we were crazy.
I guess they were right. Hahaha!
According to the signage, we cannot go beyond this gate to get near the falls. The security guard motioned us to climb the stairs. Oh my! So we ran the stairs up to the second floor.
Her Majesty, Ma.Cristina Falls is a sight to behold!
She was worth all the trouble, worth the time and definitely the money!
You can stay under those huts for picnic with family and friends. Maaaybe not for us today. Remember, we only have 10 minutes to spend here and it was nearly 11AM!
After running to the 3rd floor and getting a last look at the falls, we bid her farewell and hurriedly left. Running and catching our breaths in between steps. Thank goodness manong driver was very kind and took us straight to the bus terminal. When we arrived, the driver opened his window and asked the terminal personnel if there was a bus going to the airport and he replied:
The bus just left.
Those words resounded in my ears and resulted in a heart-wrenching feeling and made my whole body numb and very weak at the same time. My friend and I gasped but didn't talk to each other. We're done for it. But then the next few words from the terminal guy sparked every inch of energy left in our system. He then said:
But you can still catch it at the traffic light. Go!
And our driver sped away and went after the bus until we were just a few meters behind. Our taxi was honking and beeping and our driver was waving his hand out just so the bus will stop and wait for us. To cut the drama short, YES! we made to the airport in the most perfect time. Thank heavens!
This last leg is one for the books. I will never forget this trip.
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