The supposedly Thanks Giving Getaway turned out to be an early lockdown experience as Typhoon Kammuri/Bagyong Tisoy hit Mindoro Provinces last December 3, 2019.
Well, second time stranded in a year and definitely, this one is unforgettable. Always look at the brighter side of everything and oh yes, never stress yourself on things you don't have control over.
Like always, because Thanks Giving Day means a holiday off for us. We decided to pack for a quick adventure for 3 days and two nights to Puerto Galera. Apparently, due to a conflict in our schedule, we needed to reschedule the dates- we left Manila on the morning of November 29, 2020. We never knew what was coming for us by then. The sun was up like the rest of the normal days. It was a typical short getaway to where people would usually go- The Beach.
I last visited Puerto Galera over 6 years ago. The nightlife here is definitely one thing, the food, and the crowd. The Port looks like something else already. There is definitely a lot of improvement.
Everything was normal and fine during our first and second days. We were able to at least accomplish our itinerary. The transient houses were good enough and considerably at a great distance to the beach, it was like a 3-minute walk.
It was so nostalgic seeing some of the old places that are still there. No more loud bars at night, I don't know if it was just us but on weekends there is not like the way it used to be.
We enjoyed the usual Island Hopping of course. This is one of the many things Filipinos should always be very proud of. Exploring the islands, and never fail to amaze me every time. Locals are kind and very welcoming. So no reason for you not to enjoy your vacation. Not to mention your photo op with friends, it went well so far.
Until December 1st came, we head on to the Port of Puerto Galera for our ticket back to Manila only to realize that people were all panicky because a Hurricane was coming. I was lowkey anxious at this point but I did not want it to take over. But at the back of my head, I knew where that was already leading into.
People were heading back to the City for sure after a long weekend and that made me feel far worst. I was worried about not making it to work by Monday, well aside from the fact that I was slowly getting the confirmation as my second time this year to be stranded. I was just with the same ordeal when I went to Batanes last May of 2019.
We had no choice but to look for an alternate Port since tickets at the Port of Puerto Galera were sold out already. With the consensus of everybody, we decided to go to the Port of Calapan without any idea what was waiting for us there. It was 11AM to noon already by this time. We haven't eaten our lunch yet, the travel time took us almost two hours? That made the situation even more suspenseful. A lot of questions were running through my mind during the long hour's drive.
We arrived at 2:00 PM at the Port of Calapan. Incidentally, crowds were expected and the line was extremely long at the ticketing office. We assigned ourselves into groups to line alternately. People continued to arrive until 4PM. We were dead worried at this time since the ticketing office already started counting the last 100 passengers for the 5:00PM cut-off.
We were able to get ourselves a ticket but until we were inside the waiting area nobody was calm for sure. Emotions were high and we were all staring blankly ahead, confused, anxious and scared all at the same time. Until we heard the announcement that our schedule was canceled. At 5:00PM, Mindoro Provinces were placed already under storm signal no. 1 and we are expecting landfall of Typhoon Kammuri/Bagyong Tisoy by December 3, 2019.
We had no choice but spent the night in the hotel for the next 3 days. But during that time it was unknown to us how long we would be stranded in Calapan. We did what we could but I realized that it was the best for all of us. It was truly a risk if we had traveled that night back to Manila.
It was one of my most unforgettable travel experiences definitely. With all these, it is very important that you keep an alert and positive mind. Best of all we could have ensured that we have checked the weather before traveling. Checking the news these days is very important and it's ironic since it is pretty accessible anywhere and anytime. Planning ahead is a must as much as making research for you to be prepared. But let's also accept the fact that there are things that are also out of our control. Keeping a positive outlook will help you get through whatever tough time you may be dealing with right now. You just need to go through the process and take every lesson that you see along the way.
I have plenty of details to share about this experience but I put some of those in this video already.