I got the 4:30 a.m. ferry from Benoni to Belingoan. This was the beginning of my misadventure.
I tried to get on the boat indicated by the ticket lady but was shown to the next boat by the guard. The boat left at 4:15 a.m. When the ticket collector came around, she told me that I was on the wrong boat. I explained the situation to her and refused to pay again; after a short while she gave up on changing my mind.
The boat got to Belingoan at 5:30 a.m. A bicycle taxi cost 5 pesos to the bus stop (so 20 pesos was definitely too much). I caught the Bachelor Express from Belingoan at 5:45 and arrived at CDO shortly after 7 a.m. By 7:30 a.m., I was at the airport to buy a ticket to Cebu. I was distressed to find out that Asian Spirit no longer flew from CDO to Cebu. My only flight option was Cebu Pacific at 2:20 p.m. I refused to believe it at first; I hated to believe that I’d woken at 3:30 a.m. that morning for nothing but finally had to face reality. I managed to get one of the last two seats on the flight and hoped that I’d get to Tagbilaran in time to make the 4:00 p.m. Super Cat ferry.
I don’ know why I still expected things to work out but I did. At 1:55, the Cebu Pacific flight to Manila (not the one to Cebu) was announced. The plane meant to depart for Cebu did not arrive at CDO until 2:20 p.m., which meant that we didn’t leave until 3:40 p.m. My hope of anything going right that day was lost at that point.
I found out that there was a 6:30 p.m. ferry at Pier 4 and a 6:20 p.m. one at Pier 1. Luck still wasn’t with me as I chose to go to Pier 4. After waiting over an hour to purchase a ticket, I noticed a sign that said that the 6:30 ferry to Tagbilaran was fully booked that day. Then begun the trek to Pier 1.
It wasn’t a very long walk but a backpack and two bags have the ability to make a walk appear much longer than it is. My luck changed and I managed to get a seat on the Ocean Jet. I hoped that my luck would hold so that I would make the last jeepney from the port to Loboc at 8:00 p.m. Unfortunately, my luck was short lived and the Ocean Jet was 20 minutes late in leaving port. It arrived in Tagbilaran at 8:20 p.m.
Finding a taxi to Loboc proved difficult. Chris at Nuts Huts had told me that a taxi should cost 400. No one wanted to take me for less than 700. I was physically tired but I was more tired of being ripped off. I started walking, I’m not sure to where, when one of the taxi drivers had pity on me and said he would drive me for 400 pesos. It was 9:00 p.m. by then.
I got to Loboc at 9:30. I’d read that the huts were a 10 minute climb from the road. The other option was to take a boat to a small makeshift dock at Nuts Huts. Sari Manok, the suggested boat company was closed so I got a ride on the other company (100 pesos).
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