My travels have brought me in and out of Iloilo, usually a day or two. Most of the time, these were quick stopovers to my next destination. But my longest stay was during my first visit to this city in 1994. I was a high school sophomore on my first school trip outside of the Eastern Visayas region attending a week-long leadership conference at the Punta Villa resort in Arevalo.
Last weekend, I found myself again in Iloilo to visit my friend TSC who will now be working in their Iloilo branch. (Segue: TSC, you've been on three islands for the past three years. At least now you're home.) With me was my friend and now co-worker JPM who was stepping on Iloilo soil for the first time.
We took the Weesam fast craft from Bacolod to Iloilo (Economy ticket was at Php 350.00). After an hour of slightly choppy ride, we disembarked and took a cab to the Sacred Heart Subdivision in Mandurriao. When I looked at the taxi meter, it was already calibrated to the Php 40.00 flag down rate. What would normally cost under Php 100.00, the taxi ride was now almost Php 170.00. While inside the cab, we chatted with the driver and we were proud and happy because we managed a conversation in Hiligaynon.
We stashed our belongings at TSC's place and then headed off to Mangay's at the Boardwalk for lunch. While waiting for our order, we enjoyed the strong breeze from the river (Mangay's was a few steps from the river). Nanay Bec (TSC's mom) and JPM were in GTKY mode while Tina and I updated each other with the goings-on in our lives picking up from where we left off the last time we talked on the phone.