Mindoro Day Trip - Joey Carlotta

Mission Accomplished

Joey Carlotta — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We arrived in Calapan 11:00 AM on the dot. The port area is much smaller than Batangas but just as modern and clean. The hotel shuttle was waiting for us and it was a short drive by-passing Calapan proper which we unfortunately did not get to see at all. The Filipiniana Hotel is the only hotel of note in Calapan if not the entire Mindoro. It was formerly a Microtel hotel and the first one in Asia for that matter. The owners have since taken over management of the hotel headed by Arnold Valencia.

We got to know our host and prospective business partner over a nice lunch and got down to business right after. After a bit of negotiating and a lot of banter, we were done by 2:30 PM, signed contract and all. By 3:00 PM we were on a SuperCat headed back to Batangas. How I wish I had more meetings like this. I hope to be able to visit again to see more of Calapan and possibly have a drink with Arnold who is a real nice guy.

The SuperCat is newer than the ferry we took in the morning. The only downside is that they stuffed too many seats in the cabin making for a tight and rather uncomfortable ride. In any case, we slept most of the way back and were in Batangas by 4:00 PM. We wanted to have a snack before hitting the road but that would have meant going into Batangas City which did not appeal to any of us. We decided to just push on and have an early dinner in Rose and Grace or in Leslies in Sto. Tomas.

The Star Toll was just a light as the morning drive and we were in Sto. Tomas by about 5:30PM. Unfortunately, this is the hour when most factories along the road let their employees off so the traffic was heavy and the drive very slow. The restaurants we planned on eating in were on the wrong side of the road and it was going to be a real hassle crossing the traffic on the national highway so we decided to push on a have dinner in Alabang instead. Even more unfortunate was the even heavier traffic on SLEX. We each had a cup of coffee in one of the gasoline stations about halfway to Alabang and finally rolled into Festival Mall by about 8:00 PM. We had a bit of a feast at Serye to reward ourselves and I was home before 10:00 PM, tired but satisfied from the otherwise pleasant jaunt and a mission accomplished.

Calapan Ro-RO

Our Fast Craft Ferry to Calapan

Homeward on Star Toll

Ferry to Mindoro

Joey Carlotta — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It was short easy leg from the SLEX exit to the Star Toll entrance. The Star Toll was light and the drive was smooth all the way past the usual Lipa exit and onto the Batangas terminus. The stretch past Lipa is considerable and seems to go on forever is unaccustomed. After paying the toll you get to the roundabout, turning right towards Lipa and back to Manila, left to Batagas City proper, and straight directly onto the Batangas port which we took. You will come upon an overpass that you should take to the pier but of note is a sign directing motorist under the overpass onto Mabini where Anilao is.

The port area of Batangas is quite impressive. It is modern and very clean. With a bit of asking for directions, we found the secured parking lot beside the ferry terminal. The SuperCat ferry was just leaving as we entered the terminal but there was a 10:00 AM ferry with another company. The people there swore it was faster but it sure looked older and did not exactly inspire confidence. In any case, we had no choice because the next SuperCat was leaving much later.

We were actually planning to bring the car over by Ro-Ro (Roll On – Roll Off) but decided against it as the hotel was picking us up from the Calapan pier and there was really nowhere else to go. This was a good thing because the Ro-Ro ship we saw was literally a rust-bucket if you ever saw one. It also took the Ro-Ro boats 2 hours to get to Calapan as compared to the 1 hour of fast-craft ferries.

The ferry ride was uneventful and quite pleasant. The remaining coastline of Batangas is dotted with a number of oil refineries. They are quite a site at night as they are all lit up and there is usually flame coming out of some smoke stacks or vents. The seas were very calm and there was very little motion except between tip of Batangas and Verde Island and between Verde Island and Mindoro. The body of water between Batangas and Mindoro is called Verde Island Passage and connects the China Sea with the Pacific Ocean. Acting as a funnel of sorts, the currents can be brutal. I have seen both sharks and dolphins on previous crossings. On one particular night crossing we were treated to phosphorescence all the way.

Tip of Batangas

Passing Ships

Verde Island

Off to Calapan

Joey Carlotta — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The trip started as I took off from the house at 7:30 AM. I was to pick up 2 of my staff in Alabang at 8:00 AM but was delayed by the early morning traffic on the Alabang-Zapote Road where I had to drop off my daughter to take the bus to school. Normally, I would take the by-pass Friendship Route and make Alabang in 30 to 45 minutes. Passing the main road cost me almost twice the amount of time and my travel mates where more than ready to get on the road by the time I got to them.

Alabang was quite busy for that time of the day and we were glad to be getting on the SLEX. Unfortunately, the pace was slow-going due to the road work going on all the way to the exit to Sto. Tomas, Batangas. This work has been going on for so long and there seems to be no improvement nor end in sight. It almost appears that they are dragging it out. I just dread to learn how much more they will charge for toll after they complete the improvements.

Rust-bucket Ro-Ro in Batangas

Batangas Pier

Oil Refineries on Batangas Coast