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Things don’t always work out as we plan

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This past weekend was to be an adventure for me.  Oh, I guess it did turn out to be an adventure, just not as I had planned it.

About 2 months ago, perhaps a bit more than that, I had an idea come to me.  It was an idea for a somewhat unconventional trip.  When I travel, especially if it is something that I will be writing about, I like to do it unconventionally… something a bit different.  Well, back in early July, Feyma, the kids and I were sitting at the kitchen table having a family lunch on a Sunday.  I don’t remember exactly how my idea came about, but I decided that it would be a cool trip to travel to Cagayan de Oro City, in Northern Mindanao.  Oh, I’ve been to Cagayan (CdO) many times in the past decade or more.  It’s a nice place, not one of my favorite destinations in the Philippines, but nice nonetheless.

What made CdO the perfect destination for this trip is that it was far, but also logistically travel between Davao and CdO was relatively easy.  There is a good highway all the way from one place to the other.  I have traveled the route so many times that I know pretty much every inch of the way, and didn’t have to worry about not knowing where I should travel to get to my destination.

So, what made this trip different?  I decided that I wanted to travel from Davao to CdO all the way by Jeepney!  No, I didn’t plan to hire a Jeepney to drive me the distance.  My plan was to catch public jeepneys, ride them in the direction of CdO, and catch a different jeepney when needed.  I figured I might have to ride a dozen jeepneys to get to CdO.  For this trip, my second son, Aaron was my first travel companion.  Later, I decided to invite my niece, Bebe along too.  She wanted to go because she thought it sounded like a neat trip, and also she had never been to CdO before.

I told Feyma that 30 or 40 years ago, going to Cagayan on a jeepney would not be unusual, that was how Filipinos traveled.  These days, jeepneys are used for local travel around the city.  But, if you want to take a trip to a distant place you ride the bus.  Or if you have money you fly.  I told her that “only stupid people like me would take a jeepney all the way to Cagayan de Oro!”  I think I was right too!

So, the day came last Friday, and at about 1pm we left the house walking up to the main highway where we could catch a jeepney.  It didn’t take long, and we caught a jeepney going to Mintal, which is on the outskirts of Davao City.  About 30 minutes on the jeepney and we arrived in Mintal, where we easily caught a second jeepney going to Calinan, which is still part of Davao, but further up the road to CdO.

As we approached Calinan, the conductor of the jeepney asked where we were going.  I didn’t want to explain that we were riding jeepney all the way to CdO, because such a journey was simply unfathomable, so I told him we wanted to go to Quezon, which is a small town in Bukidnon, about 2 hours from Calinan.  He said “OK” and then he showed us where we should wait, along the highway.  He said a bus would be coming along shortly.

Hey, I don’t want a bus… I want to ride jeepney! I told the conductor.  He scratched his head and said, there are no jeepneys going beyond Calinan!  You must take a bus!

Well, I thought about it, and decided that I would take a bus ride as short as possible until I could get a jeepney, so we waited for a bus.  And we waited, then we waited some more.  Finally, after about 2 hours of waiting, a bus came, and it kept going.  It never stopped because it was already full!  We waited more, and no more buses came.  By this time, it was going to get dark soon, so a decision had to be made.

 

It was clear to me that I needed to do a bit more planning on how to ride a jeepney all the way to CdO!  Part of my plan had been to not have a plan, and to play it by ear!  I had done some checking with friends, and they told me that I could catch jeepneys all the way, but it appeared that the information was incorrect.  So, we returned home.  Our journey was a lot shorter than we had planned, but we had fun nonetheless.

I have been riding jeepney lately quite a bit, and I’ve enjoyed it.  It’s like a window into Filipino Culture, and I’ve learned a lot from riding jeepneys.  I started riding jeeps as training for my planned trip to CdO, and I’m glad that I did, because it’s been a good experience for me.  I intend to continue riding jeepneys regularly too!  I’ve had a couple bad experiences on Jeepneys, but I’ve had a ton of good experiences though!  And, it’s an excellent practice for me in speaking Cebuano, because I only speak Cebuano when I’m on the jeepney!

Well, I am still going to do a long distance jeepney trip, you can bet on that.  But, I will do a bit more planning next try.  I have already figured out two different ways to do it and get to CdO.  I am not sure if I will go to CdO next attempt, or somewhere else around Mindanao!  You can bet, though, when I do make the trip, I’ll let you know about it!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Well it sounded like a great plan Bob. Too bad it did not work out as you had hoped. I know you were trying to get there on unplanned jeepneys but perhaps next time you should charter a jeepney. Or maybe more study of where to be to get a ride on a random jeepney would be in order.

    Great story as always sir. Thanks!

  2. hi bob,

    It’s was a good plan…. you just got wrong information though, you should have consulted the CIA. lol

  3. Sorry about your trip as it sounded like a potentially great LIP travelogue. Anytime I ride a Jeepney I keep banging my head (unintentionally) on the interior roof and occasionally getting in. I try and stay away from them now. I’m 6’5″

  4. Bob;
    Sometimes you just can’t get there from here! My friend and I tried in on Puerto Rico back in the 80’s to see if we could circumnavigate the island by Publico (Kinda like a Jeepney situation) We made it but it took 4 days because they don’t run after 10:pm. But we had a great time of it. Better luck next time!

    • Yeah, Paul, that trip you did sounds a lot like what I want to do! It will be great fun when I get it done! Heck, even the aborted trip was a lot of fun! Next time, I’ll make it all the way! 😉

  5. I told my wife what you attempted and she went on and explained to me how to do it. I am not going to pretend I understood what she said. It was very animated and a lot of hand jesters. The jist of it is “Long distance travel Jeepney.

    Good Luck

  6. jeepney as and where we are living mate we use them every time we go shoping as we are about30 mins by jeepney from the bank and the better shops or if u wont to walk it will take u over 1 hours walking to ge there mate buti find it a lot off fun geting one as i ge to meet a lot off ppl i would never meet where we live bob is about one hour out off manila city up in the hills and the roads there are not all that good but one good thing is we dont get floods mate and most ppl where we are are not poor and not rich so most of there own cars or some way off get from a to b and it is just a one hour bus trip out off manila so i dont have along way to go when i wont to go up to the city nt ha it go there a lot as i dont like manila city a lot itis to big and more cars and a man know what to do with but this time i got to see things in manila i have never seen be for mate as my wife has spent a lot off time in and about the city when she was working there so i got to see more and if ever had be for andfor the frist time i went out at night and did find it very safe there i think i did find it safer and here at home if i can say that…………peter martin tassie

    • Hi Peter – Nice to hear from you, I hope you are doing well. I enjoy walking and also riding jeepney! Just depends on where I am heading. Of course, I also drive too! 😉

  7. Hope you make it next time here in my hometown. I’m not familiar with jeepney routes from DVO-CGY but I’m sure that every place here in PI has jeepney or those small multi-cabs that will atleast take you from one barrio to another. 🙂

  8. So tell me Bob, what was Feyma’s first reaction when it dawned on her that you were serious about that trip? Did her eyes roll back in her head or something else that indicated she was a little skeptical of the whole thing? lol

    • Hi Rich – Not at all! Feyma thinks it’s really a cool trip, and was very excited for me to go. She would love to go too, but she has back problems sometimes and a long uncomfortable ride on the jeepney would leave her in pain. She is gung-ho for it, though. I have to say, Feyma is very supportive of me, even when my ideas are a bit unconventional.

    • In fact, Rich, as I think about it, when I first came up with the idea back in July, I was only half joking about the whole thing. It was Feyma who really encouraged me and convinced me to move forward!

      • Bob,

        Even though you didn’t complete your journey, you and the kids had fun and that is the main thing. Also you got to spend more quality time with them. When i start learning Tagalog i will want to ride jeepney’s to use it. Looking forward to your next trip. Be safe.

        • Hi Papa Duck – That’s so true! Spending quality time with family is one of the best things in life! Around here, speaking Tagalog would be of little use on the jeepneys, since they speak Bisaya or Cebuano, but I know what you mean! It is a great experience if you can speak the language!

        • Hi Papa Duck – it’s great to you want to learn how to speak Tagalog. if you plan to live in Manila, that will be very useful. But if it’s in the provinces, Like Bob said, Tagalog will be of little use. They have their own dialect. Kuha mo?! he he.. that’s Tagalog for ‘did you get it? ‘ a favorite expression from a local t.v show .^_^.

          • Absolutely, sugar, it just depends on where you will be! There are some parts of the country where the people actually hate Tagalog and you would be better received if you speak English rather than Tagalog!

            Guess what, though…. Over the next couple weeks I am taking my final exam in Cebuano. After that, I am starting with Tagalog lessons! Yep, it’s official!

          • Bob, Sugar,

            I will be in Bataan so thats close to Manila and they speak Tagalog there. Its great that your learning Tagalog. I commend you for putting the effort in to learn the local languages. I will try to do my best to learn Tagalog. I think it will be fun. Have a nice day.

            • Hi Papa Duck – Learning to speak Cebuano is the best thing I’ve done since moving here. I’ve been doing it for the past 4 years, and I’m used to it as part of my schedule, so no reason not to add Tagalog now that I’m done with the Cebuano! I don’t see any downside!

        • It would be advantageous to know spoken and written Tagalog when you are in Luzon, Papa Duck, but I wouldn’t sweat it if I were you. Chances are, the Pinoy in the jeepney to whom you spoke in Tagalog would respond to you in English!

          • Ricardo,

            Welcome back! How did you fair with Hurricane Irene? I hope all worked out fine and didn’t sustain and injuries or damage. I will give it an effort to learn. I think its the least i could do. Be safe.

            • Papa Duck, the Bayside community on Fenwick Island, DE, where I live sustained no major property damage, except for an uprooted traffic sign at the entrance to the community. It was ordered evacuated by noon the Friday before Irene hit in line with the evacuation order for Ocean City, MD, 7 miles away. I have no doubt you will learn Tagalog quickly, once you move to Bataan and become immersed in the culture. For starters, the word you need to remember if you wanted to get off the jeepney is to say, “Para!” If the driver didn’t hear you, you just knock on the ceiling of the jeepney. In Manila, do make sure to check regularly if your wallet is still in your pocket – it’s best to keep it in your front pocket. 🙂

  9. Great travel story Bob!!!! maybe a new buisness venture for you to convince jeepney travel all over, hey even a direct route all the way to Cdo!! they do look a bit cramped for space though,but loads of fun!!

  10. Bob,

    What about a jeepney trip from Davao to Ozamiz? I understand that such a trip is about 8 hours by car.

    What a great bonding time for you and your children, too.

    Bob, Aaron and Bebe…The Open Road!

    -Greg G

    • Hi Greg – I feel like taking the trip to CdO would accomplish what I am out to accomplish, I don’t think that going further to Ozamiz would really add much benefit for me. I did consider going on to Iligan though to visit some friends there. That’s about halfway between CdO and Ozamiz.

  12. Hi Bob – So this was the plan you talked about on your FB page. I think the journey from Davao to CDO by Jeepney would be a special trip. I was very surprised by the time (1pm) when you set out on the journey bearing in mind it takes the Express Bus around 6 to 7 hours for the same journey with limited stops. Unless you were planing to stop over somewhere on the way you were never going to make it during daylight hours and unlike the buses Jeepneys stop travelling at certain times.
    So as you mentioned it’s back to the drawing board and an earlier start to the journey is in order and don’t forget to bring a cushion along as the ride is bound to be bumpy.
    Regards.
    Jim.

    • Hi Jim – Yeah, I am aware of the timing, and you are right. But, we planned to stay overnight in Valencia, then make it to CdO by mid day the next day. I won’t be bringing any cushion, though. 😉

    • The last few times Meriam and I went from Davao to CDO via of the Red aircon bus it took 9 to 10 hours. Sometimes the road is torn up for repairs. That is a 3 stop bus.

        • All the way from Buda to CDO. Close to CDO was the worst last couple of trips. A Red bus went over the side and down the mountain this year. The sugar cane trucks can really slow you down too.

          • That’s interesting. I was in Buda a while back and there was no construction, perhaps they had already finished it. Yeah, there are a lot of sugar cane trucks around the Quezon area, and they are quite slow, that’s for sure! ha ha…. It’s a beautiful ride though! Bukidnon is very majestic.

            • You said: It’s a beautiful ride though! Bukidnon is very majestic. Amen to that Bob. That is why I like taking the bus. Sit up high and do some sightseeing. Very nice trip. Everyone should take it.

  13. Hi Bob. Really gets my feet itchy with anticipation of more exploring when I read things like this. Must say I have contemplated an extended (read VERY) trip overland from Bohol to Manila. It may have to wate till later next year however as we have just been told we are being sent to Lao in February for five months.

    • Hi David – One of my dream trips is to drive from Nothern Luzon to Tawi Tawi. I wonder how many RoRo Ferries would be needed to do it? I know it can be done though!

      • We once drove from Laoug to Davao. RO-RO from (Batangas to Puerto Galera) then (Roxas to Caticlan) (Iloilo to Bacolod) (Amlan to CDO) so only four all the way to Davao. On the way back we went (Surigao to Liloan) so only one. It was an amazing trip and one I urge all to try. Great way to see the Country.

        • You mean Laoag, Ilocos Norte, right? How long did it take you to get to Davao? What were the expenses like, in terms of gasoline, food, ferries and lodging for a cross-country drive like that. It must have been an awesome experience. Would you recommend a four-wheel drive vehicle for such a trip? How reliable is GPS in cross- country travel in the Philippines?

  14. lingaw kaayo ko sa imong writeup, bob!

    btw did you cross-check via google what your friends said about CDO-bound transport options?
    ” )

    all the surf trips i’ve done were google-assisted, i’m just thankful that people take the time to post their experiences online so that others are able to have an easier time going to new places.

    looking forward to your next piece on your DVO-CDO jeepney trip!

    cheers,

    • Ha ha… I’m glad you enjoyed the article, Biz Doc. I did a lot of Google research before the trip, but there was not too much information to be found, and much of what I did find was like 7 or 8 years old, so it may or may not be accurate! But, you know, the struggle is all part of the adventure. I did learn much and believe that the knowledge I gained will be very useful on my next attempt!

  15. Good on ya bob ,at least ya had a go mate ,you will get there as you say a little bit more planning we use dto have a saying in the army the seven p’s
    prior
    preperation &
    planning
    prevents
    piss
    pore
    performance
    i always used this system and it always works
    chris

    • Hi chris – Ha ha.. yes, I’ve heard that saying too! Part of the excitement of the trip for me was to do it without much of a plan. Seems a bit more adventures, if you know what I mean! I’ll make it there!

  16. Good on you Bob and an interesting ride for your kids too I bet. Jeepney ride is a unique and special part of Filipino culture. Our kids love jeepneys and are fascinated on how money paid gets passed on along by the passengers all the way to the driver. cool! We once took a jeepney from park square in Makati all the way to the other terminal and then asked the driver if he was going back again. He scratched his head and pointed us to the start of the jeep queue towards the opposite direction. Good fun, a very inexpensive tour.

    Good luck to your next expedition.

    Alfre

    • Hi Alfre! Thanks for your nice comment. I do enjoy the jeepney ride. As I said in the article, it is a little window into Filipino Culture and I consider it a nice learning experience for me too. You see a lot of interesting things on the jeepney!

  17. Hi Bob;
    After reading the first few lines, i thought how the hell is he going to get a Jeepney going over Buda, not possible. Your adventure confirmed what i was thinking,lol.

    Maybe if i was 20 yrs younger, i might anticipate a long Jeepney journey, but now its Aircon bus all the way for me. Sheryl also, as she gets travel sick on ordinary long distance buses/Jeepneys etc. Her first flight (sometime in the future) is going to be interesting,lol.

    I look forward to episode 2.
    Regards,
    Chas.

    • Hi chasdv – Actually, I did know that it was quite likely that I could not get a jeep between Buda and Quezon, but I wanted to take a shot. There are jeepneys for sure that go all the way to Marilog, but there are not many of them. I see small non-aircon buses plying around Buda, and thought I’d try to catch one of those if necessary. It’s all an adventure, after all!

      Episode two will be coming, just not sure when. It could be a few weeks, or a few months from now.

        • Some of the stores around here have Hungarian sausages, but I’m not aware of any Budapests in teh area! 😆

          BTW, just for those who don’t know, the name Buda, or BuDa is used because it is a small town right on the Bukidnon/Davao border. So, BU-kidnon, DA-vao. BuDa.

  18. Hey Bob,
    I have gone by Jeepney from CDO to Malaybalay, from Malaybalay to Valencia, from Valencia to Maramag, from Maramag to Quezon where my mother in law lives. Not all on the same trip mind you, but it can be done. The only reason I decided to take the Jeepney is because as you stated, the busses were full, and I got tired of waiting.

    • Hi Hudson – Yeah! That’s the trip that I want to take! It is the Quezon to Buda or Calinan that is the challenge, but I can do it… I know a couple of ways to do it now.

      I had a similar experience too a number of years ago. I was in Cebu. Took an L300 south of the city to the southern part of the island. When it was time to go back to Cebu City I waited for a bus or an L300 and after about an hour nothing came, or what came was full. I decided to take a jeepney all the way back to the City! What an adventure that was!

      • I have actually taken multiple jeepney/trike rides from Maramag to Quezon and Don Carlos, and back again. The reason is, Maramag has the closest hotel to where my wifes family lives, and I don’t really like sleeping in a Nipa.

        • Hi Hudson – Maramag is a nice little town. In fact, I know a Canadian fellow who owns a hotel there. As I recall, the name of the hotel is something like the “Maple Leaf Inn” or similar. Is that where you usually stay?

          • For some reason the name Sunshine hotel rings a bell. Its on the main Highway just past the main part of town going towards Valencia, across the street from a feed store.

  20. Hi Bob – the jeepney in the photo looks very nice.. unlike the ones I see hear in Manila. Some look really really old and like they’re gonna break 🙂 But of course we have air conditioned jeepneys.. just in Makati though. Want to ride jeep here in Manila? Kidding! 🙂

      • Yeah, plus they have t.v too! he he. I heard they wanted to phase out ( if that’s the word) jeeps.. but it will probably never happen. It’s synonymous to Philippines.. living here. Keep riding the jeepney, Bob You’re just like the rest of us now.. so cool. 🙂

        • TV? Wow! The deluxe buses here have tv on them, though, but certainly not the jeeps! Yeah, I try to immerse myself in the culture of the Philippines, Sugar, and when I do, I find that my life improves and becomes more enjoyable.

  21. Bob,
    I think Jeepney use only for a short distance but if you will travel for more than a hr, you may need to travel by bus, i live in Batangas and when i want to go to Lemery Batangas to( visit a friend) w/c is almost an hr. drive , i can still travel through a jeepney .But when i go to Manila w/c is a 2 hrs. drive , you have to travel by bus or a car.

    • Hi Rebecca – thanks for sharing your thoughts. I can drive to CdO anytime I want, in fact I have done it probably 2 dozen times. I want to take a jeepney as much as possible though! 😉

  22. One of the things that interested me in visiting Philippines for the first time was the various forms of transportation that we do not have here, Jeepneys, Kalisa, Motorela and Trisikads etc. In my 4 visits I have learned a bit about Jeepneys although the ” city proper ” ones are still a bit confusing in reading the small destination / route signs on them. On my last visit I learned how multiple routes can converge in one specific area or block and to transfer from one route to another to get where you want to go by Jeepney.

    My best expereience with Jeepneys was on my first visit where I chartered a jeepney for a 9 hour day ( about = to $35 USD plus voluntary tip to the driver in 2008 ) . Loaded the jeepney with local friends who acted as my Entourage on that first visit and toured some of the major tourist sites of Iligan City.

    Sounds like you had quite an adventure Bob, attempting a somewhat long distance city to city travel by Jeepney with no advanced scheduling. I’ll bet there was some good sight seeing even though you did not make your planned destination.

    • Hi Bob – time spent with family and friends is indeed always a good time, and we did have a good time on the trip, even though we did not make it to our final destination. We’ll do it though!

  23. Bob,
    I guessed that you were coming to CDO on a habel habel. I had the destination right but the wrong mode of transportation. HaHa
    If you’re still planning on coming to CDO, Fely & I would love to meet you for coffee before you head back to Davao.

    • Hi Ron – Indeed, you were very close with your guess! John Miele was also quite close. I will still be doing the journey, just not certain when. I will try to contact you when I am headed your way!

      Take care!

  24. Hi Bob!

    Been reading your webmag since I stumbled upon it a few days back! 😀

    The chances of you getting a ride only by jeepneys all the way to CDO especially when you are in the far-flung areas of Davao (e.g. that stop where you waited for the bus) are very slim for a few good reasons:
    1. That road is not a regular traffic, so jeepneys or buses usually come from davao terminals leaving the terminal full, or to any far-reach destinations for that matter.
    2. There are no stops in that part of the highway, because there are almost no people living in that stretch going to bukidnon.

    I bet the only viable way to go would be to take a jeepney (or bus) from terminals that go in the direction of CDO (but not necessarily til CDO). Terminals to terminals is what I mean.

    • Hi Jan – thanks for your comment. I’m glad that you have been enjoying my site!

      Know what? I’ve got the whole route figured out now, and I’ll be doing it some time in the future, as my schedule allows. I think it will be a lot of fun!

  25. I’m just not enjoying I am incubating on this! lol

    Excellent! maybe you can share us the how-to’s so other expats can find your site spot-on!

    😀

  26. Hi Bob,

    great post here. Really enjoyed reading all the comments here.

    I was wondering how much it costs to drive from davao to CDO?
    I guess around 2000php?

    I’m staying in CDO this december and was wondering if renting a jeepney for the daycin CDO is cheaper than renting a van? I’m traveling with my filipino wife and am more of a budget traveler. rather spend on food and the markets than high priced car rentals lol.

    Thanks for the post love reading these when I travel!

    • Hi Jason – I guess that your estimate of the cost of driving Davao to CdO is about right. Depends on what kind of vehicle you have, and what kind of gas mileage it gets.

      For the cheapest way to make the trip, maybe you should take the bus. I believe you can ride a nice aircon bus for 600 or so.