Iloilo to Guimaras - The Ride of a Lifetime

Booking for promo airline tickets can be tricky and also a gamble. One thing you can't be sure of is the weather on the booked dates. And on a stormy Thursday, we headed to Guimaras (from Bacolod and Iloilo) wishing that nice weather would welcome us. While seating comfortably inside the Supercat ferry to Iloilo, I silently kept on wishing for sunshine, or tolerable rainfall at the least. All throughout the trip, the sun never showed up and it was drizzling at times, quite a good bargain.

When we reached the Iloilo Muelley Loney wharf (our gateway to Guimaras) at around 8:45 a.m., people swarmed around us (speaking in their best Tagalog) offering cheap rides to Caticlan (400pesos) from Iloilo. They kept on saying that it would only take us 4 hours to reach Caticlan (I dunno how they knew that we were tourists). We didn't entertain them or even look at them 'coz they seem to be pretty much nosy. 

Parola wharf

We have to get to either Iloilo's Ortiz (Jordan bound) or Parola (Jordan and Buenavista bound) wharf for the Guimaras-bound outrigger boats. Our tour guide in Guimaras told us to proceed to Parola wharf due to the weather conditions. (Be clear on whether you need to go to Jordan or Buenavista ports). We paid 14 pesos each for the ride and you need to register as well. It was drizzling when we left the wharf. I was expecting the ride to be a bumpy one because of the weather but bumpy was an understatement. It was the most grueling 15-minute boat ride of my life.

"the" boat

Two days before our trip, I heard from the news that a boat from Iloilo to Guimaras capsized because of the heavy downpour of rain. Although the 20-plus passengers were all safe, still, I don't want to be in that same situation. 


So after 5 minutes of smooth boat ride, the rain started to fall. It was a heavy rainfall. And the cover on our boat can't seem to prevent water to seep into the boat. Imagine a heavy rainfall and big waves coming over you and people starting to wear life jackets. And hearing them speak in their own dialect lefts us clueless on what we're going to do. I silently pray, "God is with us" for like a hundred times during the trip. The boat was in a very slow pace and I can feel the tension from everyone. I didn't mind that we were wet all throughout this ordeal, all I need to know is that we are safe and we'll reach the port in one piece. 


And when we reached the Guimaras-Jordan port it was a relief to be safe in spite of that boat ride. At that time, all I want is to be in a warm and safe place. So there we were, with our stuff and bodies wet but rejoicing for we were safe. The rain didn't stop for the next 30 minutes. The people kept on asking us (in Ilonggo) how big the waves were. We talked like we were exaggerating but it was real.

ruins

I checked our stuff inside the bags and some of it were completely soaked (seawater and rainwater). Thank goodness for dry bags and our cellphones and cameras were safe. Try Sandugo dry bags available at their Trinoma shop. (not a paid advertisement)

Jordan, Guimaras - Jordan port

The weather in Guimaras (while we're having our countryside tour) was very unpredictable - rain, sun, rain, sun. Good thing is that we were safe and I'm more than happy. 

Jordan, Guimaras - ticket booth

It rained a bit, on our way back to Iloilo the next day, during the boat trip but it was incomparable to what we've experienced the day before. I think I've got to learn the (in)famous "stop the rain" dance. Maybe next time.

lifesaver