Sailing MV Mary the Queen

MBRS

We (Edith and I) planned going to Romblon Province after Christmas but the travel came 2 days earlier due to the ship's schedule. Yes, we traveled by water so we could experience the ride in a huge ship. I inquired about the trips and had our Manila to Odiongan reservation via phone. We thought we would not be able to make it to Pier 8 North Harbor where the MBRS cruise line was docked or so I thought due to the traffic jam along our way. We were received by the trained K9 dog of the harbor when we arrived there. The personnel conducted body check while luggage were examined by the police dog. Numerous people from all ages with their baggage mound to where they stood were already eagerly waiting for the ship which was yet to arrive. Our 5 o'clock trip was postponed to 8 o'clock but the ship finally arrived at 10 in the evening. It took an hour for docking and then 2 hours of refilling water, cleaning and boarding all the passengers.

MBRS ticket

We got in the ship and looked for our beds. The ship left Manila around 1 in the morning a day before Christmas. The ride was not smooth and it was not like what we thought. We found a bed and had a chat with our "neighbor" before we hurriedly went up to discover the inside of the ship. We came to a deck where there were a lot of good empty rooms. Those were cabins which were under repair. Their second class accommodation was almost the same with their economy class. Both class had air conditioner, double deck beds with foam.

K9 and its master checking the passengers baggage

BRS Ship is "new" according to our co passengers who like us were loitering at the upper deck. It  once belonged to Valencia, Spain and bought by the said shipping lines. The former name was Ciudad De Valencia. It was said that this line is owned by one of the prominent government official of Romblon.Below is an information about the vessel.

Name: Ciudad De valencia

IMO: 7915802

VESSEL TYPE: FERRY
FLAG: SPAIN
PORT OF REGISTRY: VALENCIA
STATUS: IN SERVICE
COMPANY: TRASMEDITERRANEA / ACCIONA TRASMEDITERRANEA
(OWNED UNTIL 2009)
BUILDER: UNION NAVAL LEVANTE VALENCIA - SPAIN
YEAR: 1984
GROSS TONNAGE (GT): 11513
LENGHT (m): 138,3
BREADTH (m): 20,5
DRAUGHT (m): 5,6
SPEED (kn): 21
POWER (kW): 13093
PASSENGERS: 982
LANE METRES: 480
NEW NAME: MARY THE QUEEN
SISTER SHIPS: CANGURO CABO SAN JORGE / CIUDAD DE BADAJOZ /
CIUDAD DE SEVILLA / CIUDAD DE SALAMANCA / DONATELLA
DABUNDO

Weekly sailing schedule were as follows:

1. Manila Monday 5PM - Arrive Romblon 3AM Wednesday
2. Romblon 4AM Wednesday - Arrive Cajidiocan 7AM Wednesday
3. Cajidocan 8AM Wednesday - Arrive Masbate 12 Noon Wednesday Masbate 10AM Thursday - Arrive Cajidocan 2PM Thursday
4. Cajidocan 3PM Thursday - Arrive Romblon 6PM Thursday
5. Romblon 7PM Thursday - Arrive Manila 5AM Friday
6. Manila 5PM Friday - Arrive Odiongan 3AM Saturday
7. Odiongan 4AM Saturday -- Arrive caticlan 6:30AM Saturday
8. Caticlan 8AM Saturday - Arrive Masbate 4PM Saturday
9. Masbate 2AM Sunday - Arrive Caticlan 10AM Sunday
10. Caticlan 12 Noon Sunday - Arrive Odiongan 2:30PM Sunday
11. Odiongan 5PM Sunday - Arrive Manila 3AM Monday

Fare from Manila to Odiongan was Php425 for students, Php 525 for regular passengers. We added P100.00 each for Odiongan to Caticlan.

We spent 14 hours sailing and were almost in Odiongan port when our ship stopped because according to the management, there was another ship docked on the port and it was impossible to come in. Good thing we decided earlier not to stop in Odiongan as we planned due to the delay of our departure and the long time we spent in the vessel. We abruptly changed our itinerary and eyed Boracay as our first destination so we decided to stop in Caticlan. Nearly 2 hours passed yet nothing happened. Passengers who were looking forward to spend their Noche Buena with their family were getting irritated already. Loved ones who were at the port waiting were also mad and bombard the management with questions. A ranting lady passenger, who could not stand the delay and who also related the event to her marine captain engineer in another country,  went to the management's office and dared the officer. There was a violent disturbance but paved the way for the fleet to move.

It was past 9 in the evening when we reached Caticlan.

air conditioned economy room

Marble Capital-Romblon, Romblon

Our next destination after Tablas Island was Romblon, the marble capital and exporter of the Philippines. We asked the tourist information office we found near the port of a shipping line about the resorts where we could stay over night. He directed us to a small and simple yet awesome resort near the poblacion. Aglicay is a sure real nice to stay with all the amenities and very accommodating people as compared to this unknown beach resort where we stayed.

We strolled around the town and came across the capitol building and the old catholic church constructed in the 16th century by the Recollect Fathers. The church was built with coral blocks and bricks.

We also went looking for marble products and other native food delicacies. It was dark when we stopped at a hotel to have our dinner.

Overlooking the poblacion from the hotel.

On our second day, we planned to enjoy swimming since we were not able to do in Tablas due to the strong waves. We were about to swim when we saw some creatures which were foreign to us. Out of curiosity again, we took some twigs and tried to budged it. We did not have the slightest idea that this was a sea cucumber locally known as "balat".

...and that this one was a brittle star. 

There were a lot of brittle stars and sea cucumber lurking on the small rocks. Instead of swimming, we were absorbed looking for other sea creatures. The white strand seen here was said to be the "laway" of the "balat".

It was very rough under the water so we need to wear our slippers. We saw a different sizes of white star fish.  There were also sea weeds under which made us jerk every time it touched our skin. There was sea cucumber hanging around a medium sized sea urchin. This really made me run to the shore line.

However, it did not stop us from looking around. We went for another direction and were really observant if we encounter again those species. We stumbled upon two big beautiful star fish, a brown and an orange. 

On our left side, we saw this and argued if it was also a starfish. Whatever it was, we were very hesitant to touch it anyway.

The dead corals accumulated on the shoreline.

Beautiful starfish.
It was here that I broke my camera after taking a lot of pictures..:( 

Tablas Island: Alcantara's Aglicay Beach

One of the major islands in Romblon Province is Tablas Island which is the biggest among Romblon and Sibuyan Island. After our celebrating our Christmas in Boracay and our side trip to Aklan, we finally boarded the boat going to Looc, Tablas at exactly 9 in the morning of December 26. We paid something like 250 pesos per person.

We passed by Carabao Island which is being introduced today as an emerging paradise island. I think this is a nice place to visit as well.

2 hours of traveling by water was too long for me because I could not help myself to feel dizzy even if I tried to enjoy the view. The boatmen put down the boat's window cover because of the water coming from the strong waves hitting the vessel. This worsen my situation so I threw out.

We arrived in the port of Looc which is a small town in Tablas Island, walked for about 10 minutes going to the town proper since we did not know where to go yet. We planned to figure out where we could stay or what other places to visit when we stopped in a sari-sari store and asked the man who was hanging around enjoying a puff of his cigarette. He told us we could go to Ferrol or Calatrava if we wanted to see nice places.
His friends happened to pass by the store and told them of our inquiries. They were surprised to know we came from afar and that we were only 2.

We finally decided to go to Aglicay Beach which is located in Alcantara, a few kilometers away from Looc, after few minutes of bargaining with the tricycle driver. We paid him P400 when we reached the resort.

We were welcomed by a lady who was also in-charged of the restaurant. We asked her if we could camp there since we had with us our old tent. Upon saying yes, we assembled it with the help of a man working in the resort.

After putting up our tent, we ordered for a fresh buko and inquired more about their rates which vary according to number of guests and accommodation. The resort has standard and family bungalows which can lodge 3 to 5 persons and large kiosk which can hold 20 plus people. We excused ourselves and roved around the resort upon finishing our drinks.

The sound of the waves were rapping the rocks which gave music to the surrounding.

As we wander, we came up to a hill and curiously climbed it. The view was superb! We could see the water surfing its own way to the shore line.

We enjoyed the splendid view and the frostiness of the surrounding brought by the zephyr from the sea.

Around evening after having our dinner (cooked fresh fish caught from the sea), we were pleased to be toured by the owner around the buildings with different amenities. He showed us a big room with billiard table and other indoor games and a disco room.

enjoying the sea ambiance

The following day, we went up at the other side of the hill and enjoyed our temporary paradise.

Took more pictures and trailed down to the other side. There was also an undeveloped part of the resort which the owners are currently developing for fishing and swimming site.

We left this place on "habal-habal" en-route Romblon Island.

The pleasing and impressive qualities of Tablas Island mesmerized us as we traveled to San Agustin where we could take our boat going to Romblon. 

We passed by a broken road destroyed by the previous typhoon according to our driver.

If only we were not rushing, I would have asked the driver to stop so I could take more pictures and enjoy the scene. 

Approaching San Agustin...met one of my classmates here and had a few seconds of chat and picture taking before boarding the boat going to Romblon Island. 

Celebrating Christmas in Boracay

"What? Why are we stopping at the middle of the sea when we can already see Odiongan port?", asked by an old woman to an OJT crew. She was seated next to her grandchild who was pre occupied with the music she listened to on her cellphone.

The crew apologized and informed her including us what the captain saw as a problem. One of the Montenegro Shipping Lines vessel was docked in the port and it was impossible for our ship to enter.  One passenger jokingly said, "Ok lang basta may libreng Christmas party kayo sa amin" (It's okay as long as the management will throw a Christmas party to all the passenger all free of charge), then everyone in the room laughed except for a tall lady who looked  exasperated. She stood and blurted "Naghihintay ang pamilya ko. Ayokong magpasko dito!" (My family is already waiting for us. I do not wish to spend our Christmas here in the ship!), then she marched her way up to the ship captain's office. After almost an hour, there was a commotion at the 3rd deck. The lady went out of control and warned to sue the shipping line once the vessel did not dock. Minutes later, we felt the ship moved. 

She came back to the cabin and relayed to us what she did. She called her husband who was in another country and also a ship captain in an international cruise line. She was advised that perhaps there were other solution for docking so the passengers plans would not be ruined.

Since our delayed travel in Manila and the slow vessels engine robbed more than of our precious one day considering also the time (it was evening already when we reached Odiongan) we proceeded to Boracay Island. 

We arrived in the island at around 10 and looked for a cheaper place to stay. We found a room owned by a police inspector who was having a drinking spree with his neighbors and friends. We were invited for a shot which we declined.

On our way to the beach front,
we were invited by these 2 policemen to
celebrate an early (it was 11 in the evening)
 Noche Buena with them inside the Boracay Police Station.

Boracay Sand

with roaming Santa Claus

Boracay beach front

Side trip to Kalibo, Aklan

Our side trip to Kalibo, Aklan. Wished it was their Ati Atihan fest....

Left by the boat going to Looc, Tablas Island after our Boracay Christmas unplanned get away, Edith and I were convinced by some Aklanon who were in a jeepney waiting for more passengers going to Kalibo, to visit their place. We also thought of going to Iloilo but took the first option, otherwise, our itinerary would turn into a mess. 

We arrived in Kalibo after more than 2 hours ride. We asked some residents for a possible good place near the sea where we could spend our night. They suggested Tambak, a few km from the town.

While in the tricycle, we almost suffered from stiff neck looking around expecting to see nice beach resorts. Unfortunately, we felt betrayed. We were dropped to an inn near karaoke bars and pubs and were surprised to be asked "short time?" by the caretaker. Instead of  fussing about this experience, we decided to walk around and let our regrets be drowned by the furious sound of the sea waves. 

My eyes captured the waves lambasting the stones in the shore line.Little did we know it was a broken sea wall when we went nearer.

Stunned for a while, we watched the strong current as it mercilessly bumped into the the almost submerged shattered sea wall bringing more havoc to it.

Then we decided to take more pictures standing on the sea wall but the waves came to us before my killer smile and Edith's Ms Universe pose were captured by the camera. It either showed its hostility or just wanted to play with us. :) We chose to believe the later.